Anna Maria Athletics Hosts 2022 Department Awards
PAXTON, MA: For the first time since 2019, the Anna Maria College athletics department was able to host their full end-of-the-year Athletics Department Awards ceremony in-person and on-campus on Monday evening. More than 40 individual student-athletes were recognized for their outstanding accomplishments not only on the field of play, but to the Anna Maria community as a whole.
The Anna Maria men's ice hockey team was recognized with the Team Academic Award for having the highest combined grade-point average of any AMCAT team for this past year.
Senior shortstop Kosta Drosidis (Holden, MA) of the AMCAT baseball team and senior midfielder Courtney Hile (Elliottsburg, PA) of the AMCAT women's soccer team were honored with the Senior Scholar Athlete Awards for the highest grade-point averages among Anna Maria's senior student-athlete class.
The Student Athlete Advisory Committee Award is given to a sophomore, junior, or senior, student athlete, who is heavily involved on campus, exemplifies sportsmanship attributes, is dedicated to their team(s) and community, and excels in the classroom. This year, senior first baseman Ashley Garcia (Cornwall, NY) of the AMCAT softball team was recognized for her outstanding involvement on the Anna Maria campus, including her involvement in the End Hate events on campus over the past two years.
The Nancy Naroian Award is presented to a student, or students, for extraordinary and often "behind the scenes" work in the Anna Maria Athletic Department. Senior attacker Dawnisha Franklin (Amite, LA) of the women's lacrosse team – "Dawny" to all who know her – was recognized for her outstanding contributions to all the AMCAT programs. During her time at Anna Maria, Dawny has come to exemplify what it means to be an AMCAT. She has attended hundreds of athletic contests despite the challenges of the past two years, whether working in game management or cheering on her fellow student-athletes. During that time, she's taken on an endless series of jobs ranging from public address announcing to photography to stat-keeping to supervising her fellow student employees. Her dedication, devotion and above all passion for Anna Maria are an inspiration to everyone who meets her. Dawny is always willing to do whatever is asked of her which is a perfect example of what this award means and who it is named after. Whatever path she pursues, whatever life she makes for herself, she will forever be an AMCAT to those who know her.
The Ray LeBoeuf Sportsmanship Award is presented to the male and female student-athletes for their sportsmanship, dedication, etiquette, and kindness on and off the field.
This year's winners are senior goalkeeper Rachel Matloff (Grafton, MA) of the women's soccer team and senior guard Kennedy Minix-Rogers (Smyrna, GA) of the men's basketball team for their outstanding character on their respective fields of play, having earned the respect of opponents, coaches, officials and fans.
The Breakthrough Athlete of the Year Awards are presented to a student athlete who has strongly impacted their team's performance on the field this year.
Senior right-fielder Jason Shell (Sandwich, MA) of the baseball team and senior Samantha Dahill (Littleton, MA) of the women's ice hockey and softball teams.
Shell's performance this season has etched its way into the Anna Maria record books as he set the school's all-time career record in stolen bases (34) while ranking second all-Time in career doubles (42) and triples (7) and third all-time career hits (178), career home runs (12) and career total bases (270). He currently leads the GNAC in hits, hitting, triples and slugging.
Dahill has made an outstanding impact on not one but two teams this season, as she led the Women's Ice Hockey team to their best season ever before helping softball to their most successful year since 2011. First on the ice, Sam led the AMCATS with a 1.89 goals-against average and a .938 save percentage, earning herself one ECHA Goaltender of the Week award. Later in the spring, Dahill, in just her second season of collegiate softball, hit .321, a team leading three home runs and added 14 runs batted in. In 28 games she recorded 27 hits, six doubles, was second on the team with two triples and scored 12 runs.
The First Year Athlete of the Year awards are presented to first-year AMCATS, not just Freshman, for their contributions to Anna Maria athletics.
Sophomore wide receiver Deandre Wallace (Waterbury, CT) of the AMCAT football team was named the First Year Male Athlete of the Year after a season where he helped spark Anna Maria to their first ECFC Championship and NCAA berth in school history. Wallace's season represented the second-most receiving yards (870) and touchdown receptions (9) in a season, and he would go on to be voted ECFC Rookie of the Year and All-ECFC First Team honors.
Freshman forward Jordyn Bleaney (Nanoose Bay, BC) of the women's ice hockey team was named the First Year Female Athlete of the Year, after a season where she led the AMCATS in goals and points. Bleaney earned three ECHA Rookie of the Week honors and was ultimately voted All-ECHA.
The Stephen C. Washkevich Award is presented to Anna Maria student-athlete for outstanding individual accomplishments on the field of play. Named after the first Director of Athletics, Steve Washkevich who worked at Anna Maria from 1978-1997 and "upon his shoulders, Anna Maria athletics was built". Steve was a tireless worker, did any and all tasks needed to get programs up and running, including coaching, driving busses, and providing any services needed in order for home games to run smoothly. He oversaw and physically assisted in the creation of all home athletic facilities. No was never an option to Steve, as he always found a way to get things accomplished.
