Athletics: Taylor, Rieger Named Student-Athletes Of Year Headling Annual DWC Awards Night
Nashua, N.H. – Seniors Danny Taylor of Nashua, N.H. and Kristina Rieger of Concord, N.H. were honored as the male and female student-athletes of the year respectively, headlining the annual Daniel Webster College athletics awards night ceremony on Wednesday, May 5th in the Collings Auditorium on the College campus.
Four students were honored with Athlete of the Year accolades as sophomores Vanessa Bosques of North Windham, Conn. and Natalie Bates of North Kingstown, R.I., along with juniors Chris LaPlante of Medfield, Mass. and Samson Kiberu of Waltham, Mass. were named female and male co-athletes of the year, respectively.
(Pictured left to right are Kiberu, Bosques, Bates and Laplante).
Senior Christal Fitzgerald of Sydney, Australia and junior Andrew Smith of Essex Junction, Vt. were named recipients of the sportsmanship award.
TAYLOR, a business management major, captained the Eagles men’s ice hockey team to the North East Collegiate Hockey Association (NECHA) Colonial Division regular season championship – the first regular season title from the program - while earning first team all conference accolades. The Eagles posted a 12-5 overall record and went on to qualify for the NECHA tournament, advancing to the finals for the third time in four years.
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Taylor, with Director of Athletics John Griffith. |
Taylor started 16 games for the Eagles, finishing with two goals and eight assist for 10 points and helped the team defense to one of its lowest team goals against averages in program history.
RIEGER enjoyed a remarkable year serving as captain of the women’s volleyball program and tri-captain with the softball program. A sport management major, Rieger has maintained a perfect 4.0 grade-point average and is a member of the College’s President’s List and a New England Collegiate Conference Academic All Conference honoree.
On the volleyball court, Rieger helped guide the Eagles to a program-record 16-6 overall mark including a perfect 9-0 combined record against NECC opposition as the team won both the NECC regular season and tournament championship for the first time.
A two-time NECC Player of the Week, Rieger was among the team leaders in all offensive categories and finished tied as the NCAA Division III statistical leader for serving aces per game. She went on to earn first team all conference honors.
On the softball field, Rieger led the Eagles hitting over .400 (.402) and led the team in almost every offensive category including hits, RBI, total bases, slugging percentage, and extra bases.
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Rieger, with Director of Athletics John Griffith. |
BOSQUES, a sophomore shooting guard, enjoyed the most successful individual season in DWC women’s basketball history.
Named the NECC’s Player of the Year and First Team All Conference by the conference coaches, Bosques set a new program record for total points, points per game, free-throw shooting and three-pointers in a season. The NECC scoring, three-point shooting and free-throw shooting champion helped guide the Eagles to a program record 20-6 overall record including the NECC Regular Season championship, also a program first.
A two-time NECC Player of the Week, Bosques went on to earn the first ever ECAC Division III regional all star selection for the program and was a D3Hoops.com all northeast regional selection.
BATES, a sophomore established herself as a two-sport standout in both field hockey and women’s lacrosse. On the hockey field, she led the second-year Eagles and the NECC in points and goals per game on the way to earning her second straight First Team All Conference selection. A two-time NECC Player of the Week, Bates finished with 13 goals and four assists in 15 games.
On the lacrosse field, Bates helped the second-year program to four victories notching a program record 52 goals and seven assists in just 11 games, placing her 24th nationally in NCAA Division III for points per game and seventh in goals per game.
LAPLANTE enjoyed another stellar season on the cross country trails of the Eagles, finishing as the team’s top performer throughout the season.
A key to the Eagles’ 2009 NECC Championship, LaPlante added to his resume finishing fifth at the 2010 NECC championship, good for First Team All Conference accolades. He finished with four top-10 finishes throughout the season.
KIBERU, a midfielder, was an anchor to the most successful season in men’s soccer history at the College this past Fall.
A First Team All Conference selection, Kiberu’s defensive skills contributed to a team defense that set a new program record for goals against average (1.22) and helped open up the offensive game that set a new program record for most goals in a season.
The Eagles set a record for most win in a season, going 12-6-1 overall and won both the NECC regular season and tournament championships – the first for the program. The squad went on to qualify for its first ECAC New England Championship, advancing to the semifinals.
The College’s sportsmanship award honors individuals who, through their commitment, dedication and passion for their sport, their team and their College, set an example for fellow student-athletes and the College’s student body as an ideal for which to strive as a member of the Daniel Webster College Eagles family.
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Andy Smith and Christal Fitzgerald. |
FITZGERALD is a two-year letter winner and co-captain this past season with the field hockey team, a four-year member and three-year player with the baseball team and a member of the College’s President’s List and is a NECC All Academic honoree.
An anchor of the field hockey team defense, Fitzgerald was a regular starter through her career until an injury shortened her season in 2010. She was also a relief pitcher and infielder on the baseball diamond over her first three seasons.
SMITH, a member of the men’s volleyball team, is a two-year letter winner with a program that returned to varsity competition after a 10-year hiatus in 2009.
This past season Smith appeared in all 21 matches encompassing 70 total games including and was a regular starter, finishing with 54 kills, 22 service aces, 110 digs and 14 total blocks.
