Nikki Philpot wraps up her ninth year at Saint Joseph's in July 2021, having worked with the men's lacrosse, men's soccer, and men's and women's track and field and cross country programs since her start on Hawk Hill and with the women's basketball program for the last two years.
Philpot was the primary media contact for the women's lacrosse program for seven years and served as the media coordinator for the 2015 and 2016 NCAA Women's Lacrosse Final Four Championships at Talen Energy Stadium.
Philpot also hosted five Northeast Conference Men's Lacrosse Championships and the 2017 A-10 Women's Lacrosse Championships, and has served as a play-by-play broadcaster for softball. She was awarded the Saint Joseph's track and field program's 2018-19 Frank Manion Award in October 2019 for contributions to the program and was named the 2020-21 Fred Stabley Jr. Writing Contest winner for District 2 for her piece entitled "Michon's Mark."
A 2013 graduate of Saint Joseph's with a M.A. in Writing Studies and a 2010 graduate of Dominican College of Blauvelt with a bachelor's degree in English, Philpot was a four-year letterwinner for the DC softball team, earning 2009 NFCA All-American Scholar-Athlete recognition, and a four-year member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Following graduation from Dominican, Philpot fulfilled a yearlong internship in the Chargers' Sports Information Office.
She is originally from Dingmans Ferry, Pennsylvania, and resides in Keyport, N.J.
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Philpot's Publications
Breaking the Stigma, March 2021, Men's Track and Field
Junior sprinter Mike Baumgarten didn't want to leave his guys this semester. He worried, contemplated how his semester of absence would affect his teammates of the men's track and field program on Hawk Hill. But sometimes, the most courageous decisions to make are also the toughest, and Baumgarten, above all else, is brave.
Hawks for Change, February 2021, Women's Basketball
The Saint Joseph's women's basketball squad has worked tirelessly this year in advocating for social change, whether it was leading SJU's Diversity Equity and Inclusion group, implementing 'Black Lives Matters' t-shirts worn during practices and during pre-game, uplifting the voices of the incredible Black lives around them through Black Out Friday Spotlights, or acknowledging the choice to kneel for the National Anthem.
Indy Boys, November 2020, Men's Soccer
Michon's Mark, September 2020, Men's Track and Field/Cross Country
2020-21 Fred Stabley Jr. Writing Contest Winner for District 2, Athlete Profile
Synonymous with the words "cross country" and "track" on Hawk Hill these days is Zach Michon, a seven-time Atlantic 10 All-Conference selection and four-time Atlantic 10 individual champion who, as a senior last year, defeated the defending champion to win the A-10 Cross Country Championship in Fall 2019 before going on to defend his mile title and add a second gold medal in the 3000m at the A-10 Indoor Track and Field Championships in Winter 2020. But for a person with and for others, those accomplishments don't matter much. They just never have for Michon, ever since the experience of a childhood situation that could have redirected his entire path exactly one decade ago. Ever since that day when a 12-year-old Zach Michon entered the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for surgery.
Hawks-Minded, November 2019, Mental Health
You're not alone. Early last month, Saint Joseph's athletics proudly introduced Hawks-Minded, a mental health peer support group for student-athletes. Women's track and field senior captain Caroline Duffy hopes this group will be for others what she needed for herself.
#CousinGoals, September 2019, Men's Soccer
In a world where it's easier to quit than work harder, Mike Fornaro and his cousin pick the latter. Because for Fornaro and Carli Lloyd - yes, that Carli Lloyd - a moment of success after years of effort feels better than watching from the couch. Fornaro and Lloyd, standout leaders for the Saint Joseph's men's soccer team and United States women's national soccer team, respectively, are linked through both blood and The Beautiful Game. Lloyd's mom, Pam, and Fornaro's dad, Rich, are cousins, and despite a football lineage on the Fornaro side, the Hawks' senior captain didn't follow the pigskin. Instead, when Lloyd was making a name for herself on the soccer scene, Fornaro followed suit.
Going Farr, February 2019, Women's Lacrosse
Taylor Newman-Farr is from a military family with military aspirations of her own. From excelling in her JROTC program at South Lakes High School to working toward becoming a nurse in the Air Force, SJU's starting sophomore midfielder has her eyes set on taking the world by storm.
Not Average, February 2019, Men's Lacrosse
The average number of seniors on each roster across the NCAA Division I 73 men's lacrosse programs this spring is nine. There are 44 teams with nine or more seniors on their 2019 roster. This spring, Saint Joseph's fields a roster with the smallest senior class among all Division I programs that did not start up within the last three seasons. But if we're looking at what matters on the youngest team during eighth-year head coach Taylor Wray’s tenure - a leadership presence that has bought into the culture of the Hawk Hill way - it really doesn't matter that there are only two seniors in the Class of 2019 to guide a roster comprised of 85% freshmen and sophomores. Senior midfielder Thomas LaRose and senior close defenseman Thomas Tarleton are more than enough.
