Santa Clara University

SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 18, 2004 – Cheryl Levick resigned her post as director of athletics and recreation at Santa Clara University to accept a similar position at Saint Louis  University, in Saint Louis, Missouri. Levick, a St. Louis native, has spent the last four years guiding the 17- sport Bronco program.

"Cheryl Levick has done a wonderful job in leading our intercollegiate, recreational and club sports programs,” said SCU President Paul Locatelli, S.J.  “Cheryl has added momentum to the athletics program and I expect the next person in that position to continue the progress that she has made.  Saint Louis University is a distinguished Jesuit institution.  This is a personal and unique opportunity for Cheryl to return home to be near her family and we wish her the very best," he added.

Levick was the first female athletic director at SCU, and the first female athletic director in the West Coast Conference. Levick was born and raised in St. Louis and has family in the area.

As one of the most dynamic and respected administrators in college athletics, Levick has overseen a time of significant growth at Santa Clara. In her first three years on the Mission Campus, Levick reorganized the department's administrative staff, spearheaded a major renovation of its basketball arena, opened a new administrative office suite, received a $42.75 million commitment from the University's capital campaign and developed a five-year strategic plan.

During that time, the department also added nine new athletic scholarships, managed the sold out 2002 NCAA Men’s Basketball West Regional, won the school's first-ever NCAA title in a women's sport when the women's soccer team claimed the 2001 national championship and successfully completed an NCAA certification process.

Levick assumes leadership of the Billikens athletic department just one month after former AD Doug Woolard departed to take the reins at the University of South Florida.

Levick came to Santa Clara from Stanford University, where she spent 12 years as the senior associate athletic director and senior women's administrator. She served as the department's chief operating officer, overseeing the internal operations of the department and served as the primary administrator for 33 varsity sports programs that -- for more than a decade -- has been considered the best in the country. She also oversaw student services, NCAA compliance and eligibility, sports medicine and strength programs, post season championships and personnel.

Late last week, Levick was named president of the Division I-AAA Athletic Directors Association. The National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators honored Levick in 2000 as the Division I Administrator of the Year. In 2001, she received the Bay Area Woman of Achievement Award. Street and Smith’s Sports Business Journal tabbed Levick as one of its Top 25 Female Sports Executives in both 1998 and 1999. She was the WCC representative to the NCAA Management Council and was chairman of the NCAA Committee on Womens Athletics.

After graduating from the University of Missouri, Levick began her career as head gymnastics coach and assistant women's track coach at Pattonville (Mo.) High School in 1974. She moved to Indiana University in 1976 and became an assistant coach for both gymnastics and synchronized swimming. She earned her masters degree in athletic administration at IU.

Levick moved into the administrative world when she joined the staff at Slippery Rock (Pa.) State College in 1977. After serving as head women’s gymnastics coach, she was promoted to associate director of athletics in 1980. She was named interim director of athletics in 1982.

Levick joined the NCAA staff in Mission, Kan., in 1982, as assistant director of women’s programs. She later added assistant director of communications and youth programs coordinator to her resume. She left the NCAA to join the Pacific-10 Conference in 1988, as an assistant commissioner.

For more information about Santa ClaraUniversityathletics, see www.santaclarabroncos.com, or call Lisa Eskey at 408-554-4659. For more information about the University, see www.scu.edu, or call Deepa Arora at 408-554-5125

About Santa Clara University

Santa Clara University, a comprehensive Jesuit, Catholic university located in California’s Silicon Valley, offers its 8,047 students’ rigorous undergraduate curricula in arts and sciences, business, and engineering, plus master’s and law degrees. Distinguished nationally by the fourth -highest graduation rate among all U.S. masters’ universities, California’s oldest higher-education institution demonstrates faith-inspired values of ethics and social justice. More information is online at www.scu.edu.