The recipient of the 2021-2022 Steve Washkevich award is senior catcher Noah Holland (Sandwich, MA) of the baseball program. Noah is fifth-year graduate student who has played catcher and first based for the AMCATS. He has appeared in 155 games while batting a career. 341. Noah has recorded career 187 hits, 32 doubles, 105 RBIs, 104 runs and 7 homeruns. He has a .982 career fielding percentage. This season he has appeared in 35 out of 38 games with a .299 batting average. He has 35 hits, 20 runs, 27 RBIs along with 4 doubles and 2 homeruns. He is fourth on team in RBIs. Noah has been an integral part of the impressive turnaround for the baseball program. A great person who has excelled in the classroom, he is a selfless leader and a tireless worker. He understands the game and is like a coach on the field. And he would do anything for this program and for his teammates. His leadership will be extremely hard to replace when he graduates. He has been the heart and soul of the team for 5 years and is a true definition of what the Steve Washkevich is all about.
The next award is the 2021-2022 Len Smith Award, awarded to a student-athlete who displays grit, tenacity, perseverance, and loyalty and are fierce competitors.
This year's recipient of the Len Smith Award is – senior wide receiver Hayden Braga (Foster, RI) of the football and men's basketball teams.
Braga defines this award in every sense of the word. Len Smith would be very proud of this year's recipient of the award in his name. As a matter of fact, if Lenny was hand picking players to play on his team, this would be his first selection. Because Lenny wanted players who were physically and mentally tough and would do anything in their power to win. Lenny never made excuses and he competed and led to the very best of his ability. Just like this year's recipient, a warrior who gives his very best both on the field and on the court every day, and is an inspiration to his teammates. A competitor from start to finish he has played three years of football for the AMCATS and once he is done on the field he immediately starts with basketball. Hayden has played in 28 career football games recording 100 catches and 1,261 yards and four touchdowns. He was a key part in the record-breaking year for the football team helping the AMCATS to a 7-3 record, their first every ECFC championship and a trip to the NCAA playoffs. He played in all 10 games with 46 receptions, 593 yards and 1 touchdown. Hayden "3rd and Braga" consistently finds a way to get open and make the first down. Braga also excelled on special teams serving as the punter, kicking key punts throughout the season. On the basketball court this year, he played in 22 games averaging 4.3 points per game and 4.4 rebounds. He helped the AMCATS to their second consecutive trip to the GNAC semifinals. He is consistently making big defensive plays on the court or grabbing key rebounds. This year's recipient has every attribute that this award stands for and named after.
The Anna Maria College Senior Award is a coveted award given to senior or seniors who have had outstanding careers as an athlete here at Anna Maria. This year we have selected six seniors to receive this award,
The first recipient of the Senior Class Award is men's basketball player Anna Maria senior guard Ralph Grasso, Jr. (Marlborough, MA).
Grasso is a four-year men's basketball player and served as captain this past year. He appeared in an impressive 103 games out of 104 games and started in 81. In his senior season he led the team with 15.0 points per game. In addition, he averaged 4.7 rebounds per game, 1.8 assists per game and 1.5 steals per game. He was second on the team in rebounds. RJ ranked 10th in the GNAC in points per game during the 2021-2022 season. He helped the AMCATS reach three conference tournaments and two trips to the semifinals during his career. RJ finished his career with 125 three pointers and 943 points and is 25th all-time on the Anna Maria men's basketball career scoring list.
The second recipient of the Senior Class Award is men's lacrosse senior attacker Nick Massaro (West Haven, CT).
Massaro was a four-year member of the men's lacrosse team and senior captain. Appearing in 47 out of 48 career games, he amassed 41 goals, 69 assists and 110 points. His 110 career points ranks him fifth all-time. On April 13 against Regis College he recorded five assists to become the all-time leader in assists for men's lacrosse at Anna Maria. He finished the season leading the team with 20 goals, 24 assists and 44 points. His 24 assists in 2022 ranks him second all-time for assists in a season. He recorded 24 assists during the 2019 season as well. He helped lead the AMCATS to two appearances in the GNAC tournament during his time at Anna Maria.
The final male Senior Class award recipient is men's ice hockey senior left wing and team captain Patrick Manning (Messena, NY).
Manning is a four-year member of the men's ice hockey team and four-year captain. He was a member of the first ever men's ice hockey team at Anna Maria in 2018. Patrick has played in 75 out of 77 games for the AMCATS, recording 15 goals, 28 assists and 43 points. He helped lead the team to an impressive 12-8-5 record in just the second year of the program. Patrick has worked tirelessly on and off the ice to help build our ice hockey program. Your final senior class award recipient, Patrick Manning.
The first recipient of the Senior Class Award is women's ice hockey senior forward Riley Cote (Tewksbury, MA). Cote is a four-year member of the women's ice hockey team and two-year captain. Riley was a member of the inaugural women's ice hockey team at Anna Maria in 2018. Riley has played in all 65 games for the women's ice hockey team. She led the team this season with 7 goals and added 6 assists for a total of 13 points. She is ending her career as the program's all-time leading scorer with 13 goals. In addition, Riley will end her career with 7 assists and 20 points. She is tied for first all-time in goals for a season and is second all-time in assists. Riley helped the team to the most wins in school history with 7 this past season. She has also played women's lacrosse and softball during her time at Anna Maria. Riley has been an integral part of the program and has worked hard to build the women's ice hockey program both on and off the ice.
