Saint Joseph's Athletics Announces Adams Minority Student-Athlete Coalition
Named after Saint Joseph's first Black student-athlete, Dick Adams '59, the Adams Minority Student-Athlete Coalition seeks to build and foster a sense of community and belonging for minority student-athletes at Saint Joseph's.
Saint Joseph's University Athletics has announced the formation of the Adams Minority Student-Athlete Coalition. Named after Saint Joseph's first Black student-athlete, Dick Adams '59, the Adams Minority Student-Athlete Coalition seeks to build and foster a sense of community and belonging for minority student-athletes at Saint Joseph's.
The Adams Minority Student-Athlete Coalition also aims to enhance the student experience for minority student-athletes by allowing their voices to be heard and make their impact visible. The Adams Minority Student-Athlete Coalition was formed with the intent of bringing minority student-athletes together and giving them the space to feel connected, supported and loved at Saint Joseph's.
"As Director of Student-Athlete Development and an African-American former student-athlete at Saint Joseph's, I felt it was very important to accomplish two goals with the Adams Minority Student-Athlete Coalition," says Erick Woods, who helped spearhead the formation of the Coalition. "The first [goal] being to honor the career and accomplishments of Dick Adams, the first African-American student-athlete at St. Joe's, and the second, and equally as important, I wanted to create a space for all minority student-athletes to come together to build relationships, support one another and leave a lasting legacy of positive impact in the name of a trailblazer who made it possible for us all to be Hawks."
Along with Woods, the Adams Minority Student-Athlete Coalition is led by the executive board of current student-athletes Ladi Bamgbose (men's track), Jala Cosley (women's track), Gabrielle Cruz (women's rowing), Sam Dumont (women's soccer), Kris Edobi (men's track), Jayden Greene (men's track), Alex Hood (men's soccer), Darynn Minus-Vincent (women's track), Lleyton Winslow (men's track) and Olivia Wojtowicz (women's track).
A member of Saint Joseph's men's track and field and cross country programs, Adams began his collegiate career as a member of the freshman squads for both programs before joining the varsity teams as a three-year letterwinner for both. Adams was also a standout off the track, serving as a member of the Air Force R.O.T.C, and as part of the Moors Psychological Society.
This story originally appeared on sjuhawks.com.