Feb. 2, 2008

QUEENS, N.Y. - The St. John's women's basketball team celebrated its 11th annual Women in Sports Day on Feb. 2 and participated in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) "Think Pink" campaign to raise money for breast cancer research.

The day started off with a multi-sport clinic that included student-athletes and coaches from women's basketball, volleyball, soccer and softball, as well as strength and conditioning.

Women's basketball head coach Kim Barnes Arico greeted the participants in Carnesecca Arena to kick off the event. She encouraged crowd participation from everyone, and most importantly, told everyone to enjoy themselves and have fun throughout the day.

"We talked about 'Think Pink' and women in sports before the game and I let the girls know what we're playing for today and how important it is. The University is very supportive of both initiatives and it's something that we bring to their attention," said Barnes Arico.

The children, wearing "Think Pink" t-shirts and pink wrist bands, were broken up into groups with each group having an assigned station which focused on a particular sport.

The volleyball team had a one-on-one session where it taught the children how to properly serve and hit the volleyball.

"I'm really excited today because I love to work with kids and what's better than playing volleyball and teaching them your sport," said junior libero Lena Yee. "It's great because we get to give back to the children who support us in the community. I think that's a great cause."

The women's soccer team ran basic drills and scrimmaged, as parents looked on and cheered from the sidelines. The softball team focused its station on the fundamentals, including the correct way to hold a bat and effective swinging techniques.

The women's basketball team, meanwhile, ran basic drills that concentrated on dribbling, shooting and rebounding. The players cheered on the children as they participated in a layup contest. After spending so much time together, it was evident that the children and the women's team had formed camaraderie throughout the afternoon. The event was particularly significant to sophomore forward Recee Mitchell.

"Today is a special day for me because my mom and great grandmother are breast cancer survivors. It's a great time to interact with the kids before the game, too," said Mitchell. "It's giving me energy to play the game and it's really fun playing with kids. Playing in this game is for a good cause, so I'm happy that we're playing in pink and supporting breast cancer research."

After the completion of the stations, participants and their families stayed to support the women's basketball team as it took on Marquette at 2 p.m.

During the contest, a variety of promotional events took place to support "Think Pink" day. Pink t-shirts and bracelets were distributed by the St. John's cheer and dance squads. Collection sites were set up in various locations throughout Carnesecca Arena so that people could donate money towards breast cancer research. Fans stormed the court during halftime to participate in a "half-court shot for a buck" contest for the chance to win a special prize.

After the exciting home win, the University held its Women in Sports dinner, which featured Lisa Leslie Lockwood as the keynote speaker. Leslie Lockwood talked about the strides that have been made for women in sports and how important it is for her to participate in events like these that highlight this important message.

"We have to be thankful for Title IX. That's really the biggest thing that allowed me to have a scholarship to USC and to be able to play at a university for free," said Leslie Lockwood. "It's important for young girls to be able to have this dream of playing basketball and going on to play at a college for free and have scholarships offered to us."

After the keynote address, the Women in Sports day was wrapped up with a ceremony in which track and field head coach Jim Hurt, women's soccer senior Julianna Cohen and softball senior Bionka King, as well as two prominent members of the St. John's community, John Kelly and Mary Pelkowski, were presented with appreciation awards. Director of Women's Basketball Operations Jackie Smith was presented with a special plaque from the BIG EAST for her efforts with the Women in Sports event.