Tag Archive for: Kyrsten Van Natta

Cierra Dillard Chooses IPZ

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BUFFALO, N.Y. + WARREN, N.J., April 9, 2019 – Cierra Dillard, Dawn Staley Award Finalist and AP All-American Honorable Mention, has signed with IPZ, the company announced today.

Standing at five-foot-nine, the Rochester, New York native has made a considerable impact for the University of Buffalo Bulls the past two seasons leading them to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments.

Going into Dillard’s senior year, the guard landed on numerous watch lists: the Wade Trophy (for the best player in women’s basketball), the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award (for the nation’s top shooting guard), the Citizen Naismith Trophy Watch, and the Dawn Staley Award (for the country’s top guard), for which she is one of four finalists.

Dillard did not disappoint. She was the nation’s second leading scorer this past season as she averaged 25.2 points per game, a team-high 5.7 assists per game, 4.9 rebounds per game, and 2.9 steals per game. The Bulls won the 2019 MAC Tournament and Dillard was named MAC Tournament MVP. Dillard closed out her collegiate career in the second round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament against the UCONN Huskies scoring 29 points, dishing seven assists, securing seven rebounds, and capturing three steals. Dillard earned AP All-American Honorable Mention honors and was named First Team All-MAC.

In Dillard’s junior year, she led the Bulls to their first ever Sweet 16 appearance. Ultimately, Buffalo fell to the defending National Champion South Carolina Gamecocks, but Dillard had a strong performance netting 29 points, six steals, six assists, and three rebounds. Dillard posted a 2017-18 stat line of 16.2 points/game, 5.2 assists/game, 4.1 rebounds/game, and 3.0 steals/game. She was named Second Team All-MAC and earned MAC All-Tournament Team honors.

Prior to becoming a Buffalo Bull, Dillard played for the University of Massachusetts Minutewomen. In her sophomore year, Dillard averaged 15.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 2.0 steals in 30.3 minutes per game. As a freshman, she posted 10.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per contest.

Dillard amassed 2,205 career points across her stops with Massachusetts and the Bulls. Dillard finished her Buffalo career with a scoring average of 20.6 points per game over two seasons, a new program record, and currently ranks in the top five on the UB career records list in points (5th – 1,422), free throws made (3rd – 362), free throw percentage (3rd – 80.8%), three point field goals made (4th – 190) and three point field goals attempted (4th – 554).

“I’m excited to start my new journey of playing professional basketball,” said Dillard. “I’m thrilled about how great my amateur years were and I know if I work hard and stay dedicated, I will continue to reap God’s blessings in my professional career as well. I am also happy to be represented by IPZ, as they believe in my dreams both on and off the court. They understand my vision for my career and I’m confident they will do a great job helping and advising me every step of the way. They are passionate about helping their clients in their respective professional fields and want them to be the best they can be; I’m grateful and blessed to work together.”

“Cierra is one of the purest scorers I’ve ever seen,” said Kyrsten Van Natta, IPZ’s WNBA Agent. “Watching her play is like watching poetry in motion. She knows how to get herself open from anywhere on the court and her passes are something else…they’ve been on ESPN SportsCenter’s Top 10 multiple times. She is simply fun to watch. It’s been a pleasure getting to know Cierra as a person off the court, too, and I look forward to working with her as she embarks on her professional career.”

About IPZ: IPZ represents clients in sports, media, and entertainment, providing management, contract negotiations, consulting, public relations and marketing communications support. The company, an alliance with Zito Partners, is built on the integrity of its professionals, maintains a family focus, and provides whole life solutions for its clients. For more information, visit www.ipzusa.com.

Lexie Brown Joins the IPZ Family

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WNBA First Round Draft Pick Signs with IPZ

WARREN, NJ, July 25, 2018 – Lexie Brown, 2018 WNBA First Round Draft pick, has signed with IPZ, the company announced today.

Brown is a 5-foot-9 point guard who was a McDonald’s and WBCA All-American coming out of high school. She began her collegiate career at the University of Maryland and led the Terrapins to the NCAA Final Four as a freshman in the 2013-14 season and again as a sophomore the following season. In the 2014-15 season, Brown was named to the Associated Press (AP) All-America Third Team.

