Daemen Celebrates Successful 2017-18 Season With Annual Awards Banquet

By: By Mike Miranto, Sr. Associate A.D. for External Operations & Communications

From left: assistant athletic trainer Michello Copolo-Ziemer, PRIDE Award recipient Courtney Bernard & director of sports medicine Jeff Sage

General | 4/27/2018 9:20:00 PM

AMHERST, N.Y. - The Daemen College Athletic Department shifted from the rigors of competition into celebration mode on Friday evening, as student-athletes, coaches and administrators took time to reflect on the 2017-18 season at the department's annual awards banquet, dubbed the Daemen ESPY's, held at Lumsden Gymnasium. Award recipients from Daemen's current stable of 16 intercollegiate athletic programs were announced as head coaches took to the podium throughout the evening.

In attendance was interim athletic director Brandi Guerinot who addressed a crowd of more than 250 with the event's opening remarks, congratulating all those in attendance, and thanking them all for the hard work and dedication that they've poured into their respective athletic and academic endeavors.

In addition, events technology coordinator C. Ann Kelly was named the recipient of this year's Brett Ferber Unsung Hero Award. The prestigious honor, named for the former student and men's basketball team manager, is awarded annually to the institutional staff member or student who goes above and beyond in their dedication and support of Daemen Athletics. Kelly routinely provides technological support to Daemen Athletics, ensuring events and games go off without a hitch.

Alumnus and current strength and conditioning coordinator Kyle Clifford presented several Iron Wildcat Awards, recognizing teams and individuals for their work in the weight room and with speed and agility training this season. The women's volleyball and men's basketball teams were acknowledged as Iron Wildcat teams, and athletes from each took home the top Iron Wildcat honors for individuals as Ali Greenwood and Giambattista Davis were named the Female and Male Iron Wildcats, respectively. Clifford recognized the 17 additional athletes with the All-Iron Wildcats Team, which included: Kailey Ballou, Meghan Ballou and Courtney Bernard (women's volleyball); Jamie Boyar and Katelin White (women's soccer); Rachel Roberson (women's track & field); Autumn Buschenschutz and Erin Egan (women's basketball); Darius Garvin, Breon Harris, Xavier Long, Tajmin Holt, Da'Shawn Hines and Quinn Lee Yaw (men's basketball); David Gonzalez Villegas and Jose Williamson III (men's tennis); and Joe Keem (men's soccer).

Following Clifford's presentations, director of sports medicine Jeff Sage announced the afore-mentioned Bernard as the first-ever recipient of the Daemen Sports Medicine P.R.I.D.E. Award. The new award was established to recognize a student-athlete that has displayed perseverance, resilience, integrity, determination and expectations of excellence throughout a dedicated approach to injury rehabilitation.

The night neared conclusion with the announcement of the department's five major awards: the C.L.A.W. Award recognizing the senior student-athlete who best exemplifies the traits of character, leadership, academic achievement and work ethic, the Female Newcomer of the Year, the Male Newcomer of the Year, the Female Athlete of the Year; and the Male Athlete of the Year. For more information on the night's five major award recipients, click on the links provided.

Below is a full rundown of tonight's team award recipients.

