UM Celebration of Women’s Athletics draws big crowd, raises big bucks, honors standouts
The University of Miami, which has made a big push in recent years to raise the profile of its women’s sports programs, held its ninth annual Celebration of Women’s Athletics Sunday night in front of a crowd of more than 400 supporters.
The audience included former UM president Donna Shalala, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniela Levine Cava, former Florida Senator Annette Taddeo and Hurricanes football coach Mario Cristobal.
The event raised $700,000 and honored UM female student-athletes for excellence on the playing field, as well as in the classroom and community. The CWA was the brainchild of UM Senior Deputy Director of Athletics Jenn Strawly and Shalala and was founded in 2015 by Miami Board of Trustees members Hilarie Bass, Barbara Havenick and Laurie Silvers.
This year’s CWA winners were Alyssa Bacchus (rowing), Sara Byrne (golf), Melissa Dagenais (soccer), Hannah Hall (indoor track), Destiny Harden (basketball), Daphnee Lavassas (cross country), Janice Leo (volleyball), Zorry Mason (swimming), Alexa Noel (tennis), Moriah Oliveira (outdoor track) and Mia Vallée (diving).
Shalala explained that she was inspired to create the event by her late mother Edna, a former tennis player and staunch supporter of women’s sports who for her 100th birthday asked for donations to UM women’s athletics. The fund was named The Edna Shalala Fund for Women’s Athletics. That evolved into an annual luncheon and now the dinner.
“It sends a very important message to female athletes that they’re not second-class citizens, and that we care deeply about opportunities for them and are willing to invest,” Shalala said.
UM women’s basketball coach Katie Meier, whose team is coming off the first Elite Eight appearance in school history, gave an impassioned speech at the event.
Afterward, she said: “There are so many very important people who are very busy and the fact that they carved out time to show support for women’s athletics means they get it. It’s been nine years of us pushing to make sure we get the support. It is important for donors to see and hear from our athletes and know how much they are changing lives.”
The money raised is used primarily for facility upgrades, sport-specific equipment, women’s leadership programs, enhanced meals, and travel, such as the women’s basketball team’s August tour of France and Greece. They will play a game in Paris and two in Athens.
“The distinguished group of female student-athletes that we are honoring includes national champions, conference champions, All-Americans, honor roll recipients, postgraduate scholarship winners, honor society members and community leaders,” said Dan Radakovich, the Hurricanes’ director of athletics. “They represent this University in a first-class manner. They have made Miami a better place during their time as student-athletes here, and they will make the world a better place as they continue their journeys.”
Amy Audibert, a former UM basketball player who is now a broadcaster for the Miami Heat, served as emcee of the event, which was held at the Carol Soffer Indoor Practice Facility.
