Athletic Department Hands out End of Year Awards

Recently the Alfred State College athletic department handed out the 2008-09 athletic awards at a ceremony held at the Lake Lodge.

SENIOR ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

The ASC Senior of the Year Awards are given to the male and female senior athletes who have competed in a sport for two years while achieving career excellence and exhibited good character.

Jenni Jerome (Syracuse/Westhill) and Adalberto Vargas (Norman Thomas)

Jerome helped the Lady Pioneers to a 74-10 record and back-to back Region III championships and back to back trips to the National Championship  She was named honorable mention All-American, 1st team All-Region, and 1st team All-WNYAC this fall.  Also was named MVP of the Region III Tournament, the Mohawk Valley CC Tournament, and the Alfred State Tournament.  Jerome finished 2008 with 378 kills, 364 digs, 46 service aces, and 21 blocks and for her career she has 686 kills, 690 digs, 82 service aces, and 79 blocks.  She is the only player under Coach Doorley to go to back-to-back national championships.  Recently she signed a scholarship to attend Glenville State in West Virginia.

Vargas was named 1st team All-Region and is an All-American candidate this spring after hitting .407 with 11 doubles, three triples, six homers, and 49 RBI on the baseball diamond.  For his career he finishes with a .387 batting average, 99 RBI, 27 doubles, eight triples, and 11 homers.  He currently ranks 5th all time in slugging percentage, tied for 5th in batting average, 6th in RBI, tied for 6th in Home runs, and tied for 9th in doubles.  Previously he was named 1st team All-WNYAC and was 2nd team All-Region and All-WNYAC following his freshmen season. 

FRESHMAN ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: 

The ASC Freshman of the Year Awards are given to the male and female athletes who have made the largest impact upon ASC athletics and exhibited good character in their first year as a Pioneer.

Brittney Brooks (Elmira Free) and David Gross (Brockport)

Brooks was named 3rd team NJCAA Division II All-American after averaging 19 points per game and 8.8 rebounds.  Her 455 points this season ranks her 7th all-time in a single season in the Alfred State record book.  She was also named the Region III Division II player of the year and 1st team All-Region and All-WNYAC.  On the year she recorded nine double-doubles and scored 30 or more points three times.

Gross was a member of the indoor and outdoor track and field team,  He helped the men's team to the Region III Championship indoors, a second place finish outdoors, and a 4th place finish at outdoor nationals.  Gross is Region III champion in the shot put for both indoor and outdoor and has broken both the indoor and outdoor college records in the shot put.  He finished 4th in the shot put at the NJCAA Indoor National Championships and finished 3rd outdoors.  He also finished 4th in the hammer throw and 5th in the discus.

DANIEL J. NEVERETT SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD:

The Alfred State College Daniel J. Neverett Sportsmanship Awards are given to the male and female athletes who best exemplify the principles of fair play and gamesmanship.  The winners are athletes who take defeat without complaint, who achieve victory without gloating, and who treat their opponents with fairness, generosity and courtesy.

Melissa Gifford (Jamestown) and Andrew Omoregie:

Gifford was a member of the softball team the past two seasons.  She is credited with being a hard worker on and off the field, willing to do whatever the coaching staff asked, and for being always a positive influence to her teammates even to the players that played in front of her.  Gifford also arrived to practice early and stayed after to work on improving her game and always put the team first.

Omoregie was a two year member of the football team, he also has been part of the track and field and basketball teams during his time at Alfred State.  Omoregie is credited with being a positive influence on his team, teammates, and opponents.  He accepted his role on the team and did his best to keep improving his skills to help the team succeed.  He is well respected by the coaching staff and his peers.

LEADERSHIP AWARD

The Alfred State College Leadership awards are given to the male and female athletes who have taken the initiative to lead their team on and off the field.

Holly Fitzpatrick (Hornell) and Dan Foley (Irondequoit):

Fitzpatrick hit .280 for her two-year softball career in 72 games.  She drove in 21 runs and stole 14 bases.  Her work ethic and positive attitude made her the coach on the field.  She dedicated her time and efforts to the team right from the start of the school year and was instrumental in improvements to the softball program this year.  She is credited as being a great champion of Alfred State and especially the softball program. Always willing to help in recruiting and building up the team.

Foley was a two year member of the basketball team.  He was named 1st team All-Region and All-WNYAC after averaging 13.8 points per game and 10.6 rebounds this past season. Also passed out 151 assists and was credited with 50 steals and 34 blocks.  For his career he finishes with 627 points, 453 rebounds, and 211 assists.  The coaching staff credits him for leaving everything he had on the court and for leading by example in practice and games.  In wins and defeats, he never changed his style of play.

ACADEMIC AWARD

The Alfred State College Academic Awards honor the male and female athletes who have competed in athletics for two years at ASC, while achieving the highest overall grade-point average during that time.

Melissa Gifford (Jamestown) and Hiroshi Ozaki (Tokyo, Japan)

Gifford played in 44 games on the softball team and has a .264 career average with 11 RBI.  In the classroom she has a 3.60 GPA in Computer Information Systems.

Ozaki scored two career goals in two years from his defensive position on the soccer team.  He was a 2nd team All-Region selection in 2008 and named All-WNYAC in both 2007 and 2008.  He has a 3.94 GPA in liberal arts - social science.

William Havens Award

The Williams S. Havens Award is given to the person who has gone beyond the call of duty in making the greatest contribution in aiding the mission of the athletic department during the past year.

Jane Goodridge: Goodridge is a member of the custodial staff in the Orvis Activities Center.  She is credited for her tremendous work ethic and willingness to put in extra hours before an athletic event, open house, a recruiting visit, and many other events held in the building.  Goodridge is conscientious about the appearance of the building and goes above and beyond to help the athletic department.