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Daemen University Athletics

Western New York's Premier Division II Team
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2019 night of honors

Daemen Athletics Celebrates At 2019 Night Of Honors

5/3/2019 8:45:00 PM

By: By Mike Miranto, Sr. Associate A.D. for External Operations & Communications
AMHERST, N.Y. - The Daemen College Athletic Department celebrated a successful season this evening at the 2019 Wildcat Night of Honors held on campus at the John R. Yurtchuk Student Center. Student-athletes were recognized for their athletic, academic and community service achievements throughout the night, and several major awards were presented. Below is a recap of the event's honorees...

Female Athlete of the Year: Jamie Boyar, Women's Soccer (Jr., Williamsville, N.Y. / Williamsville South)
Jamie Boyar had one of the finest seasons in the history of the Daemen women's soccer program, helping the Wildcats to an 8-8-1 overall record and the team's first-ever berth in the East Coast Conference tournament. A two-time ECC Offensive Player of the Week selection, Boyar scored 20 goals, breaking the team's single-season record (19) set by Kim Walker in 2005. She finished the season with 43 total points, second-best in the ECC this season and the third-best single-season total in team history. Boyar's offensive prowess included five multi-goal games, highlighted by her five-goal performance in a win against Lincoln University, the most goals scored by an Division II player in a single game this season. 

Boyar was a Daemen Student-Athlete of the Month honoree for both September and October, and she went on to earn All-ECC First Team honors. She was additionally selected to the All-East Region Second Team by both the United Soccer Coaches and Division II Conference Commissioners Association. 

Additional Female Athlete of the Year nominees were Amber Custodi (women's triathlon), Erin Egan (women's basketball), Taylor Haude (women's track and field) and Tirzah Peters (women's volleyball). Past recipients are Lindsay Miller (2012, women's soccer), Monica Kosior (2013, women's basketball), Ye Wang (2014, women's volleyball), Mackenzie Donahue (2015, 2016, 2017, women's cross country/track and field) and Sarah Saba (2018, women's basketball). 

Male Athlete of the Year: Andrew Sischo, Men's Basketball (R-So., Guilderland, N.Y. / Guilderland)
For the second straight year, Andrew Sischo is Daemen's Male Athlete of the Year. The 6-foot-9 center played a leading role in the men's basketball team's most successful season at the NCAA Division II level; a season that included a 24-6 overall record, a combined 16 weeks ranked in the Division II Sports Information Directors of America and National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) top-25 polls, the program's second East Coast Conference regular season championship and first NCAA tournament berth. Sischo averaged 20.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game while shooting 58.6 percent from the field. He led the ECC in field goal percentage and ranked second in both scoring and rebounding. Sischo's 585 total points are the most ever by a Daemen sophomore, and eight-best in team history overall. 

Sischo was named the ECC Player of the Year, and earned his second straight All-ECC First Team selection. The Division II Conference Commissioners Association named him the East Region Player of the Year and a Second Team All-American. He was also a First Team All-District pick by the NABC. 

Additional Male Athlete of the Year nominees were Rodney Corbin (men's track and field), Sullivan Keller (men's track and field) and Mike Swiniarski (men's cross country/track and field). Past recipients are Dom Mazzocchi (2012, men's basketball), Casey Sheehan (2013, men's basketball), Gerald Beverly (2014, 2015, men's basketball), Torrence Dyck (2016, men's basketball) and Kevin Roginson (2017, men's cross country/track and field). 

Co-Female Newcomers of the Year: Katie Titus, Women's Basketball (Fr., Penfield, N.Y. / Our Lady of Mercy) & Isa McCaffrey, Women's Volleyball (Fr., North Royalton, Ohio / Magnificat) 
Freshman forward Katie Titus broke out during the second half of the 2018-19 season, leading Daemen to its most successful season since transitioning to NCAA Division II. Titus helped the Wildcats win 14 of their final 15 regular season games as the team finished 18-10 overall and 15-3 in East Coast Conference play. Titus was the only player in the ECC to be named Player of the Week, Defensive Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week, racking up a combined eight weekly accolades. She averaged 12.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game, and was named the ECC Rookie of the Year as well as to the All-ECC First Team.

