Red Hawk Open Supports Student Athletes

Alumni and friends of the University showed their support of student athletes by coming out for a day on the links. With blue skies and plenty of Red Hawk pride, Montclair State University’s 9th Annual Red Hawk Open took place on Monday, September 13, at Crestmont Country Club in West Orange.

The outdoor event drew more than 100 attendees and raised more than $100,000 to support the more than 500 student athletes and each of Montclair State’s 18 NCAA Division III men’s and women’s teams.

Proceeds from the outing will continue to enhance the student-run and produced Red Hawk Sports Network (RHSN), including livestream production of games, as well as to help fund state-of-the-art equipment, interviews, highlight packages, halftime shows and more.

In addition to the RHSN, this year’s support will help launch a new Women’s Performance Center and provide upgrades to the Panzer Fitness Center, including new equipment, turf and a hydration station.

“This outing has enhanced our program and facilities for the University’s student athletes,” says Rob Chesney, Director of Athletics. “The amount we raise goes a long way…we’ve been able to turn our fitness center into a first-class spot for our athletes, and we are so appreciative of the support.”

Amplifying Student Experience

Launched in 2019, the Red Hawk Sports Network covers all of the Red Hawks’ 18 varsity athletic teams, including live events available on the MSU Athletics homepage and Youtube channel. As a joint venture between the MSU Athletics Department and Montclair State University’s School of Communication and Media, the RHSN is run fully by students, giving them experience in all aspects of sports journalism.

Senior Jack Barteck ’21, a Television and Digital Media major with a concentration in Sports Media, who was part of the inaugural team of interns to launch the RHSN and serves as an on-air broadcaster, shared with attendees the growth and impact the experience has had for him and fellow students.

“It has been amazing to highlight the stories of our athletes. The experience that I have gotten helped me secure internships and land positions commentating professionally, and none of that would have been possible without the Red Hawk Sports Network,” says Barteck.

“I want everyone to realize just how far your support goes…It’s because of this that I get to live out my dream every day, and I can’t thank everyone enough.”

In his remarks, Montclair State University President Jonathan Koppell emphasized the importance of athletics as part of the University’s role in fully developing students’ potential. “Our program shows exactly why athletics are so important…universities are about creating opportunities for students to achieve their full potential in every dimension of human activity….developing their minds, their capacity to live productive lives… and to develop their physical abilities to thrive and to engage in competitive activity.”

Sponsor Support

Thanks goes out to all the generous sponsors who made the successful outing possible:

• NJOI – New Jersey Orthopaedic Institute – Dinner Reception Sponsor
• Hackensack Meridian Mountainside Medical Center – Halfway House Sponsor
• Inserra Supermarkets, Schumacher Chevrolet Auto Group – Lunch Sponsors
• Cornerstone Contracting, Goldman Sachs, Lester Taylor III Foundation, PSEG – Cart Sponsors
• Catapult Fundraising, Liberty Coca-Cola Beverages – Putting Green Sponsors
• Chartwells, Follett, Genova Burns, Windels-Marx – Driving Range Sponsors
• New York Life-New Jersey, Rapid Fire Elite, Universal Electric Motor Service – Longest Drive Sponsors
• Hole Sponsors
  • Automated Logic
  • Brooklyn Brewery
  • Cantone Press
  • Crestron
  • Drew & Rogers
  • Falcon Field Hockey Club
  • JAG-One Physical Therapy
  • JLL
  • K&D Contractors
  • Kinly
  • Lakeland Bank
  • Kevin Neary ’86
  • NW Financial Group
  • On-Point Powerwashing & Painting
  • Overlook Corporate Center
  • Pittser Old Boys
  • PKF O’Connor Davies
  • Qlik
  • Revolution Field Hockey
  • South Beach
  • Take Me to the Water Swim School
  • Tripod Canning

Last year’s Red Hawk Open was held virtually, with funds targeted to enhance the Red Hawk Sports Network (RHSN), upgrade the locker room in Panzer Athletic Center and support game operations.

View the photo album!

For more information about how you can support Montclair State Athletics, please contact Kara Baldwin Brennan ’92, Director of Annual Giving, at 973-655-7492 or brennanka@montclair.edu.