The point guard decided to transfer to Duke, competed as a Blue Devil in the 2016-17 season, and was named a co-captain. Her 18.3 points per game is the highest for a first-year player in the school’s history. Brown ranked third in the nation in free throw shooting, converting 92.8% of her attempts, and went on a streak of hitting 56 consecutive free throws (most in Duke and ACC history). In addition to being named to the AP All-America Third Team for the second time in her college career (the only player in NCAA history to accomplish this at two different schools), she was also a CoSIDA All-American and the winner of the Kay Yow Award as the ACC women’s basketball scholar-athlete of the year.

As a senior, Brown remained a co-captain and captured additional accolades: AP and espnW All-American, ACC Defensive Player of the Year, All-ACC First Team, Senior CLASS Award finalist, Kay Yow Award winner, preseason ACC Player of the Year, and numerous more. Brown averaged 19.4 ppg and 3.7 spg (led ACC). She was also the only active NCAA player to notch 2,000 points, 500 assists, 250 three-pointers, and 300 steals.

Following her storied college career, Brown participated in the 2018 State Farm College 3-Point Competition. A few weeks later, on April 12, the three-time All-American was selected with the ninth overall pick in the WNBA Draft by the Connecticut Sun.

Brown has appeared in 16 games for the Sun so far this season and will be playing overseas for CMB Cargo Gyor, a Hungarian EuroCup team, shortly after the conclusion of the WNBA season.

“I’m very excited to work with IPZ,” said Brown. “They are everything and more that I wanted in representation. They appreciate what I bring to the table on and off the court and understand the bigger picture. I am looking forward to bringing all my ideas and endeavors to life.”

“Lexie is truly one of a kind,” said IPZ’s WNBA Agent Kyrsten Van Natta. “Not only is she an outstanding basketball player, but she excels in many areas off the court as well. She earned her MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke – one of the best business schools in the country – and was a standout on the court for the Blue Devils simultaneously. There’s no question in my mind that Lexie will have an amazing career in and after basketball. We, at IPZ, are thrilled to be with her on her journey.”

JAMIE CHERRY JOINS THE IPZ FAMILY

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UNC Tarheel Signs on as IPZ Athlete

WARREN, NJ, March 23, 2018 – Jamie Cherry, a top-scorer for the University of North Carolina Tarheels for the past three seasons, has signed with IPZ, the company announced today.

Cherry is a Cove City, North Carolina, native who ranks second in the state’s history with 3,210 career points in high school, just 15 shy of the record. After being nominated as a McDonald’s All-American in 2014, Cherry began her collegiate career at Chapel Hill.

The 5-foot-8 point guard became a mainstay in the Tarheels’ starting lineup as a sophomore and averaged 13.6 points, 3.8 assists, and 2.7 rebounds per game. She also shot 81.3 percent from the free throw line.

In the 2016-17 season, Cherry eclipsed the 1,000 point mark for UNC and posted a stat line of 14.9 ppg, 3.4 apg, 3.3 rpg, and connected on 37.7 percent of her attempts from beyond the arc.

In her senior year, Cherry recorded her best overall game as a Tarheel against rival Duke on January 21, 2018, when she posted a double-double comprised of 22 points, 13 assists, and 4 steals. As a senior, Cherry increased her per game averages across the board: 15.4 points, 4.5 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.9 steals. She also shot 82.9 percent from the stripe and ultimately finished with a career free throw percentage of 80.9 percent, which is second best in school history.

“I chose IPZ because of the family-like atmosphere,” said Cherry. “I feel that IPZ will give me personalized attention and help me reach my full-potential as a professional basketball player.”

“First and foremost, Jamie is a class-act,” said Kyrsten Van Natta, IPZ’s WNBA Agent. “Over the past four years, Jamie has given every morsel of herself to the Tarheels. There’s no question in my mind that she will do the same for every team she is a part of. She’s improved year after year. I look forward to watching her continue to grow on-and-off the court.”

