May 7, 2008

16th Annual All-Sports & Senior Banquet Photo Gallery

2007-08 All-Sports & Senior Awards Banquet Program in PDF Format

FAIRFIELD, CT (May 7, 2007) - The Sacred Heart University Department of Athletics held its 16th Annual All-Sports and Senior Awards Banquet Thursday, May 1st, honoring 135 senior student-athletes and others at the Trumbull Marriott. Jeff Holtz, the voice of the Pioneer Radio Network, served as the evening's Master of Ceremonies as the Department of Athletics recognized the on and off the field accomplishments of the student-athletes from among its 32 athletic programs.

The awards portion of the program was highlighted by the presentation of the ECAC Medal of Merit, the highest award give by the Department of Athletics. Throughout the ECAC region, this medal is presented to the senior male and female athletes, who on and off the playing field combine the best in athletic and academic excellence. This year's recipients were Marsha Locke of the women's track & field team and Drew Shubik of the men's basketball team.

The Athletic Director's Award was given to two individuals and a team this year that has achieved at the national level or has accomplished in an extraordinary way in his or her sport. This year's recipients are seniors Arman Dixon of the men's track & field team, sophomore Krista Bacci (Cresskill, NJ) of the women's fencing team and the women's bowling team under head coach Becky Kregling.

Dixon earned his second trip to the Division I indoor track and field this season, qualifying in the long jump. At the Northeast Conference indoor track and field championships in February, he helped lead the Pioneers to their first ever title, earning the NEC's outstanding indoor performer for the third time. He captured the NEC title in the long jump, 60 meters, and 400 meters and was named the U.S Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Northeast Region Athlete of the Year for the indoor season. During the outdoor season, Dixon guided the Pioneers to another title by claiming Most Valuable Performer and Outstanding Track Performer in winning the long jump, 200 meters and 400 meters.

Bacci served as a team captain of the fencing team this season and qualified for NCAA Fencing Nationals for the first time in the saber after an impressive showing at the NCAA Regionals. With only nine qualifiers earning a trip to the NCAA's, she was seeded fifteenth entering the NCAA Regionals and placed seventh in the field with wins over two All-American and a United States Olympian.

This Pioneer women's bowling team has been among the top programs in the country since the program's inception in the 1990's. They made their third-straight appearance at the NCAA Championships and were the 2008 ECAC Champions as well.

The Dr. Gary Rose ECAC Scholar-Athlete Award is given annually to one male and one female from each ECAC-member institution based on the following criteria: the student athlete must have a cumulative GPA of 3.2 and have reached sophomore athletic and academic status. He or she must be a starter or significant reserve in his or her sport and must compete in at least 50% of the contests in that sport. Other factors including community service, exemplary citizenship and other extracurricular activities are areas that are noted as well. This year's award winners were Alex Parent of the men's ice hockey team and Annie Archer of the women's volleyball program.

The Allyson Rioux Memorial Book Award is given in memory of an outstanding athlete and great Sacred Heart University softball coach who everyone respected and loved. Allyson Rioux died in 1989 after a long battle with cancer. A $500 book scholarship is given to the recipient who represents the characteristics of loyalty, dedication and great love for his or her sport and teammates. This year's awards were given to Ryan Arroyo of the football team and Alexandra Bavasi of the women's volleyball team.

The Alumni Recognition Award is given to a graduating male and a graduating female senior who reflect the high values associated with intercollegiate competition, academic achievement, leadership, university service and athletic prowess. The individuals who receive this award project qualities which indicate potential leadership roles in the alumni association. This year's winners are Alyssa Harris of the women's lacrosse program and Chris Yantz of the men's volleyball team.

The John Croffy Award is presented each year to the graduating senior with the highest academic average. This year's recipients of the John Croffy Award are Nick Kary of the men's ice hockey program and Amanda McLaughlin of the women's cross country and track & field teams. The Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes an alumnus of Sacred Heart University whose dedication and commitment to the overall athletic program has been invaluable since graduating from the University. This year's recipient is Dave Bike, head coach of the Sacred Heart men's basketball team, a graduate of the Class of 1969. He is second longest tenured head basketball coach at one school in Division I currently, just completing his 30th season. He has amassed over 450 wins and led the Pioneers to a Division II championship in 1986 and led Sacred Heart to the Northeast Conference championship game the last 2 years.

