Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Senior Student-Athletes Honored at Annual Awards Dinner
4/28/2015 9:35:00 PM | General
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Twenty-three outstanding Bucknell senior student-athletes were presented awards at the 54th Annual Department of Athletics & Recreation Senior Recognition Dinner, held Tuesday evening in the Terrace Room on campus. The outstanding careers of 156 senior athletes were honored at the dinner, and track and field stars Kim Nagotko (Mahwah, N.J./Mahwah) and Christian Lupica (Newtown, Pa./Holy Ghost Prep) claimed the evening's top honor, the Christy Mathewson Award, which goes to the outstanding male and female senior athletes.
Nagotko is one of the top sprinters in the history of the Bucknell women's track and field program. She holds eight school records and has won three gold medals at Patriot League Championships. Lupica is a record-setting sprinter and hurdler for the men's track and field team. He holds seven school records and was named 2014 Patriot League Track Athlete of the Meet after winning league titles in the 110 and 400-meter hurdles, as well as the 4x100 relay.
Elsewhere, standout softball shortstop Cydnee Sanders (Magnolia, Texas/Magnolia West) and lacrosse All-American David Dickson (Greenwich, Conn./Greenwich) received the Bison Club Award, presented to the senior athletes who best exemplify the winning spirit of the University's athletic program.
Sanders was the 2014 Patriot League Softball Scholar-Athlete of the Year and an NFCA All-Region Team selection after posting the third-highest batting average in the nation at .482. A two-time First Team All-Patriot League selection, Sanders is enjoying another strong season this spring, hitting .374 for a Bison squad that has already won a school-record 30 games with plenty more action still to come. Her .370 career batting average is fifth-highest in program history, and she is just two base hits shy of the school record of 205.
Dickson became just the third Bison and the 11th player in Patriot League men's lacrosse history to earn four all-conference citations. His 132 career assists are third-most in Bucknell and Patriot League history, and that is the second-highest total among all active Division I players. Dickson set school and league records with 48 assists in 2013, and he earned Third Team All-America honors that year. In each of the last two seasons, he was named to the watch list for the Tewaaraton Trophy, given to the national player of the year.
Diver Tara Boyle (Winnetka, Ill./New Trier) and baseball pitcher Bryson Hough (Fairfax, Va./W.T. Woodson) were awarded the Lee S. “Bud” Ranck Memorial Award, presented for outstanding spirit and contributions to the Bucknell athletic program.
Boyle was a three-time Patriot League champion in the 1-meter diving event, and she was a four-time All-Patriot League selection. She was the 2014 Patriot League Diver of the Meet, and in 2012 she became the first Bison diver ever to win a Patriot League title. Boyle is the Bucknell record-holder on the 1-meter board, and she ranks No. 2 in school history in the 3-meter event. She is also a three-time Academic All-Patriot League selection.
Hough has been a member of the weekend starting rotation all four years at Bucknell, and he has been the team's No. 1 starter for the last two. He was named to the 2014 Patriot League All-Tournament Team after helping the Bison to the league title, and he earned the start in the NCAA Regionals against Virginia. His 17 career wins are tied for third-most in program history.
The Bradley N. Tufts Award was presented to field hockey star Kelsey Mucelli (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown) and record-setting runner Andrew Garcia-Garrison (Detroit, Mich./Central Catholic). The Tufts Award is given in recognition of exceptional athletic achievement and contribution to Bucknell athletics.
Mucelli was a unanimous First Team All-Patriot League selection in each of the last three seasons. She started every game of her career and earned NFHCA All-Mideast Region honors in 2014 after leading Bucknell to a perfect 6-0 league mark and the team's first outright Patriot League regular-season title.
Garcia-Garrison has eclipsed the long-standing Bucknell records in the indoor and outdoor mile during a brilliant senior year. He ran a 4:00.51 mile in Boston during the indoor season, just missing the coveted four-minute barrier. At the 2015 Patriot League Indoor Championships, he earned Track Athlete of the Meet honors after winning four events: the mile, 1,000 meters, 4x800 relay and distance medley relay. The 4x800 relay shattered a 39-year-old school record and also broke the Patriot League record.
