AMHERST, N.Y. - Junior men's basketball player Casey Sheehan (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Athena), senior women's basketball player Monica Kosior (Grimsby, Ont./Canisius College) and senior volleyball player Joanna Fretthold (North Tonawanda, N.Y./North Tonawanda) brought home the major awards of the evening tonight at the 2012-13 Daemen College Athletics Awards Banquet held in the Social Room of the Charles J. Wick Campus Center.  Sheehan and Kosior were named Male and Female Athletes of the Year, respectively, while Fretthold was honored as the recipient of the C.L.A.W. Award.

Sheehan's selection for the award comes after a stellar junior campaign in which he led the Wildcats to a team record 27-win season that culminated in a runner-up finish at the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) Division I National Championship Tournament.

"Casey put together a tremendous season for us," said Head Men's Basektball Coach Don Silveri.  "He is the most athletic 5-foot-9 guard I've seen in over 40 years of coaching.  He is constantly in attack mode which constantly puts pressure on the defense.  He does so many things well for us.  He can pass, he can defend, he can rebound, and he can score in a variety of ways – three-pointers, pull-up jumpers, one-handed dunks.  You name it, he does it."

Sheehan led the team in scoring (16 points per game) and steals (68) while also ranking second in assists (133).  He had 11 games with at least 20 points, including a career-high 35 vs. Redeemer University College back on Dec. 29 which led to his selection as the USCAA Division I Player of the Week. 

He was selected to the All-Tournament Team at the Joe Manchin Classic (Dec. 7-9) hosted by Salem International University and at the USCAA Division I National Championship Tournament after averaging 17.3 points per game in the postseason.  He also surpassed the 1,000-point plateau for his career during a 31-point outing in the regular season finale at Point Park University and was a USCAA 1st Team All-American.

Kosior, a 6-foot-5 Division I transfer, blossomed in her third season under Skolen as she became a dominant interior force.  She led the team in scoring (13.8 points per game), rebounding (8.6 rebounds per game), blocked shots (94) and field goal percantge (.536).  She recorded a team-high 14 double-doubles and was named a USCAA 1st Team All-American and the Most Valuable Player of the USCAA Division I National Championship Tournament.

"Monica kept improving so much over the past two years," said Head Women's Basketball Coach David Skolen.  "Being 6-foot-5 is a great asset but she also became a skilled all-around player with a very nice shooting touch."

The C.L.A.W. Award is given out annually to the student-athlete who best exhibits excellence in the traits of character, leadership, academic achievement and work ethic and Fretthold surely fit the bill this year.

The Marketing major and three-time team captain carries a 3.56 grade point average.  She achieved numerous awards on the volleyball court this season, and throughout her career, including being named a USCAA 1st Team All-American and MVP of the USCAA National Championship Tournament.

In addition to her exploits on the court, Fretthold has completed internships with both Niagara University and the Buffalo Sabres and also expressed her talents as a dedicated student worker within Daemen's athletic department.  She was also recently the featured student-athlete speaker at Daemen's celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day.

Assistant Athletic Trainer Karen Roehling, who nominated Fretthold for the award, had this to say: "Her enthusiasm is contagious and she makes an excellent role model.  I remember last summer watching her and another athlete workout and truly committing themselves to being better, even though she was already one of our top female athletes.  She not only wants to make herself better but also improve those around her.  Her leadership was evident during the volleyball team's national championship season last fall.”