Gagliardi Trophy Finalists

 

written by STEVE ULRICH your must-read briefing on what's driving the day in NCAA Division III   >> Happy Friday!  Are we really just two weekends from Christmas? >> Today's Word Count: 1,012 >> Thanks for reading D3Playbook. Would you be so kind as to send this to a friend and ask them to sign up for their own subscription?   Sign Me Up! TOP STORY 1. Gagliardi Trophy Finalists photos by D3Photography, Mary Hardin-Baylor athletics "Three quarterbacks, one wide receiver and a safety make up the five finalists for the 2021 Gagliardi Trophy, an award presented by Jostens to the most outstanding football player in NCAA Division III. The Gagliardi Trophy, given annually since 1993, recognizes excellence in athletics, academics and community service. The award is named after the late John Gagliardi, Saint John's legendary Hall of Fame head football coach who retired in 2012 with 489 career victories, the most in college football history. Gagliardi passed away in October 2018 at the age of 91.  The finalists for the award: Jefferson Fritz, Mary Hardin-Baylor, safety/punter/punt returner Blaine Hawkins, Central, quarterback Andrew Kamienski, North Central, wide receiver Wyatt Smith, Linfield, quarterback Gavin Zimbelman, Aurora, quarterback The winner of the Gagliardi Trophy will be announced by D3football.com on Friday, Dec. 17, prior to the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl." >> All-Time Winners: Mount Union (7), Saint John's (4), Wesley (2), Alma (1), Augsburg (1), Augustana (1), Coe (1), Dubuque (1), Elmhurst (1), Illinois Wesleyan (1), Linfield (1), North Central (1), Pacific Lutheran (1), Redlands (1), Trine (1), UW-Oshkosh (1), UW-Whitewater (1) >> By Position: QB (15), RB (5), WR (4), LB (1), OL (1), SS (1) FOOTBALL 2.  Semifinal Preview No. 1 North Central (13-0) at No. 4 Mount Union (13-0), 12:00 ET Scoring Offense: NCC 57.2, MTU 47.7 Scoring Defense: NCC 11.1, MTU 11.9 Total Offense: NCC 574.6, MTU 532.7 Total Defense: NCC 231.6, MTU 224.5 Turnover Margin: NCC +3, MTU +5 Closest Game: NCC 20, Wheaton 7; MTU 35, Muhlenberg 29 No. 3 UW-Whitewater (13-0) at No. 2 Mary Hardin-Baylor (13-0), 3:30 ET Scoring Offense: UWW 43.5, UMHB 50.2 Scoring Defense: UWW 11.3, UMHB 9.2 Total Offense: UWW 452.2, UMHB 478.5 Total Defense: UWW 257.5, UMHB 230.5 Turnover Margin: UWW +14, UMHB +10 Closest Game: UWW 13, UW-La Crosse 7; UMHB 34, Hardin-Simmons 28 A MESSAGE FROM BRIGHT CELLARS   Bright Cellars is a monthly wine club that matches you with wines you'll love. Founded by two MIT grads (#whyD3) who were intimidated by the vast and complex world of wine, Bright Cellars was created to help wine drinkers discover and learn about wine in a fun, interactive way. Bright Cellars creates a wine experience tailored just for you. Based on an algorithm, wine selections are calculated to match your taste preferences. As you try the wines, you're encouraged to rate them on the website to fine-tune your taste profile even further. Your matches improve as the algorithm gets to know you better, making each shipment better than the last. D3Playbook readers are invited to get 50% off your first 6-bottle box from Bright Cellars. That's a $45 value. Each box will include a wine education card for each bottle that details servings temps, food pairings, background on the region and more. Take our 30-second quiz to start your weekend right. PHILANTHROPY 3. Hollins Receives $75M Gift "Hollins University, one of the country’s oldest institutions of higher education for women, announced today that it has received a $75 million gift from an anonymous alumna. This is the largest single gift in Hollins’ history and the largest donation ever received by a women’s college. In addition, it represents one of the largest single donations ever given to a college or university solely by a female donor, as well as one of the largest ever to a small liberal arts college. The gift will establish the Levavi Oculos Endowed Scholarship Fund, which will exclusively fund scholarships and address undergraduate financial need for