Hempstead, NY - The Hofstra Athletics Department celebrated the 2009-10 athletic season this evening as it held its annual Hofstra Pride Student-Athlete Awards Banquet at the University Club, located on Hofstra's North Campus.
Among the top award winners were Corrine Gandolfi (Women's Lacrosse) earning the Dr. Nathalie J. Smith Award as the top female student-athlete, Charles Jenkins (Men's Basketball) taking home the "Howdy" Myers Male Athlete of the Year award, John Kenny (Baseball) as the recipient of the Dr. James M. Shuart Male Scholar-Athlete Award and Michele DePasquale (Softball) and Stephanie Rice (Women's Lacrosse) as the Dr. Sylvia J. Giallombardo Female Scholar-Athlete Award winners.
Dr. Nathalie J. Smith Award
Corrine Gandolfi, Women's Lacrosse
Corrine Gandolfi, a senior midfielder on the lacrosse team is the 2010 recipient of the Dr. Nathalie J. Smith Award. The award is presented annually to Hofstra's top female student-athlete.
Corrine was an All-America selection in 2009 and is well on her way to repeating that honor in 2010. She is also a candidate for the 2010 Tewaaraton Trophy, which is presented to the top player in the sport.
Through Hofstra's first 16 games she has tallied team-highs in goals (46), assists (19), points (65), ground balls (38), draw controls (58) and caused turnovers (26). She is the only player in the nation to lead her team in every statistic.
A three-time All-Colonial Athletic Association selection, Corrine has helped the Pride to an 11-5 record a #16 national ranking as the team heads into Thursday's CAA Championship Semifinal versus Towson. She currently ranks third in the CAA in points per game, fourth in goals per game and fifth in assists per game. She is also in the top five in the CAA in draw controls, ground balls and caused turnovers. Corrine also ranks among the nation's leaders in all of the above statistical categories.
In her career, Corrine has played in 67 games with 59 starts. She has recorded 145 goals, 58 assists, 203 points, 92 ground balls, 101 draw controls and 66 caused turnovers. She ranks third all-time at Hofstra in career goals, fourth in points and assists, and fifth in draw controls.
During her four seasons, Corrine has helped the Pride to a 40-27 record. As a freshman in 2007, she played a key role in helping the team to a CAA Championship and a NCAA Tournament appearance.
Howard "Howdy" Myers Male Athlete of the Year
Charles Jenkins, Men's Basketball
Charles Jenkins, a junior guard on the basketball team, is the recipient of the 2010 Howdy Myers Award. The award is presented annually to Hofstra's top male athlete. Charles earns the award for a second consecutive season after sharing it with Jay Card of the lacrosse team last year.
Charles was also a repeat winner of the Haggerty Award as the top player in the New York metropolitan area, becoming just the ninth player to claim the award more than once. He is also the fifth Hofstra player to win the Haggerty Award, joining Bill Thieben (1956), Rich Laurel (1977), Speedy Claxton (2000) and Norman Richardson (2001).
The 2010 Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year and an honorable mention All-American, Charles averaged 20.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game in leading the Pride to a 19-15 mark and a berth in the 2010 College Basketball Invitational. His 20.6 points per game average ranked 20th in the nation and made him one of only four players in the country to average at least 20 points, four rebounds and three assists per game.
Charles ranked second in the CAA in scoring and was sixth in assists, third in steals (61), fourth in three-point field goal percentage (.409), eighth in field goal percentage (.443) and sixth in free throw percentage (.805).
For his career, Charles now has 1,767 points, ranking him eighth in school history with one full season to play. He is 103 points ahead of where former teammate Antoine Agudio (2004-08) stood after his junior year, on his way to becoming Hofstra's all-time leading scorer with 2,276 points. Charles scored at least 20 points in each of the Pride's last nine games, as well as 12 of the last 13.
Charles is a two-time first team All-CAA selection and was the 2008 CAA Rookie of the Year.
Dr. James M. Shuart Male Scholar-Athlete Award
John Kenny, Baseball
John Kenny, a senior outfielder on the Pride baseball team, is the 2010 recipient of the Dr. James M. Shuart Award. The award is presented annually to Hofstra's top male scholar-athlete.
John carries a 3.34 overall grade point average as an accounting major and has been a multiple-time selection to Hofstra's Dean's List. He has been a Pride Student-Athlete Award recipient in each of his four years, a three-time Colonial Athletic Association Commissioner's Academic Award recipient and a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-America nominee.
On the field, John has started all 39 games for the Pride and is batting .366 with 17 doubles, four home runs and 29 RBIs. He has a team-best 22 stolen bases, which also leads the Colonial Athletic Association.
A three-year starter, John has played in 150 career games and has recorded 138 hits, 28 doubles, five triples, eight home runs and 70 RBIs. He has also scored 86 runs and has stolen 46 bases. John ranks ninth all-time in stolen bases at Hofstra.
