Feb. 14, 2008

LOUDONVILLE - Junior women's basketball player Heather Stec and senior men's lacrosse player Tim Hannigan were named Leo Dufort Student-Athletes of the Month for January. Stec and Hannigan have excelled in the classroom and in their athletic pursuits.

"Heather and Tim have proven that athletic and academic success can go hand-in-hand," director of athletics John D'Argenio said. "I congratulate them on this prestigious award, and for carrying out the mission of Siena College, and our athletic department, to its fullest."

Stec, from Cazenovia, N.Y. (Cazenovia), had a fall GPA of 3.93 and owns a cumulative GPA of 3.36. Stec majors in biology and is a forward on the women's basketball team. Since coming back from a foot injury at the beginning of the season, she has started all 13 games and leads the team with 8.6 rebounds per game. Stec also spends time as a Saints Supporting Saints Tutor, assisting other student-athletes with their academics.

Hannigan, a local product from Glenmont, N.Y. (Bethlehem), earned a fall semester G.P.A. of 3.94 and has a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.75. Hannigan majors in American Studies and plays defense for the men's lacrosse team. He is a team captain and senior class president. He also gives his time as a Saints Supporting Saints Tutor.

The Leo Dufort Student-Athlete of the Month Award is presented nine times annually (September-May) throughout the academic year. The award recognizes exemplary achievements in both academics and athletics. The late Leo Dufort received a B.S. in marketing and management from Siena in August of 1977. His entire academic career was completed on a part-time basis beginning in the spring of 1961, as a married adult while at the same time raising five children. He passed away suddenly of a heart attack while cross country skiing in February of 1993. His wife Jeanine wanted to do something to immortalize his memory. The original plaque was donated to athletics and the department began the Leo Dufort Student-Athlete of the Month Award to help carry out his legacy. Dufort graduated from Catholic Central High School in 1954, was a Navy Veteran (USS Bennington) who worked for JL Hammett Co. at the time of his death.