The 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. This year's Zeller Award recipients were swimmer Lauren Perry (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill), softball outfielder Kristen Zahn (Readington, N.J./Hunterdon Central Regional) and men's soccer defender Brian Ward (Manlius, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius).
Perry was a three-time First Team All-Patriot League selection for the Bison women's swimming and diving team. She led all Patriot League seniors in career points scored at the Patriot League Championships and was a 12-time scorer at the league meet. Perry swept the 100 and 200-yard freestyle events at the 2013 Patriot League Championships. She ranks in the top five in program history in five individual events, including school records in the 100 and 200 free.
Zahn is gunning for a third straight All-Patriot League honor this spring and is having an outstanding senior season. She leads the team with a .385 batting average, and she has obliterated the Bucknell single-season record for runs batted in with 50 (the previous record was 35). Zahn's 15 career home runs are third-most in team history, and her 101 career hits rank second, just six away from the team record.
Ward started every game for the last four years for the Bison men's soccer team, and he captained the squad to the 2014 Patriot League title while earning second team all-conference honors. Ward played center back this season, and he played in 96.5 percent of the team's minutes during the year.
The Alvin F. Jackson Jr. Memorial Scholar-Athlete Award was presented to rower Margo Boyd (Orinda, Calif./Miramonte) and football kicker Derek Maurer (Piscataway, N.J./Piscataway).
Boyd is an applied mathematical sciences major with a perfect 4.00 cumulative grade-point average. She is a two-time CRCA National Scholar-Athlete. As a member of the Bison rowing team, Boyd is a two-time Patriot League medalist, finishing third with the second varsity eight in 2013 and second in 2014.
Maurer holds a 3.93 GPA in managing for sustainability. He was a member of the FCS ADA All-Academic Team and the Capital One Academic All-District Team, and he was a finalist for the Campbell Trophy. He was a Business Innovation committee member as part of the Lewisburg Downtown Partnership, and along with teammate Trey Lauletta developed a student consulting firm that connected Bucknell's student body to local community organizations. On the gridiron, he finished with 111 career points, and his 63 points in 2014 ranked third on Bucknell's single-season list for kickers.
The Robert A. Latour Service Award, presented for extraordinary service to Bucknell and local communities, went to women's basketball standout Audrey Dotson (Vienna, Va./Flint Hill School) and football quarterback Trey Lauletta (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East).
Dotson was a First Team All-Patriot League selection for the Bison women's basketball squad this season. She ranks 11th in career points with 1,285 and third in career blocks with 117. A two-year team captain, Dotson led the team in scoring in each of the last two seasons and had 15 career double-doubles. She was a candidate for the Senior CLASS Award and was heavily involved in community events, including making thank-you cards for veterans and making blankets and collecting books for underprivileged children. She is also a member of Bucknell's Committee on Athletes and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Lauletta began his senior year as the No. 2 quarterback, but he ended up winning team MVP honors after several big performances in relief of injured starter R.J. Nitti. Lauletta became the first Bison in 20 years to throw for 300 yards in a game when he did it in a big win at Lehigh. He threw for over 1,000 yards this season while leading Bucknell to an 8-3 record. Off the field, he teamed with Maurer on the student consulting firm that helped connect Bucknell students to local businesses and organizations, and he maintained a 3.84 GPA in managing for sustainability.
The Bryan-Humphreys Award, presented to an individual for outstanding versatility, went to women's soccer standout Courtney Nelson (Phoenix, Ariz./Horizon Community Learning Center) and track and field sprinter/jumper Kevin Tapper (Elkridge, Md./Calvert Hall).
Nelson was a two-time All-Patriot League selection for the Bison women's soccer team. She played both fullback and midfield during her career and was a Third Team All-Region selection as an outside back this past season. She logged seven goals and 12 assists in her career.
