Saint Joseph’s Athletics
Athletics History
An archive of the program’s development through 2023. Leadership and facilities descriptions reflect that edition.
Why the Monks?
Saint Joseph's is the only college or university in the United States, in any division, to have "The Monks" as its nickname. What is a "Monk"? The term "Monk" describes a priest or religious who has dedicated his life to the church. Throughout history, traits common to Monks the world over include: "togetherness," "a group coming together with one purpose," "the struggles and importance of self-sacrifice," "physical and mental discipline," and "inner energy" - all traits that make for a good teammate, a good student-athlete. The Saint Joseph's College athletic teams proudly wear the nickname, "The Monks."
The history of Saint Joseph's College becoming "The Monks" dates back to 1970. It was only one year after the Board of Trustees decided that the College would become co-educational that then-College President Bernard P. Currier hired Christopher Kiernan from Assumption College to be the Director of Admissions and the Director of Athletics.
Up to that point, athletics at Saint Joseph's was more of an activity for the students than a competitive varsity program. Chris Kiernan was challenged to make the change to varsity sports and was literally starting from square one with no budget. The first big question -- where would he get uniforms? From his time at Assumption College, Kiernan knew that Assumption Prep was about to close its doors, so he called the prep school and asked if he could have their team uniforms. Assumption Prep sent Kiernan the uniforms and on the uniforms was the prep school's nickname: "Monks." So, from that point forward, the Saint Joseph's teams were known as "The Monks."
One of the earliest Monk keepsakes in the Saint Joseph's College Athletics Department came from friends of President Currier. Fr. Edmond Haughey, C.S.C., Dean of Admissions at Stonehill College, and Fr. John Corr, C.S.C., President of Stonehill College - who was also a member of Saint Joseph's Board of Trustees - were traveling in Ireland one summer and purchased the small wooden replica of a Monk for President Currier. President Currier kept the Monk statue in his office until he passed away in December 1978, when it was given to Chris Kiernan by President Currier's widow. Kiernan returned the Monk to Saint Joseph's at the inaugural Athletic Hall of Fame ceremony in November 2000. That work of art has become a fixture in the Saint Joseph's College Athletics Department and can still be found in the offices today.
The Monk logo has seen many versions, one was put to cartoon form in the 1970s and revised in 1999 by local cartoonist Steve Meyers. Meyers was also a political cartoonist for the Portland Press Herald and, at the time, had done mascot drawings for other colleges and schools in the area.
In April 2007, the newest version of the Monk logo was unveiled. Created by Patrick Corey of DesignM-DesignW, the new logo brings a new look just in time for Saint Joseph's entry into the Great Northeast Athletic Conference, the College's first-ever full-time membership in an NCAA Division III conference.
In the summer of 2019, the latest iteration of the Monks logo was revealed. Eric Rickabaugh, owner and creative director at Rickabaugh Graphics, an Ohio based company with extensive experience in collegiate athletics branding, was the principal designer behind the artwork. Rickabaugh worked closely with several members of the SJC Athletics staff to create new marks that both modernize the former iteration and assist in differentiating "Saint Joseph's College of Maine" from other similarly named institutions.
Current and former student-athletes know they are unique and know they carry a special tradition when they don the Saint Joseph's College royal blue and white. GO MONKS!!
The growth of Monks athletics
Saint Joseph’s College became a co-educational institution in 1970 and shortly thereafter announced the addition of an athletics program. The effort to establish a successful athletics program was spearheaded by the college’s first Athletic Director, Chris Kiernan, who also served as the Director of Admissions and Head Coach of the men’s basketball program at St. Joe’s.
The men’s basketball program, which played an exhibition schedule in the winter of 1970-71 before playing a varsity slate the next year, was the first varsity sport at Saint Joseph’s. Baseball and softball were added in the spring of 1975 and women’s basketball followed in 1977. Women’s volleyball became a varsity sport in 1978 and cross country began at St. Joe’s in 1980.
Women’s soccer was added in 1988, while men’s soccer and golf were both added to the fall docket at Saint Joseph’s in 1990. Field hockey came to St. Joe’s in 1995 as the 11th Monks’ varsity program. Men’s and women’s lacrosse teams and men’s and women’s swimming programs were added in 2008 to bring the total to 15 varsity squads. Four years later, men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field programs were added to the varsity offering, pushing the total of varsity teams up to 19.
