SMC men's basketball team winning the West Coast Conference weren't the only newsmakers this year. Students, professors, alums, and staff were featured in media outlets worldwide. / Photo by Tod Fierner for SMC Athletics
Saint Mary’s in the News: Highlights from 2024
From basketball to poetry, rugby to dance, the Olympics to teaching, baseball to Gen Z voters, California wine to Taylor Swift—media coverage about the Gael community.
Saint Mary’s kicked off 2024 making national headlines amidst an epic Men’s Basketball season, with the Gaels ranked among the top teams nationally—and on the longest winning streak of any team in the country. Our hoopsters went on to capture the West Coast Conference regular season title and tournament championship and returned as a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament in March.
Come May, Saint Mary’s Men’s Rugby won a hard-fought victory over Navy to claim the national championship. SMC Softball hit, ran, and fielded their way to a WCC championship and into the NCAA tournament. And when baseball’s All Star Game was played, it was a former Gael starting on the mound for the American League.
Saint Mary’s writers earned nods as contenders for the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award, as well as grant recognition from the National Endowment for the Arts. Amidst a fraught political season, media turned to SMC students to learn how they were encouraging Gen Z voters, and to SMC political scientists for insight.
Gael voices shaped conversations far and wide: from The Atlantic to The Athletic, The New York Times to Newsweek, Politico to The New Yorker, The San Francisco Chronicle and The Mercury News to The Guardian and Broadway World, local TV and Lamorinda Weekly to National Public Radio. Read, watch, listen.
This story is the second of a three-part series. Be sure to check out the first installment, the top stories from Saint Mary’s NewsCenter. And explore a full list of SMC in the News here.
January
Saint Mary’s Leaves No Doubt About Rule of WCC in Rout of Santa Clara
The Mercury News
The Gaels raced out to a 9-0 lead then used a 21-0 run over 6 minutes to open a 30–6 lead on the way to a never-in-doubt 73-49 triumph.
2024 National Book Critics Circle Awards Finalists Announced
Publishers Weekly
Story of a Poem: A Memoir by Matthew Zapruder, who teaches in the MFA Program in Creative Writing at SMC, earns a nod in the awards recognizing the best books published in 2023. Fellow writer Marilyn Abildskov is selected as a 2024 Creative Writing Fellow with the National Endowment for the Arts.
February
No. 17 Saint Mary’s Wins WCC Regular-Season Title, Beating Pepperdine for 16th Straight Victory
Associated Press
Saint Mary’s victory over Pepperdine secured the West Coast Conference regular-season championship. It also extended the nation’s longest winning streak to 16 games.
Most Californians Believe They’d Be Happier if State Seceded. SMC’s Michal Strahilevitz Puts Poll Numbers in Perspective.
Newsweek
The SMC Marketing professor and Director of the Elfenworks Center for Responsible Business observes, "It's very easy to say something on a survey, but if faced with a ballot where your vote might actually change the outcome, people tend to be a little more risk-averse."
March
How Love, Warriors Basketball, and Poetry Brought Tom Meschery Back
The Athletic / The New York Times
On the basketball court, Tom Meschery ’61 played with the Gaels and the Warriors—and his retired jersey hangs in the rafters at UCU Pavilion and the Chase Center. After he was diagnosed with cancer, along with science, he credits discovering a new love that made him focus on living instead of dying.
Saint Mary's Ends Gonzaga’s Run of WCC Tournament Titles
ESPN
Saint Mary's led the WCC championship game nearly the entire way to beat Gonzaga 69-60. Gonzaga had won four WCC championships in a row and 10 of 11, with Saint Mary's in 2019 the one year the Bulldogs didn't claim the trophy. The Gaels earned a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and in the AP Poll Saint Mary’s was ranked No. 15 in the country.
Saint Mary’s Rogelio Lopez Wins Two IZZIE Awards Honoring the Best of Dance in the SF Bay Area
IZZIES SF
A teacher in both the graduate and undergraduate Dance Program, Rogelio Lopez earned recognition in the The Isadora Duncan Dance Awards, awarded annually to acknowledge exceptional achievements in the performance and presentation of dance.
April
Saint Mary’s Defeats Cal in National Rugby Championship Quarterfinal
Sports Illustrated
The Gaels hand the Golden Bears a 34–16 defeat and are the top seed in the East Region.
