NSU Horizons Spring 2012

39 HORIZONS “I like athletes who want it,” he said. Last year, Hagopian took the team to the national stage by nding a core group of ve or six talented sprinters and sprinkling them liberally into the sprints and hurdles. That recipe took the Sharks to prominence, a status that was enhanced this year with the return of Richardson, Osteen, Williams, and Fisher, as well as Yanique Booth, the new assistant coach. “Coach Booth is amazing,” said Williams. “Her technique. Her dedica- tion. The respect she has for us. Even if you don’t want to, she pushes you to work a little harder, to make you better.” A 2008 graduate of Florida Atlantic University, Booth was a four-year regional quali er for the Owls and holds the SunBelt Conference record in the 55-meter hurdles. The addition of a coach who’s a sprinter/hurdler wasn’t an accident. Knowledge of the hurdles also translates to the long jump and triple jump. That diversity is critical for a growing Division II program. The pieces, once again, are in place this season. Hagopian sees the attitude, the skills, and the athletes in place to make a run that will go past 2012 and beyond. He sees a commitment by a university that has plans to build an on-campus track complex for year-round training. And, he sees recruiting pipelines to the sprint-rich Caribbean. One of last year’s standouts, Rashida Allen, is from Montego Bay, Jamaica. “We’re being aggressive now. We’re going to be super aggressive in the future,” Hagopian said. Athletes know how sweet that moment of winning can be—that heady thrill when victory is yours and the pride of knowing that you and your team- mates are champions. But sportsmanship trumps everything. NSU’s freshman eight rowing team had just placed rst in the semi nals in the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association regatta, but Courtney Berger, 19, didn’t have time to savor the win. The NSU sophomore coxswain noticed that a rower from rival Rollins College was hunched over, having trouble breathing. Berger asked her freshman eight boat to row next to the Rollins boat so she could jump into it. While in the Rollins boat, Berger held the rower upright until she regained her breathing and medical personnel had arrived. For her efforts, Berger received the National Collegiate Athletic Associa- tion’s 2011 Female Student-Athlete Sportsmanship Award. This is the rst time an NSU athlete has received this award and the rst time a Sunshine State Conference school athlete has received the honor. Berger was featured as one of the “Faces in the Crowd” in the September 12, 2011, issue of Sports Illustrated . For Berger, helping a fellow rower, even from a rival school, is the right thing to do. “It’s just the rower’s way,” said Berger, whose team placed second in the regatta nals the next day. “Rowing is team oriented. It’s a really respect- ful sport. My crew handled themselves quite well that day.” The rower recovered and the two spoke brie y after the incident. But, neither rower knows the other’s name. “When we tell stories about this, she’ll always be the bow seat from Rollins, and I’ll be the coxswain from NSU, and that’s all we’ll ever know about each other,” said Berger. “A coxswain’s rst responsibility is to safely drive her crew and boat. Courtney’s awareness and re ex to attend to another boat and opposing team member are testaments to the remarkable individual she is: alert, consci- entious, and caring,” said Mary Lenington, NSU’s rowing coach. Rowing and academics are a good mix at NSU for the student-athlete. Berger said that NSU’s classes and professors have helped her choose her major in criminal justice with a minor in forensics. “I am receiving a good education here. And, I am rowing with a great team.” Rower Anchored by Sportsmanship BY OLINE H. COGDILL Courtney Berger was awarded the 2011 Female Student-Athlete Sportsmanship Award.