The 33rd annual Cabrini Classic brought alumni, faculty, staff, and friends to Waynesborough Country Club and White Manor Country Club on Monday, June 6, for a day of golf, reconnection, and support for Cavalier student athletes.
Making her first public remarks since becoming Cabrini University Interim President, Helen Drinan, MBA, addressed the golfers during the dinner and silent auction following the action at Waynesborough.
View the Cabrini Classic photo gallery
“My deepest thanks to you for your support of today’s 33rd annual Cabrini Classic,” Drinan said. “And because of your continued and generous support, we are able to enhance the opportunities and experiences available to our students, especially those who are student athletes.”
While the annual Classic centers its fundraising efforts on building a strong future for the University’s Cavalier student-athletes, it is also an opportunity to celebrate and fortify Cabrini’s signature Education of the Heart.
Director of Athletics and Recreation Kate Corcoran spoke of the student athletes’ successes on and off the field of play this year. In addition to nine Atlantic East Championships, seven NCAA tournament appearances, and two ECAC tournament appearances, 56% of Cabrini student athletes (184 total) were placed on all-academic teams this academic year.
“The student athletes at Cabrini are an amazing representation of Cabrini University, and we are proud of all they are able to achieve,” Corcoran said. “I’m not only proud of their successes in their sports and the titles they’ve won, I’m proud of their growth as students, as leaders and mentors to the 
future Cabrini Cavaliers.”
Two of these Cavaliers, swimmer Kenzi Eldabh (ʼ23) and golf and tennis player Ryan Calderaro (ʼ22), then shared their experiences as student-athletes.
Eldabh, a Biology major in the honors program and member of Cabrini’s a capella group, said her swim coaches and team leadership have created a positive growth environment for her and her teammates.
“Every single person on the team has seen drastic improvement from the previous meets and [championships], and this is primarily because of how Coaches Cindy [Ikeler] and Josh [Pace] work with us and train us,” she said. “Another huge reason that we all do so well is because of how close we all are. The traditions we have created as a family have helped us become closer and stronger.”
Calderaro, a recent 2022 graduate, will pursue Cabrini’s Global MBA in the fall. He spoke of the sense of pride he feels wearing the Cavalier crest.
“Cabrini is a small school, and because of that, there’s an opportunity to make a large impact,” he said. “I understand that when I’m wearing this shirt, and I meet somebody new for the first time and I’m shaking their hand, I might be their first connection to the Cabrini community. We understand that when we wear this logo on our hearts, we represent not only ourselves, but the entire Cabrini community that supports us.”