Saint Mary’s and San Ramon Valley Unified School District Launch Teachers for Tomorrow Residency Program
KRON 4 TV
The program fosters equity in education: opening opportunities for aspiring educators by paying teaching apprentices while they learn academic theory, making a professional path more afford.
Making Time for More ‘Spaciousness’ in Our Working Lives: SMC Reference and Instruction Librarian Sarah Vital
The Financial Times
Spaciousness is more than taking time out of the work day—it’s a state of mind. Saint Mary’s Sarah Vital writes about how the SMC Library has done that for students—and faculty and staff who participate—through “Crafternoons,” which create an opportunity to decompress and connect.
May
Gael Force: Saint Mary’s Holds off Navy for D1A Championship
Goff Rugby Report
Saint Mary's defeated Navy 26–22, logging their first victory since 2017 and fourth overall—which puts them in a tie for the most national championships since rugby D1A was begun in 2011.
After winning its first WCC Softball Championship, Saint Mary's picks up three of the five West Coast Conference major awards: Freshman of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, and Coach of the Year
WCC Sports
Sam Buckley wins WCC Freshman of the Year, Odhi Vasquez is named WCC Co-Pitcher of the Year, and Gaels Head Coach Sonja Garnett is voted WCC Coach of the Year.
Saint Mary’s College Names Its 31st President
Lasallian District of San Francisco New Orleans
“Saint Mary’s won my heart as a truly student-centered learning community grounded in Lasallian heritage and guided by Christian Brothers, faculty, and staff who have a passion for transformative education, service, and commitment to student success,” says Thompson.
June
WATCH: Saint Mary's College NEW Leadership Program Hosted by Sacramento City Council and Welcomed with Proclamation
Sacramento Metro Cable 14
The inaugural cohort of the program to encourage more women to pursue careers in politics is welcomed in the state capital.
Why Two-Way Signee Alex Ducas Could be More than a Summer League Star for OKC Thunder
Sports Illustrated
The standout Saint Mary’s player goes from a stellar season with the Gaels to pro basketball. He’s one of three Gaels in the NBA this season, along with Jock Landale ’18, in his fourth NBA season and his second with the Houston Rockets, and Patty Mills ’09, appearing in his first season with the Utah Jazz—and his 16th season in the NBA.
July
Boomers Turn to ‘Aussie spirit’ in Pursuit of Olympic Basketball Medal. Watch for Gaels Patty Mills and Jock Landale on the Court on Thursday.
The Guardian
They’re joined by Matthew Dellavadova on the court—with the trio of Saint Mary’s alums hoping to lead Australia to medal again, after earning a bronze in Tokyo.
How Politics And Diplomacy Shape Panda Conservation. Science Friday talks with SMC’s E. Elena Songster and Other Experts
Science Friday
Earlier this year, the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington announced that pandas would be returning to the capitol. A look back at 80 years of panda conservation and how “panda diplomacy” paved the way for groundbreaking science.
Orioles Pitcher and former SMC star Corbin Burnes to start All-Star Game for American League.
The Baltimore Sun
Burnes pitched for the Gaels before being drafted into the Majors. This year is the fourth straight All-Star Game for this Cy Young Award winner.
San Francisco Ballet Reveals Inaugural ‘Raising Leaders’ Fellows, Including Principal Dancer and Saint Mary's LEAP Program Alum Sasha De Sola ’23
Broadway World
SF Ballet’s newest artist development initiative offers selected company dancers individually tailored curriculum to support their growth. Sasha De Sola ’23 earned her degree through SMC’s LEAP program, geared for working professional artists.
August
The Atlantic speaks with SMC’s Corey Cook on Kamala Harris's politics—and why they are so hard to nail down.
The Atlantic
“She has a strong belief in human rights. She has a strong commitment around diversity and equity, right? She has a strong justice orientation,” Cook tells the magazine. “But she’s very clearly a pragmatist.”
Ten Under the Radar Freshmen Who Should Be on NBA Draft Boards—Including Gael Mikey Lewis
USA Today College Sportswire
He’ll bring athleticism and accurate shooting in his first season with the Gaels.
2024 Major League Rugby Draft: No. 1 Pick Is SMC’s Erich Storti ’23, MBA ’24. And the Gaels Dominate, with Six in the Mix.
Americas Rugby News
Kaipono Kayoshi ’22, former Captain of the Gaels, was the number four pick with the New England Free Jacks. Inoke Waqavesi ’23, MA ’24 was the seventh pick, joining the San Diego Legion. Three other Gaels—Hunter Chuhlansteff ’23, MS ’24, Jake Negrete ’23, MA ’24, and Lleyton Delzell ’23, MS ’24—were drafted in later rounds.
