2014 - 2015

BUILD THE

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Matching Gift programs can dramatically increase the impact of your gift to CSUSM. Many employers offer matching funds that may double or triple charitable contributions made by their employees. Visit matchinggifts.com/csusm to see if your, or your spouse’s employer, offers this benefit.

My or my spouse’s company matches employee gifts:n Yes, and I have attached the matching form. n No

n Cougar Silver ($1,000-$2,499)n Cougar Bronze ($500-$999)n Cougar Den ($250-$499)

n Cougar Blue ($100-$249)n Cougar Fan (Up to $99)

n General Athletic Fundn Baseballn Men’s Basketballn Women’s Basketballn Men’s Cross Countryn Women’s Cross Countryn Men’s Golf

n Women’s Golfn Men’s Soccern Women’s Soccern Softballn Men’s Track & Fieldn Women’s Track & Fieldn Women’s Volleyball

To donate securely online, please visit us at csusm.edu/donation and select “Athletics — Cougar Athletic Club” in the dropdown menu.

GIVING OPTION 1

GIVING OPTION 2

GIVING OPTION 3

To donate by check, please complete the form below and mail to:University Advancement, CSUSM, 333 S. Twin Oaks Valley Rd. San Marcos, CA 92096-0001

Name

Address

City State Zip

Phone Email

If Athletic Alumni, sport class year

I would like to be a part of the:

I have enclosed my donation of $ and want to designate it to:

Make checks payable to CSUSM Foundation and add Cougar Athletic Club to the memo line.

Please select a Gift Benefits option:n To maximize my/our gift to the Cougar Athletic Club, I/we wish to decline all benefits.n I/We wish to take advantage of benefits (University Store Gift Card, Banquet Seat $25 each, Cougar Scramble $95, Courtside Seat $100 each) and understand that my contribution will be assessed per IRS regulations.

ELEVATING

THE GAME

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CSUSM will soon begin construction on the 1,400+ seat Cougar Sports Center. The state-of-the-art, on-campus facility promises to become another hub of student life at CSUSM, complementing the recently opened University Student Union and bringing all athletic events to campus.

CSUSM Bound for NCAA Division IIThe NCAA has officially approved CSUSM for NCAA Division II candidacy, marking the beginning of a three-year transition process into full NCAA membership. The move will cultivate local rivalries for the Cougars. CSUSM will become the third school in NCAA Division II in San Diego County, joining Point Loma Nazarene University and the University of California, San Diego.

For the 2014-15 season, CSUSM will remain playing in the NAIA. During the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons, the Cougars will compete in the CCAA, but will not be eligible for postseason play until gaining full membership into the NCAA in 2017-18.

Cougar Sports Center to Bring Home Games to Campus

FROM THE

1

Dear CSUSM Cougar Fans,

Again this year I am proud to say that CSUSM Athletics is coming off of an incredibly successful year. We finished the 2013-2014 campaign ranked 10th in the NAIA Directors' Cup (among more than 280 NAIA institutions). As our student-athletes reach new heights on the playing surface, they continue to excel in the classroom with nearly 50 percent of our 320+ student-athletes earning a 3.0 GPA or higher. While we celebrate our past successes, I want to encourage you to look ahead with CSUSM Athletics. The future is extremely bright.

CSUSM has recently been admitted into NCAA Division II candidacy. With NCAA DII membership,

CSUSM Athletics will join the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). The CCAA includes 11 CSU institutions and UC San Diego, and is one of the strongest athletic conferences in the country. CSUSM Athletics will begin to play a CCAA schedule during the 2015-2016 academic year. I am confident we will make an immediate impact upon joining.

Lastly, we are in the planning stages of building the Cougar Sports Center on campus. This facility will serve as home for men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball beginning fall 2016.

This excitement surrounding CSUSM Athletics is inspiring. It is a great time to be a Cougar! We encourage you to join our team and help us as we BUILD THE LEGACY for CSUSM Athletics. By joining the Cougar Athletic Club (CAC), you will support the future of CSUSM Athletics. Your gift to the CAC supplements annual team scholarship allocations. This brochure demonstrates just what an impact your gift will have on our deserving student-athletes.

EVERY GIFT MAKES A DIFFERENCE!

Thank you for your support and GO COUGARS!

Jennifer MiloDirector of Athletics

ENLIGHTENED BY EXPERIENCES OF THE GAMEChristina Trujillo,Women’s Golf

Golf is not just an extracurricular activity for sophomore Christina Trujillo. It has taught her life lessons, most notably, being honest with yourself.

“Golf has taught me patience. It’s taught me to be ambitious and not compare myself to anyone else. Golf is about your game, and you ultimately have the say in how far you want to go, which comes from how much hard work you want to put in.”

Hard work breeds dedication. Christina knows that being a full-time student and a student-athlete means she must be on top of her game on the course and in the classroom.

“It comes down to time management and planning ahead. We are putting in up to 20 hours a week on the course, plus going to class. I’m thankful to have professors who support me and to be a part of an athletic department that has helped me prioritize.”

For Christina, involvement with CSUSM Athletics isn’t just a thrilling ride, it is something she is grateful to be a part of.

