Southern Connecticut Athletic Training Alumni News
August 2011
Graduating Seniors Score
100% in BOC Examination
Passing Rate
Southern Senior Competes
at National Quiz Bowl
Congratulations are in order! All five graduating
members of the Class of 2011 passed the BOC
Examination during their first attempt. Seniors Jared
Brunswick, Nick Grasso, Ken Ildefonso, Jordan
Napolitano, and Julia Rowan passed the online boards
achieving their athletic training certification and
eligibility for state licensure. Two other Class of 2011
seniors elected to stay at Southern for an additional
year to take prerequisite courses for medical school
and will take the examination next spring.
The 100% passing rate was welcome news for the
program and it reflects the improvements in the
program over the last few years. The BOC examination
is a comprehensive online test which is given to all
entry-level athletic trainers, with questions
encompassing the athletic training domains. The
national passing for first time test takers was 60.7% for
the 2010-2011 year.
Congratulations Seniors!
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1
Seniors score 100% in BOC Examination
1
Robert Petrillo earns trip to New Orleans
2
Caitlin Sweeney wins CATA Scholarship
2
Petrillo wins Lloyd Barrow Award
3
Alumni Happenings
Senior Robert Petrillo represented the Southern
Connecticut ATEP and NATA’s District 1 at the annual
quiz bowl. This event was held in New Orleans during
the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Annual
Symposium last June.
Robert earned his trip to New Orleans following a
second place finish during the District 1 Quiz Bowl held
the previous January. The NATA District 1, permitted
each accredited athletic training program to send one
student to represent the school, with the top three
competition finishers to compete at the national quiz
bowl.
The District 1 team ended up sixth out of nine teams at
the national quiz bowl despite a strong showing early in
the Jeopardy-style format. The champions,
representing District 8 was a team comprised of
students from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
while the runners-up came from District 9.
Robert completed his curriculum requirements this past
spring with a 3.71 GPA. He will graduate in the spring
2012 while he completes his prerequisites for medical
school.
SCSU Athletic Training Students
Present at Regional Symposiums
Southern athletic training seniors were conspicuous by
more than their presence at the Eastern Athletic
Trainers Association. Southern seniors Jared
Brunswick, Nick Grasso, Ken Ildefonso, Jordan
Napolitano, Julia Rowan and Lauren Zarrella were able
to present their poster presentations during the January
symposium. The poster presentations identified
unusual cases that were seen during their clinical
rotations.
See page 3
Newsletter 1
Caitlin Sweeney is a CATA Scholar
This year senior, Caitlin Sweeney was the recipient of
the Elite Sports Medicine Undergraduate Scholarship.
The scholarship is sponsored by the Connecticut
Athletic Trainers Assocation and Elite Sports Medicine.
The scholarship was awarded last May in New Britain
during the annual CATA Sports Medicine Conference.
Caitlin completed her junior year with over a 3.4 GPA,
while completing her clinical rotations. In addition to
her on campus activities, Caitlin was a volunteer with
the CATA, serving as a student member of the PennyDunkler Scholarship Committee. In this role she was
instrumental in raising money during a walk-a-thon
held on the Wesleyan University campus.
Robert Petrillo is the Lloyd Barrow
Award Winner
Senior Robert Petrillo was the recipient of the Lloyd
Barrow Award. The Lloyd Barrow Award is given
annually to the most outstanding senior athletic
training student.
Robert has been an excellent athletic training student
since transferring into the program. He has earned an
outstanding 3.71 GPA and could have graduated with
honors this past spring. However, he decided to stay
an extra year to take prerequisites courses for medical
school and will taking the MCAT tests in the near
future.
In addition to Rob’s academic and clinical excellence,
he successfully represented Southern at the District 1
Quiz Bowl during the EATA Symposium. During that
competition he finished second among all student
representatives from programs in District 1 which
includes all of New England. This qualified him to
compete at the national quiz bowl competition held in
New Orleans.