Oremus Out in Front, December 2018, Women's Track and Field/Cross Country
Lindsey Oremus has never been the type to follow. Whether on the front lines fighting off fires or at the front of the pack fighting off racers, Oremus has had the pieces of being a leader. Saint Joseph's finished the puzzle.
GAME DAY FEATURE: Charlie Brown, Jr., November 2018, Men's Basketball
It should come as no surprise that there's a buzz populating over the return of the six-foot-seven forward out of West Philly, the one with the infectious smile and charismatic demeanor who has adults and children alike wearing yellow shirts with black zig-zags across the bottom. There's a buzz. And there should be. Charlie Brown, Jr. is back.
The South Jersey Trio, October 2018, Men's Soccer
Over a decade ago, Saint Joseph's men's soccer standouts Derek MacKinnon, Eddie McCusker, and Lou Vilotti met through the game they live and love. From Sewell to Philadelphia, the "South Jersey Trio" has taken its soccer journey together.
GAME DAY FEATURE: Javon Baumann, January 2016, Men's Basketball
Javon Baumann is hard to miss. The 6-foot-8 center from Solms-Oberbiel, Germany is one of the tallest players on the court each night, and whether defending the post or offering support from the bench, his presence is felt. His height, however, isn't the only thing that separates him from his teammates. Baumann is the epitome of what it means to be a student-athlete, and after just three-and-a-half years, he is a graduate of Saint Joseph's University.
GAME DAY FEATURE: Ronald Roberts, Jr., February 2014, Men's Basketball
The Hawk is known for its cunning demeanor, the representation of a sly, clever predator that soars freely through the clouds to locate its prey. Once locked in on its unknowing victim, the hawk strikes: powerfully, and above all, mercilessly. No one better embodies this characterization than Saint Joseph's senior forward Ronald Roberts, Jr. Known for his remarkable ability to consistently dominate above the rim, Roberts recognizes defensive weakness and seizes opportunity by soaring freely up into the air. Once above the rim, Roberts owns the advantage – power. And with that power, the Hawk strikes. The Hawk soars. Ronald Roberts, Jr. soars. It was meant to be.
GAME DAY FEATURE: Isaiah Miles, February 2014, Men's Basketball
Last Wednesday at 4:47 p.m., well before the television broadcast went live and fans filled the bleachers for Saint Joseph's home game against Rhode Island, sophomore forward Isaiah Miles knocked down a jumper from the right side of the key. And although over two hours remained until tip-off, there was a fixed look of focus in the eyes of the lone Hawk on the court.
GAME DAY FEATURE: Team Managers, February 2013, Men's Basketball
On this season's roster, we see the names of five coaches and 16 players who work hard day in and day out to put forth successful performances. We do not see the names of four team managers who take care of what goes on behind the scenes to help prepare for that success. With the regular season winding down, we would like to highlight these remarkable students for their selfless commitment and dedication to the men's basketball program: Janelle Fritz, Caroline Davis, John O'Brien, and Ian Klinger.
GAME DAY FEATURE: Daryus Quarles, February 2013, Men's Basketball
Confidence. In the world of Division I basketball, an athlete's confidence grows when he comes into a program as a freshman and starts 33 games in his rookie season. In the progression through sophomore year, an athlete's confidence skyrockets when he starts 63 games combined over his first two seasons. In the arena of confidence, though, what happens when that same starter returns for his junior season to a different role... one that calls for him to come into the game off the bench? As both a blessing and a curse, confidence - both in abundance and absence - has impacted the play of wing player Daryus Quarles this season.
GAME DAY FEATURE: Chris Wilson, January 2013, Men's Basketball
If you didn't know him last year, you certainly know him now. Because Chris Wilson is having himself quite the season. The 6-foot-3 sophomore guard has seen action in all 16 games this year with 13 starts to his name - 12 more than his total number of starts from all of last season. Wilson has utilized his increase in both minutes (he averages just over 32 per game) and opportunity to embrace his new role on this season's squad: team leader.
GAME DAY FEATURE: Papa Ndao, December 2012, Men's Basketball
It takes more than just a team's five starters to win a basketball game. The bench needs to be strong - both in depth and consistency. A player that comes off of the bench must be able to physically and mentally enter into the momentum of a game already in progress.The Hawks have a few of those players, and you have seen one in every game this season... #32.
GAME DAY FEATURE: Taylor Trevisan, November 2012, Men's Basketball
Behind every successful team, there are leaders. Either vocally or by example, a leader does what it takes for a team to succeed. Whether sinking the winning basket on game day or guarding the strongest opponent at practice, a player's selfless demeanor through dedication to the team over himself is what turns an everyday player into a leader. Taylor Trevisan is a leader.
