BRISTOL, R.I. – On Monday, May 6, the Roger Williams University Department celebrated the accomplishments of its student-athletes at the Annual Athletic Awards Banquet.
Mike Gallagher, Associate Director of Athletics for Recreational Services and Facilities, took the microphone and was the Master of Ceremonies for the night.
Dr. John King, Roger Williams University Vice President for Student Life, gave the opening remarks before Rev. Nancy Soukup, University Chaplain, gave the invocation for dinner. Also addressing the future alumni was Meghan Hansen, Director of Alumni Relations and Volunteer Engagement.
The first recognition of the night was the James R. Russo Award, given to the female and male senior student-athletes with the highest cumulative grade point average.
Kaia Lindberg of the Equestrian team and
Austin Coene of the Men's Basketball team both received the award with respective cumulative GPAs of 3.98 and 3.91.
Senior
Jennifer Agell of the Sailing team was honored as the Rhode Island Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women Distinguished Student-Athlete of Roger Williams University.
The Scott F. Viera Director of Athletics Award was presented by
Kiki Jacobs, Director of Athletics, Intramurals and Recreation. The award is given to a senior student-athlete who has made tremendous contributions to Roger Williams Athletics despite experiencing hardship. Baseball senior student assistant coach Chris Bartorelli was presented the award for 2018-19 year.
Athletic Trainer
Kristina Keddie was honored by RWU Student Athlete Advisory Committee President Sam Lugo and Vice President
Maddie Neri with the Captains' Award, which is given to an athletic staff member who went above and beyond in helping to improve the overall experience of the Roger Williams student-athlete.
The Fall sports were recapped and female senior speaker
Sarah Micucci of the Women's Swimming & Diving team spoke of her experience at RWU and what her fellow athletes can do to be successful going forward.
Andrew Gillie '18, formerly of the Men's Swimming & Diving team, Female and Male Sharon Castelli Awards to sophomore
Sydney Provencal of the Softball team and senior
Chris Bosco of the Baseball team. The Castelli Award honors athletes who best exemplify the qualities of dedication, leadership, and sportsmanship.
The Winter sports were recognized and male senior speaker Sam Lugo of the Men's Track & Field spoke about his experiences at Roger Williams and what he learned as a member of the team.
The Female Rookie of the Year Award was presented by 2017 recipient,
Sarah Mawdsley of the Women's Cross Country and Women's Track & Field teams. Receiving the award was
Madi Drain of the Women's Lacrosse team. She was named to the All-CCC First Team and is ranked fifth in the CCC with 35 caused turnovers and 50 ground balls. She was honored as CCC Rookie of the Week on April 1 and helped the team reach the CCC Championship Game for the sixth straight season.
The Male Rookie of the Year Award was presented by 2018 recipient,
Hunter Wronski of the Men's Swimming & Diving team. Earning the award was Baseball freshman pitcher
Kyle Schaefer. He earned his first collegiate win against Case Western Reserve in his first-ever collegiate start. He threw a 9-inning complete game shutout against Wesleyan, earning him CCC Rookie of the Week and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division III Rookie of the Week honors. In addition, his pitching has helped the team reach the CCC Championship Series.
The Spring sports were recognized for their seasons which was followed by the presentation of the Ray Cordeiro Award by the namesake of the award, Ray Cordeiro, former Associate Director of Athletics. The award honors a senior student-athlete whose impact isn't always seen in box scores or stats but demonstrates perseverance, commitment, and leadership. Earning the honor was
Ben Stone, four-year member of the Men's Basketball team.
Presenting the Female and Male Athlete of the Year Award was Dr. John King, Vice President For Student Life. Senior
Savannah Fox Tree-McGrath of the Women's Track & Field team was named Female Athlete of the Year. Fox Tree-McGrath is currently ranked top 30 in the NCAA, top ten in New England, and top two in the CCC in the Javelin and High Jump. She is a four-time New England qualifier and three-time All-New England athlete. At the CC Championship, she medaled in both the Javelin and High Jump, taking home the gold in the Javelin and earning the silver in the High Jump. In addition, she is the school-record holder in the Shot Put, Javelin Throw, and High Jump.
For the second straight year, senior
Austin Coene of Men's Basketball team was honored as Male Athlete of the Year. Coene was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team for the second straight year. He broke the school record for career points and set single-season school records for points, field goals made, and free throws made. He was named CCC Player of the Year, CCC Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year, d3hoops.com and NABC Northeast Region Second Team, and selected to the 2019 Division III College All-Star Game. In addition, he was sixth among all NCAA Division III players, averaging 26.0 points per game.
To re-watch the 2019 Roger Williams University Athletics Awards Banquet, please visit the following link:
The 2019 Roger Williams University Athletic Awards Banquet
