The 2016 Saint Joseph's College Athletics Senior Awards Banquet was held at the Portland Regency on the evening of Monday, May 9th. The academic honors were given at the Saint Joseph's College Academic Awards Ceremony on Friday, April 29th.

At the conclusion of each academic year, the SJC Department of Athletics hosts this event to honor the numerous accomplishments achieved by the graduating class and, following an internal nomination and voting process, bestow awards upon deserving individuals for five distinguished honors: Female Athlete of the Year, Male Athlete of the Year, Father John Tokaz Award, Neile Nelson Award, and Chris Kiernan Award. 

The Student-Athlete of the Year honorees are chosen by a selection committee within the department and the selections are based on both academic and athletic achievement. 

Also, two senior student-athletes - Nate Fox (South Portland, Maine) (M. Soccer) and Brenna Fitzgibbon (Exeter, N.H.) (Field Hockey) - were selected to present senior speeches at the banquet and both delivered memorable and heartfelt presentations.

On the night of the banquet, every senior student-athlete received a commemorative timepiece and senior yearbook as well as several gifts from the SJC Institutional Advancement Department. 

PHOTO GALLERY   l  YEAR-END PHOTO SLIDESHOW

Female Student-Athlete of the Year:

Erica Boulanger, Softball

Boulanger, a Nursing major with an outstanding 3.96 GPA, was a four-year contributor for the Saint Joseph's College softball team and served as a team captain during her senior season. In 2016, the senior hurler set career-highs in appearances (14), games started (12), innings (58.1), and strikeouts and completed her career with a 2.99 ERA and a 16-9 record while fanning 111 batters in 185 innings.

A two-time GNAC All-Academic Team honoree, Boulanger is in line to claim her third academic award from the conference in the coming weeks.

Male Student-Athlete of the Year:

Taylor Reuillard, Baseball

Reuillard, a three-year starter for the Monks' baseball team who has garnered two Capital One Academic All-District® accolades and a pair of GNAC All-Academic honors, carried a 3.94 GPA as an Exercise Science major into his senior year. The three-time All-Conference and 2015 D3Baseball.com, ABCA/Rawlings, NEIBA and ECAC All-New England honoree hit .333 (44-132) with 38 with six doubles, three triples, four home runs, nine stolen bases, and 29 RBI this spring.

Female Athlete of the Year:

Felicia Wachowiak, Volleyball

Wachowiak paced the Monks in kills (415), kills per set (3.61), total attacks (897), attack percentage (.337), block solos (80), block assists (48), total blocks (128), blocks per set (1.11) and points (519) during her senior season. The three-year team captain led all Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) players in kills, kills per set, block solos, total blocks, blocks per set, points and points per set while ranking third in the league in attack percentage and fourth in total attacks.

The senior middle blocker shattered the Monks' career kills record (1,352) and capped her career as the program's all-time leader in sets (440), matches (125), kills per set (3.07), total attacks (3176), attack percentage (.277), block solos (294), block assists (174), total blocks (468) and blocks per set (1.06). Wachowiak also broke the conference record for career blocks midway through the season.

The 2015 GNAC Offensive Player of the Year and three-time First Team All-Conference honoree claimed an astounding 37 individual honors during her collegiate career.

Co-Male Athlete of the Year:          

Jake O'Brien, Men's Lacrosse

O'Brien produced 26 goals and 28 points for 54 total points with six man-up goals and 31 ground balls over 16 games this spring. The senior captain led the team in assists, points, man-up goals, and shots (150) and ranked among the conference leaders in shots (3rd), assists (3), man-up goals (6th), points (7th), and shots on goal (8) and garnered Second Team All-Conference honors in his final collegiate campaign.

O'Brien's senior season numbers rank among the best in SJC men's lacrosse history, as his 2016 assists and shots totals rank third while his point total is tied for fifth all-time.

In 55 career games, O'Brien scored 61 goals with 51 assists for 112 points while tallying 103 ground balls and 26 caused turnovers. He leaves the program ranked third in career assists, fourth in points, and sixth in goals.

Co-Male Athlete of the Year:          

Corey McNamara, Baseball

McNamara, a 2016 Second Team All-Conference honoree, posted a 4-2 record with seven saves and a 2.92 ERA in 20 appearances this season. In 39.1 innings, the senior captain fanned 40 batters while allowing just seven walks and 41 hits with a .268 opponents' batting average. He led the SJC pitching staff in appearances and saves this spring.

