(April 27, 2006) ?C The Fordham University Athletic Department held the 72nd Annual Block F Awards Dinner at the Villa Barone Manor last night to honor the hard work and dedication of the student-athletes and coaches.
The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Vincent T. Lombardi Memorial Award to the Male Student-Athlete of the Year, the Claire G. Hobbs Award to the Female Student-Athlete of the Year and the Iron Major Award to the Coach of the Year.
Receiving the 2006 Lombardi Award was senior Jermaine Anderson from the men??s basketball team. This past winter, Anderson earned Second Team All-Atlantic 10 honors as he was second on team with a 15.6 ppg average. The captain also led the team with 89 three-pointers, fourth best in the Atlantic 10, and with 109 assists, 13th best in the A-10. He also led the Atlantic 10 in free throw shooting, hitting 85.2% of his charity shots. Anderson finished career ranked 17th on the all-time career scoring list with 1,178 points and is second on the all-time list with 216 career three-pointers made.
Junior Kerstin Greene of the track & field squad received the 2006 Claire G. Hobbs Award. She followed an outstanding freshman season with an equally impressive sophomore campaign, winning the pentathlon at the 2006 ECAC Indoor Championships while also taking fifth in the triple jump. She earned First Team All-Atlantic 10 honors in the indoor triple jump with a school-record leap and also took third in the long jump and high jump at the A-10 Championships. During the indoor season, Greene set two school records as well as being a part of a record-setting relay.
Greene opened the 2006 outdoor season by setting a school mark in the triple jump and then set a school record in the long jump, winning the event at the Outdoor Metropolitan Championships.
Dereck Whittenburg received the 2006 Iron Major Award after leading the men??s basketball team to a 16-16 overall record, 9-7 in the Atlantic 10 to finish in sixth place. The nine conference wins were the most for Fordham since joining the Atlantic 10 in 1995-96 while the 16 overall wins are the most since 1991-92 team won 18 games. The Rams advanced to the semifinals of the Atlantic 10 Tournament for the first time ever this year and Whittenburg coached two players named to the Atlantic 10 All-Conference Team as well as one who was named Academic All-Atlantic 10.
Following the main awards, men??s tennis and squash coach Bob Hawthorn was honored for his 50 years of service to Fordham University Athletics. Hawthorn was presented with a special portrait painted by men??s golf coach
Paul Dillon as well as a display case featuring a wooden tennis and squash racquet as well as a Block F.
Other awards presented at the Block F Dinner were the Jack Coffey Award, the Terence J. O??Donnell Memorial Award, the Pat Kenneally Award, the Kiwanis Community Service Award, the Benedict T. Harter Award, the John Kieran Award and the Marty Glickman Award.
The Jack Coffey Award is presented to a Fordham administrator, alumnus or coach for outstanding contributions and dedication to the athletic program. It is named for the late Jack Coffey, long-time Fordham baseball coach and Graduate Manager of Athletics. The 2006 recipient is
Joe DiBari, the Sports Information Director.
The Terence J. O??Donnell Memorial Award is presented annually to the Fordham athlete who best exemplifies the qualities of sportsmanship, loyalty, dedication and self-discipline. The award honors the memory of Terry O??Donnell, a 1955 graduate who died in a military plane crash shortly after graduation. Corey McCrae, a senior co-captain with the men??s basketball team, is the 2006 winner. McCrae, who has served as a team captain the past two year after transferring to Fordham from Wagner College, helped team to its best ever Atlantic 10 finish as the Rams were 9-7 in league play. The squad finished 16-16 overall, the most wins since 1991-92, and advanced to the semifinals at the championships tournament for the first time ever. McCrae was a team leader who helped recruit many of the younger players on the team to Fordham and consistently was a positive influence on a young Fordham squad.
The Pat Kenneally Award is presented to a Fordham student who serves the department in capacities other than athletic participation. The award honors the memory of Pat Kenneally, equipment and business manager for 54 years. The 2006 recipient was senior Grace Clark, a fixture within the Athletic Department. She has served as a student trainer since 2004 and also worked with the Athletic Department administration as a senior. Clark served as the women??s basketball team manager in 2002-03 and even suited up for the women??s basketball team as a senior when the squad was short of players.