“I’m excited to see where San Marcos takes me and I’m excited to reach my full potential. I definitely know this is a unique experience and it is something I will never forget.”

Thank you for

You’re not onlybuilding a school,

but also alegacy.

supporting us.“

”3 4

A CAPTAIN’S MOTIVATIONNatalie Lara, Women’s Soccer

“A personal scholarship is a huge deal for my family. My parents have helped my four brothers and older sister get their degrees, and now it’s my opportunity. It motivates me to keep working hard; the way I give back is by giving my all.”

The youngest of six, Natalie Lara knows first-hand the pressure a family can be under when providing an education for their children. She’s also learned many lessons by observing her older siblings.

“Being the youngest is a huge part of who I am because I’ve had the chance to

experience a lot through my siblings. They got to share a lot with me and I think

that helped me mature. Being the youngest

also gave me that competitive spirit.”

Those lessons seem to have

stuck. As a junior, Natalie was

selected as team captain this season for the nationally-ranked

Cougars. The midfielder is ready to take on the position and is more than

happy to be there for her teammates.

“I was not expecting to be named captain. It is a huge honor to have this responsibility,

to play that role and be that person for my teammates. I think it is going to be a lot of work, but it’s going to be worth it. They voted

for me for a reason and I will step up to the plate and really own that role.”

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MEN’S TRACK & FIELDtook 18th at the NAIA National

Championships and three student-athletes earned All-

America honors. Maurice Strickland ran the 400m in 48.00 seconds during the decathlon at the NAIA National Championships,

breaking a 37-year-old

record by .14 seconds.

MEN’S GOLFproved to be one of the strongest programs

in the NAIA, remaining in the top 10 throughout the entire season. CSUSM won three

tournaments and sophomore Ryan Odom was named first team All-America.

5 6

BASEBALL put together its second 30-win

season in a row and strung together two11-game winning streaks, matching a program

record. Six Cougars were named All-Conference

and the Cougars upset top-seeded

Georgia Gwinnett at the A.I.I. Championship.

MEN’S BASKETBALL spent seven straight weeks

at No. 1 in the NAIA just three seasons after becoming a program.

They finished the year 32-2 overall, won their first-

ever A.I.I. conference title, had four players named All-Conference and had a player named first team All-America

for the first time in program history.

MEN’S SOCCERput together its strongest

campaign since 2010 by going 11-4-2 overall. CSUSM earned

its first-ever Top 25 national ranking, and head coach Ron Pulvers claimed his

200th career win as a collegiate head coach.

Six players were named All-A.I.I. and Scott Rice became the program’s

fourth All-American.

WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD

had six student-athletes named All-America on the way to a16th place

national finish. Calah Ayer broke the school record in the pole

vault, while Kate Bouvatte and Amber Rosario

earned All-America honors in two events each.

ACADEMIC ACCOMPLISHMENTSNearly 50 percent (137/275)

of eligible student-athletes earned a 3.0 GPA or higher during the spring 2014 semester. Six had a perfect 4.0, 50 were between 3.50-3.99 and 81 had between a 3.00-3.49.

In addition, four CSUSM squads were selected as

NAIA Scholar-Teams for holding cumulative GPA’s of 3.0 or higher

during the 2013-14 school year.

WOMEN’S GOLFwon three

tournaments and placed in the top-

three in three others. The Cougars went on

to take 14th at the NAIA National Championships,

their third-consecutive top-20 national finish.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALLwon six of its final eight games, earning

its second A.I.I. Championship along the way. The Cougars made their first-ever appearance at the NAIA Division I National Championships

and Heather Thompson became the program’s first-ever

NAIA All-American.VOLLEYBALLhead coach Andrea Leonard was named the A.I.I. Coach of the Year for the third-consecutive

season. The team also won its third consecutive A.I.I. conference title while

having two players listed as NAIA All-Americans. CSUSM amassed a 26-12 overall record and will return all of its starters in 2014.

SOFTBALLhad seven players

accept All-A.I.I. awards and Katie Wilkinson was named

A.I.I. Pitcher of the Year and NAIA All-America honorable mention. The team went 39-9-1 overall and earned a No. 1 seed in the NAIA Opening Round.

WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD

student-athlete Kelly Thompson earned her seventh career

All-America honor, the most of any student-athlete in CSUSM history.

Brittany Hollie and Kate Bouvatte took home All-America accolades in the

60m hurdles and 3000m,

respectively.

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

won three races and placed

in the top-three in

three others. The Cougars went on to

take 14th at the NAIA National Championships, their seventh-consecutive top-20 national finish.

WOMEN’S SOCCERtook home its fourth A.I.I. conference title,

advanced all the way to the 16th round of the

NAIA Championships, and wrapped up the year

with six all-conference selections and a 12-6-1

overall record.

2+17+30+513.50—

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MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

won its sixth- consecutive A.I.I. Conference

Championship before placing 13th at the NAIA National

Championships. Steven Ing was named the A.I.I.’s

Most Outstanding Athlete while three other runners were named all-conference. Western

Nelson became the only male CSUSM student-athlete to be

named All-America in all four years of athletic competition.

