St. John's University Athletics
St. John's Hosts 74th Annual Athletic Awards Celebration
6/3/2020 4:11:00 PM | Baseball, Fencing, General, Men's Basketball, Men's Golf, Men's Lacrosse, Men's Soccer, Men's Tennis, Softball, Women's Basketball, Women's Cross Country, Women's Golf, Women's Soccer, Women's Tennis, Women's Track and Field, Women's Volleyball, Men's Fencing, Women's Fencing
St. John’s student-athletes recognized for their success over the season
St. John's reflected on a great year of accomplishments at its virtual awards celebration on Wednesday afternoon.
The 74th edition of the awards banquet celebrated another successful academic year for the Red Storm.
Director of Athletics Mike Cragg kicked off the awards celebration with introductory remarks. Cragg delivered thoughts about the importance of student-athletes following the St. John's motto of "Win. Graduate. Serve." as well as the importance placed on the community that the university creates.
Following Cragg's opening remarks, Campus Minister for Athletics, Fr. Richard Rock C. M. delivered an invocation to the coaches and student-athletes.
Senior softball player and a member of the St. John's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Gretchen Bowie also spoke to her fellow peers about her time as a Johnnie.
Nine special recognition awards acknowledge those athletes and coaches who have gone above and beyond the sport in their most recent season.
The Herbert V. Hess Award is presented to a coach who during the year demonstrates honesty, integrity and concern for the student-athletes. This year, the award was split between a pair of coaches for the first time in over two decades, as volleyball coach Joanne Persico and men's soccer coach Dr. David Masur shared the accolade. Persico led the Johnnies to their best weekend in program history, as the Red Storm took down two nationally ranked opponents in as many days before going on claim the BIG EAST title for the first time in 12 years. Under the direction of Masur, the St. John's men's soccer team ranked amongst the best in the country for the entire 2019 campaign. Masur helped the Johnnies reach as high as no. 1 in the RPI and no. 4 in the Coaches Poll before securing his 21st NCAA Tournament bid and the program's 12th trip to the round of 16.
The Frank C. Haggerty Memorial Award and the John W. Kaiser Award are presented to the Red Storm's most outstanding male and female student-athletes. This year, those awards were given to men's soccer's BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year Tani Oluwaseyi and volleyball's All-BIG EAST selection Erica Di Maulo.
Men's soccer's David Targett and women's soccer's Christine McBeath received the male and female Rickard F. McSwiney Awards. These are presented to St. John's athletes who exhibit pride in team achievements, determination as a competitor and the ability to lead.
Track & field's Leah Anderson received the John DaSilva Award that is presented to a deserving student-athlete who exhibits courage, persistence and fortitude. Despite personal hardship, Anderson was one of this year's BIG EAST top performers. Following the tragic passing of her brother, Anderson returned to St. John's and earned three gold medals at the 2020 BIG EAST indoor track & field championships.
The Dr. Peter Vitulli Award was presented to Joe Madsen of lacrosse. This award is given to an athlete who demonstrated courage, perseverance, dedication and spirit of self-sacrifice.
Each year, St. John's recognizes a team manager who has played a significant role for his or her program. This year's James Kevin Beatty Memorial winner was women's basketball's Justin Burdick.
Listed below are the award winners:
Team Awards
Christian L. Thomsen Memorial Award: Rasheem Dunn, Men's Basketball
Victoria Porter MVP Award: Qadashah Hoppie, Women's Basketball
John T. "Doc" Gimmler Golf MVP Award: Alex Kyriacou, Men's Golf
Women's Golf MVP: Linda Wang, Women's Golf
George Santelli Award: Ivan Zagoruiko, Men's Fencing
Women's Fencing MVP Award: Katarzyna Lachman, Women's Fencing
George Seewagen Memorial Award: Aditya Vashistha, Men's Tennis
Connie Kaiser Memorial Award: Jessica Livianu, Women's Tennis
Kenneth F. Perrone Memorial Award: Tani Oluwaseyi, Men's Soccer
Marianne Viscovich-Powderly Memorial Award: Madeline McCracken, Women's Soccer
Indoor Track and Field MVP: Leah Anderson, Track and Field
Susan Kearns Memorial Award: Stephanie Gerland, Cross Country
Dr. Margaret Mary Fitzpatrick, S.C. Award: Erica Di Maulo, Volleyball
Baseball MVP: Jake Lazzaro, Baseball
Softball MVP: Erin Brown, Softball
Lawrence R. Thomsen Memorial Award: Marcellus Earlington
Marianne Noonan Memorial Award: Leilani Correa, Women's Basketball
The Excalibur Award: Jan Jurkiewicz, Men's Fencing
Joseph J. Calcagno Award: Andrea Rizzi, Women's Fencing
Kathleen Murphy Meehan Award: Tiziana Baumrukova, Volleyball
John Holohan Spirit and Dedication Award: Vasilios Vlahos
Cheerleading Team Spirit and Dedication Award: Holly Allen
Dance Team Spirit and Dedication Award: Josephine Smolsky
Specialty Awards
Dr. Peter Vitulli Award: Joe Madsen, Lacrosse
James Kevin Beatty Memorial Award: Justin Burdick, Women's Basketball
Herbert V. Hess Award: Joanne Persico, Volleyball and Dr. David Masur, Men's Soccer
Rickard F. McSwiney Award: Christine McBeath, Women's Soccer
Rickard F. McSwiney Award: David Targett, Men's Soccer
John DaSilva Memorial Award: Leah Anderson, Track & Field
John W. Kaiser Award: Erica Di Maulo, Volleyball
Frank C. Haggerty Memorial Award: Tani Oluwaseyi, Men's Soccer
The 74th edition of the awards banquet celebrated another successful academic year for the Red Storm.