The Kiwanis Community Service Award is presented to the Fordham athlete(s) who best exemplify not only excellence in academics and in their respected sports, but who are also committed to working in community service activities. Phil Bednarczyk, senior with the men??s tennis and squash programs, is the 2006 recipient. A three-year member of the men??s tennis and squash squads, Bednarczyk traveled to British Guyana during winter break as a sophomore and junior as part of Global Outreach. As a sophomore, he paid his own way to work at a leper colony with young children and he returned to work at an orphanage and with a leper colony for young children as a junior. Bednarczyk has also taught squash to young boys and girls as part of City Squash for the past three years and has served as a tutor at St. Martin de Tours elementary school. A tennis team co-captain for the past three years, he is a Dean??s List student with a 3.50 GPA with a major in International Political Economy.
The Benedict T. Harter Award is awarded to the College of Business Administration senior athlete who had made significant academic and athletic contributions during the current school year. The award honors Ben Harter, CBA ??39 a former Dean of both the Fordham University Undergraduate and Graduate School of Business who passed away in 2005. Maureen Zivic, a four-year member of the women??s track & field program, is this year??s Harter Award winner. Zivic has served as team captain the past two seasons and is a two-time academic all-conference selection, earning First Team All-Atlantic 10 honors in the indoor 500m last year and Second Team honors in the 500m indoors this year. She currently holds four school records, including the indoor 500 meters and indoor 4x400 relay, which were set this season.
The John Kieran Award is presented to the Fordham College senior athlete who had made significant academic and athletic contributions during the current school year. The award honors the memory of John Kieran, FC ??12, a famous radio broadcaster, sports editor of the New York Times and a member of the baseball Hall of Fame. Katie Greiner, a four-year member of the women??s swimming team, is the 2006 recipient. An economics major, she holds the highest GPA of any senior student-athlete in Fordham College. She was named to the Atlantic 10 academic all-conference team for the third straight year for women??s swimming. In the pool, Greiner finished fifth in the 500 free, sixth in the 200 free and ninth in the 200 fly at the 2006 Atlantic 10 Championships.
The Marty Glickman Award is presented to the WFUV student play-by-play broadcaster who best follows the examples set and taught by Hall of Fame broadcaster Marty Glickman. The award honors the memory of Mr. Glickman who was the broadcast coach at WFUV from 1987-99. Junior Dan Flanagan, a native of Minnesota, is the 2006 recipient. Flanagan served as one of the main play-by-play voices for both the football and men??s basketball Rams as well as handling baseball broadcasts this spring.
In addition to the major awards, team Most Valuable Player Awards were presented:
Baseball: Greg Smith & Javier Martinez
* Smith was named First Team All-Atlantic 10, after leading the A-10 in slugging percentage and home runs, while finishing second in the league in batting
* Smith was drafted in the 14th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2006 MLB Draft
* Martinez led the team in wins and strikeouts, and became just the third Ram to reach 200 strikeouts in his career
* Martinez was drafted in the 42nd round by the Washington Nationals in the 2006 MLB Draft
Women??s Basketball: Lisa Carrol
* Second team All-Atlantic 10 selection this past winter.
* Led the team in scoring at 15 ppg, while being the team leader is assists, steals, and three-pointers.
Men??s Basketball: Jermaine Anderson
* Second team All-Atlantic 10 selection.
* Ranked 10th in the league in scoring at 15.6 ppg and became the 30th Ram to record over 1,000 points in his career.
Cheerleading:
Jennifer McCarthy
* A senior whose effort, enthusiasm, and work ethic have been evident throughout her years as part of the squad.
Men??s Cross Country: Matthew Flynn
* Posted six top ten finishes this season, including wins at the Ram Invitational and St. John??s Fall Festival.
* Became Fordham??s first All-Atlantic 10 cross country performer.