The second recipient of the Female Senior Class Award is field hockey senior midfielder Chayna Bingham-Hendricks (Mashpee, MA). Bingham-Hendricks is a four-year field hockey player and senior captain who did not miss a game during her career, appearing in all 71 games for the AMCATS while recording 16 goals, 31 assists and 63 points. Her 63 points ranks 10th all-time and her 31 assists is tied for third all-time. She had six game-winning goals during her career. In 2021 she ranked third on the team with 20 points with 5 goals and 10 assists. She led her team to the GNAC tournament four consecutive years and Bingham-Hendricks was named to the GNAC all-conference second team in 2021.
The final recipient of the Female Senior Class Award is senior guard Franchesca Hammond (Worcester, MA). Hammond is a four-year member of the women's basketball team and two-time captain. She has appeared in 97 games during her career, missing only four games. She averaged 7.1 points per game, 4.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.9 steals during her career. In her senior season she averaged 14.7 points per game, 5.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.9 steals. She was second on the team in scoring and rebounds and led the team in assists and steals. She ranked 9th in the GNAC in scoring and fifth in assists. Hammond ended her career with 81 three pointers and 692 points which ranks 29th on the all-time scoring list and her 465 rebounds ranks 19th all-time.
The male athlete of the year award is presented to a male athlete who has had an extraordinary season on the field. This year we have two outstanding recipients.
The first Male Athlete of the Year for 2021-2022 is senior shortstop Kosta Drosidis (Holden, MA).
Drosidis has re-written the Anna Maria record books, as this year, the 2021 GNAC Player of the Year shattered the AMCAT career home run record, entering today with 18, four more than the previous mark. He is second all-time with 116 RBIs, 38 doubles, 7 triples, a .384 career batting average while ranking fourth with 167 career hits. This season alone, he's posted career-highs with 57 hits and a team leading 14 doubles, leading Anna Maria to the second seed in the GNAC Championship Tournament and the most regular season wins in school history with 23. His five home runs and 33 RBIS is second on the team. He ranks second in the conference in hits, leads the conference in doubles and is third in RBIs and homeruns.
Kosta please come to the stage to accept the 2021-2022 Male Athlete of the Year award.
The second Male Athlete of the Year for 2021-2022 is senior quarterback Alex Cohen (Plymouth, MA).
Cohen turned in a dominant performance in leading the AMCATS to their first ECFC Championship and a trip to the NCAA playoffs. He helped lead the AMCATS to a 7-3 record, the most wins in school history. The quarterback set Anna Maria single-season records for passing yards in a season (3087), passing touchdowns in a season (23), passing yards per game in a season (308.7) and total offensive yards in a season (3242), and was ultimately voted to both the All-ECFC and All-Worcester Area Football teams. In a 45-32 conference win on homecoming over Dean he passed for 451 yards completing 24 of 40 passes and threw for a career high 5 touchdowns. This marked the second time he threw for five touchdowns, throwing five scores in a 55-35 win over Keystone where he completed an impressive 21 of 24 pass attempts for 300 yards. In another key conference win over Gallaudet he completed 21 of 31 passes for 393 yards and three touchdowns. He threw for a career high 511 yards against Castleton on a career high 38 completions. He ranked tenth in the nation in total offense and passing yards per game. He was named to the D3Football.com team of the week after his performance against Dean and was named a NEFW Division II/III Gold Helmet Award recipient after his performance against Keystone.
The female athlete of the year award is presented to a female athlete who has had an extraordinary season on the field. The 2021-2022 Female Athlete of the Year is women's soccer, women's basketball and women's lacrosse senior Ashley Rufo (Pittsfield, MA).
In her four years at Anna Maria, Rufo has impacted not one, not two, but three programs, having played in 49 career women's soccer games, 38 career women's basketball games and 37 career women's lacrosse games despite the challenges of the last two years. She served as captain for the women's soccer team and women's lacrosse team during her senior year. A key defender on the women's soccer team she started in all 18 games for the AMCATS this season.
On the court for the AMCATS, Rufo averaged 9.8 points per game this season and 3.1 rebounds per game.
It was Rufo's herculean efforts with the women's lacrosse team for which she will be most remembered, as she set the programs' all-time caused turnovers record at 86, along with being ranked third all-time with 76 career goals, 90 points, 14 assists and 119 ground balls. In this year alone, Rufo set single-season records with 10 assists, 70 ground balls and 55 caused turnovers while ranking second all-time with 46 goals and 56 points in a season. She led the team in goals, assists, points, ground balls and caused turnovers. She ranks first in the conference in caused turnovers and third in ground balls. Rufo starred in Anna Maria's first two GNAC wins since the program's revival, scoring five goals against Dean in 2021 and three goals, an assist, six ground balls and six caused turnovers against Albertus Magnus this season.
Congratulations to all the student-athletes on an outstanding year!
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