Dr. Sylvia J. Giallombardo Female Scholar-Athlete Award
Michele DePasquale (Softball)
Michele DePasquale, a senior infielder on the Pride softball team, is a co-recipient of the 2010 Dr. Sylvia J. Giallombardo Award. The award is given annually to Hofstra's top female scholar-athlete.
Michele, a 2010 nominee for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, owns a 3.3 grade point average as a history and social studies education major. She is a three-time CAA Commissioner's Academic Award recipient and a three-time Pride Student-Athlete Award recipient.
A Dean's List student, Michele has also been a CoSIDA Academic All-America nominee in each of the past three seasons. She is also the president of Hofstra's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
On the field, Michele was recently named to the Colonial Athletic Association Silver Anniversary team and was the 2009 CAA Player of the Year. A three-time All-CAA selection, she is currently batting a team-high .336 with seven doubles, eight home runs and 29 RBIs. Her eight home runs lead the team, while her seven doubles rank second. She has also been stellar in the field, making just two errors in 302 chances at first base.
She has helped the Pride to a 36-10 record this season and a 148-59 record thus far in three-plus seasons. She has also been a part of two CAA Championship and NCAA Tournament teams.
Michele has led the team in batting in each of the last three seasons and owns the Hofstra school record for longest hitting streak at 25 games. In 2009 she was the second toughest player in the country to strikeout (three strikeouts in 153 at-bats) and this year she ranks 17th in the nation in that category with six strikeouts in 143 at-bats.
During her career, Michele has played in 196 games and has recorded 191 hits, 25 doubles, 12 home runs, 97 RBIs and 53 runs scored. Her hit total ranks ninth all-time at Hofstra and she 15th in career RBIs.
Dr. Sylvia J. Giallombardo Female Scholar-Athlete Award
Stephanie Rice (Women's Lacrosse)
Stephanie Rice, a junior attack on the Pride lacrosse team, is a co-recipient of the 2010 Dr. Sylvia J. Giallombardo Award. The award is given annually to Hofstra's top female scholar-athlete.
Stephanie has compiled a 3.91 grade point average as a history and social studies education major. She has been named to the Provost's List (4.0 GPA) in three semesters and has been a Dean's List student in two semesters.
A two-time Colonial Athletic Association Commissioner's Award recipient, Stephanie has also been a CoSIDA Academic All-America nominee.
On the field Stephanie has started all 16 games thus far and has helped the team to an 11-5 record and a number 16 national ranking. She has recorded 22 goals and one assist for 23 points, ranking fourth on the team in goals and fifth in points. Two of her 22 goals have proven to be game-winners. Stephanie has also posted 15 ground balls, seven caused turnovers and five draw controls.
A three-year starter, Stephanie has played in 58 games and has tallied 72 goals and four assists for 76 points. She has also added 37 ground balls, 24 caused turnovers and 19 draw controls. As a freshman, Stephanie was a CAA All-Rookie selection after scoring 27 goals with three assists.
Nick Colleluori Unsung Hero Award
The Nick Colleluori Unsung Hero Award was established in 2007 to recognize the accomplishments of a male and female student-athlete who helped their respective teams achieve success in ways that may not always be measured by statistics. The award seeks to acknowledge those student-athletes who have not been adequately recognized during their careers. The award is named after the former Pride lacrosse player, who waged a courageous 14-month fight against non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, before passing away in November 2006 at age 21.
"Nick was an outstanding representative of Hofstra University and he embodied everything good about college athletics," Hofstra Director of Athletics Jack Hayes said. "Nick was hard-working, honest, enthusiastic and courageous. He was a student-athlete who totally embraced the philosophy of team. We look forward to annually recognizing student-athletes that share the qualities that Nick so proudly displayed."
Sam Brigham, Women's Basketball
Sam Brigham, a senior guard on the women's basketball team is a 2010 recipient of the Nick Colleluori Unsung Hero Award.
A four-year member of the basketball squad and a three-year starter, Sam has been part of two postseason teams during her tenure. The Pride advanced to the WNIT Quarterfinals during her freshman season and reached the WNIT Second Round this past season. Her teams posted a combined record of 67-61 and she was part of two 20-win seasons, including a Division I-best 26-8 campaign as a freshman.
On the court, Sam was second on the team in scoring at 9.7 points per game, second in assists with 79 and first in steals with 54. She also added 108 rebounds and 42 three-pointers. During Hofstra's postseason run in the WNIT, Sam led Hofstra in scoring in each contest and became the 20th player in program history to reach the 1,000 point mark, finishing with 1,016.
More important than her statistics, Sam was often the glue that held a young team together by providing valuable leadership on the court. She was also active in the community, participating in several charitable endeavors with the women's basketball program and Hofstra's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Sam also starred in the classroom and was a four-time CAA Commissioner's Academic Award recipient and a two-time CAA All-Academic selection.
