STANDISH, Maine - The 2019 Saint Joseph's College Athletics Senior Awards Banquet was held at the Stone Barn on the SJC campus on the evening of Monday, May 6th.
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 academic honors were given at the Saint Joseph's College Academic Awards Ceremony on Friday, April 26th. On that evening, the men's cross country and women's basketball teams were honored with the Team Grade Point Average Awards after posting 3.54 and 3.63 GPA's, respectively, during the 2018 calendar year.
The Student-Athlete of the Year honorees - Sarah Curtin (cross country/track & field) and Darian Berry (basketball) - 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 – Skye Murray (Soccer) and James Stevens (Soccer) - were selected to present senior speeches at the banquet and both delivered memorable and heartfelt presentations.
On the night of the banquet, all senior student-athletes in attendance received a commemorative timepiece and senior yearbook.
The event was capped with a screening of the year-end slideshow video created by David Bates.
| PHOTO GALLERY | SLIDESHOW/VIDEO |
AWARD RECIPIENTS |
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Co-Female Student-Athlete & Athlete of the Year: Kelsi McNamara, Basketball McNamara garnered D3Hoops.com Second Team All-America, WBCA All-America Honorable Mention, GNAC Player of the Year, NEWBA Player of the Year, MWBCA Player of the Year, First Team All-Conference, D3Hoops.com First Team All-Northeast, NEWBA First Team All-Region, and Google Cloud Third Team Academic All-America® honors after averaging 21.2 points, 6.7 assists, and 3.6 rebounds per game while shooting 43.9% (207-472) from the field, 37.5% (93-248) from three-point range, and 88.4% (129-146) from the free-throw line during her senior season. |
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Co-Female Student-Athlete & Athlete of the Year: Haley DaGraca, Soccer |
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Male Athlete of the Year: Dalton Gaumer, Soccer Garnered United Soccer Coaches All-American Third Team, First Team All-GNAC and GNAC Defensive Player of the Year for the second-consecutive season and named to the All-New England First Team as well as the NEISL Senior All-Star Team. Gaumer is the first Saint Joseph's athlete to earn All-America honors in consecutive seasons since the College became a full-time NCAA DIII member in 2002. With Gaumer on the field, the Monks posted a 66-10-9 (.777) overall record, including a 33-3-2 (.868) mark in conference play, with three GNAC Championships and 62 shutouts. Head coach Will Pike: "One of the most skilled players to ever wear a Saint Joseph's College Jersey. He is also a fantastic leader on and off the field, a true captain." |
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Father John Tokaz Award: Angie Moorman, Liz Wiesen, and David Lischer, Counseling Center Named for a great man who was the College Chaplain for nine years and was an ardent supporter of athletics during his time at Saint Joseph's, this honor is presented annually to the individual within the college community who has displayed extraordinary support of and assistance to the athletic department mission and to our student-athletes. Head baseball coach Will Sanborn: "These individuals give high-level care and support to our student-athletes within the walls of the Counseling Center. They provide campus wide leadership in making Saint Joseph's a safe and accepting campus. Their popular "No Hate" campaigns have helped make Saint Joseph's a better place. They have worked with SAAC President Megan Baker to create Mental Health Awareness games on our campus. They have started mental health screenings of all of our student-athletes. They have even 'fired up the crowd' at basketball games with free pizzas for our student fans. Most importantly they are always there to provide support to anyone who needs it in our community." |
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Chris Kiernan Award: Alex Guiterrez, Track & Field The Chris Kiernan Award is named after the college's first Director of Athletics and men's basketball coach who later also served as the Dean of Students and the Director of Admissions and Financial Aid. This award is presented 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. Two-year team captain who is involved in numerous organizations on campus (Student Government, Admissions Office, Campus Life, Sports Management Club President). Has steadily improved as a thrower and is poised to break the Monks' outdoor shot put record this spring. Has made a huge impact in the Sports Information Office as a three-year intern and four-year event staff member. He knows the setup and breakdown of all our facilities as well as anyone on staff. His hard work has helped him obtain a Graduate Assistant position at Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee. |
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Neile Nelson Award: Megan Baker, Field Hockey 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. Neile was a standout two-sport athlete (soccer, basketball) at Saint Joseph's and garnered 1994 NCAA Maine Woman of the Year and Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors, All-America Scholar-Athlete accolades in 1993 and 1994, All-Northeast acclaim in 1992, 1993 and 1994 and All-Conference mention in each of her four years on the soccer field. Enjoyed a great career as the Monks' four-year starting goalkeeper and led SJC to two GNAC Championships (2016, 2018). A strong leader and team captain. Initiated a successful "Mental Health Awareness" campaign with a series of dedicated games and events. SAAC President, very active in every facet of the organization. Excellent student-worker in the office and at games as an event staff member. Athletic Trainer Tiffany Miller-Gagnon: "I have watched her grown exponentially in her leadership skills both on the field and off the field. Her communication skills make working with her easy. She has shown me that hard work pays off and respecting those around you, in the end is what really matters. She will leave us in August to become a graduate assistant for field |
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2019 SJC ATHLETICS SENIOR CLASS RECAP:
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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 474-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.