For his career, McNamara owns a 12-9 record with 20 saves and a 2.94 ERA over 74 appearances. In 147 innings, he has struck out 130 batters with only 34 walks and 123 hits allowed and a career .224 opponents' batting average. In the Monks' career record books, he ranks second all-time in appearances and WHIP (1.07), third in saves, and seventh in walks per nine innings (2.08) and hits per nine innings (7.53).

During his career, McNamara earned many accolades, including 2014 D3Baseball.com Third Team All-New England, 2014 NEIBA Third Team All-New England, 2014 GNAC Tournament MVP, and 2014 NCAA DIII Player to Watch honors. 

Father John Tokaz Award:     

Presented annually to the individual within the college community who has displayed extraordinary support of and assistance to the athletic department mission and to the Saint Joseph's College student-athletes.

Dan Estey, Pearson's Cafe

Baseball Head Coach Will Sanborn '86: "Dan does an amazing job in leading the Pearson's Cafe staff in day to day operations.  Dan is always so helpful in meeting the needs of our coaches and student-athletes. His helpful can-do attitude makes him a pleasure to work with. He is always positive, gracious, and accommodating no matter what the request. Whether it be a team banquet, keeping the dinner line open a few extra minutes, or filling our bag lunch requests Dan always finds a way to make it work.  Our coaches and student-athletes rely on Dan Estey and the Pearson's staff to meet our nutritional needs on a daily basis."

Chris Kiernan Award:     

Presented annually to the student-athlete who has shown a consistent work ethic to develop as both a student and an athlete; who has displayed a strong commitment toward service of team and community and has proven a "never quit attitude" and the willingness to work through and overcome adversity.

Annie Fougere, Swimming

Swimming Head Coach Margaret Howe: "Similar to Chris Kiernan, Annie is a student-athlete who has a hand in so many working parts of the SJC community. An integral part of the swim team, not only did Annie serve as captain, but she exemplified a tremendous work ethic as she committed herself to each and every practice, dead-set on improving both her signature breaststroke and her sprint freestyle during her last season. She is part of the Student Activities team, juggling student-teaching for a career in Phys Ed, and has continuously refused to let obstacles (even shingles!) throw her off-course while she balances her commitments. Her development as an athlete, student, leader and person has benefited the St. Joe's community and is sure to help facilitate her success beyond it."

Chris Kiernan Award:

Presented annually to the student-athlete who has shown a consistent work ethic to develop as both a student and an athlete; who has displayed a strong commitment toward service of team and community and has proven a "never quit attitude" and the willingness to work through and overcome adversity.

Nic Lops, Baseball

Baseball Head Coach Will Sanborn '86: "As a member of the baseball team Nic Lops has overcome two ACL surgeries in his time at Saint Joseph's to return for the 2016 season. Nic has worked quietly and tirelessly throughout the course of rehabbing these two ACL tears that occurred in two different seasons - one requiring him to miss his senior year.

he returned to the team as a graduate student to fulfill his final season of eligibility. As a captain, Nic played in all 41 games while hitting .376 (.56) with 23 runs, 12 doubles, two home runs, and 40 RBI to help lead the Monks to the top seed in the 2016 GNAC Tournament. All of this while maintaining a 3.61 GPA as an undergrad and serving as a four-year SAAC member."

For his career, Lops earned 20 individual honors, including four All-Conference nods, 2012 GNAC Rookie of the Year and GNAC Tournament MVP accolades, and 2016 Capital One Academic All-District® acclaim.

Neile Nelson Award:

Presented annually to the student-athlete who has set an example by displaying a high level of commitment to his/her team while performing a leadership role within the Saint Joseph's College campus community.

Davis Tucker, Basketball

Men's Basketball Head Coach Rob Sanicola '99: "Davis's work ethic is hands down the best I have been around. It is not easy for an athlete to continue to work hard and put in the hours knowing that playing time would be minimal or non-existent. Davis continued to get stronger and more skilled as the years went on waiting for the opportunity to get his number called. Unfortunately, the only thing that did not grow was his playing time. That all changed at semester break his senior year when we removed a couple guys from the team. Davis's commitment to the process had him ready as he seized the opportunity of new found minutes. He proved to be a valuable reserve/starter as the year moved forward."

"Without Davis's leadership and commitment to the process, our program would not be in a position to be better next year."

"He also overcame a surgery or two during his time here and constant training room rehabs for an ailing wrist that should have been operated on. He maintains a 3.6 GPA and is our strength and conditioning coach in the offseason. He is running 6 am workouts for the returning players."