A native of Simsbury, Connecticut, Sam ended her career ranked sixth all-time in three-pointers made with 129 and third all-time in games played with 122.
Ray McDonough, Football
Ray McDonough, a senior defensive back on the football team, is a 2010 recipient of the Nick Colleluori Unsung Hero Award.
Ray was a two-year member of the football program and started all 23 games during his two seasons after transferring from Glendale Community College.
A member of a talented defensive unit, Ray was a quiet leader on the field for the Pride. He helped the team rank fourth in the CAA in total defense, rushing defense and passing defense this past season. He recorded 49 tackles on the year, which ranked sixth on the team. He also had one interception, five passes defended and two fumble recoveries.
During his junior season Ray was fifth on the team with 56 tackles, including 29 solo stops. He also added a team-high four interceptions and had seven passes defended.
Ray also excelled off the field as he was named to the Colonial Athletic Association Football All-Academic team.
A native of Los Angeles, California, Ray is active within the Athletic Department, working many events, as well as being a fan of all Hofstra Athletic teams. He has also taken part in community service projects that are undertaken by Hofstra's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, including the Reading With Pride initiative at local elementary schools.
Senior Speaker
The Senior Speaker program was introduced in 2005 as a way of having one representative from the graduating senior class convey the Hofstra student-athlete experience. The Athletics Department feel that the message of the senior class is best delivered by an individual who has represented the University at a high level in the classroom, on the fields of play and in the community. Each year the Senior Speaker will be selected based on these criteria.
Miklos Szabo, Men's Basketball
Miklos Szabo was a two-year member of the men's basketball program, playing in 53 games with 37 starts. A forward, Miklos contributed 299 points, 255 rebounds, 17 steals and 12 blocked shots in his two years.
A native of Szeghalom, Hungary, Miklos is coming off a season in which he averaged 6.5 points and 4.7 rebounds in helping the Pride to a 19-15 record and a berth in the 2010 College Basketball Invitational.
This past season, Miklos scored a career-best 22 points in helping the Pride to a road win at Towson. During his two seasons, the Pride won 40 games.
A success in the classroom, Miklos is a two-time recipient of the CAA Commissioner's Academic Award. He was also named to the Colonial Athletic Association Basketball All-Academic team this past season. At the men's basketball banquet this past March Miklos was the recipient of the team's Student-Athlete Award. A history major, Miklos has compiled a 3.43 grade point average.
Miklos has taken part in several community service events with the men's basketball program and is also involved with the Athletics Department, working and attending numerous Pride home games.
The Joseph M. Margiotta Pride Club Distinguished Service Award
The Joseph M. Margiotta Pride Club Distinguished Service Award is presented to an individual or individuals in recognition of his or her extraordinary dedication, generosity and service to the Hofstra Pride Club and Hofstra athletics.
Linda Wing Caruso
Linda Wing Caruso is an active supporter of the athletics program and has been a member of the Hofstra Pride Club since its inception and served on the board of directors for many years. She is currently a member of the Hofstra Pride Club Executive Committee and was a 2008 inductee into the Hofstra Athletics Hall of Fame.
She was a dual sport athlete at Hofstra, competing in field hockey and lacrosse. A two-time Most Valuable Team Member in field hockey and a one-time selection in lacrosse, she was also team captain in both sports.
Following graduation in 1978 she worked on Wall Street for 10 years and has been a scholastic coach for most of the past 20 years.
Active in her community, she volunteers with the Port Washington Police Athletic League and has been an officer in the organization since 1993.
Gerard O'Connor
Gerard O'Connor is also a member of the Hofstra Pride Club Executive Committee and a long-time supporter of Hofstra Athletics.
A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, he served as an officer in the United States Army for five years, earning the rank of captain.
He then attended the Hofstra School of Law, earning his Juris Doctorate in 2000.
In addition to his service to Hofstra Athletics, he also serves on the boards of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Long Island and Abilities! He is also a member of the Association of Graduates at West Point, the Army Athletic Association and the American and New York State Bar Association.
2009-10 Outstanding Senior Award Recipients
Matt Prokopowicz, Baseball
Cornelius Vines, Men's Basketball
Sam Brigham, Women's Basketball
Mike McCristall, Men's Cross Country
LeeAna Benson, Women's Cross Country
Ashleigh Daniels, Field Hockey
Ray McDonough, Football
Allie Hanlon, Women's Golf
Christian Scuderi, Men's Lacrosse
Sandy Wasserbach, Women's Lacrosse
Richard Martinez, Men's Soccer
Diane Caldwell, Women's Soccer
Michele DePasquale, Softball
Zoe Taylor, Women's Tennis
Eric Gladstone, Men's Tennis
Monica Knight, Volleyball
Anthony Tortora, Wrestling