Freshman setter Isa McCaffrey also played a pivotal role for the Wildcat volleyball squad, earning three ECC Rookie of the Week and four ECC Setter of the Week honors. Her efforts helped Daemen to a 21-11 overall record, the ECC regular season and tournament championships, and the program's second NCAA tournament berth. McCaffrey racked up 1,097 assists, a total which led the ECC and made her just the seventh player in team history to surpass 1,000 in a single season. McCaffrey was an All-ECC First Team selection, in addition to being the ECC Co-Setter of the Year.

Additional Female Newcomer of the Year nominees were Nazjahe Boswell (women's track and field) and Kayleigh Daniels (women's soccer). Past recipients are Jamie Boyar (2017, women's soccer) and Amber Custodi (2018, women's triathlon).

Male Newcomer of the Year: Jahari Winkfield, Men's Volleyball (Fr., Oswego, Ill. / Oswego East)
Daemen's inaugural men's volleyball season was punctuated by Jahari Winkfield who racked up a team-high 222 kills while appearing in all 23 matches. The 6-foot-4 right side/middle hitter averaged a team-best 2.81 kills per set and chipped in 32 blocks and 82 digs during the season. Winkfield, who was a Student-Athlete of the Month honoree for March, was named to the Off The Block All-Independent Team for his efforts this season.

Additional Male Newcomer of the Year nominees were Giacomo Bacigalupo (men's soccer), Ethan Majewski (men's track and field) and Patrick O'Brien (men's tennis). Past recipients are Jeff Redband (2017, men's basketball) and Noah Keem (men's soccer, 2018). 

C.L.A.W. Award: Erin Egan, Women's Basketball (Sr., Williamsville, N.Y. / Williamsville South)
Awarded to the graduating senior who best exemplifies character, leadership, academic achievement and work ethic, the 2019 C.L.A.W. Award went to women's basketball player Erin Egan. Egan developed into the heart and soul of the Daemen women's basketball team over the last four years. As a senior, she enjoyed her finest season, averaging 10.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game en route to earning All-ECC Third Team honors. She served as team captain, and her leadership was vital in the team's success this season. 

Off the court, Egan has studied in Daemen's competitive physical therapy program where she's maintained nearly a 3.90 grade-point average. She has been instrumental in helping her team develop a relationship with a Team Impact child, championing a program that pairs children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses with college athletic teams. Her involvement led to her selection for a Team Impact fellowship, a position that puts her at the forefront of the organization's efforts with all colleges in Western New York. She's also been an active member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the Daemen Center for Allied and Unified Sport and Exercise. 

Additional C.L.A.W. Award nominees were Stefanie Briggs (cheerleading), Andrea D'Sa (women's soccer/tennis), Drew Greenaway (men's track and field) and Ricardo Ruiz Martinez (men's tennis). Past recipients are Joanna Fretthold (2012, women's volleyball), Courtney Donovan (2013, women's basketball), Mark Coppola (2014, men's basketball), Sam Rugg (2015, men's soccer/track and field), Gregory Lowe (2016, men's tennis), Rachel Pawlak (2017, women's basketball), Giambattista Davis (2018, men's basketball) and Katie McKrell (2018, women's volleyball). 

Sports Medicine P.R.I.D.E. Award: Nick Petrucelli, Men's Basketball (R-Sr., Hicksville, N.Y. / Thomasville Prep)
Awarded by the Sports Medicine office to the student-athlete who best exemplifies perseverance, resilience, integrity, determination and expectations of excellence during an injury rehabilitation process, the P.R.I.D.E. Award went to men's basketball player Nick Petrucelli. Petrucelli appeared in 72 games and made 17 starts over parts of four seasons with the Wildcats, overcoming several injuries to do so, injuries that resulted in five major surgeries. He suffered an injury midway through the 2015-16 season, missing the final 13 games that year and the entire 2016-17 campaign. He returned to the lineup early in the 2017-18 season, but suffered another season-ending injury just two games into his comeback. Petrucelli again went through the rehab process and returned to the team for the 2018-19 season, only to suffer the fourth major injury of his career in mid-November. With his eligibility clock running out, Petrucelli would miss just five games and played the remainder of the season with his injury. He appeared in 25 games and helped Daemen capture the East Coast Conference regular season championship and the program's first-ever NCAA tournament berth this season. 