Tapper competes in three to five events at most meets and holds Bucknell top-10 marks in the 300, 400, 500, 4x400, distance medley relay and triple jump. He is a two-time Patriot League runner-up in the triple jump, and he won an IC4A indoor title with the 4x400 relay.
The Edward W. Pangburn Award, presented for sportsmanship, fellowship and contribution to the University, went to distance runner Katie Jessee (Concord, Mass./Concord Carlisle) and men's basketball point guard Steven Kaspar (Lakeland, Tenn./Evangelical Christian).
Jessee was the 2014 Patriot League Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year after finishing third individually at the Patriot League Championship. She anchored the Bison distance medley relay team that captured a gold medal at the 2015 Patriot League Indoor Championships, and she also took second place in the 5,000 meters.
Kaspar was a two-year co-captain and four-year contributing point guard with the Bison men's basketball team. He was a part of three Patriot League regular-season championship teams and played in one NCAA Tournament and two NITs. He played in all 133 career games, one shy of the school record, and his 413 career assists are fifth-most in school history.
All-Patriot League field hockey defender Liz Wills (Plymouth Meeting, Pa./William Penn Charter) and baseball slugger Anthony Gingerelli (Worcester, Mass./Burncoat) were the 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.
Wills was a First Team All-Patriot League and Second Team All-Mideast Region selection in 2014 after leading the Bison to their first-ever outright regular-season league title. A two-time team MVP, Wills led the team in goals (8) and points (20) as a senior while also anchoring a defense that recorded eight shutouts.
Gingerelli was cut from the Bison baseball team as a freshman, but he made the squad a year later and has been a key part of the lineup ever since. He was a First Team All-Patriot League honoree in 2014 after leading the league with five home runs while batting .309 on a league championship team. Gingerelli enjoyed another outstanding season in 2015, hitting .301 while starting all 46 games.
The 'Ray Bucknell Diversity Award went to softball's Tori Robinson (Corona, Calif./Corona Centennial). Robinson has served as a facilitator for Common Ground, a student-led retreat that is dedicated to acceptance and understanding of diversity. She has served as a student teacher at Lewisburg High School and has also been a residential assistant at Bucknell.
Senior Mike Ondrusek (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) was presented the E. Harold Biggs Memorial Award as the most outstanding student athletic trainer. Ondrusek was also a defensive midfielder for the Bison men's lacrosse team.
In addition to the student-athlete awards, team photographer Marc Hagemeier 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.
Bucknell Senior Athletic Awards Summary
ECAC Appreciation Award: Marc Hagemeier.
E. Harold Biggs Memorial Award: Mike Ondrusek.
'Ray Bucknell Diversity Award: Tori Robinson (softball).
Ronald J. “Pete” Pedrick Award: Liz Wills (field hockey), Anthony Gingerelli (baseball).
Edward W. Pangburn Award: Katie Jessee (cross country/track & field), Steven Kaspar (basketball).
Margaret L. Bryan-Albert E. Humpreys Award: Courtney Nelson (soccer), Kevin Tapper (track & field).
Robert A. Latour Service Award: Audrey Dotson (basketball), Trey Lauletta (football).
John F. Zeller Award: Lauren Perry (swimming & diving), Kristen Zahn (softball), Brian Ward (soccer).
Bradley N. Tufts Award: Kelsey Mucelli (field hockey), Andrew Garcia-Garrison (cross country/track & field).
Lee S. “Bud” Ranck Memorial Award: Tara Boyle (swimming & diving), Bryson Hough (baseball).
Alvin F. Jackson Jr. Memorial Scholar-Athlete Award: Margo Boyd (rowing), Derek Maurer (football).
Bison Club Award: Cydnee Sanders (softball), David Dickson (lacrosse).
Christy Mathewson Award: Kim Nagotko (track & field), Christian Lupica (track & field).
