Endicott Honors 2012-13 Student-Athletes At Annual Ceremony

BEVERLY, Mass.-  As tradition has it, Endicott College honored all student-athletes on Monday night in an end of the year ceremony that recognized greatness in the on the field, in the community and, most importantly, in the classroom.  The evening exemplified Endicott’s constant drive for greatness in all aspects of a college community.  From the countless hours of community service performed in the North Shore area to the team and individual academic awards, the student-athletes showed they are much more than those two words can ever encapsulate. 

Following a video montage that was put together by football assistant coach Jason Scott (Click HERE to view) the night got underway with a welcome from Director of Athletics, Brian Wylie.  Wylie spoke to the pride that Endicott student athletes bring to the school not only through their performances but also in their character and leadership.  Brian Wylie was followed by the president of Endicott College, Dr. Richard E. Wylie.  Dr. Wylie brought a strong message to the podium that challenged the students to never settle for what they currently have achieved and to keep striving for more.  To challenge themselves on the field, in the classroom and as individuals in a world that is all too often told to accept life for what it is. 

Dr. Wylie was followed by the presentation of the Coaches’ Awards that are presented to one individual from each program.  The list of winners were as follows; Julie Manning, Women’s Basketball; John Henault, Men’s Basketball; Emily O’Halloran, Field Hockey; Caitlin Peters, Women’s Soccer; Emilie Cloutier, Women’s Tennis; Kevin Gnecco, Men’s Soccer; Kim Shepherd, Women’s Cross Country; Alex Walecka, Men’s Cross Country; Ashley Norley, Women’s Volleyball; Carter Roche, Men’s Volleyball; Jimmy Nguyen, Football; Alli Faria, Cheerleading; Ian Teal, Golf; Lauren Duddy, Dance Team; Jake Lipp, Men’s Rugby; Brittany Mahoney, Women’s Rugby; Andrea Ford, Crew; Alden Hopkins, Sailing; Addison Weeks, Women’s Ice Hockey; Byrne Katz, Softball; Mike Griffin, Baseball; Kyle Burke, Men’s Lacrosse; Siri Mason, Women’s Lacrosse; Jake Cohen, Men’s Tennis; Adam Rayho, Men’s Ice Hockey; and Erin Sullivan, Equestrian. 

Once the Coaches’ Awards were given out, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) president and vice-president Byrne Katz and Taylor Teixeira presented the annual SAAC awards.  Following this, Dr. Kevin Rooney took the podium to present the annual Athletic Training Award which is presented to one Athletic Training student that exemplifies the knowledge, dedication and passion that is involved with being a professional athletic trainer.  This year the award went to Seth Shackford.

Brian Wylie again returned to the podium to hand out the David H. Cammett Award.  This award honors a member of the Endicott community who presents a commitment to athletics and belief in the student-athlete.  This year, amongst rousing applause, the award was given to Dr. Sergio Inestrosa, the 2012-13 Faculty Athletics Representative.  Dr. Inestrosa provides unwavering support for student-athletes and serves both the faculty and athletic department well when bridging any gaps that arise.  Dr. Inestrosa can frequently be found on the sidelines of all sporting events rooting for the team and individual athletes.

Mark Veilleux, the head coach of softball and the community service liaison then took to the stage to present the Student-Athlete Community Service Award.  The award is given annually to one female and one male student-athlete that are leaders in the community by donating their time, organizing fundraisers and organizing students to assist others.  This year’s award recipients were Byrne Katz (softball) and Casey McDonnell (football).  Following this award, Mark Kulakowski presented the Outstanding Club-Athlete Award.  Brian Sussingham (rugby) and Alli Faria (cheerleading) were honored with the awards as Sussingham helped lead rugby to a 3-0 record in their inaugural season and Faria lead the cheerleading squad to the team’s best finish in history at the NCA Championships in Daytona Beach, Fla.

The evening continued with presentations of the Student-Athlete of the Year Award and the Athlete of the Year Award.  The Student-Athlete of the Year Award went to Holly Davis and Lance Greene.  Davis, a two sport senior that plays lacrosse and runs cross country, is a Liberal Studies major with a concentration in Education.  A member of the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Academic Honor Roll in 2012, Davis has achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.82 while also working as a peer tutor.  The senior is a member of the Mortar Board Honor Society as well as the Kappa Delta Phi Education Honor Society. 

Greene, also a senior, concludes his illustrious career in the classroom and on the hard court as one of Endicott’s most decorated student-athletes.  Greene carries a 3.38 cumulative GPA as a Sport Management major and was named as the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year while also receiving multiple academic awards and scholarships.  Greene has also volunteered with the Pingree School Special Olympics and US Veterans Clothing Drive as well as many others.

The Athlete of the Year Award went to three athletes as Caitlin Peters received the Female award and Sam Ozycz, as well as Tyler Hitchcock, were named as Co-Male recipients.  Peters, easily the most decorated women’s soccer player in Endicott history, received the honors after being named as the CCC Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season.  The senior also was named as the ECAC Defensive Player of the Year, New England Women’s Intercollegiate Soccer Association (NEWISA) All-New England team, CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) First Team All-Region.  Peters was also the top vote-getter to the NEWISA Senior Bowl and the NEWISA All-New England team. 

Co-Male Athlete of the Year Tyler Hitchcock has posted an 8-1 record on the mound this spring while recording an ERA of just 1.65.  He has thrown five complete games including a two-hit shutout against reigning CCC Champions Western New England.  Hitchcock has walked just 13 batters while striking out 36.  The senior lead the CCC in victories with eight overall victories and five wins in conference play and earned the victory against Salve Regina in Endicott’s elimination game by tossing seven shutout innings with five strikeouts. 

Fellow Co-Male Athlete of the Year Sam Ozycz has capped his Endicott career at the top of his game as he leads NCAA Division III Lacrosse in ground balls per game with 13.84 after he collected 263 on the season.  Ozycz, a graduate student, has won 354 of the 465 (.761) face-offs he has taken which is good for second in the country and he has accumulated almost twice as many ground balls as the next closest person in Endicott history.  He was named CCC Defensive Player of the Year as well as Senior Scholar-Athlete and was selected as the CCC Defensive Player of the Week three times while receiving ECAC honors twice.

Graduate student Colin Sitarz, who became Endicott’s first baseball player to be named CoSIDA Capital One First Team All-District, concluded the evening with his closing remarks.  The CCC Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year urged all student-athletes to cherish the time spent with teammates, not just the big games, although that might be tough for this year’s baseball squad who has faced challenges along the way to qualifying for the NCAA regional.  Sitarz spoke to the character of his team in how they were able to overcome adversity and summed it up in one perfectly timed quote, “As Drake said, ‘We started from the bottom now we’re here.’” 

2013 has proven to be yet another banner year for the Gulls as six programs won their conference championships while an additional two teams took home ECAC championships.  More importantly, three athletes received conference senior scholar-athlete of the year awards, four teams won academic awards, and six individuals received academic All-American honors.  Endicott’s winning ways on the grounds of competition and in the classroom show why Endicott truly separates itself from the competition year in and year out.