Hollins’ undergraduate students. Unlike most major donations which become active at a future date or only over a long period of time, this gift will be provided in $25 million increments to the Hollins endowment over the next three fiscal years, beginning no later than June 30, 2022. The first $25 million installment will establish the Levavi Oculos Endowed Scholarship Fund in support of scholarships for undergraduate students beginning in the fall of 2023. By the 2025-26 academic year, Hollins estimates that a minimum of 125 students – just under 20% of the current undergraduate student body – will benefit from this gift." >> Quotable: “This gift is such a profound and powerful statement about the value of higher education for women,” said President Mary Dana Hinton. “The transformational educational opportunities created by it will have a visible and sustained impact for generations of women to come at Hollins. Most of all, this generosity will enable future students who otherwise would not be able to attend college to access that opportunity.” >> Quotable II: The donor, a Hollins alumna, agreed: “Hollins’ mission and the value of its enduring presence and direction as a progressive institution were the catalyst for my gift and the urgency of making the funds available immediately. It ensures Hollins can move forward, with confidence, as an institution committed to women and the liberal arts.” >> Read More A MESSAGE FROM D3PLAYBOOK Won't you please consider making a gift to D3Playbook. Your gift will help us offset the costs of operating the newsletter and enable us to continue to provide the quality you have come to expect. My heartfelt thanks to those who have already contributed. Join them today.   Donate to D3Playbook NEWS 4.  Weekend Preview   Here's a list of the games/matches/events that we are keeping an eye on this weekend. Basketball (M) No. 3 Illinois Wesleyan at No. 8 Wheaton, Ill. No. 6 UW-Oshkosh vs. North Central, Ill. No. 9 Mary Hardin-Baylor at Hardin-Simmons No. 13 UW-La Crosse at No. 16 Trine Basketball (W) No. 5 Wartburg at No. 12 Simpson No. 10 DePauw vs. Oberlin No. 17 East Texas Baptist at LeTourneau No. 20 Baldwin Wallace vs. Marietta Ice Hockey (M) No. 2 Adrian vs. No. 9 Wilkes No. 4 Hobart at No. 15 Trinity Ice Hockey (W) No. 3 Elmira vs. No. 4 Plattsburgh State No. 6 Gustavus Adolphus at No. 5 UW-River Falls No. 8 Adrian at No. 10 Norwich Wrestling No. 10 Johnson and Wales vs. No. 15 Coast Guard No. 11 UW-Oshkosh vs. No. 13 UW-Whitewater TRANSACTIONS 5.  Comings and Goings   AVERETT - Danny Miller announced his retirement as head women's volleyball coach to transition to a full-time administrator DEFIANCE - Earnest Wilson named head football coach HOBART and WILLIAM SMITH - Chris Gray named associate athletic director for sports performance and strategic initiatives. Sean Cunningham named assistant athletic director for scheduling and event management. Kevin McDonald named assistant athletic director for equipment and operations. Mary Beth Schram named associate athletic trainer KEENE STATE - Amy Watson named senior woman administrator MIDWEST WOMEN'S LACROSSE CONFERENCE - Announced addition of Saint Benedict as member beginning in 2023 MILLIKIN - Carleton Hall named head football coach NEW ENGLAND COLLEGE - Robert Watson-Powell resigned as head wrestling coach PACIFIC LUTHERAN - Caylie Shiramizu named assistant athletic trainer ROCHESTER - Ashley Van Vechten named head women's soccer coach ROCKFORD - Calvin Toliver named head football coach SUNY - Jim Malatras resigned as chancellor effective January 14. UNION - Jessica Davos named head women's lacrosse coach 1 THING 6.  Emoji Stability   One surprising metric has stayed stable during the pandemic — the most popular global emojis, as ranked by the Unicode Consortium.   Go deeper: "Emoji Frequency" data page. - courtesy of Axios  Thanks for starting your day with us. Have a safe and enjoyable weekend. What did you think of today's newsletter? Please invite your friends to sign up for D3Playbook

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