Women??s Cross Country: Jacqueline Prevete
* Posted six top ten finishes including wins at the McDonald??s Classic and the St. John??s Fall Festival.
* Named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week once.
Men??s Indoor Track & Field: Dan Tucker
* Set the Fordham record in the heptathlon, scoring over 4800 points at the IC4A championships.
* Also posted the Rams?? top times in the 55 and 60 meter dashes.
Women??s Indoor Track & Field: Kerstin Greene
* Set school records in the long jump, triple jump, shot put, and 4x400 relay.
* Earned First Team All-Atlantic honors by winning the triple jump at the A-10 championships.
Men??s Outdoor Track & Field: Matt Spaccarelli
* Finished second in the decathlon at the 2006 A-10 Championships
* Posted the Rams top pole vault mark at 13' 1 1/2"
Women??s Outdoor Track & Field: Maureen Zivic
* Won the 800 meters at the 2006 A-10 Championships
* Finished 15th overall at the NCAA Regionals in the 800 meters
* Named to the Academic All-Conference team for the third time
* Selected to the CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District I First Team
Football: James Prydatko
* Second Team All-Patriot League pick.
* Became second Ram to rush for more than 1,000 yards on the I-AA level, gaining 1,022 yards in 2005.
Golf: Brian McClure
* Has served as a team captain this season, posting six top 15 finishes, which includes a first place finish at the Peacock Invitational and a third place finish at the Scotty Duncan Memorial.
Women??s Rowing: Sheila Taylor
* Served as the stroke for the varsity 8 which won the Fall Metropolitan Championships and placed third in the Second Grand Final at the Atlantic 10 championships.
Men??s Soccer: Kevin Meyer
* Led the team in scoring with five goals and four assists for 14 points.
* Helped the Rams to their first winning season since 1998.
Women??s Soccer: Leah Jerome
* A leader on and off the field, served as team captain.
* Placed third on the team in scoring and received Second Team Academic All-District honors for the second straight year
Softball: Krystle Henry
* Hit a team-leading .381 from the leadoff spot for the Rams with 54 runs scored, 74 hits and 17 stolen bases.
* Became the Rams?? all-time leader in stolen bases with 49 this season and set single season records for hits and runs
* First Team All-Atlantic 10 selection
Squash: Mike Brigoli
* Served as team captain for the third straight season.
* Registered a career-high five wins for Fordham, helping the team to its most successful seasons in recent memory.
Men??s Tennis: Phil Bednarczyk
* Held down the #4 singles position all year long.
* Posted seven singles?? wins at fourth singles, helping the Rams to their first winning season in recent memory.
Women??s Tennis: Dominique Liguori
* Had one of the most impressive freshman seasons at Fordham, going 14-2 at first singles.
* Reached the quarterfinals of the ITA Regional Tournament in the fall
Men??s Swimming & Diving: John Stoneburner
* Garnered Second Team All-Atlantic 10 honors, finishing second in the 400 individual medley.
* Also named to the Academic All-Conference team for the second straight season.
Women??s Swimming & Diving: Katie Greiner
* One of the best all-round swimmers in program history, posted the Rams top times in the 200 freestyle and butterfly, as well as in the 500 freestyle.
* Also garnered Academic All-Conference honors for the third straight season.
Volleyball: Marija Markovic
* Helped the Rams post their first 19-win season since the early 1990s.
* A First Team All-Atlantic 10 selection, she led the team in hitting percentage, kills, and service aces, while breaking every blocking record in the book.
Water Polo: Paul Shrewsbury
* Helped the Rams to another improved season as he tied for the team lead in scoring with 32 goals, while adding more than 20 steals.
* Also garnered Second Team All-Conference honors, becoming the first Fordham water polo player to receive that distinction since the early 1990??s.
Two individuals also received honorary letters at the dinner, Fred Negron and Fred Schuman. Negron, a fixture at most Fordham hone athletic events, is one of the Rams?? most vocal fans while Schuman, better known as ??Freddie Sez??, can be found patrolling the Rose Hill Gym with his patented frying pan and custom made signs, drumming up support for the Rams.