Hallissey is the Bill McCarthy
Scholar
Hannah Hallissey was this year’s recipient of the Bill
McCarthy Athletic Training Scholarship. Hannah has a
3.48 overall GPA and a 3.42 GPA in the major. This
year’s scholarship was nearly $700 and will help assist
her educational costs for the 2011-2012 academic
year.
Hannah was selected among her classmates in one of
the toughest decisions due to the quality of this year’s
senior class. Over half of the Class of 2012 qualified
for the scholarship and it made the selection
committee’s decision difficult.
The scholarship is named after William ‘Bill’ McCarthy
who was the first full-time athletic trainer at Southern.
He retired in 1990 and passed away last fall. He was a
major contributor to this endowed scholarship fund.
The scholarship fund continues to grow due to ongoing
contributions. If anyone is interested to contribute,
please contact Gary Morin, the ATEP Program
Director.
RJ Mortali is named Connecticut
Student Representative to EATA
Southern junior Athletic Training Student RJ Mortali
was selected by the CATA President Vicky Graham to
serve as the state’s student representative to the
Eastern Athletic Trainers’ Association. RJ, who has a
4.0 GPA, will assist with the association planning for
student activities at the EATA Annual Conference. As
the EATA representative, he is also a member of the
Student Council for the Connecticut Athletic Trainers’
Association. The latter student council includes the
club presidents of the five accredited athletic training
programs in Connecticut. Southern’s club president is
current senior Becky Stobierski.
RJ will serve a two-year appointment with the EATA
and the CATA.
Newsletter 2
EATA Student Presentations continued:
FACULTY NEWS
Case Study topics presented in Boston included:
Gary Morin – Completed his first year on the Board of
Directors for the Connecticut Athletic Trainers
Association…Spoke before the state legislature regarding
Brunswick, Jared, Rothbard, M. “Medial Foot Pain in a
Collegiate track and Field Athlete”
Rothbard, M., Zarrella, Lauren, “Sudden Cardiac
Pathology in a Field Hockey Goalkeeper”
the latest athletic training licensure bill.
Charles Davis – Charlie continued his international travels
with youth soccer programs…Is now planning his wedding
with SCSU alum Aubrey Kurtzman
Grasso, Nicholas, Rothbard, M., Roy, A., “Visceral
Trauma in a High School Football Player”
Rowan, Julia, Rothbard, M., Atkins, S. “Bilateral Lower
Leg Pain in a Collegiate Woman’s Lacrosse Player”
Matt Rothbard – Completed research related to his
dissertation and is now in the final writing stages…Was coauthor for all of the student case studies
Corey Hannah –Corey has completed his coursework for his
doctoral degree and is now preparing to begin his
dissertation research… Corey is also a father again, after the
Ildefonso, Kenneth, Rothbard, M., Shanley, J. „Knee
Pain in a Collegiate Football Player“
Napolitano, Jordan, Rothbard, M. Nelson, C.
“Posterolateral Knee Pain in a Collegiate Football
Player”
All of the submissions were part of course
requirements for EXS 402 or 403, under the tutelage of
Assistant Professor Matt Rothbard.
birth of a second son
OTHER NEWS
ALUMNI
JORDAN NAPOLITANO AND ROBERT PETRILLO’S POSTER
Congratulations to Julie Murphy, Meredith Ruck Dill, Yukinori
PRESENTATION WAS SELECTED AS PART OF THE FREE
Oki and Meghann Raspallo Smith for the birth of their
COMMUNICATIONS AT THE NATIONAL ATHLETIC
TRAINERS’
HAPPENINGS…
children…Greg Heinemann is the co-owner and clinic
ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONFERENCE. THEIR PRESENTATION WAS
TITLED “POSTEROLATERAL KNEE PAIN IN A COLLEGIATE FOOTBALL
PLAYER”.
