The Cronin Athletics Center is the name given to the revamped PAC building, which is adjacent to the Frericks Center. The facility is still being renovated, but it also will house the women’s basketball and volleyball offices when it’s completed.
The Cronin brothers made the initial donation to get the remodeling started, and the Riazzi family also made a significant gift.
UD has pumped $35 million into its athletic facilities in the last 10 years, almost all of it from private donors and corporate sponsors. Every sport has either gotten a new or substantially upgraded home field or court in that span, and the investments are showing up in competitive success.
Women’s basketball has made four straight postseason trips, including two consecutive NCAA tourney appearances.
Women’s soccer has won back-to-back Atlantic 10 regular-season and tournament titles and reached the second round of the NCAA the last two years.
The volleyball team has made the NCAA tourney seven of the last eight years and has won 12 A-10 regular-season or tourney titles in that span.
The baseball team won its first A-10 regular-season title in 2009. Men’s soccer reached the NCAA in 2008 and won the league regular-season crown in 2009.
The men’s and women’s track and cross country programs have reached new heights, including sending their first individuals to the NCAA nationals the last two years. UD also has poured money into its tennis and softball facilities in the last year.
The upgrades are important in the event of conference upheaval that may trickle down to UD. If the Big East basketball schools would break off and align with a few others to form a conference, UD has positioned itself well with four straight postseason appearances in men’s basketball and strength across the board in other sports.
Wilson out: Brittany Wilson, a junior forward for the UD women's basketball team, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in a knee during an offseason workout and will be sidelined for the year.
The Louisville native — best known for making the game-winning basket in the Flyers’ NCAA tourney win over TCU in 2010 — was fifth in scoring with a 5.9 average while starting six games last season. And though the Flyers have plenty of depth, coach Jim Jabir said losing Wilson “is terrible.”
Jabir said Wilson is expected to make a full recovery and return next season.
“She’s made the most of it,” Jabir said. “She’s working hard.”
A-10 honors: Junior Colleen Williams was named women’s soccer player of the week for the second time this season and fifth in her career. Flyer freshman Kelsey Smigel was named rookie of the week. UD freshman Katrin Loo won the rookie award last week.
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