Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Senior Athletes Honored at Annual Awards Dinner
4/30/2013 8:00:00 AM | Bison Club
April 30, 2013
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LEWISBURG, Pa. -Twenty outstanding Bucknell senior student-athletes were presented awards at the 52nd Annual Department of Athletics & Recreation Senior Recognition Dinner, held Tuesday evening in the Terrace Room on campus. The outstanding careers of 149 senior athletes were honored at the dinner, and men's basketball star Mike Muscala (Roseville, Minn./Roseville) and women's cross country and track and field record-setter Caroline Tolli (Lockport, N.Y./Lockport) claimed the evening's top honor, the Christy Mathewson Award, which goes to the outstanding male and female senior athletes.
This season Muscala became the first men's basketball player to sweep the Patriot League Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards. Muscala is a four-time All-Patriot League selection, a two-time PL Player of the Year and two-time PL Tournament MVP. Muscala was selected as one of 30 candidates for the Naismith Player of Year Award, and he was picked as a Lute Olsen All-American by CollegeInsider.com and as an Honorable Mention All-American by the Associated Press. He was also a Capital One Academic All-American and one of 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award. Muscala will graduate as Bucknell's all-time leading scorer (2,036 points), and he is the only player in school and league history with at least 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds (1,093).
Muscala was selected to play in the Reese's Division I All-Star Game on Final Four weekend in Atlanta, and he started for the West team and produced 15 points and eight rebounds. Muscala is projected by many media outlets to be taken in the NBA Draft this June.
Tolli is also one of the top scholar-athletes in the Patriot League. An education and Spanish double-major with a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade-point average, Tolli has won Patriot League championships in the mile and 1,000-meter run as well as three league titles in the 4x800-meter relay. She broke the school record in the mile this winter with a third-place finish at the ECAC Championships. She is also a two-time all-conference selection in cross country and has earned Patriot League Track & Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors twice.
Tolli achieved a rare double on Tuesday when she also received the Alvin F. Jackson Memorial Scholar-Athlete Award, presented for outstanding academic and athletic achievement, and future promise as Bucknell alumni. Tolli was the co-recipient of that award along with standout swimmer Christian Treat (Evergreen, Colo./Clear Creek), a four-time All-Patriot League and three-time Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year selection.
Elsewhere, four-time All-Patriot League swimmer Liz Porcellio (Fairport, N.Y./Penfield) and Patriot League hammer throw champion and school record-holder Leonard Joseph (Whitesboro, N.Y./Clinton) were given the Bison Club Award, presented to the senior athletes who best exemplify the winning spirit of the University's athletic program.
Softball pitcher Alex MacLean (Northampton, Pa./Northampton), the former Patriot League Rookie of the Year and one of the leaders in her class in community service, along with all-conference water polo goalkeeper Matt Napleton (Oak Park, Ill./Fenwick) were awarded the Lee S. "Bud" Ranck Memorial Award, presented for outstanding spirit and contributions to the Bucknell athletic program.
The Bradley N. Tufts Award went to two of the best sprinters in Bison track and field history in Sasha Hornock (Dover, Pa./Dover) and Justin Hicks (Wilmington, Del./Tower Hill School). The Tufts Award is given in recognition of exceptional athletic achievement and contribution to Bucknell athletics.
The Second Annual John F. Zeller Award was presented to a senior student-athlete for outstanding contributions to Bison Athletics, while exemplifying the best of Bucknell in the manner that John Zeller did in his 68 years of service to the University. John Zeller graduated from Bucknell in 1941 with a bachelor of arts degree in political science. After serving his country in World War II and the Korean War and graduating from law school at Penn, he became a full-time member of the political science department at Bucknell in 1952. In 1955 he became the university's chief financial officer, and he later held titles of Vice President for Business and Fiscal Affairs and General Counsel Emeritus, and in 1984 he was President of the University prior to the appointment of Gary Sojka.
This year's Zeller Award recipients were a pair of standout basketball student-athletes in Lindsay Horbatuck (Avon, Conn./Avon) and Bryson Johnson (Pictou, Nova Scotia/St. David's Catholic).
The Robert A. Latour Service Award, presented for extraordinary service to Bucknell and local communities, went to rower Alaina Puff (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shaler Area) and men's lacrosse defenseman Mike Huffner (Elmira, N.Y./Notre Dame).
The Bryan-Humphreys Award, presented to an individual for outstanding versatility, went to a pair of two-sport athletes. Tayler Siegrist (Madison, N.J./Madison), an All-Patriot League defender in field hockey as well as a standout javelin thrower, shared the award with Ryan Gutowski (Owings Mills, Md./Calvert Hall), who earned All-Patriot League honors as both a punter in football and a faceoff specialist in lacrosse.
The Edward W. Pangburn Award, presented for sportsmanship, fellowship and contribution to the University, went to rowing champion Emily Gladstone (Cockeysville, Md./Dulaney) and basketball standout Joe Willman (Tinton Falls, N.J./Monmouth Regional).
Alexandra Romanelli (Galloway, N.J./Absegami), the 2013 Patriot League indoor champion in the triple jump, joined 2012 NCAA men's tennis qualifier Evan Zimmer (Essex Fells, N.J./West Essex) as winners of the Ronald J. "Pete" Pedrick Award, presented in recognition of demonstrated improvement and special contributions to Bucknell athletics over a four-year period.
The `Ray Bucknell Diversity Award went to rowing coxswain Ashley Rooney (Lloyd Harbor, N.Y./Cold Spring Harbor).
Senior Katie Bishop was presented the E. Harold Biggs Memorial Award as the most outstanding student athletic trainer.
In addition to the student-athlete awards, two alumni and one staff member received special awards. William R. Gruver, the Howard I. Scott Clinical Professor of Global Commerce, Strategy and Leadership at Bucknell, received the ECAC Appreciation Award, which is presented to students, faculty, staff or friends of Bucknell for extraordinary contribution to the Bucknell department of athletics.
Former All-America Swimmer Kathryn Frazier `82 and men's basketball star Mike Bright `93 were presented Alumni Athlete Achievement Awards, given to former Bucknell athletes who have achieved success in their chosen profession.
Bucknell Senior Athletic Awards Summary
ECAC Appreciation Award: William R. Gruver.
Alumni Athlete Achievement Award: Kathryn Frazier '82 (swimming), Mike Bright `93 (basketball).
E. Harold Biggs Memorial Award: Katie Bishop.
`Ray Bucknell Diversity Award: Ashley Rooney (rowing).
Ronald J. "Pete" Pedrick Award: Alexandra Romanelli (track & field), Evan Zimmer (tennis).
Edward W. Pangburn Award: Emily Gladstone (rowing), Joe Willman (basketball).
Margaret L. Bryan-Albert E. Humpreys Award: Tayler Siegrist (field hockey/track & field), Ryan Gutowski (football/lacrosse).
Robert A. Latour Service Award: Alaina Puff (rowing), Mike Huffner (lacrosse).
John F. Zeller Award: Lindsay Horbatuck (basketball), Bryson Johnson (basketball).
Bradley N. Tufts Award: Sasha Hornock (track & field), Justin Hicks (track & field).
Lee S. "Bud" Ranck Memorial Award: Alex MacLean (softball), Matt Napleton (water polo).
Alvin F. Jackson Jr. Memorial Scholar-Athlete Award: Caroline Tolli (cross country/track & field), Christian Treat (swimming & diving).
Bison Club Award: Liz Porcellio (swimming & diving), Leonard Joseph (track & field).
Christy Mathewson Award: Caroline Tolli (cross country/track & field), Mike Muscala (basketball).
