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For Immediate
Release: May 7, 2008
Contact: John Hartrick (hartrick@binghamton.edu)
Phone: 607-777-6800
BU athletics honors student-athletes at 61st annual awards ceremony
Quiller, Kane receive "Athlete of the Year" honors;
Seniors recognized
VESTAL,
N.Y.– Binghamton University honored its student-athletes
at the 61st Annual Varsity Awards Program Wednesday night at
the Events Center. More than 400 students, staff, families and
supporters were on hand as the department unveiled its 2007-08
award winners. The event was video streamed live on BU's website
for the second straight year. It also featured three student
speakers and concluded with the annual highlight film.
"Make
good choices and continue to care about others," Director
of Athletics Joel Thirer said to the group of seniors. "You
are the best and brightest and you will always be welcome here."
"Thank
you for the tremendous way you represent the University,"
University President Lois B. DeFleur said in her opening remarks.
"You achieve excellence in your academic work and also reach
out to the community in mentoring our young people. We are proud
of all you do."
The
major winners included Athletes of the Year Rory
Quiller (track & field) and Jacki
Kane (volleyball). Other seniors earning recognition for
their career achievements were baseball pitcher Zach
Groh and basketball forward Laine
Kurpniece.
The
full list of award winners is below.
2007-08
Athletes of the Year
MALE
- Rory
Quiller (Gr., Track & Field)
The most decorated athlete in school history, Quiller punctuated
his career on March 14, 2008 in Fayetteville, Arkansas, when
he became the first athlete in Binghamton history to win a NCAA
Division I national title. After capping his stellar collegiate
pole-vaulting career, he appeared in the April 21 edition of
Sports Illustrated’s "Faces in the Crowd."
FEMALE
- Jacki
Kane (Sr., Volleyball)
Kane was a three-time first team volleyball all star who led
the America East in blocks for a third straight season in 2007.
Her 186 blocks set a new school record and was the eighth highest
total nationally. She finished as the team leader in hitting
percentage for the second consecutive season and ranked fourth
in kills. In addition, Kane has recently been selected as the
University’s nominee for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award.
2008 Jake
Pitler Award
(career
achievement, leadership, given to senior male)
Rory
Quiller (Gr., Track & Field)
Quiller
had unquestionably the greatest athletic career in Binghamton’s
Division I history. He concluded his collegiate eligibility as
a three-time All-American in the pole vault as well as a five-time
national qualifier. He was a five-time America East champion,
a three-time IC4A Champion and was the 2007 East Regional Outdoor
Champion. He holds the America East indoor pole vault record
as well as the NCAA East Region outdoor record. Twice during
his career, he was named the NCAA Northeast Region Male Field
Athlete of the Year and six times he earned America East all-conference
honors. He was a three-time Binghamton University "Athlete
of the Year." His accomplishments in the classroom have
also earned him Academic All-America honors from ESPN The
Magazine and the U.S. Track & Field Coaches’ Association.
On the national scene, he placed second in the U.S. Indoor Championships
in February behind only the defending world champion. Although
his collegiate career is over, he is in excellent position to
qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials, which will be held next
month in Eugene, Oregon.
2008 Jessie
A. Godfrey Award
(career
achievement, leadership, given to senior female)
Laine
Kurpniece (Sr., Basketball)
Kurpniece was a three-time conference women’s basketball
player who finished her career ranked eighth all time in program
history with 1,188 points and 10th with 615 career rebounds.
Her career averaged of 10.6 points per game ranks 12th all time
in school history and her 5.5 rebounds per game ranks 10th all
time. She also ranks first in program history with a .518 field
goal percentage and is tied for third all time with a .798 free
throw percentage. As a sophomore, she led the team in scoring
with 12.3 points per game and was named second-team all-conference.
As a junior, she ranked second with 11.7 points per game and
was named third-team all-conference. This season, Kurpniece once
again was the team’s scoring leaders with 12.8 points per
contest and was named first-team all-conference.