Director of Athletics Mike Cragg kicked off the awards celebration with introductory remarks. Cragg delivered thoughts about the importance of student-athletes following the St. John's motto of "Win. Graduate. Serve." as well as the importance placed on the community that the university creates.
Following Cragg's opening remarks, Campus Minister for Athletics, Fr. Richard Rock C. M. delivered an invocation to the coaches and student-athletes.
Senior softball player and a member of the St. John's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Gretchen Bowie also spoke to her fellow peers about her time as a Johnnie.
Nine special recognition awards acknowledge those athletes and coaches who have gone above and beyond the sport in their most recent season.
The Herbert V. Hess Award is presented to a coach who during the year demonstrates honesty, integrity and concern for the student-athletes. This year, the award was split between a pair of coaches for the first time in over two decades, as volleyball coach Joanne Persico and men's soccer coach Dr. David Masur shared the accolade. Persico led the Johnnies to their best weekend in program history, as the Red Storm took down two nationally ranked opponents in as many days before going on claim the BIG EAST title for the first time in 12 years. Under the direction of Masur, the St. John's men's soccer team ranked amongst the best in the country for the entire 2019 campaign. Masur helped the Johnnies reach as high as no. 1 in the RPI and no. 4 in the Coaches Poll before securing his 21st NCAA Tournament bid and the program's 12th trip to the round of 16.
The Frank C. Haggerty Memorial Award and the John W. Kaiser Award are presented to the Red Storm's most outstanding male and female student-athletes. This year, those awards were given to men's soccer's BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year Tani Oluwaseyi and volleyball's All-BIG EAST selection Erica Di Maulo.
Men's soccer's David Targett and women's soccer's Christine McBeath received the male and female Rickard F. McSwiney Awards. These are presented to St. John's athletes who exhibit pride in team achievements, determination as a competitor and the ability to lead.
Track & field's Leah Anderson received the John DaSilva Award that is presented to a deserving student-athlete who exhibits courage, persistence and fortitude. Despite personal hardship, Anderson was one of this year's BIG EAST top performers. Following the tragic passing of her brother, Anderson returned to St. John's and earned three gold medals at the 2020 BIG EAST indoor track & field championships.
The Dr. Peter Vitulli Award was presented to Joe Madsen of lacrosse. This award is given to an athlete who demonstrated courage, perseverance, dedication and spirit of self-sacrifice.
Each year, St. John's recognizes a team manager who has played a significant role for his or her program. This year's James Kevin Beatty Memorial winner was women's basketball's Justin Burdick.
Listed below are the award winners:
Team Awards
Christian L. Thomsen Memorial Award: Rasheem Dunn, Men's Basketball
Victoria Porter MVP Award: Qadashah Hoppie, Women's Basketball
John T. "Doc" Gimmler Golf MVP Award: Alex Kyriacou, Men's Golf
Women's Golf MVP: Linda Wang, Women's Golf
George Santelli Award: Ivan Zagoruiko, Men's Fencing
Women's Fencing MVP Award: Katarzyna Lachman, Women's Fencing
George Seewagen Memorial Award: Aditya Vashistha, Men's Tennis
Connie Kaiser Memorial Award: Jessica Livianu, Women's Tennis
Kenneth F. Perrone Memorial Award: Tani Oluwaseyi, Men's Soccer
Marianne Viscovich-Powderly Memorial Award: Madeline McCracken, Women's Soccer
Indoor Track and Field MVP: Leah Anderson, Track and Field
Susan Kearns Memorial Award: Stephanie Gerland, Cross Country
Dr. Margaret Mary Fitzpatrick, S.C. Award: Erica Di Maulo, Volleyball
Baseball MVP: Jake Lazzaro, Baseball
Softball MVP: Erin Brown, Softball
Lawrence R. Thomsen Memorial Award: Marcellus Earlington
Marianne Noonan Memorial Award: Leilani Correa, Women's Basketball
The Excalibur Award: Jan Jurkiewicz, Men's Fencing
Joseph J. Calcagno Award: Andrea Rizzi, Women's Fencing
Kathleen Murphy Meehan Award: Tiziana Baumrukova, Volleyball
John Holohan Spirit and Dedication Award: Vasilios Vlahos
Cheerleading Team Spirit and Dedication Award: Holly Allen
Dance Team Spirit and Dedication Award: Josephine Smolsky
Specialty Awards
Dr. Peter Vitulli Award: Joe Madsen, Lacrosse
James Kevin Beatty Memorial Award: Justin Burdick, Women's Basketball
Herbert V. Hess Award: Joanne Persico, Volleyball and Dr. David Masur, Men's Soccer
Rickard F. McSwiney Award: Christine McBeath, Women's Soccer
Rickard F. McSwiney Award: David Targett, Men's Soccer
John DaSilva Memorial Award: Leah Anderson, Track & Field
John W. Kaiser Award: Erica Di Maulo, Volleyball
Frank C. Haggerty Memorial Award: Tani Oluwaseyi, Men's Soccer
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Track and Field
S
/ Women's Volleyball
UTIL
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
/ Women's Track and Field
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Foil
/ Fencing
/ Men's Golf
Foil
/ Fencing
IF
/ Baseball
/ Women's Tennis
ATT
/ Men's Lacrosse
Midfielder
/ Women's Soccer
Midfielder
/ Women's Soccer
Forward/Midfielder
/ Men's Soccer
Epee
/ Fencing
Midfielder
/ Men's Soccer
/ Men's Tennis
/ Women's Golf
Epee
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