The Alvin Clinkscales Pioneer Sports Award recognizes an individual within the university community whose day-to-day commitment and loyalty has played a key role in the advancement of Sacred Heart University. This year's winner was Meghan Conti of the Athletic Training Department. The Chip Kennedy Outstanding Contributions Award recognizes an individual either within or outside the immediate University community, whose contribution and support for athletics have been instrumental to their development at Sacred Heart. This year's winners are Larry Laconte, manager of Vazzy's at the D. Fairchild Wheeler Golf Course and Pat Healy, graduate student and current president of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

The Faculty / Student-Athlete Mentor Appreciation Award is given to the individual who has made a significant positive impact on an individual sport program, with individual student-athletes, the team, the coaching staff and within the community on behalf of the team and the Department of Athletics. This year's recipient is Professor David Cameron of the Physical Therapy department who serves as the faculty mentor for the wrestling program.

The Student-Athlete Advisory Council also handed out it's awards on Thursday night, recognizing Rob Machan as the SAAC Coach of the Year, Drew Shubik of the men's basketball team and Marsha Locke of the women's track & field team as the SAAC Male and Female Athletes of the Year and Jessica Ingrilli as the SAAC Female Rookie of the Year.

The SHU "All-Rookie Team" is comprised of first-year athletes who have demonstrated, despite minimal experience, that he or she has potential to make significant contributions over the course of a four-year career. This year's winners are Kimberly DeLoreto of the women's cross country team, Jennifer Russell of the softball team, Alisa Apo of the women's basketball team, Sarah Pelletier of the women's bowling team, Dale Fink of the football team and Kirill Kasyanov of the men's tennis team. This year's winners of the "Unsung Hero" awards were Randie Quaglia of the women's soccer team and Eugene Pettway of the men's basketball team.

The night also featured the announcement of this year's Scholar-Athlete Society inductees. The Department of Athletics formed the "Scholar-Athlete Society" in 2005 to formally recognize outstanding senior student-athletes who achieve excellence in the classroom during their academic careers at Sacred Heart. The criterion for induction into the Scholar-Athlete Society is that the senior student-athlete must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.5. This year's class included: Drew Shubik (Men's Basketball), Amanda Lulu (Women's Bowling), Sara Novotny (Women's Bowling), Jennifer Howley (Field Hockey), Robert Trantin (Football), Tommy Campbell (Men's Golf), Patricia Heyes (Women's Golf), Nick Kary (Men's Ice Hockey), Alexandre Parent (Men's Ice Hockey), Rachel Mroz (Women's Ice Hockey), Juliana Wynohradnyk (Women's Ice Hockey), John Benyei (Men's Lacrosse), Pat Healy (Men's Lacrosse), Chris Wolpert (Men's Lacrosse), Jillian Crisci (Rowing), Randi Quaglia (Women's Soccer), Melissa Mezzanotte (Softball), Laura Johnson (Women's Swimming), Michael Paradis (Men's Track & Field), Anne Duffy (Women's Track & Field), Brianne Hudak (Women's Track & Field), Melissa Kostan (Women's Track & Field), Amanda McLaughlin (Women's Track & Field), Christine Yakubec (Women's Track & Field), Jessica Schnell (Women's Tennis) and Michael DelViscovo (Wrestling).

The Coca-Cola Community All-Americans program is teams with the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics to recognize community service in collegiate athletics. It recognizes, celebrates and applauds student-athletes who are making a difference in others' lives through community service. This year's winners are Amanda Lulu of the women's bowling team and Nick Kary of the men's ice hockey team.

The Enterprise Rent-A-Car Student-Athlete of the Year Award recognizes the male and female student-athletes who have excelled with distinction and without peer in their chosen sport. They represent the athletic skill, physical prowess, athletic accomplishment, drive, determination, perseverance and intangible traits that define a champion athlete. This year's recipients are Arman Dixon of the men's track & field team and Marsha Locke of the women's track & field team.

The Comeback Student-Athlete award is bestowed upon any male or female student-athlete who has experienced a major injury or series of injuries, endured extensive rehabilitation and shown great dedication in returning to the playing field, is new this year and is one selected by the entire Athletic Training staff. This year's winner of the Comeback Student-Athlete of the Year Award is Alyssa Harris of the women's lacrosse program. The Student Athletic Trainer of the Award is presented each year to the undergraduate student in the athletic training program who exemplifies great dedication and effort to the Pioneer athletic program while working as a student athletic trainer with numerous athletes either on the field or in the athletic training room. This year's recipient of the Student Athletic Trainer of the Year Award is Ericka Ventura.

The Dr. Marian "Bunny" Calabrese Spirit Award is given to the person who has made a significant and lasting impact on Sacred Heart Athletics by promoting and creating a better atmosphere for our student-athletes, coaches and fans. The award is named on behalf of Dr. Marian "Bunny" Calabrese, a former English professor here at Sacred Heart University, who has been an avid supporter of Pioneer Athletics over the past twenty-plus years and continues to be a fixture at many Pioneer games in support of our student-athletes and coaches. The recipient of the Spirit Awards are Gene Sullivan of Public Safety and Gene Titus of Campus Operations.

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