Bucknell University Athletics
John Collett, Ryan Klipstein Receive Senior Athletic Award at Bucknell
5/3/2011 8:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
May 3, 2011
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell seniors John Collett (Randolph, N.J./Delbarton School) and Ryan Klipstein (Califon, N.J./Rutgers Prep), captains on the lacrosse team, received a special award at the University's annual Senior Athletic Awards Banquet, sponsored by the Bison Club and held in Terrace Room on Tuesday, May 3.
Collett and Klipstein won the Robert A. Latour Service Award, presented to senior athletes "for extraordinary service to Bucknell and local communities". The duo shared the award with Laura Twichell of the swimming and diving team, who was the female selection.
Although Bucknell men's lacrosse captured the Patriot League Championship last Sunday, Collett and Klipstein were honored on Tuesday for their founding of "A Bison Never Forgets." The program's mission is to provide supplies and support to former college lacrosse players serving in the military. Through "A Bison Never Forgets," Bucknell men's lacrosse collected funds at every home game to send care packages with commonly asked-for items to those overseas. The efforts expanded this year to involve the Bison men's and women's soccer teams as well, and Bucknell has raised thousands of dollars over the past two years.
Collett and Klipstein received the Patriot League Sportsmanship Award in 2009 for their program, which began as a way to recognize their opponents from the U.S. Military Academy and Naval Academy and to support their efforts after graduation.
On the field, the midfielder Klipstein leads Bucknell in goals (30) and points (49) this season. Last month he was named Second Team All-Patriot League. Collett, a starting defender for the Bison, is second on the team in caused turnovers (19). He was recently named to the inaugural Patriot League All-Academic Team as an elementary education major.
Bucknell men's lacrosse, which is 14-2 overall and finished a perfect 6-0 in Patriot League play, has advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2001 and the second time in program history. The first rounds are set for May 14-15.
Bucknell is a highly-selective, privately endowed liberal arts institution with an enrollment of 3,583 undergraduate students. Bucknell competes in NCAA Division I as a member of the Patriot League and has full membership along with American, Army, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh and Navy. Bucknell has won the Presidents' Cup, signifying the Patriot League's all-sports champion, in 16 of 20 years, including 12 of the last 13.
Bucknell annually ranks among the national leaders in graduation rate and is fifth in Division I in the total number of CoSIDA Academic All-America selections, with 119 national Academic All-Americans since 1970.