Sport	Award Recipient	Award	Year	Hometown / Previous School
Men's Basketball	Darius Garvin	Most Valuable Player	Junior	Elmira, N.Y. / Notre Dame
	Breon Harris	Most Improved Player	Sophomore	Niagara Falls, N.Y. / Niagara Falls
	Giambattista Davis	Coach's Award	Junior	Buffalo, N.Y. / Park
Women's Basketball	Sarah Saba	Most Valuable Player	Senior	Lancaster, N.Y. / Lancaster
	Tiara Filbert	Most Improved Player	Redshirt Freshman	Batavia, N.Y. / Batavia
	Erin Egan	Coach's Award	Junior	Williamsville, N.Y. / Williamsville South
Women's Bowling	Katlyn Newberry	Most Valuable Player	Freshman	Rochester, N.Y. / Greece Athena
	Adrianna Pencek	Most Improved Player	Freshman	Dunkirk, N.Y. / Dunkirk
	Katie Good	Coach's Award	Sophomore	Hamburg, N.Y. / Frontier
Men's Cross Country	Josh Bodnar	Most Valuable Player	Sophomore	Fillmore, N.Y. / Fillmore
	Mike Swiniarski	Most Improved Player	Freshman	Akron, N.Y. / Akron
	Cale Silvestri	Coach's Award	Redshirt Freshman	Elma, N.Y. / Iroquois
Women's Cross Country	Amy Trabert	Most Valuable Player	Senior	Amherst, N.Y. / Amherst
	Elisia Panipinto	Most Improved Player	Sophomore	Ovid, N.Y. / South Seneca
	Savannah Warner	Coach's Award	Freshman	Elma, N.Y. / Alden
Men's Golf	Mitch Feneziani	Most Valuable Player	Senior	West Seneca, N.Y. / West Seneca West
	Alex Brown	Most Improved Player	Freshman	Lancaster, N.Y. / Lancaster
	Tyler Hockenberger	Coach's Award	Junior	Greece, N.Y. / Monroe CC
Men's Soccer	Niklas Ringdahl Bohlin	Most Valuable Player	Freshman	Fjaras, Sweden / Elof Lindalv Gymnasium
	Anthony Cupello	Most Improved Player	Freshman	Rochester, N.Y. / Greece Arcadia
	Noah Keem	Coach's Award	Freshman	Amherst, N.Y. / Sweet Home
Women's Soccer	Jamie Boyar	Most Valuable Player	Sophomore	Williamsville, N.Y. / Williamsville South
	Katelin White	Most Improved Player	Freshman	Lewiston, N.Y. / Lewiston-Porter
	Lindsay Ciaramella	Coach's Award	Sophomore	St. George, Ont. / Paris District
Men's Tennis	Ricardo Ruiz Martinez	Most Valuable Player	Junior	Valencia, Spain / American International College
	Fabian Wilde	Most Improved Player	Sophomore	Crimmitschau, Germany / Julius-Motteler
	James Schaab-Rozbicki	Coach's Award	Sophomore	Amherst, N.Y. / Williamsville North
Women's Tennis	Lorissa Yuen	Most Valuable Player	Freshman	Portland, Ore. / Sunset
	Christina Stasiuk	Most Improved Player	Freshman	Bowmansville, N.Y. / Lancaster
	Gretchen Ringler	Coach's Award	Senior	North Tonawanda, N.Y. / North Tonawanda
Men's Track & Field	Zach Laird	Most Valuable Player	Senior	Alexander, N.Y. / Alexander Central
	Sullivan Keller	Most Improved Player	Sophomore	Alden, N.Y. / Alden
	Drew Greenaway	Coach's Award	Junior	Brooklyn, N.Y. / Brooklyn Generation
Women's Track & Field	Taylor Haude	Most Valuable Player	Sophomore	Rochester, N.Y. / Hilton
	Hannah Miller	Most Improved Player	Sophomore	Seneca Falls, N.Y. / Mynderse
	Sydney McDonough	Coach's Award	Junior	Alfred Station, N.Y. / Alfred-Almond Central
Women's Triathlon	Amber Custodi	Most Valuable Player	Redshirt Freshman	Ransomville, N.Y. / Lewiston-Porter
Women's Volleyball	Jenn Heritz	Most Valuable Player	Freshman	Granger, Ind. / Penn
	Tirzah Peters	Most Improved Player	Freshman	Amherst, N.Y. / Sweet Home
	Katie McKrell	Coach's Award	Senior	Webster, N.Y. / Webster Schroeder

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Players Mentioned

#15 Xavier Long: F; 6' 2"; Redshirt Junior

Mitch Feneziani: 5' 10"; Senior

#1 Kailey Ballou: L; 5' 7"; Junior

#2 Meghan Ballou: OH; 6' 0"; Sophomore

#9 Courtney Bernard: MB/RS; 6' 0"; Junior

#11 Katie McKrell: S; 5' 8"; Senior

#3 Ali Greenwood: DS; 5' 6"; Freshman

#5 Jenn Heritz: MH; 6' 0"; Freshman

#16 Tirzah Peters: MH; 6' 0"; Freshman

#6 Joe Keem: D; 5' 11"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#15 Xavier Long
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Junior
: F

Mitch Feneziani
: 5' 10"; Senior

#1 Kailey Ballou
: 5' 7"; Junior
: L

#2 Meghan Ballou
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: OH

#9 Courtney Bernard
: 6' 0"; Junior
: MB/RS

#11 Katie McKrell
: 5' 8"; Senior
: S

#3 Ali Greenwood
: 5' 6"; Freshman
: DS

#5 Jenn Heritz
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: MH

#16 Tirzah Peters
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: MH

#6 Joe Keem
: 5' 11"; Sophomore
: D