The evening’s festivities also including the awarding of each program’s rookie, coaches’, most improved, and most valuable player awards, which are as follows:
Men’s Soccer
Rookie of the Year: Elliot Kilgore, a freshman back from Milford, N.H.
Coach’s Award: Andre Garcia, a senior forward from Springfield, Mass.
Most Improved: Tom Al Naber, a sophomore goalkeeper from Parkton, Md.
Most Valuable Player: Alex Jackson, a sophomore forward from Kent, Ohio.
Women’s Soccer
Rookie of the Year:
Coach’s Award: Hilary Girard, a freshman forward from Seymour, Conn.
Most Improved: Ariel Guzman, a freshman midfielder from Yonkers, N.Y.
Most Valuable Player: Amy Waller, a sophomore goalkeeper from Berlin, Mass.
Women’s Volleyball
Rookie of the Year: Samantha Hill, a freshman outside hitter from Hudson, N.H.
Coach’s Award: SarahMaura Dwyer, a sophomore outside hitter from Wayne, N.J.
Most Improved: Brier Temple, a freshman outside hitter from Concord, N.H.
Most Valuable Player: Chelsey Crawford, a freshman middle blocker from Westfield, Mass.
Field Hockey
Rookie of the Year: Maeghan Farrelly, a freshman midfielder from N. Kingstown, R.I.
Coach’s Award: Christal Fitzgerald, a senior defender from Sydney, Australia.
Most Improved: Kyla Palaschak, a freshman forward from E. Bridgewater, Mass.
Most Valuable Player: Natalie Bates, a sophomore forward from N. Kingstown, R.I.
Men’s Golf
Rookie of the Year: K.P. Krupinksi, a freshman from Woodstock, Conn.
Coach’s Award: Cory Sabaitis, a sophomore from Findlay, Ohio.
Most Improved: Ryan Simpson, a freshman from Londonderry, N.H.
Most Valuable Player: Mike Fuller, a sophomore from Chelmsford, Mass.
Men’s Cross Country
Coach’s Award: Coby Costa, a sophomore from Bantam, Conn.
Most Valuable Player: Chris LaPlante, a junior from Medfield, Mass.
Women’s Cross Country
Coach’s Award: Alycia Gervais, a sophomore from Windham, Conn.
Most Valuable Player: Chelsea Graf, a senior from Danbury, N.H.
Men’s Basketball
Rookie of the Year: Keith Speed, a shooting guard from Columbus, 0hio.
Coach’s Award: Adam Landry, a sophomore from Vernon, Conn.
Most Improved: Eric Suarez, a junior forward from Brooklyn, N.Y.
Most Valuable Player: Chris Hanson, a junior shooting guard from Salem, Mass.
Women’s Basketball
Coach’s Award: Kacie Lang, a sophomore guard from Raymond, N.H.
Most Improved: Ariel Guzman, a freshman guard from Yonkers, N.Y.
Most Valuable Player: Vanessa Bosques, a sophomore shooting guard from North Windham, Conn.
Men’s Ice Hockey
Rookie of the Year: K.J. Monahan, a freshman goaltender from Nashua, N.H.
Coach’s Award: Danny Taylor, a senior defenseman from Nashua, N.H.
Most Improved: Adam Ziaja, a senior defenseman from Dracut, Mass.
Most Valuable Player: Mike Hauch, a sophomore from Oldsmar, Fla.
Men’s Volleyball
Rookie of the Year: Kyle Clement, a freshman setter from Weymouth, Mass.
Coach’s Award: Andrew Smith, a junior outside hitter from Essex Junction, Vt.
Most Improved: David Miller, a sophomore middle blocker from Eldersburg, Md.
Most Valuable Player: Eric Smith, a senior setter from Clay, N.Y.
Baseball
Rookie of the Year: Darrik Marstaller, a freshman outfielder from Spofford, N.H.
Coach’s Award: Christal Fitzgerald, a senior pitcher and infielder from Sydney Australia.
Pitcher of the Year: Kory Kiro, a sophomore from Goffstown, N.H.
Most Valuable Player: Rich Lizotte, a freshman infielder and pitcher from West Warwick, R.I.
Softball
Rookie of the Year: Chelsey Crawford, a freshman center fielder from Westfield, Mass.
Coach’s Award: Lauren Chesnulevich, a sophomore first baseman and pitcher from Hudson, N.H.
Most Improved: Melissa Kelly, a freshman outfielder from Hill, N.H.
Most Valuable Player: Kristina Rieger, a senior pitcher and shortstop from Concord, N.H.
Men’s Lacrosse
Rookie of the Year: Alex McKenzie, a sophomore attack from Nashua, N.H.
Coach’s Award: Tommy Driscoll, a sophomore goalkeeper from South Boston, Mass.
Most Improved: Dan Merkel, a freshman midfielder from Bethlehem, Penn.
Most Valuable Player: Shane Devaney, a freshman attack from Merrimack, N.H.
Women’s Lacrosse
Rookie of the Year: Laura Gianetti, a freshman goalkeeper from Ashburnham, Mass.
Coach’s Award: Cheslea Graf, a senior midfielder from Danbury, N.H.
Most Improved: Charlene Gordon, a sophomore defender from Brooklyn, N.Y.
Most Valuable Player: Natalie Bates, a sophomore forward from N. Kingstown, R.I.