SCSU Alum Bethany Ames’s poster presentation “Hematic
Anomaly in a Collegiate Baseball Participant” was also
director of Egoscue in NY…Greg White is in the US Navy
and is stationed as the athletic trainer for Navy Prep in
Newport, RI…Ashley Brunn Dizney is working as a nurse at
Hartford Hospital…Heather Procopio is employed at Mercy
College in NY…JulieAnn Pescatello Maheu, Aubrey
selected as part of the NATA Annual Conference Free
Kurtzman and former graduate student are now athletic
Communications
trainers with Lawrence & Memorial Hospital…Bethany Ames
Melissa Regan’s poster presentation “Ulnar Impaction
is beginning her second year at Grapevine HS in
Syndrome in a Female Cheerleader” was also part of the
TX…Stephen Cusano is at STAR Physical Therapy with
free communications. This was the second year this
Kelly Corso Ardito…Beth Rinas Hitchcock is living in Arizona
presentation was presented due to his first place finish in the
and working at Boston Life Labs…Meaghan Marcelynas
NATA student writing –contest.
finished her doctoral studies at Springfield
Former faculty member and assistant athletic trainer Nathan
Wilder has moved again to be the head football athletic
College…Stephanie Ames is an athletic trainer with
Orthopedic Associates if Duchess County(NY)…Bonnie
Longley is Preneat Physical Therapy..Kaitie Kelleher is
trainer at Towson State in Maryland
engaged to Liam Dwyer…Melissa Trojanowski and Cindy
MORE INFORMATION
Paulette are engaged…Katie Zackowitz Rosa is employed
The Southern Athletic Training Program has a facebook
as an athletic trainer at Mercy Sports Medicine in Nashville,
TN… Jamie Crevier is a physical therapist based out of
page for alumni and friends. Check out
https://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=114658431811
Charlotte, NC…Sara Barrows has returned to SC to study
For additional program updates visit our official university
Rehab…Stephanie Smith is studying at Salisbury University
public health…Tim Lebel is an athletic trainer at Access
website: http://www.southernct.edu/athletic_training/
Newsletter 3
Academic Changes Prepare Program
for Change in Athletic Trainer Roles
The Southern ATEP reacting to changes in
educational competencies and professional scope of
practice has made several changes in its curriculum.
Many of the changes were encouraged by comments
made by graduating seniors and alumni over the past
few years.
previous publications. Gone are the references to
athlete or athlete care. These are replaced by the
terms “patient” and “client”, supporting the athletic
trainer’s role of caring for individuals outside of the
athletic realm. Eventually, it is expected that athletic
trainers will be able to provide our high level of quality
care in places such as industrial settings.
To improve student clinical skills with brace fitting, the
ATEP has created a new course Orthopedic
Appliances and Advanced Taping Techniques. This
course will allow students to gain knowledge and
experience fitting and applying the many orthopedic
braces available on the market.
Assisting with the student’s knowledge of anatomy, the
ATEP has implemented a course in clinical anatomy
and kinesiology. The focus of this course will be an indepth examination of the anatomy and
arthrokinematics. The additional time spent on
anatomy should facilitate student learning of
examination techniques, while the study of
arthrokinematics should be invaluable in the learning
of manual therapy techniques.
The introductory course EXS 184 has been changed to
a single credit ½ year course in professional practice.
This change helped to expedite the addition of the
previous two courses through realignment of teaching
credits. In addition, with the course being offered in the
first and last 8 weeks of the semester, it will give
students making late decision to enroll in the athletic
training program a chance to join the major without
potentially losing a year of study. Previously, students
selecting athletic training as a major in October would
need to wait an entire year before starting professional
classes.
Other changes include the addition of EXS 301
Exercise and Nutrition will enlarge the students’
knowledge of conditioning. Deleted courses include
EXS 386 Fitness Management and EXS 485 Tests
and Measurements. These courses based on
suggestions by alumni and the limited number of
professional competencies included in each course.
It is hoped that the new changes will expedite our
students’ adaptation to professional changes. The
latest educational competencies, developed by the
NATA Educational Council, differed greatly from
previous publications. Gone are the references to
athlete or athlete care. These are replaced by the Newsletter 4
terms “patient” and “client”, supporting the athletic
trainer’s role of caring for individuals outside of the
Southern Connecticut 5