Holy Cross Varsity Club Announces Yearly Award Winners
Video: Student-Athlete Award Winners
WORCESTER, Mass. – The Holy Cross Varsity Club announced
its yearly awards at its 56th annual dinner, held on Saturday, May
7, at the Hogan Campus Center. Leading the way was senior
Andrew Keister (Galloway, N.J.) of the men’s
basketball team, who was selected as the 2010-2011 Crusader of the
Year. In addition to presenting its annual student-athlete awards,
the club also inducted six new members into the Hall of Fame. Hall
of Fame inductees were: Jay Bowers (Class of 1961,
cross country, track & field), Meg Galligan
(honorary), Rusty Giudici (Class of 2003, soccer),
Jim Kavanagh (honorary), Art
Kenney (Class of 1938, baseball) and Tim
Szatko (Class of 2003, basketball).
STUDENT-ATHLETE AWARDS
Senior center Andrew Keister (Galloway, N.J.), a
member of the men’s basketball team, has been selected as the
2010-2011 Crusader of the Year. Keister earned second team
All-Patriot League honors this season, marking the third time he
was selected all-conference during his collegiate career. He
averaged 12.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 0.7 blocked shots per game
this season, while making 51.6 percent (127 of 246) of his field
goal attempts. Keister was even more impressive against Patriot
League opponents, averaging 14.1 points and 9.9 rebounds in
conference regular season action. On the year, he ranked first in
the Patriot League in rebounding, fourth in field goal percentage,
10th in scoring and 10th in blocked shots. Keister also posted a
team-best 11 double-doubles on the year, including eight straight
double-doubles to end the season. Over the course of his collegiate
career, he totaled 945 points and 752 rebounds, while making 52.0
percent (376 of 723) of his field goal attempts and posting 30
double-doubles. Keister ranks sixth all-time at Holy Cross in
career field goal percentage and 11th in career rebounds. Off the
court, he has posted a 3.44 grade point average in History, and was
selected to the 2011 Patriot League All-Academic team and the 2011
Capital One / CoSIDA Academic All-District team. Keister has also
been named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll in each of the
last four years.
Senior goaltender Amy Martin (Bloomfield, Mich.)
from the women’s lacrosse team is the recipient of the John
A. Meegan Athletic Achievement Award. Martin started all 17 games
in goal for the Crusaders this season, making 132 saves while
posting a 10.44 goals against average. She finished the 2011
campaign ranked third in the Patriot League in saves per game
(7.76) and fifth in save percentage (.437). Martin was named the
Patriot League Goaltender of the Year in 2010, when she also earned
first team All-Patriot League and All-Patriot League Tournament
honors. Over the course of her collegiate career, she won 22 games
and posted an 11.73 goals against average with 621 saves and a .456
save percentage. Martin is tied for second all-time at Holy Cross
in career victories, while ranking third in career saves, sixth in
career save percentage and seventh in career goals against
average.
Senior forward Whitney Fremeau (Manchester,
N.H.), a member of the women’s basketball team,
received the John P. Cooney Memorial Award, which is presented to a
senior letterwinner who has performed beyond all expectations with
courage, loyalty and dedication. A two-time All-Patriot League
selection, Fremeau averaged a team-best 14.2 points, 4.3 rebounds
and 2.3 assists per game during the 2010-2011 season, while making
41.7 percent (174 of 417) of her field goal attempts. She finished
the year ranked second in the Patriot League in scoring, ninth in
field goal percentage and ninth in assists. Over the course of her
collegiate career, Fremeau totaled 1,093 points, 459 rebounds and
215 assists, becoming the 27th 1,000-point scorer in school
history. Off the court, she volunteered her time with the Mercy
Centre and took part in Holy Cross Cares Day, the Walk to Cure
Cancer and Community Reading Day.
Senior strong safety Anthony DiMichele (McKees Rocks,
Pa.), a member of the football team, has been selected as
the recipient of the Daniel Allen Sportsmanship Award. The Allen
Award was established in 2005, and is presented to the Holy Cross
varsity athlete who best exemplifies the qualities of sportsmanship
that coach Allen exhibited throughout his life. An All-Patriot
League selection in each of his last two seasons, DiMichele ranked
third on the team with 83 total tackles this year, including 72
solo stops and two tackles for loss. He also finished the season
with five pass breakups and two fumble recoveries, while ranking
third in the conference in fumble recoveries, seventh in total
tackles and 15th in passes defended. Over the course of his
collegiate career, DiMichele totaled 237 tackles, 20 pass breakups,
nine tackles for loss and four interceptions in 41 games
played.
The Richard J. Maloney Award, presented annually to the
men’s basketball player who best exemplifies Mr.
