Meet Sharon Marquardt, the new full-time athletic director
BY: MORGAN DANIELS
Staff Writer
Sharon Marquardt has a long history with sports and athletics. She played volleyball and softball at Lewis and Clark Community College for two years and transferred to McKendree University to continue playing softball. Her athletic prowess led to her receiving numerous accolades for her pitching and batting abilities. From All-Conference and All-America recognition to competing in the NAIA Softball Tournaments both seasons, her work ethic is far from average. Her accomplishments led to her recent induction into the McKendree Hall of Fame for her contributions to Bearcats athletics.
Marquardt maintained the same drive and ambition when she came to St. Louis Community College in 2003 to coach the women’s softball team. She coached for 13 years until deciding to take on a more administrative position at the college.
“I went to the administrative side and found that I was good at being behind the desk and helping people get their teams to where they thought they were competitive enough for the national competition, and [I] sort of just progressed from there,” said Marquardt.
She matriculated through faculty and staff positions until settling as the Assistant Athletic Director for the STLCC district. This fall, she assumed the role of Director of Archer Athletics.
For those unfamiliar with the history of St. Louis Community College’s athletic program, before 2011, each campus had its own sports teams. Prominently Forest Park, Florissant Valley, and Meramec. Since the transition, all campuses joined to form a district-wide sports program with Men’s and Women’s Soccer and Basketball, Women’s Volleyball and Softball, and Men’s Baseball. According to Marquardt, the transition had an overall positive impact on the program.
“It made our teams more competitive. Instead of having three teams that were average [and] weren’t competing for national championships, now, we have more teams that are participating in the national tournaments. Five out of the seven teams have been to the national tournament where they are actually competing for the national championship,” she said.
Marquardt said she hopes to continue fostering a program of success by providing coaches and athletes the support they need so that the Archers can bring home more plaques from national tournaments.
While a successful athletic program is vital to her and her department, they emphasize each individual student-athlete and their academic success.
“Our ultimate goal here at the district is to have student-athletes that come here and are successful in the classroom and graduate within two years. The bonus is they are a good athlete and help us compete for the national championship. So, if we can help a student-athlete not only be successful on the field but in the classroom, that makes us a better-rounded person and our department better off. It’s a win, win for our students,” she said.
Marquardt is tangibly tracking the academic progress of her athletes. She noticed that last year, three of the seven teams had cumulative GPAs higher than 3.0. She plans to support those teams and encourage them to strive for higher averages. However, Marquardt wants to get the other four teams to the same level.
“I want our department to really be showcased for the quality athletes that we bring to campus but also the quality students,” she said.
This fall, she sat down with each team and set academic goals. As a district, their goal is to have a cumulative GPA of 2.8 or higher. For the teams with at least a GPA of 3.0, the goal is to attain an average of 3.6 to qualify as a National Academic Team with the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). The recognition will showcase the team’s academic fortitude and honor each athlete’s work for their academics.
“I tell them every year; you are a student-athlete first. You are not an athlete student. So go to class, do your homework, get those grades, which make you a better athlete in the end,” she said.
Marquardt and her department are working with several on-campus resources to promote athletics. She hopes to influence more college community involvement by intentionally communicating upcoming sports events.
“As the athletic director, I have to get out there and show the students, faculty, and staff that we are involved. We are invested in the district, and we are here to make the great experience that we want not only student-athletes but all students to have,” she said. “You’re not going to see us on TV, but we can give you the same fun entertainment at a basketball game, volleyball game, or softball game, as they do at the bigger schools. We want to create a well-rounded community within the college, but we have to get people involved to do that.”
Supporting the Archer athletics is one of the best ways to encourage Marquardt and her department’s work for their athletes, she said. She encourages students, staff and faculty to come out to an Archers game and support classmates as they showcase their talents not only on the court or field but in the classroom. Currently, Meramec hosts all but one of the Archer sports teams. While the baseball, volleyball, and soccer seasons are coming to an end, November marks the beginning of the winter sports season. Marquardt said she hopes students will put on some school spirit, and cheer on the Men’s and Women’s basketball teams. The athletics department posts each team’s schedules on its website at archerathletics.com.
“I want people to know we are here. Come out and see us. We’d love to see more fans, spectators, faculty, staff, and students. Ask questions. Know that we are here, and we welcome everybody to come and partake in a game. Hopefully, we can bring a national championship to the district. That’s the goal,” she said.
