SRU trustees recognize Rock cross country student-athletes at quarterly business meeting
From left, Karen Riley, Slippery Rock University president; Roberta Page, SRU director of athletics; SRU cross country student-athletes Maddie Grillo, Chelsea Hunt and Ethan Brentham; Bill Jordan, SRU track and field and cross country coach; and Domenic Ionta, chair of Slippery Rock University's council of trustees, at the council’s quarterly meeting where the SRU women’s cross country team and Brentham received commendations from the trustees.
Dec. 8, 2023
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. — The Slippery Rock University council of trustees presented two commendations to SRU student-athletes at the council's quarterly business meeting, Dec. 8, at the Russell Wright Alumni House and Conference Center.
The trustees recognized the SRU women's cross country team for winning the 2023 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championship, the team's first PSAC title since 1995 and third in program history. The team also finished second at the Atlantic Region Championships to qualify for the NCAA Division II National Championships, marking SRU's fourth team appearance at the national meet in program history and first since 2008.
SRU men's cross country runner Ethan Brentham was also recognized with a commendation for becoming the first SRU student-athlete in any sport to receive the NCAA's prestigious Elite 90 Award. The Elite 90 Award recognizes student-athletes with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's 90 National Championships. Brentham, a graduate student majoring in environmental education from Brookville, completed his undergraduate degree in school wellness education with a perfect 4.0 GPA.
He was among the best distance runners in the region, earning first team All-PSAC and All-Region honors, placing third overall at the PSAC Championships and finishing 10th at the NCAA Atlantic Region Championships before qualifying for the NCAA National Championships.
The council also approved a resolution for affiliated entities' certification of compliance and a naming resolution for the Carolyn Carruth Rizza Memorial Garden.
The council heard the President's Report, received reports from its standing committees, and reviewed finance and divisional reports. John Silvestro, associate professor of languages, literatures, cultures, and writing, gave a presentation about how professors are using artificial intelligence text generators to achieve teaching outcomes.
The SRU trustees' next quarterly meetings are March 21-22, 2024.
More information, including meeting minutes, agendas, video recordings and reports, is available on the SRU council of trustees webpage.
MEDIA CONTACT: Justin Zackal | 724.738.4854 | justin.zackal@sru.edu