BRYANT RECOGNIZES HISTORIC YEAR AT ANNUAL AWARDS BANQUET

May 1, 2009

BRYANT RECOGNIZES HISTORIC YEAR AT ANNUAL AWARDS BANQUET

PHOTO GALLERIES:
Bulldog Award Winners/ President's Trophy Presentations/ Award Winners

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - It was an historic year for Bryant University Athletics in 2008-09 and Friday night at the annual Athletics Awards Banquet, the Bulldogs celebrated the program's first year competing in Division I. 

Recently, the awards banquet celebrated conference championships and a string of consecutive Presidents' Cup trophies, and while this year the Bulldogs were not eligible to compete in postseason play due to the transition, there were many achievements to recognize.

In his opening remarks, Athletic Director Bill Smith awarded each athlete with a coin marking their sports' first Division I victory.  Women's soccer was the first team to capture a DI victory with little wait as the Bulldogs defeated Northern Colorado 3-2 in the season opener on August 22.

Not only did every single team record a Division I victory in its first year competing at the highest level, the Bulldogs tallied well over 100 wins and posted a 43-47 overall record against Northeast Conference opponents.  Bryant will become a full member of the NEC in 2012.

University President Ronald K. Machtley awarded Bryant's own President's Cup to the team with the highest winning percentage against Division I competition for each season.  Football, with a 5-4 DI record, was the recipient of the Fall President's Cup.  Women's basketball, at 11-18 (including the best record among the four Division I schools in Rhode Island) captured the winter's cup.  The spring cup will be determined following the conclusion of the NEC men's golf championship.

Among other awards handed out were Scholar-Athlete Awards going to women's soccer goalie Jessica Clark and men's lacrosse senior Alex Pfau.  Both were named the NEC Academic All-Conference team this past season.  Bryant's athletes also excelled in the classroom this year, earning the highest overall combined GPA while this year's freshmen class of student-athletes posted a higher GPA than the student-body average.

Highlighting the evening was the presentation of the Male and Female Athletes of the Year.  Delia Glover, a two-sport standout in volleyball and women's lacrosse, was named Female Athlete of the Year. Glover earned five all-tournament awards this season in volleyball and led the team in service aces and digs. In lacrosse, she led the Bulldogs with 41 goals on the season and team-best 48 points.

Baseball's Pat McKenna and men's lacrosse standout Zack Greer were named Co-Male Athletes of the Year.  Greer led all of Division I in scoring this season with 42 goals and is a First Team All-American.  He finished his career tied as the NCAA Division I all-time points leader with 353. 

McKenna has been a leader on the baseball diamond this year in leading the Bulldogs to 28 wins heading into the final week of the season. McKenna is third on the team with a .325 batting average this year and will likely finish first all-time in school history in games played, triples, walks and assists.

2008-09 Athletics Awards

Athletes of the Year
Pat McKenna (Orange, CT), Baseball  (Co-Athlete of Year)
Zack Greer (Whitby, Ontario), Men's Lacrosse (Co-Athlete of Year)
Delia Glover (Marston Mills, MA), Women's Volleyball and Women's Lacrosse

Dr. William T. O'Hara Award (Leadership)
Steven Branch (Football)
Jessica Clark (Women's Soccer)

Scholar-Athlete Award
Alex Pfau (Men's Lacrosse)
Jessica Clark (Women's Soccer)

RIAIAW
Delia Glover (Marston Mills, MA), Women's Lacrosse / Volleyball

NCAA Woman of the Year
Delia Glover (Marston Mills, MA), Women's Lacrosse/ Volleyball

Omar Shareef Award (Spirit Award selected by student-athletes)
Maureen Atkins (Fenton, MO), Women's Volleyball

12th Man Award
Peter Sullivan (posthumously)

Bulldog Awards
Tom Casey (Cornwall, NY), Men's Cross Country 
Casey Fenwick (Wayland, MA), Women's Cross Country
Alex Engel (Spencer, MA), Men's Track & Field
Justine Douvadjian (Andover, MA), Women's Track & Field
Lauren Alexander (Simsbury, CT), Field Hockey
Bryce Martins (Uncasville, CT), Football
Manny Rodriguez (North Branford, CT), Men's Soccer
Danielle Malta (Bethel, CT), Women's Soccer
Maureen Atkins (Fenton, MO), Women's Volleyball
Peter Lambert, Cumberland, RI), Men's Basketball
Cara Johnson  (Endicott, NY), Women's Basketball
Steve Nguyen (San Jose, CA), Men's Swimming
Jessica Looney (Goffstown, NH), Women's Swimming
Zack Greer (Whitby, Ontario), Men's Lacrosse
Allison Faiola (Billerica, MA), Women's Lacrosse
Stephanie Mirando (North Haven, CT), Softball
Kevin Gardiner (Powder Springs, GA), Men's Tennis
Martha Chapman (Orange, CT), Women's Tennis
Pat McKenna (Orange, CT), Baseball
Jason Thresher (West Suffield, CT), Golf