Athletic Department Celebrates 2017 Student-Athlete Graduates

Cheff, Pawlak Named Co-Recipients Of Department's Graduating Scholar-Athlete Award

AMHERST, N.Y. - The Daemen College Athletic Department hosted its third annual Graduating Student-Athlete Luncheon this afternoon in the Premier Center Cabaret at MusicalFare Theatre. The annual event has become a staple of commencement week on campus as graduating student-athletes are honored for completing the rigors of their academic workload.

Graduating student-athletes were joined by friends and family members as well as the department's coaches and administrators for a buffet-style lunch before reminiscing about their collective time spent donning Daemen uniforms.

Daemen President Dr. Gary A. Olson opened the luncheon with brief statements, followed by Niland who spoke about each student-athlete individually before presenting them with their official Daemen Athletics graduation stole and a large mounted action photo taken during their Daemen career.

Niland also announced the co-recipients of the department's Graduating Scholar-Athlete Award, shared this year by basketball student-athlete Rachel Pawlak (North Tonawanda, N.Y./Niagara-Wheatfield) and cross country, track and field and triathlon team member Ashley Cheff (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Niagara Falls). The honor annually goes to the highest achieving student or students among Daemen's graduating seniors. Pawlak is a graduate of the Business Administration program with a concentration in Sport Management. Cheff, who was the valedictorian in Daemen's graduating class of 2016 out of the Political Science program, came back for the 2016-17 academic year to compete and pursue a Master's Degree in Public Health. Both Pawlak and Cheff are headed to law school next fall - Pawlak at the University of Indiana, and Cheff at Arizona State University.

In addition to Pawlak and Cheff, graduating female student-athletes in attendance included basketball players Natalie Galus (Hamburg, N.Y./Frontier), Leah McDonell (North Tonawanda, N.Y./Cardinal O'Hara) and Jesse DeWaters (Lockport, N.Y./Niagara County CC), tennis player Shaylah Iverson (Canandaigua, N.Y./Naples), dual-sport (bowling, tennis) athlete Hayle Scanlan (Indianapolis, Ind./Perry Meridian), soccer players Rose Carboni (Endicott, N.Y./Union Endicott) and Kelly DuVall (Addison, N.Y./Addison), cross country/track and field athlete Mackenzie Donahue (East Aurora, N.Y./East Aurora) and volleyball player Amber Drzymala (West Seneca, N.Y./St. Mary's of Lancaster).

Graduating male student-athletes in attended were basketball player Alex Borges (Erie, Pa./Mercyhurst Prep), soccer players Austin Stephany (Watkins Glen, N.Y./University at Buffalo) and Colin Edwards (Burlington, Ont./Tiffin University), track and field athlete Jonathan Dygert (Springville, N.Y./Springville-Griffith), tri-sport (tennis, cross country, track and field) athlete Gregory Lowe (East Aurora, N.Y./East Aurora) and tennis players John LeMar (North Tonawanda, N.Y./North Tonawanda), John Wilson (Seneca Falls, N.Y./Mynderse), Adam Kerr (Penfield, N.Y./McQuaid Jesuit) and Roberto Zambrano (Guayaquil, Ecuador/Broward College).

To view a photo gallery of the event, click HERE.

Print Friendly Version