Cavalier Corner is the publication just for UVa sports fans!
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/662215
Dear Cavalier Fans, March Madness officially closed the winter sports season that provided some incredible moments in Vir- ginia athletics history. The No. 1 seed men's basketball team ended play in the Elite Eight, national champion- ships were won by Leah Smith in the 500 and 1650 free for women's swimming, and Henry Wynne claimed the NCAA men's indoor mile championship. Three teams — men's indoor track, women's swimming and men's basketball — finished their seasons ranked in the top 10. Spring sports are in full swing and this looks to be an exciting season. The foundation for a new era of Virginia football is being built on the practice fields under the leadership of new head coach Bronco Mendenhall and his staff. Our staff has been busy working with donors to renew their Annual Fund commitments for 2016, as well as, season football tickets. These discussions have given us a chance to learn more about each donor's connection to Virginia athletics and a greater appreciation for all the support our student-athletes receive from our generous donor base. We have already seen over 35% of our donors who have made their 2016 commitment increase their pledge by 10% over 2015. This kind of support is remarkable especially considering that many of these donors have increased their pledge each year since we introduced the I Give 110% initiative in 2010. With the All In For Excellence fundraising initiative in full swing, we will have an active year from now until December. I invite you to visit www.AllIn- ForExcellence.com throughout the year to learn more about the student-athletes and coaches who ultimately benefit from your support. Our 2016 Annual Fund is currently tracking just slightly ahead of last year. We have been especially pleased with the growth of our new Scholarship Society, with the out-of-state level ($59,425 and above) increasing from nine to 14 donors in 2015 and the in-state level ($28,875) increasing from 47 to 58 donors. We are slowly making progress in endowed scholarship fundraising and our Coaches 10 efforts to support specific needs within each of our sports. Both of these categories of fundraising will be important to fueling a high performing, 25-sport athletics program.