Matt McMonagle

Classroom

An outstanding student-athlete, with a cumulative GPA of 3.61, a perfect 4.0 in the spring of 2006 and a 3.92 GPA this past fall. A physics major, Matt is enrolled in one of the most challenging curriculums in the Cornell College of Arts and Sciences, yet he shows his intellectual versatility with a minor in Art History. Matt was named to the 2006 ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District Men’s At-Large Second Team and has earned Academic All-Ivy honors. He is on course to graduate this spring and is hoping to work in the art world. This past summer, he interned at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the conservation department.

Character

He is one of the best and most selfless leaders on the Cornell men’s lacrosse team and has been chosen to serve as team co-captain this season. He is well respected by both his teammates, and the coaching staff, as he has shown integrity and sportsmanship. He has exhibited a tremendous work ethic during his time with the Big Red, tirelessly attempting to master his position and become the best goalkeeper possible.

Community

Matt is a very giving person who volunteers both in the Cornell community, as well as in his hometown. For the past two years, Matt has taken a leadership role as co-coordinator of the Save The Day Program. The program, which the men’s lacrosse team began in 2004, partners with local businesses and members of the Ithaca community to raise money for The Dream Factory of Central N.Y. During the course of the season, for each save a Cornell goalie makes (and for the past three seasons, that goalie has been Matt), a donation is made to the Dream Factory, which grants the wishes of chronically and critically ill children.

Matt has also served as the Philanthropy Chairman for the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity and has directed the fraternity’s Daffodil Days fundraiser, a program that has raised over $60,000 for the American Cancer Society. Matt is a member of the Red Key Society, a group whose purpose is to honor outstanding undergraduate contributors to both Cornell Athletics and the Cornell community. He has been involved in the program’s two major service projects, participating in “Into the Streets” and helping to organize an athlete spring formal. He is the Co-Publicity Chair for the 21 Run, an annual 5k run organized by the men’s lacrosse team, in conjunction with Alpha Tau Omega. Last year, the 21 Run raised more than $10,000 to support and promote children’s literacy in the Ithaca community through the Family Reading Partnership.

Competition

Matt was selected to the 2007 Tewaaraton Watch List, the award given to the top lacrosse player in the nation. A two-time All-America selection, Matt earned second-team accolades as a junior after having been an honorable mention selection as a sophomore. The senior co-captain is a two-time first-team All-Ivy selection and currently ranks sixth in Cornell history with 416 career saves. He finished the 2006 season ranked second in the nation with a 5.73 goals against average and third in the country with a .625 save percentage.