During the summer of 2018 Director of Athletics Brian Curtin announced that men’s and women’s alpine skiing would be added to the docket of SJC athletic programs. Under the watch of Head Coach Margot Cosentino, the Monks competed as a club program in 2019 before becoming a varsity program in 2020. In 2021 the addition of a women’s varsity golf program was announced.
Affiliations
The Saint Joseph’s athletics program started out as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), Division II, in 1971 and gained NCAA DIII status in 1974. The Monks had a dual affiliation with the NAIA and NCAA until attaining NCAA DIII Independent status in 2003.
All SJC teams competed as NCAA Independent programs - other than the SJC baseball program, which joined the North Atlantic Conference as an associate member in 2005 - until Saint Joseph’s joined the GNAC in the fall of 2007. Field hockey played in the NAC from 2008 – 2013 and joined the GNAC in 2014, while men’s lacrosse played as an independent team in 2008 and participated in the NAC for two seasons before joining the GNAC in 2011.
The St. Joe’s men’s and women’s alpine ski teams compete as members of the Reynolds Division in the USCSA.
Athletics directors & facilities
Athletics directors
- Chris Kiernan · 1971–1981
- Rick Simonds · 1981–1992; 1993–2003
- Mike McDevitt · 1992–1993
- David Roussel · 2003–2006
- Brian Curtin · 2006–2020
- Will Sanborn · 2020–2021
- Bob Chaddock · 2021–2022
- Will Rothermel · Began in 2022
Rick Simonds was on sabbatical in 1992–1993. This list ends with the 2023 edition.
Facilities
Bernard Currier Gymnasium
Dedicated September 8, 1985. Originally a maintenance building, the gym became known as “The Monster Building,” “The Cow Palace,” and “The Chamber of Horrors.” A February 19, 1999 ceremony marked the end of its era.
Richard W. Bailey Field
Originally Ward Field, named in honor of Msgr. Edward F. Ward. Dedicated September 8, 1985 and rededicated April 9, 2011.
Westerlea Way Field
Opened in 1990.
The Harold Alfond Center
Dedicated September 17, 1999. The facility brought a natatorium, fitness facilities, indoor track and gymnasium to campus.
Larry Mahaney Diamond
Major enhancements were dedicated September 29, 2001. The diamond is named for Maine businessman and philanthropist Larry Mahaney.
Mercy Field
Opened in October 2002 behind Mercy Hall. The field hockey team played its final game there on October 18, 2016, defeating Salem State 10–0.
Historical timeline · 1912–2023
Established Saint Joseph’s College; located at Saint Joseph’s Academy, Portland
Chartered by State of Maine as first Catholic College for Women in Maine
Changed name to College of Our Lady of Mercy for more visible identity Affiliated with The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.
Purchased Verrill estate on the Shore of Sebago Lake, Standish- 115 acres
Moved from Portland to new campus in Standish
Full-time Enrollment- 100
Transitioned from an all-women’s college to a coeducational institution
Gymnasium built; affectionately known as either “The Monster Building” or “Chamber of Horrors”
Began first athletic teams for men and women: The Monks
Men’s Basketball stars John Alexander and Mike Johnston garner All-America recognition
Baseball and Softball added as varsity sports
Women’s Basketball added as a varsity sport
Monks Baseball team captures the first conference title (WMAC) in SJC Athletics history
Volleyball added as a varsity sport
Built Tennis courts with three playing surfaces
Cross Country added as a varsity sport
SJC Cross Country runners make Monks’ first appearance at national level in NAIA Championship
Saint Joseph’s softball team defeats UMaine-Orono to claim Maine State Championship
Developed the campus beachfront
Dedicated the Margaret H. Heffernan Center, multipurpose building
Fulltime traditional enrollment - 500
Dedicated Msgr. Edward F. Ward Field for baseball/softball/outdoor sports
Dedicated gymnasium in memory of Bernard P. Currier, 8th president
Received national coverage for men’s basketball team in Sports Illustrated
Men’s Basketball team defeats Biola (CA) in the NAIA National Tournament
Installed night lighting for Ward Park (first college campus in Maine to have it)
Women’s Soccer added as a varsity sport 1990 Men’s Soccer and golf added as varsity sports, Westerlea Way Field opened
Field Hockey added as a varsity sport
Introduced the Honors Program for on-campus traditional students
Fulltime Traditional Enrollment- 772
Completed construction and dedicated The Harold Alfond Center
Inaugural Saint Joseph’s Athletics Hall of Fame class inducted
Bernard P. Currier Hall (122 beds) completed
