The Rensselaer 2013-14 senior student-athletes were recognized at the annual banquet held at the Hilton Garden Inn recently. Each student-athlete was presented a senior gift by Vice President for Student Life Tim Sams and Jim Knowlton, director of athletics.
One highlight of the event was the awarding of the Rensselaer Alumni Association (RAA) Team of the Year, which was presented to the 2013 women’s lacrosse team.
Among the accomplishments of that team, which was coached by Leslie DeLano, were that they matched the school record with 16 wins (16-4) and finished first in the regular season standings (8-1). The Engineers won the Liberty League Tournament and played in the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history. They averaged more than 12 goals per game, while holding the opposition to 8.33 goals per game in their 20 contests.
The Rensselaer Alumni Association (RAA) Team of the Year Award was presented to the 2013 women’s lacrosse team.
Also honored were men’s ice hockey player Brock Higgs and women’s lacrosse player Meg Colitz, who were named the Henry Kumpf Award winners. Peggy Conroy-Martin, Rensselaer’s associate registrar, was not in attendance, but was honored with the Tom Sheehan Award.
The Kumpf Award is given annually to a senior student-athlete who has demonstrated a strong degree of motivation, desire and determination in contributing to the success of the team. The Sheehan Award is presented to a faculty or staff member in recognition of outstanding contributions to Rensselaer athletics.
DeLano and head football coach Ralph Isernia presented the annual Strength and Conditioning Career Athlete Awards, which are given to two senior student-athletes who during their athletic careers have been leaders in the strength and conditioning environment. This year’s honorees were Colitz and football’s Joe Cozzolino.
Also as part of the dinner, the newest members of Olympia, the athletic department’s student-athlete honor society, were honored. Forty individuals were chosen from this year’s senior class. Those inducted into Olympia were: Kelly Piotrowski, Jordan Smelker, Brock Higgs, Matt Tinordi, Al Mersman, Andrew Kalish, Tim Gallagher, Eric Kozak, Sean Conroy, Tori Hunt, Meghan Colitz, Rachel Scofield, Liz Powell, Marissa Page, Michelle Denny, Alex Castronovo, Thomas Newman, Sarah Krolus, Jen Piselli, Nate Hosking, Brittany Van Grouw, Alex Shaw, Sara Rothschild, Brooke Van Baush, Jared Doolan , Jarrett Regier, Christina Ciamarra, Sean Quinn, Aldous Strother, Lydia Frangos, Ivy Muchuma, Cheryl Tran, Alden Chiasson, Alex Delaney, Zac Borrelli, Sam Ellis, Stephen Silber, Ted Abrie, Joe Cozzolino and Andrew Armato.