Additional Athletic Department Awards
Team Community Service Award: Women's Track and Field
Wildcat Good Neighbor Award (for contributions to Daemen Athletics by an off-campus person): Adam Erickson, Athletic Director, Williamsville South High School
Brett Ferber Award (for contibutions to Daemen Athletics by an on-campus person): Carol Bartlo, Academic Support Coordinator
Iron Wildcats (for consistent performance in strength and conditioning sessions): Ziv Basden, Courtney Bernard, Autumn Buchsenschutz, Ali Cousins, Ali Greenwood, Jay Sarkis, Caroline White
Male Iron Wildcat Award: Ziv Basden, Men's Basketball
Female Iron Wildcat Award: Ali Greenwood, Women's Volleyball
Iron Wildcat Team Awards: Men's Basketball & Women's Volleyball

Team Awards
Men's Basketball Women's Basketball
Most Valuable Player Andrew Sischo (R-So., Guilderland, N.Y.) Most Valuable Player Katie Titus (Fr., Penfield, N.Y.)
Most Improved Player Jeff Redband (R-Jr., Batavia, N.Y.) Most Improved Player Erin Egan (Sr., Williamsville, N.Y.)
Wildcat Award Quinn Lee Yaw (R-Sr., Jamestown, N.Y.) Wildcat Award Sarah Young (Jr., Depew, N.Y.)
  
Men's Cross Country Women's Cross Country
Most Valuable Player Mike Swiniarski (So., Akron, N.Y.) Most Valuable Player Savannah Warner (So., Elma, N.Y.)
Most Improved Player Mike Swiniarski (So., Akron, N.Y.) Most Improved Player Taya Mucha (So., Lockport, N.Y.)
Wildcat Award Nate Louk (R-So., Jane Lew, W.Va.) Wildcat Award Kassandra Nolet (R-Fr., Fort Erie, Ont.)
  
Men's Soccer Women's Soccer
Most Valuable Player Anthony Cupello (So., Rochester, N.Y.) Most Valuable Player Jamie Boyar (Jr., Williamsville, N.Y.)
Most Improved Player Derek Mancuso (So., Friendship, N.Y.) Most Improved Player Madeline Emmi (Fr., Grand Island, N.Y.)
Wildcat Award Victor Lanje (So., Helsingborg, Sweden) Wildcat Award Monique Green (Sr., Williamsville, N.Y.)
  
Men's Tennis Women's Tennis
Most Valuable Player Ricardo Ruiz Martinez (Sr., Valencia, Spain) Most Valuable Player Christina Stasiuk (So., Bowmansville, N.Y.)
Most Improved Player Fabian Wilde (Jr., Crimmitschau, Germany) Most Improved Player Courtney Otis (Fr., Marcellus, N.Y.)
Wildcat Award James Schaab-Rozbicki (Jr., Amherst, N.Y.) Wildcat Award Jessica Robins (Sr., North Tonawanda, N.Y.)
  
Men's Track & Field Women's Track & Field
Most Valuable Player Sullivan Keller (Jr., Alden, N.Y.) Most Valuable Player Taylor Haude (Jr., Rochester, N.Y.)
Most Improved Player Dan Fogle (Fr., Lockport, N.Y.) Most Improved Player Betty Jones (So., Camillus, N.Y.)
Wildcat Award Drew Greenaway (Sr., Brooklyn, N.Y.) Wildcat Award Monahe Marchione (Fr., Buffalo, N.Y.)
  
Men's Volleyball Women's Volleyball
Most Valuable Player Michael Krueger (Fr., Canonsburg, Pa.) Most Valuable Player Ali Greenwood (So., North Aurora, Ill.)
Most Improved Player Henry Moffitt (Fr., Sydney, Australia) Most Improved Player Allison Post (So., Windsor, Calif.)
Wildcat Award Ryan Beck (Fr., Pittsburgh, Pa.) Wildcat Award Courtney Bernard (R-Jr., Lancaster, Ohio)
  
Women's Triathlon Women's Bowling
Most Valuable Player Amber Custodi (R-So., Ransomville, N.Y.) Most Valuable Player Alex Syrotynski (So., East Greenbush, N.Y.)
Most Improved Player Jordan Hardie (R-So., Attica, N.Y.) Most Improved Player Adrianna Pencek (So., Dunkirk, N.Y.)
Wildcat Award Alex Hasiotis (So., Rochester, N.Y.)
    
Cheerleading
Most Valuable Player Marisa Smith (Fr., North Tonawanda, N.Y.)
Most Improved Player Lexi Kluge (Fr., East Amherst, N.Y.)
Wildcat Award Nicole Conklin (Jr., Springville, N.Y.)
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