Maloney’s spirit and energy as a loyal contributor to the
program, went to senior guard Andrew Beinert (Floral Park,
N.Y.). One of the Crusaders’ captains this season,
Beinert averaged 7.7 points, 4.1 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 0.9
steals per game, while making 37.6 percent (44 of 117) of his
three-point field goals and posting a 1.93-to-1 assist-to-turnover
ratio. He finished the year ranked third in the Patriot League in
assists, fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio, sixth in three-point
field goal percentage, 13th in steals, 13th in three-point field
goals made and 28th in scoring. Beinert finished his collegiate
career ranked second all-time at Holy Cross in games started (102),
while standing third in three-point field goals made (173), third
in three-point field goals attempted (425), sixth in three-point
field goal percentage (.407), seventh in games played (121),
seventh in mintues played (3,309) and 10th in assists (335).
Senior forward Whitney Fremeau (Manchester, N.H.)
has been awarded the Samantha Vellaccio Award, which is presented
annually to the varsity women’s basketball player who best
exemplifies the mission of Holy Cross both on and off the court. A
two-time All-Patriot League selection, Fremeau averaged a team-best
14.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game during the
2010-2011 season, while making 41.7 percent (174 of 417) of her
field goal attempts. She finished the year ranked second in the
Patriot League in scoring, ninth in field goal percentage and ninth
in assists. Over the course of her collegiate career, Fremeau
totaled 1,093 points, 459 rebounds and 215 assists, becoming the
27th 1,000-point scorer in school history. Off the court, she
volunteered her time with the Mercy Centre and took part in Holy
Cross Cares Day and the Walk to Cure Cancer, while taking part in
Community Reading Day at several local schools.
Senior outfielder Nick Ciardiello (Edison, N.J.)
received the Hop Riopel Award as the baseball team’s most
valuable player, marking the second straight season he has earned
the honor. Ciardiello had a .345 batting average this season with
31 runs scored, 14 doubles, a team-high eight home runs and a
team-best 43 runs batted in. He also finished the year with a .459
on-base percentage and a .583 slugging percentage. At the end of
the regular season, Ciardiello ranked third in the Patriot League
in doubles, fourth in batting average, fifth in home runs and fifth
in runs batted in. Over the course of his collegiate career, he
batted .315 with 42 doubles, 24 home runs and 130 runs batted in.
Ciardiello broke the Holy Cross career record for home runs, while
placing second in career runs batted in and third in career
doubles.
The Ray Dobens Award, presented to the most improved baseball
player, has gone to junior lefthanded pitcher John Pedrotty
(Portsmouth, R.I.). After starting just four games on the
mound during his first two years with the Crusaders, Pedrotty
emerged as the team’s top starting pitcher in 2011. In 10
starts and one relief appearance this season, he led the team with
a 7-2 records while posting a 4.64 earned run average. Over a
team-high 60-1/3 inning pitched, Pedrotty struck out 56 batters and
held the opposition to a .269 batting average, in addition to
throwing two complete games. At the conclusion of the regular
season, he led the Patriot League in victories, while standing
third in strikeouts, third in innings pitched and fourth in earned
run average.
Five football players were presented with the Davitt Awards, as
the top backs and linemen on both sides of the ball. The Davitt
Awards were instituted by Jim Davitt of Holyoke, Mass. (Class of
1913), in memory of his brother, Rev. William Davitt (Class of
1907), who played football and ran track while at Holy Cross, and
was the last United States officer to lose his life in World War I.
This year’s winners were senior wide receiver Bill
Edger (Hainesport, N.J.), senior free safety Alex
Johnson (Indianapolis, Ind.), junior offensive tackle
Mike McCabe (Watertown, Conn.), senior defensive
end Mude Ohimor (Stoughton, Mass.) and senior wide
receiver Freddie Santana (Staten Island,
N.Y.).
HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
Bowers was a standout member of the cross country
and track and field squads for the Crusaders, serving as the
captain of both teams during his senior year. He won the New
England championship in the 880-yard run as a junior with a time of
1:55.2. Bowers also set what were then Holy Cross and Fitton Field
records in the 880-yard run with a time of 1:52.7 in May of 1960.
In addition, he was a member of the two-mile relay team which won
the IC4A championship and the National AAU championship in 1961,
while going undefeated in the 880-yard run in dual meet competition
as a senior. Following his senior year, Bowers received the John C.
Lawlor Medal, awarded to the top student and athlete at Holy Cross
throughout the college course.