About IPZ: IPZ represents clients in sports, media, and entertainment, providing management, contract negotiations, consulting, public relations and marketing communications support. The company, an alliance with Zito Partners, is built on the integrity of its professionals, maintains a family focus, and provides whole life solutions for its clients. For more information, visit www.ipzusa.com.

About Zito Partners: Zito Partners builds, energizes and defends brands. A boutique firm representing a select group of clients from a range of industries, Zito Partners believes in a “ready, aim, fire” approach – understand the client…develop the appropriate strategy against the key target constituencies…and execute against the plan. And through its strategic alliance with Ketchum, Ketchum Zito Financial, Zito Partners is assisting additional clients with their financial communications needs. For more information, visit www.zitopartners.com.

All-Stars Across Industries and IPZ Team Members Honor FDNY

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FDNY Foundation Hosts Annual FDNY All-Star Event

Legends from the worlds of sports, television, radio and the arts came together with longtime friends of the FDNY and business leaders to support the Department and mark the 16th anniversary of September 11th at the annual FDNY All-Star event on Thurs., Sept. 14.

“None of us can ever forget that terrible morning and the unimaginable losses we suffered,” said Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro. “We will never forget the bravery displayed or the tremendous sacrifice made by so many so that others could live. And though the pain of that day will always remain with us, I also vividly remember the times that followed – the outpouring of support from so many across the city and around the world. Countless times, so many of you honored our members, showed your appreciation for their work, visited with our families and gave us moments to celebrate and cheer once again. Those positive memories are part of what makes this event so special.”

“Thank you to all of our celebrity friends for being with us today, for taking time out of your busy schedules and continuing to be such amazing friends and supporters to the FDNY,” said FDNY Chief of Department James Leonard. “The teams in our city and the many sports leagues have all shown support to the FDNY over the years. You have supported us in the days after September 11th, and you are still here today. We are all huge fans and appreciate you remembering the members of the FDNY now and in the past through your actions.”

The event was hosted by Sports Radio host and good friend to the FDNY, Mike Francesca, at the New York City Fire Museum in Manhattan. A luncheon with Francesa was followed by a broadcast of WFAN’s “Mike’s On” radio show from the Fire Museum.

Darryl Strawberry, John Starks, John Franco, Bobby Burke, Calen Carr, Jeff Curtin, Keith Elias, Jim Fassel, Nelson Figueroa, Kym Hampton, Famke Janssen, Sukanya Krishnan, Jim Leyritz, Deirdre Lovejoy, Madeleine Martin, John Plunkett, Chris Snee, Charles Way, Chris Weidman and Brian Williams were among the celebrities who turned out to honor the anniversary and the members of the FDNY, as well as to support the FDNY Foundation.

The All-Star event is one of the highlights of the year for the FDNY Foundation and serves as one of its biggest fundraisers. Support from the Foundation allows the Department to fund awareness and outreach programs, fire and life safety education across the city, as well as FDNY member training and new technology and equipment.

“This incredible event brings us together to mark a somber anniversary, but also to celebrate the bravery of the men and women of the FDNY and the support the Department has received from so many in our community,” said FDNY Foundation Vice Chairman Robert Zito. “Our partners and supporters work tirelessly to make sure we have the funds we need to help its members keep New Yorkers safe.”

“We’re here to reminisce about great moments, create new ones and work together to support this great Department that we all love,” said Commissioner Nigro. “By supporting the FDNY Foundation, each of you is truly supporting the Firefighters, Paramedics and EMTs of the FDNY who go into harm’s way day after day to keep this city safe.”

To support the life-saving work of the FDNY, please consider offering your support today. Click here to make a donation.

View the original online: http://www.fdnyfoundation.org/fdny-foundation-hosts-annual-fdny-all-star-event/

IPZ Team Gets Together To Celebrate Students

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Members of the IPZ leadership team and board of advisors attended the annual Cento Amici scholarship dinner.

Cento Amici (100 Friends) is a community-based, member organization dedicated to providing need-based scholarship assistance to qualified students in New Jersey. Its mission is to enhance the educational opportunities for those who need it most and who are most under-served by existing need-based programs.

Read more about Cento Amici here: https://centoamici.org/