May 1, 2009
Bronx, N.Y. -
As the 2008-09 season begins to wind down, the Fordham University Athletic Department held its 75th annual Block F Awards Dinner at the Villa Barone Manor on April 29th to honor the Fordham University's student-athletes for their accomplishments during the academic year.
Among those honored were Matt DiBuono, who was recipient of the Vincent T. Lombardi Award as Fordham's top male student-athlete, Dominique Liguori, who received the Claire and Jack Hobbs Award as Fordham's top female student-athlete and head men's and women's swimming coach Steve Potsklan, who was presented with the Iron Major Award as Fordham's Coach of the Year.
The Vincent T. Lombardi Award is presented to the Male Athlete of the Year for distinguished athletic achievements in the winning tradition of Vince Lombardi. The award honors the memory of one of Fordham's famed Seven Blocks of Granite, who is considered to be one of football's greatest coaches.
DiBuono, a three-time event winner at the Atlantic 10 championship (two hammer throw and one weight throw titles), has rewritten the Fordham record book throughout his career on Rose Hill. A two-time athlete of the meet at the Metropolitan Championships and the hammer throw champion at the 2009 Penn Relays, he will graduate as the school record holder in the hammer throw (213' 5') and weight throw events, and has already qualified for this year's NCAA regional championship in the hammer throw with an amazing mark of over 213 feet in distance.
DiBuono entered the 2009 outdoor season off a very successful indoor season in which he won the Atlantic 10 weight throw title and took third at the IC4A Indoor Championship with a school-record throw of 63' 7.5". The throw surpassed his own school mark of 61' 10.25" set at the Atlantic 10 Championship and earned DiBuono All-East honors. He was also named the 2008-09 indoor track team MVP.
Also honored from the men's track and field team was senior Clifton Hilario, who received the 2009 Benedict T. Harter Award. The Harter award is presented to the College of Business Administration senior athlete who has made significant academic and athletic contributions. The award honors Ben Harter, College of Business Administration Class of 1939, a former dean of both Fordham's undergraduate and graduate schools of business, who was an avid follower and supporter of Fordham Athletics.
Hilario is a four-year member of the men's track & field team who is majoring in accounting. This year, he became only the second Fordham athlete to have earned Academic All-Atlantic 10 honors in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track in his career. A multiple-time qualifier at the IC4A championship, he was also named Cross Country MVP in 2008.
