Over the last quarter of a century, the most successful athletic program in the City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) system has, without a doubt, been Hunter College. Such sustained success cannot be achieved without a long-term and committed plan ... and the visionary for the Hawks is Terry Wansart, who has served as Director of Athletics, Recreation, and Intramurals since 1988.
Due to her dedicated and progressive leadership, Hunter is the benchmark program in the conference capturing ten CUNY Athletic Conference Commissioner’s Cups since the awards inception in 1997, the most in CUNYAC. Numerous teams have also gone on to achieve regional and national success while 83 Hawks have earned conference Most Valuable Performer awards and 24 student-athletes have won CUNY Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors in her 25 years at the helm. In addition, since 1988 over 50 Hunter College student-athletes have earned All-American recognition.
Just this past year, under her guidance and academic emphasis, Wansart continues in producing an athletic program with a 15% higher graduation rate then the general student population, while also maintaining the average program’s GPA above 3.0. Her academic/athletic blend of ‘intercollegiate athletics,’ fits the NCAA Division III philosophy, as well as Hunter College’s excellent academic tradition. She has always described herself as, “an educator first and foremost and I have high expectations for myself, fellow administrators, coaches and student-athletes. I believe goals cannot be of the average kind in a flagship academic institution and environment. Hunter students inspire me daily and that is what makes Hunter College and NYC a place for overachievers. My mission is to be a better educator, leader and person through the trials and tribulations of each challenge presented. Life challenges, whether on the court, in the classroom/boardroom or in personal life, are opportunities to grow.”
In 2013, Wansart was selected by her fellow Athletic Directors to the prestigious NCAA Division III Management Council, which guides governance in policy, introduces contemporary initiatives and develops the future of athletics in higher education. With this selected post, she serves on the Financial Aid committee, Playing and Practice Seasons and Academic Issues subcommittee’s , respectively. On this national council, she lends her expertise, voice and representation of public “non-athletic scholarship” institution. Wansart, keeps the mission and challenges of urban/public education institutions in the conversation, on the national athletic scene.
Currently Wansart manages the Hunter Sportsplex, a million-dollar athletic facility, which is equipped with competition and practice gymnasiums, wrestling room, fencing/yoga, men’s and women’s locker rooms, swimming pool, athletic training room, state-of-the-art fitness center, and a smart classroom for student-athletes. In addition, she directly manages the athletic budget for all 18 teams and the recreation budget for wellness/health activities for the Hunter community, as well as all the fundraising opportunities and outside rentals. It is a multi-faceted and complex operation with many stakeholders.
In 2011, Wansart led a million dollar facelift to include a high performance ‘wood’ flooring for the competition gymnasium, with electronic bleacher system. Some of the million-dollar capital projects that Wansart has supervised have been the refurbishment of the practice gymnasiums, upgrade of the men’s and women’s locker room, enhanced athletic training facilities, additional recreation venues, improved office spaces and upgrade of the fitness center along with the supervision of the $450,000 renovation of the North building facilities.
In 2009, Wansart established an on-going academic support program for the student athlete population. She hired, carving this position out of existing funds, an athletic academic advisor to lead study skill guidance, career mapping and pathway plans to graduation. She developed T.A.L.O.N. (Taking Advantage of Learning Opportunities Now) as an advising strategy with weekly meetings to those ‘at-risk’ populations to bridge the gap of academic underperformance, with much success.
In Fall 2005, the Hawk Athletic program, known as the “Dynasty in the heart of the City,” reinforced its staple as one of the premier collegiate athletic programs in the NY Metropolitan area. On October 24, 2005, the Hawks became one of only a dozen Division I, II and III programs in the nation to amass a phenomenal 100 conference championships in only 15 years.
As a testament to Wansart’s loyal dedication to Hunter College as a whole, she has successfully navigated and adapted to five diverse Presidential styles and philosophies while continuing to pursue the highest academic and athletic achievement for the Hawk Athletic family.
The Windsor, New York native first came to Hunter in 1982, as Assistant Athletic Director. Over the next 11 years, she coached the women’s volleyball team to school records of 339 wins, four Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) championships, nine CUNYAC titles, and nine bids to the New York State Women’s Collegiate Athletic Association (NYSWCAA) tournament.
In five seasons guiding the softball team, she recorded 53 victories and won a pair of CUNYAC championships. Additionally, her five years of heading the women’s basketball program produced 83 wins, a pair of conference titles, and a trip to the ECAC playoffs.
Wansart has been active on the national scene by serving and attending more than a dozen of NCAA, ECAC, NYSWCAA and NACWAA panels, career development workshops and seminars. She credits her ability to stay contemporary in the athletic field of study on the conventions, workshops and institutes she has been fortunate to attend. In July 2006, she was one of 15 professionals selected from across the country to participate in the prestigious and invitation only NACWAA Institute for Athletics Executives.
Further credits; include being the first person to serve as president of the CUNYAC, NYSWCAA, and Skyline Conference, at the same time. Innovative programs implemented at Hunter include Operation: Enrichment (OpE), a series of workshops that help educate student-athletes and dorm residents about life decisions and the accompanying consequences.
In addition, Wansart efficiently coordinated and directed the NCAA and federally-funded, National Youth Sports (NYSP) at Hunter College, a sports-education based day-camp offered to disadvantaged New York City youth.
Proudly, Wansart is certified by the National Athletic Training Association as an Athletic Trainer as well as being an adjunct professor for over 20 years.
Wansart attended East Stroudsburg University, where she competed on a national level on the women’s volleyball team. She earned Bachelor’s degrees in Health and Physical Education with a minor in Athletic Training from East Stroudsburg in 1982 and went on to add a Master’s degree in Physical Education/ Athletic Administration from Hunter in 1985.