2.00—

2.99

2013 - 2014

MORE THAN A STUDENT-ATHLETEJason Luu, Men’s Cross Country

Jason Luu gets involved. In addition to being a member of the men’s cross country and track & field teams, Jason serves on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and is the athletic representative for Associated Students, Incorporated (ASI).

“I like being involved and knowing how all the processes happen between athletics and student government. I now have a better understanding of how hard the athletic department works to get things like apparel,

equipment and even travel expenses. Being involved heightens my college experience.”

Jason is grateful for the experiences he’s been able to have. “For student-athletes, a partial

scholarship can allow them the opportunity to be involved in more than one area at the University. Through working with SAAC and ASI, I’ve been able to learn more and have a better experience than just sitting in a classroom.”

“It has been awesome running for the school and being a part of the athletic department. I think we have a very bright future, not only for my team, but the department as a whole. You never know what could

be next for us. When I look back, I’m going to reflect proudly and think, 'Yeah, I was a part of building that.'"

Your donations aren’t goinginto �is empty pot; �ey’re going to

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student-a�letes whoTRAIN HARD,

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CSUSM ALUMNUS, 2011Bradley Seidenglanz, Men’s Soccer

Bradley Seidenglanz’s dream of playing collegiate soccer was almost derailed when a severe back injury put him out of commission in high school. However, after significant rehabilitation, Bradley was one of the final players to be added to the inaugural CSUSM men’s soccer team in 2006.

“The first year was great. There is so much talent in California that slips through the cracks that I knew we were going to have a great team right away. From day one, coaches Ron Pulvers and Bobby Renneisen set the tone for the program: that we were going to be a team despite us having never played together.”

The Cougars went 12-3-1 during Bradley’s freshman year, setting the foundation for a program that is now in its ninth season. After four years of competition, Bradley graduated not only with a degree, but with a stronger perspective on the role sports have

played in his life.

“The thing I love about team athletics is that there are so many hidden values and lessons we can

learn. We just think our coaches are telling us to show up on time, work hard, organize,

communicate, treat your teammates with respect, but really all those transfer into life. All of those things

are essential to being successful in business, relationships, communication and hard times.”

For Bradley, playing soccer at CSUSM was more than just playing the game he loves. “It was great to play sports in college, but the real college experience is about self-discovery and learning who you want to be and what you want to do with your life.”

7

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10

For additional ticket andCougar Athletic Club info visit:

www.csusmcougars.com

Basketball Season TicketsMen’s VIP Courtside Seat $100*

Men’s General Public Season Ticket $65

Women’s VIP Courtside Seat $75*

Women’s General Public Season Ticket $50

*Requires a minimum $100 Cougar Athletic Club donation.

COUGAR FAN : up to $99

COUGAR BLUE : $100 - $249

COUGAR BRONZE : $500 - $999

COUGAR SILVER : $1,000+

COUGAR DEN : $250 - $499

• Your support impacts 320+ Student-Athletes!

• CAC Membership Card

• Cougar Tracks Weekly Email Update

• Two Issues of Steps Magazine

• Tax Deduction

• Website Recognition

• Cougar Fan Membership Benefits

• Opportunity to purchase VIP Courtside Seats for Basketball

• CSUSM Apparel $10 University Store Gift Card

• First opportunity for new Cougar Sports Center season ticket options

• Special event invitations (Annual Pep Rally, etc.)

• Game day public address surprise

• Cougar Blue Membership Benefits

• Two tickets to Student-Athlete Awards/ Hall of Fame Banquet

• Pregame mixer at Basketball Homecoming Game

• An additional $10 University Store Gift Card for a total of $20

• Cougar Den Membership Benefits

• Pregame Chalk Talk and sit on bench with team at home game in sport of your choice

• Gifts in this amount could pay for a student-athlete’s books for one semester

• An additional $20 University Store Gift Card for a total of $40

• Cougar Bronze Membership Benefits

• Two spots in Cougar Scramble golf tournament (Fair Market Value = $95)

• Travel with Men's Basketball team to a So Cal area away game (Fair Market Value = $50)

• Mascot visit to a school, birthday party or company

• An additional $40 University Store Gift Card for a total of $80

Scholarship Amounts vs. Tuition CostsCSUSM continues to make great strides toward increasing the average athletic scholarship given each academic year. Cougar Athletic Club gifts allow CSUSM to close the gap between athletic scholarships and tuition cost, and compete with our new peers in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Every gift counts!

*Tuition fee estimates are based on 6.1 or more units per term as applicable to a California resident, undergraduate for the nine-month academic year. The 2014-15 estimated cost of tuition is subject to change without notice.

20142015

$0 $2,250 $4,500 $6,750 $9,000

Average Scholarship Amount Cost of Tuition*

$4,628$7,164

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SUPPORT THE

CCAA Average Annual Scholarship Allocation in Athletic Aid

CSUSM 2014-2015 Athletic Scholarship Allocation

CSUSM Athletic Scholarship Goal by 2017

$632,353

$703,670

$1,000,000