Spring Break
Four former varsity sports adjust to new lifestyle following last year's sports cuts
Brandon Gearing
Issue date: 4/24/09 Section: Sports
04/24/09 - The University of Rhode Island was faced with a sticky situation last year when it was forced to cut four teams from its varsity program in order to balance the athletic budget.
On the chopping block for Rhody were men's swimming and diving, men's tennis, field hockey and gymnastics. Women's lacrosse was also slated to be moved up to varsity.
Since then, only men's swimming and diving and gymnastics have returned to competition and only gymnastics has been granted club sport status. Athletic Director Thorr Bjorn said each team's athletes have exceeded expectations.
"I've gotten to watch the men's swimming and diving club on a number of occasions," Bjorn said. "They have represented the university in an amazing fashion and have had a tremendous amount of success as well."
Bjorn also noted the success of the Rhody gymnasts who recently returned from the National Association of Intercollegiate Gymnasts Clubs National Championships in Atlanta, Georgia, earning 11th place out of 61 teams.
"They put in a tremendous amount of time and effort in terms of competition and practice off-campus," Bjorn said. "There are some really driven students there."
Women's lacrosse has remained at the club level this year after yet another $800,000 budget cut stalled its transition to varsity status. Bjorn previously cited women's lacrosse as a sport that is "growing very fast across the country and in the region at the collegiate level," according to the Cigar.
Bjorn says the university is still working toward making funds available in order to move ahead with that transition.
Gymnastics has been granted club sport status, thanks in large part to the dedication of sophomore Erika Sloan, the club's president, and junior Krista Dominici. Both women are the only athletes to return to the team after last year's cuts. The team lost eight women to graduation, and nine chose not to compete again this year.
"I just decided that I wasn't ready to be finished with gymnastics," Sloan said. "Just because the team said that we were no longer a team didn't mean that a team couldn't exist."
On the chopping block for Rhody were men's swimming and diving, men's tennis, field hockey and gymnastics. Women's lacrosse was also slated to be moved up to varsity.
Since then, only men's swimming and diving and gymnastics have returned to competition and only gymnastics has been granted club sport status. Athletic Director Thorr Bjorn said each team's athletes have exceeded expectations.
"I've gotten to watch the men's swimming and diving club on a number of occasions," Bjorn said. "They have represented the university in an amazing fashion and have had a tremendous amount of success as well."
Bjorn also noted the success of the Rhody gymnasts who recently returned from the National Association of Intercollegiate Gymnasts Clubs National Championships in Atlanta, Georgia, earning 11th place out of 61 teams.
"They put in a tremendous amount of time and effort in terms of competition and practice off-campus," Bjorn said. "There are some really driven students there."
Women's lacrosse has remained at the club level this year after yet another $800,000 budget cut stalled its transition to varsity status. Bjorn previously cited women's lacrosse as a sport that is "growing very fast across the country and in the region at the collegiate level," according to the Cigar.
Bjorn says the university is still working toward making funds available in order to move ahead with that transition.
Gymnastics has been granted club sport status, thanks in large part to the dedication of sophomore Erika Sloan, the club's president, and junior Krista Dominici. Both women are the only athletes to return to the team after last year's cuts. The team lost eight women to graduation, and nine chose not to compete again this year.
"I just decided that I wasn't ready to be finished with gymnastics," Sloan said. "Just because the team said that we were no longer a team didn't mean that a team couldn't exist."
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