2008 John
Bilos Alumni Awards (male and female)
(career
performance in athletics)
MALE
- Zach
Groh (Sr., Baseball)
Groh is a four-year baseball standout who is one of the most
dominant pitchers in school history. He is a two-time first team
America East all-star and was the league’s Pitcher of the
Year in 2006 after leading the entire nation in earned run average
for most of the spring. During one stretch, he pitched 42 consecutive
innings without allowing an earned run, and finished his stellar
season with a 1.85 ERA. Last spring, he ranked 17th in the country
in strikeouts (10.9/game) and helped the Bearcats capture their
first-ever regular season conference title and finish runnerup
at the postseason championship. He is the career leader in strikeouts,
victories and earned run average, and was Binghamton’s “Athlete
of the Year” in 2005-06.
FEMALE
- Jacki
Kane (Sr., Volleyball)
Kane was a four-year starter for the volleyball team who earned
first-team all conference honors for a third consecutive season.
The program’s all-time leading shot blocker, she was a driving
force in leading the team to its first-ever NCAA tournament appearance
in 2005 - earning Most Outstanding Performer honors at the America
East Championship. Kane capped a brilliant career with a school-record
186 blocks this season - the eighth highest total in the nation.
She has paced the America East Conference in blocks in each of
the last three seasons and is one of only eight players in school
history to eclipse 1,000 career kills. In addition, this multi-talented
individual is a six-time Dean’s list recipient and was named
the 2007 America East Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
2008 BUAC
Citizenship Awards (male and female)
(sportsmanship,
community service)
MALE
- Kris
Yelverton (Sr., Track & Field)
Yelverton was a four-year member of the men’s track &
field program. He placed in the pole vault at the America East
Championship five times and earned all-conference honors twice.
Off the track, he was Vice President of PEER: PRIDE this past
year and played an intergral part in the St. Jude’s Up-Til-Dawn
campaign.
FEMALE
- Gayathri
Balasundar (Sr., Tennis)
Balasundar was a four-year member of the women’s tennis
team who was the team captain this year. She provided senior
leadership for a young squad that was the runner up at last month’s
America East Tournament. Off the court, she was the President
of PEER:PRIDE this year and played a major role in this year’s
National Women in Sports Day Luncheon.
2008 Director's
Award
(outstanding
contributions to the athletics department)
Roger
Neel, WNBF News Director, Play-by-Play announcer
Neel has covered Binghamton University sports teams for more
than a decade, and has come to be known as “the voice”
of BU athletics, both on the radio airwaves and at special events
as master of ceremonies. A former collegiate athlete in his own
right, he has been an enthusiastic and steadfast supporter of
BU student-athletes and the value of intercollegiate athletics
as a whole. Neel has interviewed hundreds of athletes and coaches
during his tenure as sports anchor and program director of WNBF
Radio, the home station for men’s and women’s basketball
broadcasts. He also has been an outspoken advocate of the University
and its positive impact on our community.
2008 Student-Trainer
Awards
(Presented
by Orthopedic Associates, the medical group that provides outstanding
service and expertise to BU student-athletes throughout the year)
Athletic
Trainer of the Year - Jake Altman
Altman is a senior anthropology major from East Amherst who has
worked in the training room for two and a half years. He has
worked with the men’s basketball program and has also been
a campus tour guide, president of the a capella singing group
and a school newspaper columnist. Altman was the 2007 Orthopedic
Associates Scholarship winner, and his career aspirations are
to attend chiropractor school after graduating from Binghamton
next December.
Scholarship
Recipient - Matt Powers
Powers is a sophomore biology major from Northport who has worked
with men’s lacrosse, men’s soccer and men’s basketball.
He carries a 3.11 grade-point average and also plays club soccer.
His career goals are to study physical therapy or attend medical
school after graduation.
Team Most
Valuable Players
Baseball - Ryan
James
Men's Basketball - Mike
Gordon
Women's Basketball - Laine
Kurpniece
Men's Cross Country - Andrew
Ugolino
Women's Cross Country - Ashley
Horton
Golf - Zach
Vinal
Men's Lacrosse - Stephen
Smith
Women's Lacrosse - Leanne
Musso
Men's Soccer - Jason
Stenta
Women's Soccer - Amanda
Casares
Softball - Meghan
Quinn
Men's Swimming & Diving - Brenno
Varanda
Women's Swimming & Diving - Brittany
Detlef
Men's Tennis - Sven
Vloedgraven
Women's Tennis - Anna
Edelman
Men's Track & Field - Rory
Quiller
Women's Track & Field - Kim
Williams
Volleyball - Jacki
Kane
Wrestling - Nate
Patterson |
