General | Aug 28, 2018

SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Saint Leo department of athletics would like to welcome seven new Graduate Assistants to the pride and two to new positions for the 2018-19 season.
 
The Lions saw Jesse VerVelde shift from Business Services to Men's Basketball where the Green and Gold welcome Saint Leo baseball alum, Jordan Pendleton to replace VerVelde in Business Services. Among those new to University Campus are Meredith Cunningham, Annagrazia Bonsanti Feniello, Erik Ripley, Jelena Dzinic, Nathaniel Huggett, Cierra White, and Brittany Johnson.
 
Jordan Pendleton – Business Services
Pendleton was a four-year starting pitcher of the Saint Leo University baseball team and recently graduated with a degree in management. He finished his career with a Saint Leo record 28 victories and was a First Team All-Sunshine State Conference selection. Pendleton will work closely with Assistant Athletic Director for Business Operations Dawn Boltin in handling the day-to-day business operations of the department. While serving as a graduate assistant, Pendleton will work towards achieving his Master of Business Administration.
 
Meredith Cunningham  – External Operations
Cunningham joins the Saint Leo University Pride following her graduation from Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa. She is a native of Knoxville, Iowa and will be working closely with Assistant Athletic Director for External Operations Erin Bean. Cunningham received her bachelor's degree in business management and sports administration and will be working on her MBA in sport business while at Saint Leo. She chose the Lions because of the location, the specialization and she loves the outdoors.
 
Jesse VerVelde – Men's Basketball
VerVelde, who spent two years working alongside Assistant Athletic Director for Business Operations Dawn Boltin as the business services graduate assistant, now takes on the men's basketball role after working with the team in a volunteer position. He was a standout football and basketball player throughout his high school years and went on to kick for the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. He earned a business administration degree with a concentration in management at UWSP and will continue his work on his MBA in sport business at Saint Leo.
 
Brittany Johnson – Softball
Johnson, a native of Lutz, Fla., joins the Lions after six years at Sunshine State Conference rival Rollins College, four as a player and two as a volunteer assistant, where she majored in history and exceled on the softball field. She helped guide the Tars to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including the Tars' march to the South Region Championship in 2016. Johnson's name litters the Rollins record book, ranking seventh in games played, 10th in on base percentage, eighth in doubles, 10th in RBI, and 10th in stolen bases. She is a two-time All-SSC performer. Brittany was named to both the 2015 NCAA and Daktronics All-South Region Teams, before earning 2015 NFCA All-American status. She followed that with a CoSIDA Academic All-Region showing in 2016. Johnson will work on her MBA in sport business while at Saint Leo and chose the program due to the respect she gained for the coaching staff and players from battling against them from across the diamond for several years. With the combination of Saint Leo's success and emphasis on culture, she knew Saint Leo would be the perfect fit to further her education on and off the field.   
 
Cierra White – Cross Country / Track
White, a native of Philadelphia, Pa., is a world class sprinter who graduated from Texas Tech University with a degree in human development and family studies. She competed for a perennial top-25 program, Texas Tech, and posted several blazing times on the track. She posted eight top-10 NCAA Championship finishes throughout her four-year career including placing fourth in the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in the 200m. As a senior, White ran the world's fastest 200m of the 2014-15 indoor season up until that time at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic as she flew around the track in 22.98, breaking the Texas Tech program record.  White is working on her Master's in human services administration. She chose Saint Leo because the school seems to be very centered on students succeeding. The coaching staff was very welcoming and encouraging. They made her feel a part of the team even during the interview process. She mentioned this is a great place to start a new career and continue her education.
 
Annagrazia Bonsanti Feniello – Women's Swimming
Bonsanti Feniello comes to Saint Leo from the University of Bridgeport where she competed on the swim team and majored in health science. She is a native of Caracas, Venezuela and was an All-American swimmer for Bridgeport while focusing on the distance events. While at Saint Leo, Bonsanti Feniello will work on her MBA in health care management. She chose the program due to the weather, swim team and her degree goals being a perfect combination.
 
Erik Ripley – Men's Swimming
Ripley joins the Lions from Towson University where he competed for the swim program and majored in sport management with a minor in business administration. A native of Tempe, Ariz., Ripley is a backstroke and individual medley specialist. He will work on his MBA in sport business at Saint Leo and chose the program due to the combination of the degree and an opportunity to stay in college athletics.
 
Jelena Dzinic – Women's Tennis
Dzinic joins the Saint Leo women's tennis program after four years at Texas A&M Corpus Christi. While at TAMCC Dzinic competed for the NCAA Division I women's tennis program spending time as both the No. 1 and No. 2 singles player. She is a native of Subotica, Serbia and majored in business management at Corpus Christi. She was named the team MVP as both a junior and a senior. During her sophomore campaign she had an impressive 17-2 singles record including an undefeated 10-0 mark in Southland Conference play. She was a team-time First Team All-Southland selection and is fluent in three languages including Serbian, English and Spanish. She chose Saint Leo due to the great things she heard about the program and head coach Chad Berryhill. She will work on her MBA in sport business during her time with the Lions.
 
Nathaniel Huggett – Men's Tennis
Huggett joins the Lions from Ferris State University where he majored in professional tennis management with a minor in psychology. The PawPaw, Mich., native will be working on his Master's in psychology while working alongside head coach Chad Berryhill and the Saint Leo men's tennis program. Huggett chose Saint Leo due to his connection with coach Berryhill who spent four and half years as the head coach at Ferris State.
 
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