Mercy Field opened
Monks leave NAIA and attain NCAA DIII Independent status
Feeney Hall (122 beds) completed
Men’s Basketball team becomes the first SJC program to appear in an NCAA Tournament with an at-large bid
Alfond Hall completed
Monks Baseball team tops Bowdoin in NCAA DIII Regional Tournament – the first NCAA Tournament victory in SJC history
Women’s cross-country team captures first GNAC Championship for Saint Joseph’s
Full time Traditional Enrollment- 1,062
Jillian Leger named GNAC Woman of the Year
Men’s soccer program wins GNAC Championship and makes the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance
Saint Joseph’s athletics partners with Presto Sports, www.gomonks.com launched on October 15th
Softball team wins GNAC title, appears in NCAA Tournament for first time in program history
Alyssa Dunn selected as GNAC Woman of the Year
Baseball Head Coach Will Sanborn ’86 becomes the department’s all-time wins leader, surpassing Rick Simonds
Saint Joseph’s athletics partners with Stretch Internet to create department’s first video portal, www.gomonks.tv
Men’s & women’s indoor and outdoor track added as varsity sports, bringing the SJC athletics offering up to 19 teams
Baseball team breaks SJC single-season wins record – finishing the year 39-7 overall and ranked 14th nationally
Hannah Gajewski named GNAC Woman of the Year
Saint Joseph’s claims the 2012 GNAC Men’s Commissioner’s Cup
Danyelle Shufelt named GNAC Woman of the Year
Women’s Basketball program wins GNAC Championship, advances to NCAA Tournament for the first time
Head Baseball Coach Will Sanborn ’86 becomes first coach in SJC history to reach 600-victory plateau
Rachelle Messuri named GNAC Woman of the Year
Field Hockey leaves the NAC to compete as a GNAC member
Women’s Lacrosse program captures first conference championship and makes first NCAA Tournament appearance
Theresa Hendrix selected as GNAC Woman of the Year
Field Hockey program claims first conference championship and wins first NCAA Tournament game in team history
Men’s Soccer advances to second round of NCAA Tournament with PK win over Babson College
Men’s Golf wins first GNAC Championship and earns program’s first NCAA Tournament berth
Women’s Basketball Head Coach Mike McDevitt wins 500th career game with an 81-70 OT GNAC Championship triumph over Emmanuel (2/25/17)
Men’s Soccer notches first NCAA tourney win, 2-1 over Mitchell, and fell in PK’s to defending national champ Tufts the next day
Men’s Soccer sets new NCAA records – for all three levels – in GAA (0.047) and save percentage (.983) as well as consecutive shutout minutes (1,802.54); Goalkeeper Blake Mullen also set an individual NCAA Men's Soccer record (all levels) for consecutive shutout minutes (1,706:09)
Women’s Basketball notches first NCAA Tournament win, 61-56 over UMass.-Boston, and suffers a 53-47 loss at the hands of #1 Amherst College the next day
Baseball Head Coach Will Sanborn earns his 700th career victory after his Monks defeat Rivier, 3-2 (4/12/18)
Softball Head Coach Jamie Smyth reaches the 500 career victory mark with a sweep over Lasell (4/13/18)
Director of Athletics Brian Curtin announced that men’s and women’s alpine skiing would be added to the docket of SJC athletic programs
Women’s Soccer wins first GNAC Championship, a 1-0 victory at Lasell, and makes first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance 2019 Women’s Basketball falls to Emmanuel in GNAC Championship, ending a 51-game home win streak and a 38-game win streak vs. GNAC opponents; despite the loss, the Monks earn an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament – the first bid for the WB program and third for an SJC team overall, and defeated MIT in the first round of the national tourney
Women’s Basketball senior Kelsi McNamara becomes the first SJC WB player to reach the 2,000-point plateau in a win over Suffolk (2/21/19)
Saint Joseph’s claims the 2019 GNAC Men’s Commissioner’s Cup
NCAA cancels all remaining winter and spring championships due to COVID pandemic (3/12/20)
Addition of women’s varsity golf announced, bringing total of athletic teams to 22
Women’s Basketball Head Coach Mike McDevitt collects 600th career victory (vs. Lasell, 2/19/22)
Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track & Field hosts first-ever home meet; the men place fourth while the women finish seventh
Saint Joseph’s claims the 2022 GNAC Men’s Commissioner’s Cup
Baseball Head Coach Will Sanborn reaches 800-win plateau with a 5-2 win over Mount Union in Auburndale, Fla. (3/9/23)
Men’s indoor and outdoor track & field teams win first GNAC Championships in program history