Galligan spent 23 years as the head coach of the
Holy Cross field hockey team from 1985-2007, posting an overall
record of 206-223-10 with a 58-35 mark in the Patriot League. The
winningest field hockey coach in school history, she earned Patriot
League Coach of the Year honors in 1997 and 2000, while guiding the
Crusaders to three Patriot League regular season titles (1998, 2000
and 2001) and three Patriot League tournament crowns (1997, 1998
and 2000). During her final 11 seasons as head coach,
Galligan’s teams never finished worse than third in the
Patriot League standings, while advancing to the Patriot League
championship game seven times in those 11 years. In addition,
Galligan also served as the head coach of the Holy Cross
women’s lacrosse team from 1986-1995, earning Patriot League
Coach of the Year honors in 1992. Her 233 combined victories
between field hockey and lacrosse rank as the seventh most all-time
at Holy Cross among all sports.
Giudici was a star defender on the Crusader
men’s soccer team from 1999-2002, serving as team captain for
three seasons. He led the team to an overall record of 40-24-7
during his four years, with Holy Cross winning three Patriot League
regular season titles and one Patriot League Tournament
championship. The Crusaders also made their first-ever appearance
in the NCAA Tournament during Giudici’s senior season. A
four-time first team All-Patriot League selection, he was named the
Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year in 2002. Giudici also
earned first team All-New England honors as a senior, after being a
second team selection as s junior. Along with his success on the
field, Giudici earned a number of honors for his academic work. He
was named the 2002 Patriot League Scholar Athlete of the Year, was
a second team CoSIDA Academic All-District selection in 2002, and
was chosen to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll three
times.
Kavanagh is currently in his 40th season as a
coach with the Holy Cross track and field and cross country
programs, and has coached over 2,000 Holy Cross student-athletes
during his tenure. He joined the Crusader staff in 1970 as an
assistant track and field coach and was appointed head coach in
1978. Kavanagh was then promoted to the position of director of
men’s and women’s track and cross country in the summer
of 1999. Under his tutelage, five members of the cross country and
track and field teams have been named Crusader of the Year, while
four have received the Honorable John P. Cooney Memorial Award.
Kavanagh has coached 14 New England champions, over 25 Patriot
League champions, four Patriot League Scholar-Athletes of the Year,
four CoSIDA Academic All-Americans and hundreds of Patriot League
Academic Honor Roll selections. A 1968 graduate of Boston College,
Kavanagh was a four-time All-American in the hammer and weight
throws. He was also drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs of the
National Football League.
Kenney was a standout pitcher for the Crusader
baseball team in the late 1930s. He posted a career record of 16-4
on the mound, while helping the team to an overall mark of 51-9-1
during his collegiate career. Kenney threw a two-hit shutout to
defeat Rhode Island in 1936, when he finished the season with a
0.91 earned run average. During the 1938 season, he allowed just
one run on two hits in four innings of relief in a 3-2 exhibition
win over the Boston Red Sox, while striking out eventual Hall of
Famer Jimmie Foxx twice. Following his graduation, Kenney signed
with the Boston Bees of the National League. He pitched in two
games for the Bees that year, and also played for several seasons
in the minor leagues. At 94 years of age, Kenney is currently the
10th oldest living former Major League baseball player.
Szatko was a star forward on the men’s
basketball teams which won three straight Patriot League
championships and made three NCAA Tournament appearances from
2001-2003. He was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Year in
2000, before earning Patriot League Player of the Year honors in
2001 and being selected as the Patriot League Tournament Most
Valuable Player in 2002. Twice named first team All-Patriot League,
Szatko helped lead the team to an overall record of 76-46 during
his collegiate career. He totaled 1,464 points and 783 rebounds
during his four years, to rank 10th all-time at Holy Cross in
rebounding and 11th in scoring at the time of his graduation.
Szatko averaged at least 11.4 points and 5.9 rebounds in each of
his four seasons, while hitting 71.8 percent of his career free
throw attempts. Following his graduation, he went on to play
professional basketball in Europe.
2011 HOLY CROSS VARSITY CLUB HALL OF FAME DINNER AWARD
WINNERS
Crusader of the Year: Andrew Keister.
John A. Meegan Athletic Achievement Award: Amy
Martin.
John P. Cooney Memorial Award: Whitney
Fremeau.
Daniel Allen Sportsmanship Award: Anthony
DiMichele.
Richard J. Maloney Award: Andrew Beinert.
Samantha Vellaccio Award: Whitney Fremeau.
Hop Riopel Award: Nick Ciardiello.
Ray Dobens Award: John Pedrotty.
Davitt Awards: Bill Edger, Alex Johnson, Mike
McCabe, Mude Ohimor, Freddie Santana.
Hall of Fame Inductees: Jay Bowers (Class of
1961, cross country, track & field), Meg Galligan (honorary),
Rusty Giudici (Class of 2003, soccer), Jim Kavanagh (honorary), Art
Kenney (Class of 1938, baseball) and Tim Szatko (Class of 2003,
basketball).
