May 15, 2008

Moraga, CA - The eighth Annual Gael Award Show was a great night for Saint Mary's Athletics, as seniors and top performers from this past athletic year were honored. The event was held in the LeFevre Theatre on campus on Wednesday, May 14. The Athletic Department, which hosted the event, also named the Coach of the Year, Performances of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, to name a few awards. Each program also put together a video to honor its graduating senior student-athletes.

Director of Athletics, Mark Orr commented, "Tonight's event was a celebration of the tremendous accomplishments our student-athletes have achieved throughout the year. They've excelled both in the classroom and in the athletic arena, which is all you can ask for as an Athletic Director. I'm extrememly proud of the manner in which all of our student-athletes represent the College and especially want to thank our graduating seniors for all their hard work and dedication. They'll certainly be missed."

The award show began with the highest team GPA award and for the fourth consecutive year, the women's tennis team was awarded the top GPA in the department, earning a cumulative 3.425 GPA.

Next up was the presentation of the Athletic Director's Honor Roll. Mark Orr recognized the top ten grade point averages by Gael student-athletes, with tennis standout Achim Christner taking home top honors with a 3.97 GPA. Team moderators and mentors in attendance were also recognized and honored with a gift from the department.

The men's basketball team won the Gael Cup Award for the first time by posting the highest winning percentage among all SMC teams with a 25-7 record. They tied the school record for wins, advanced to the NCAA Tournament and were ranked in the Top-25 for much of the season.

The Performance of the Year Awards were next and they were presented to senior softball player Megan Galloway for her complete game win over #17 Hawaii and men's tennis standout Joel Kusnierz following his upset of #6 ranked Andre Begemann of Pepperdine University.

The Team Performance of the Year, recognizing the best team victory during 2007-08 season went to the softball team for the their victory over #9 Fresno State, which clinched the program's first winning season in history.

Dr. Chad Roghair, Saint Mary's team physician was presented with the Mike Gibbons Volunteer of the Year Award, and Professor Ed Tywoniak won the Bryan Vargas Gael Spirit Award.

The Newcomer of the Year awards were won by men's basketball freshman Patrick Mills, who helped lead the Gaels to a one of its best seasons in recent memory, while also leading the team in scoring. Female Newcomer of the Year was a co-award this year, as women's volleyball standout Megan York and women's basketball standout Louella Tomlinson shared the award. Both had impact freshman seasons for the Gaels, with York being named the WCC Freshman of the Year, while leading the team in kills and digs and Tomlinson setting the NCAA single season record for blocks in a season with 156.

Our Male and Female Players of the Year were recognized for the great talent and consistency they displayed throughout this season. The Female Player of the Year went to Jessica Hoath from women's tennis, as she led the Gaels to a National Ranking while playing No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles for the team. Diamon Simpson from men's basketball was the winner of our Male Player of the Year Award, for the second consecutive year. He was named WCC Defensive Player of the Year and was First Team All-WCC.

The Lasallian Service Award went to the women's rowing program, for their strong commitment to community service. They participated in multiple service projects throughout the year, including the planning of a sleepover for 100 Girl Scouts at Holy Names last fall and a visit to Glyde Memorial Church in San Francisco in March to serve the homeless.

The most prestigious awards of the night, the Male and Female George R. McKeon Senior Awards went to Bronwyn Russell, softball and Michael McRae, men's golf. Russell finished her career at SMC as one of the most decorated softball players in the history of the program. She is a two-time Co-SIDA District 8 All-American, was a three-time first team All-PCSC selection and served as the SAAC President for two years, all while maintaining a 3.90 GPA as a Health Science major. McRae is a three-time ALL-WCC First Team Performer, was named to the WCC All-Academic Team in 2006 & 2007, and is currently second in the SMC record books for stroke average. He currently holds a 3.34 GPA as a double major in Mathematics and Economics. Both winners will be presented with a plaque at graduation recognizing their achievements.

Wrapping up the evening was the recognition of the Coach of the Year, which went to men's golf head coach Scott Hardy. Hardy led his team to a second place finish at the WCC Championships and to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in the last 4 years. He was also named the WCC Coach of the Year for the fifth time in eight seasons.