September
WATCH: Youth Vote and Election Outreach: When Gen Z Can Pre-Register. SMC Student McKenna Ingram ’25 Talks with KTVU.
KTVU FOX 2
Ingram partnered with the Contra Costa County Elections Office and the League of Women Voters to hold a town hall for young people on Instagram in September. It's part of the effort to reach young people and give them information on issues and how to register to vote.
Rafael Blanco ’02: Reflecting on a Decade of Public Art
Chicago Gallery News
Work by the muralist can be found in cities from California to Maryland, breathing new life into high-visibility, urban spaces. His first solo exhibition introduces viewers to Blanco’s revelatory artistic journey.
Visiting Writer Dorianne Laux Longlisted for the 2024 National Book Award in Poetry
National Book Foundation
Laux is teaching in the MFA program in Creative Writing. Her most recent collection, Life on Earth, treats the quotidian with keen observation, and “invites us to consider that even the most ordinary aspects of our messy humanity can be worthy of poetry,” said the National Book Awards announcement.
October
California Wine Wouldn’t Be the Same Without This Quiet San Francisco Shop, Opened Half a Century Ago by Saint Mary's Grad Greg O’Flynn ’75
San Francisco Chronicle
The California Wine Merchant, one of the first to sell some of California’s most influential wines, was opened by O’Flynn when he was still a student at Saint Mary’s.
First Film by Mahershala Ali ’96, ‘Taste the Revolution,’ to Premiere at New Orleans Film Festival—Nearly 25 Years After It Was Made
Variety
The film starring the two-time Oscar winner was made before he became a star of the screen. Now it is at last reaching audiences.
Society of Professional Journalists of Northern California Honors Excellence in Journalism Award Winners, including Joanne Furio MFA ’16
SPJ NORCAL
Furio earned recognition for arts and culture reporting for Berkeleyside on J. Robert Oppenheimer, slam poets, and Heyday Books.
A Day with Huddersfield Town Owner Kevin Nagle Hon. EdLD ’21: ‘I think we’ll prevail—we have to’
The Athletic / The New York Times
The U.S. owner of a soccer team in West Yorkshire, England, talks about the work to transform the team and draw new fans.
November
Saint Mary's Runs Away from USC to Show Some West Coast Basketball Power
Palm Springs Desert Sun
The Gaels walloped the Trojans 71–36. It was the first time Saint Mary’s has beaten USC in 11 matchups. This came on the heels of a big victory by SMC over Nebraska, 77–74.
Saint Mary’s Women’s Basketball 2024–25 Preview: What to Know About the Gaels
The Mercury News
The Gaels’ group of returning players is headlined by Zeryhia Aokuso, last year’s WCC freshman of the year, and Maia Jones, an WCC all-freshman team selection.
Joffrey Ballet Reveals Winners Of 15th Annual Winning Works, Including SMC LEAP alum Keelan Whitmore ’13
Broadway World
As a choreographer and educator, Whitmore’s work has been featured by Schauspiel Dortmund, TanzTheater Münster, Kansas City Ballet, and others. The winning works will be presented at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago's Edlis Neeson Theater in performances in March 2025.
Taylor Swift (For)Evermore: 113 Poets Pay Tribute
Parade Magazine
SMC’s Matthew Zapruder Teams up with Poet Victoria Chang on “Friendship.” Read the poem and an interview.
December
The Other Top 25: Saint Mary’s Elevates to Top Spot
Mid-Major Madness
After victories over Nebraska and Utah, the Gaels continue to draw greater national attention on the eve of conference play beginning. In the WCC, multiple Gaels have earned accolades as Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week, and they’re on national watchlists for awards.
SMC’s Sam Reider Included in KQED's Best Bay Area Music of 2024
KQED
In addition to teaching at Saint Mary’s, Sam Reider, with his group the Human Hands, released The Golem and Other Tales—his most ambitious project yet. It’s a narrative suite inspired by the Jewish legend of a supernatural creature that a rabbi conjures to life to protect the endangered Jews of Prague.
Peet's Coffee Spreads Holiday Cheer with Limited-edition Postcard Designed by Acclaimed Artist Lisa Congdon ’90
PR Newswire
The acclaimed illustrator and author is based in Oregon, and in 2023 Saint Mary’s Museum of Art hosted her first solo museum debut—for which she created a series of original works.
