STANDISH, ME – The 2011 Saint Joseph's College softball team awards have been announced.

Freshman shortstop Lindsay Moore (Barrington, N.H.) has been chosen as the Monks' Most Valuable Player, senior first baseman Alyssa Dunn (Standish, Maine) and junior center fielder Emily Leverone (Hampton, N.H.) share the 2011 Gold Glove honor and freshman second baseman Connie Grovo (Limington, Maine) takes the 2011 All-Out Award.

Sophomore pitcher Kayla Vannah (Waldoboro, Maine) has received the Most Improved Player honor, junior pitcher Maddie Kluna (Standish, Maine) has earned the coveted Dani Waterman Award, and junior infielder Cynthia Wescott (Westbrook, Maine) has collected the 2011 Coaches' Award.

Moore made a seamless transition to collegiate softball and started 46 of the Monks' 47 games at shortstop as a rookie. She ranked second on the team with a .397 (54-136) batting average and also produced 35 runs, eight doubles, five homers and 34 RBI in 2011, but these outstanding numbers alone do not amount to Moore earning the team's MVP honor on a roster filled with talented players. Although strong offensively, it was Moore's defense, at arguably the game's most demanding position, that made her a complete player as a rookie and stand out as an obvious choice as the Monks' most important player. Moore, who has great range and a strong arm, made just seven miscues in 207 chances – including 110 assists, the most since Courtney Sirois '03 recorded 133 in 2002 - for a stellar .966 fielding percentage last spring. For her efforts, Moore garnered First Team All-GNAC honors and was listed on the conference weekly honor roll twice in 2011.

Rather than choosing between two defensive standouts - neither made an error and both started all 47 games – the SJC coaching staff went with a co-honor for the 2011 Gold Glove Award.

Dunn was perfect at first base with 313 putouts – the most since Sarah Ouellette '03 notched 393 in 2002 – and 13 assists as a senior. Also a fine hitter, Dunn batted .384 (58-151) with 28 runs, 11 doubles, six home runs and 34 RBI and collected Second Team All-GNAC and NCAA Regional All-Tournament honors for her efforts.

In her four-year career Dunn, the 2011 GNAC Woman of the Year, ranks second all-time in games played (164) and hits (191), third in at bats (500) and home runs (13), fourth in doubles (44) and RBI (123), and fifth in slugging percentage (.556).

Leverone, one of the most feared hitters in the conference, enjoyed a tremendous season as the Monks' everyday center fielder. A third baseman as a freshman and a left fielder last spring, Leverone displayed natural instincts in center and recorded 61 putouts and three assists in 2011. She also paced the Royal Blue in batting (.444, 67-151), doubles (19), home runs (11), RBI (59), slugging (.828) and OBP (.482) as a junior.

On pace to own virtually every career record at Saint Joseph's, Leverone heads into her final collegiate season as the Monks' all-time leader in hits (200), home runs (27), RBI (169) and slugging percentage (.842) and ranks second in doubles (50), batting average (.480) and OBP (.520). A three-time First Team All-GNAC honoree, Leverone also earned NCAA Regional All-Tournament honors for her play in the Monks' four NCAA tourney tilts last season.

Grovo seems to be a natural choice as the team's "All-Out" Award recipient. Willing to do whatever it takes to win, the first-year second baseman hit .364 (56-154) with 11 doubles, three jacks and 32 RBI and led the team with 15 sacrifice bunts while starting all 47 tilts last spring. Also a gritty defender, Grovo recorded a .942 fielding percentage with nine errors in 156 chances and made several crucial plays in the Monks' first NCAA Tournament appearance in May. She earned Third Team All-GNAC and NCAA Regional All-Tournament honors for her efforts.

Vannah proved to be somewhat of an "unsung hero" last spring as the sophomore hurler posted a 1.73 ERA with a 4-1 record and 14 K's in 36.1 innings in 2011. Vannah cut over two runs offer her freshman ERA and showed potential of things to come when she allowed one run off five hits in a complete-game victory over University of New England on April 19th.

Kluna further solidified her place atop the Monks' starting rotation last spring when she went 14-5 with a 2.07 ERA and 124 strikeouts – against just 23 walks – in 125 innings. She paced the Royal Blue in victories, innings, strikeouts, complete games (14), saves (4) and opponent's batting average (.244) as a junior and garnered Second Team All-GNAC and GNAC All-Tournament MVP honors for her efforts.

Kluna also received the Dani Waterman Award, given annually to the Monks' best pitcher, last season. Inducted into the SJC Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000, Waterman remains as the team's only All-America selection and currently ranks second all-time in wins (52), games (69) and strikeouts (363) and third in innings (412.2).

Wescott collects the 2011 Coaches' Award after hitting .234 (11-47) with seven runs, two doubles and eight RBI as a junior infielder. Happy to fill in whatever role she's asked and always positive and supportive of her teammates, Wescott started 20 games and appeared in 27 overall last spring.

Saint Joseph's went 37-10 overall and 21-3 in GNAC play en route to capturing the GNAC Championship last spring. Under the guidance of 14th-year Head Coach Jamie Smyth '92, the Monks advanced to the NCAA DIII Softball Tournament where the Royal Blue defeated #3 Endicott College and #2 Coast Guard Academy in the Providence Regional.