Seattle U Lands D-I Women’s Hoops Regionals

In partnership with the Seattle Sports Commission and Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle University has been awarded the 2023 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Regionals.

“Seattle University is thrilled to partner with the Seattle Sports Commission and Climate Pledge Arena to host the 2023 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Regionals,” says Director of Athletics Shaney Fink.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for the state of Washington, the city of Seattle and Seattle U,” says women’s basketball Coach Suzy Barcomb. “We love the Seattle Storm and college basketball, so I would expect this to be a sell-out event and every visitor, fan and those programs lucky enough to be in the Final Four will walk away from the event and say, ‘job well done.’” The city and the Climate Pledge Arena were also awarded the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball First and Second Rounds in 2025.

Redhawks Fly High in Academics

Seattle University extended its string of academic excellence in institutional Graduation Success Rate (GSR), according to data released by the NCAA. As a department, the Redhawks compiled a 95 percent GSR, while six teams tallied perfect scores in the metric. Seattle U has tallied at least a 93 percent in every report since 2008.

Women’s basketball, women’s cross country/track and field, rowing, men’s golf, women’s golf and women’s swimming each claimed perfect scores for the cohort. Thirteen Redhawk programs were over 90 percent.

Men’s golf has perfect scores in eight consecutive reports, while women’s golf has six straight. Women’s cross country/track and field have five-year streaks at 100 percent.

Redhawks Launch New Ignatian Approach to the Student Athlete Experience

Seattle University Athletics launched a new program, The Redhawk Experience (TREx), that brings a distinctly Jesuit and unique Seattle U approach to intercollegiate athletics. TREx informs how the athletics family lives in community with one another—shaping how students, staff, coaches and administrators learn, teach and compete—putting the university’s values into action. By reframing the student athlete experience to build a deep sense of inclusion and belonging, TREx develops athletes into Redhawks for life.

“Our goal is for students to emerge from The Redhawk Experience as exemplars of Seattle U’s mission,” says Director of Athletics Shaney Fink. “The program directs our students to integrate resources on campus with their experience as intercollegiate athletes to create an unparalleled learning opportunity.”

Engage, Reflect, Serve, Prepare
Mirroring the broader Seattle U experience, TREx encapsulates programs that offer transformative engagement opportunities that inspire spiritual formation, community partnership and career preparation. As all student athletes progress through The Redhawk Experience, they are fully immersed in the continual Engage, Reflect, Serve, Prepare cycle. The process develops an Ignatian habit of mind, adapted to athletics, that remains with the student athletes throughout their lives.

Accolades for Men’s & Women’s Soccer 

Seattle University men’s and women’s soccer teams earned 2019–20 United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Awards. For the women, this marks its ninth such honor in the past 10 years. The team members excelled in the classroom this past school year, compiling a collective 3.456 grade point average. The men earned a 3.328 grade point average for the academic year, marking its fifth time in the last seven years with a team GPA above 3.0.

Award recipients are active members of the United Soccer Coaches College Services Program, with a composite GPA of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale for all players on the roster for the 2019–20 academic year.

In the 2019 season, Seattle U women won their fifth WAC Tournament Championship and advanced to its fifth NCAA Tournament since 2013. The Redhawk men won the 2019 WAC Tournament Championship and beat Loyola Marymount in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The team is the lone Division I program to win at least 11 games in each of the last seven seasons and own the longest active unbeaten streak in the nation (16).

Golfer is ‘Men’s Player of the Year’

Seattle University men’s golf junior Nathan Cogswell was named “Men’s Player of the Year” by Washington Golf.

In addition to this honor, Cogswell posted wins at both the 2020 Northwest Open Invitational and the Puget Sound Amateur. He also posted strong finished at the Washington Open Invitational, Washington Men’s Amateur and Washington Men’s Champion of Champions where he finished fifth, fourth and second respectively. 

“I am very honored to be named Player of the Year, Cogswell says. “It was not really on my mind so it's definitely a nice surprise. I have had a consistent couple of months of tournament play and have given myself a chance to contend for the title at the end of just about every tournament which feels great.”