Thursday, May 12, 2016

Vassar's Banquet Honors Vann, Parson, Drakeley As Top Award Honorees

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (May 11, 2016) — Senior Caitlin Drakeley of the women's basketball team, senior Noah Parson of the men's lacrosse team and senior Taylor Vann of the men's track team earned the 2015-16 Matthew Vassar Outstanding Awards to highlight the annual Vassar College Award Banquet on Wednesday evening. 

Matthew Vassar Outstanding Career Awards
Men's: Parson has been a staple for the men's lacrosse offensive unit over the past four seasons, holding the all-time records for points, goals and assists, while becoming the first Vassar men's lacrosse player to be named Liberty League Rookie of the Year back in 2013. Parson has set the single-season goals record at Vassar three times, including this year when he led the Brewers with 42 goals and 57 points. Parson is now the all-time program leader in points per game and goals per game. He has also earned All-Liberty League Second Team honors this season. He was tabbed a Second-Team All-Liberty League player as a freshman, while picking up Honorable Mention honors as well. He ranks in the top five in the conference this year in goals and points and has finished in the top 10 in goals every year at Vassar. For his career, he is the holder of eight individual records, but his leadership will be hugely missed, as he helped the program to a record number of wins in 2016 with eight.

Vann, the second recipient of the award, will go down as one of the best men's track athletes at
Vassar. He is currently the school record holder in eight different events, including the most grueling event in track and field, the decathlon. Vann is ranked third in the NCAA this year for the decathlon and will compete in at the NCAA Championships later this month. Vann has qualified for the ECAC Championships three times in the decathlon and has ranked in the top 50 three seasons in the event. A 2015 Betty Richey Performer of the Year, Vann has been on the All-Academic Liberty League squad three times, while earning First Team All-Liberty League in the 110 hurdles twice and picking up All-ECAC honors in 2014 and 2015. A two-year captain, Vann is the school record holder in the 100-meter dash, 110 high hurdles, high jump, pole vault, shot put, discus, javelin and long jump.

Women's: Drakeley finished her career in 2015-16 as one of the best basketball players to ever wear the burgundy and gray. Drakeley finished her tenure as sixth all-time in scoring with 1330 points, while earning All-Liberty League honors as a sophomore, junior and senior. In 2014-15, Drakeley earned First Team All-Liberty League, while scoring 17.5 points per game as a junior. She picked up d3hoops.com All-Region Second Team that season, and has been a two-year captain for the women's basketball team. Drakeley ranks in the top 10 in 16 statistical categories at Vassar, and back in 2013-14, she helped the team to its first NCAA victory over Williams College, while she scored 30 points in an NCAA contest against Scranton. She holds the single-game record for field goals in a game with 15, and she is also second All-Time in rebounding at Vassar. 

Betty Richey Outstanding Performer of the Year Awards
Men's: Sophomore Matthew Knigge of the men's volleyball team was selected as a Division III First-Team All-American this season after helping Vassar into the Top 10 for most of the season. Knigge's selection to the All-American list marked the 10th time a Vassar College player has earned an All-American honor, while Knigge became just the sixth player in the program to earn the accolade. Furthermore, Knigge is only the third player from Vassar to receive First Team honors, joining former Vassar standouts John Kessenich and Phil Tully. Knigge was huge for the Brewers this season, as he became the first United Volleyball Conference First-Teamer since Matt Elgin in 2013. The 6-foot-8 middle hitter has earned UVC Player of the Week twice this year in addition to being name an AVCA National Player of the Week once. He finished the season ranked third in the country in hitting percentage and second in blocks per set, while also picking up ECAC First Team honors.

Women's: Junior Julia Cunningham continued to re-write the women's swimming record books at Vassar this year, as the Yardley, Pennsylvania native earned All-American honors for the second consecutive season in her specialty, the 200-yard butterfly, at the 2016 NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships. Not only did Cunningham become just the second Vassar swimmer in school history to earn All-American honors twice, but she did so in stunning fashion. The junior broke her own school record during both swims, including posting a 2:01.92 in the finals to earn All-American status, while taking fifth place. The fifth-place finish was the highest any Vassar swimmer ever finished at NCAA Nationals, and Cunningham also qualified for the National Championships for the 400-individual medley and the 200-breaststroke. Cunningham now holds eight school records at Vassar, including relays, and has continued to be a team leader as well, helping the Brewers to a third-place finish at the Liberty League meet, the highest finish ever for Vassar.

Frances C. Fergusson Coaches Award
Men's: Senior Johnny Mrylik has been at Vassar the last five seasons, and has been a big part of the improving efforts of both the baseball and men's basketball programs. Mrlik helped Vassar to its first ever tournament appearance in 2013-14, as he was named an All-Liberty League First Teamer along with earning All-Region accolades. Mrlik also helped Vassar to within one point of its first Liberty League title that season. On the baseball field, Mrlik ranks seventh all-time in earned run average. Mrlik has had to overcome multiple knee surgeries over his time at Vassar, but this season, he was a huge asset as a student-assistant for basketball, while being able to finish his career on the mound this past Sunday.  

Women's: Senior Isabelle Goldstein has been the heart and soul of the Vassar women's lacrosse program over the past four seasons. This year capped a phenomenal career for Goldstein, who has been a fundamental part of the program since she first took the field. After totaling 63 points on 37 goals and 26 assists, Goldstein now has the second most career points (234) and the most career assists (108) in program history. She was voted to the All-Liberty League First team by the conference coaches on Tuesday, capping a career that has seen her earn an All-Liberty League accolade all four season at Vassar. She has also been named as a team captain during her junior and senior seasons, as voted on by her teammates. She will leave Vassar ranked in the top 10 in eight different statistical categories.

Vassar Rookie of the Year Awards
Men's: Freshman James Thomas had to wait four games to make his impact on the men's lacrosse team due to injury. Once healthy, Thomas became one of the most important players on the team, as he finished third on the team in goals (24) and points (36). He has also picked up 18 ground balls to boot. On Tuesday, Thomas was named Liberty League Rookie of the Year, while also picking up four Rookie of the Week honors four times throughout the season — the most of any Liberty League newcomer. Thomas also picked up an All-Liberty League Honorable Mention for the year, as he finished the season ranked 10th in the conference in points per game with 3.00.

Women's: Freshman Devan Gallagher became the second Vassar women's volleyball player to earn Liberty League Rookie of the Year accolades, joining Hilary Koenigs, who earned the award in the fall of 2009. Gallagher was also named to the All-Liberty League Second Team for her play, as she became one of the best hitters in the Liberty League. The freshman became the first Vassar newcomer to lead the team in kills since the 2009 season, when Chloe McGuire accomplished the feat. Gallagher posed 290 kills for the Brewers, averaging 3.09 terminations per set, while leading the team in attacking percentage with a .234 clip. Gallagher chalked up 17 matches with double-figure kill marks, while also hitting over .200 in 17 contests as well. Gallagher was named Rookie of the Week twice this season, tied for the most of any conference newcomer. 

AFAVC Award
Senior Erikson Wasyl of the men's basketball team earned the AFACV award for his leadership, team spirit, sports and academic excellence. Wasyl started 76 of 103 games for Vassar, becoming the 14th 1,000-point scorer in program history this year. Wasyl was a two-time captain and was voted to the Liberty League Second Team, while earning 2015-16 CoSIDA Academic All-District and a 2015-16 Liberty League All-Academic honors, all with a 3.76 GPA.

Iron Brewer Awards
Men's: Brooks English, Baseball
Women's: Rory Chipman, Women's Soccer
—VASSAR—

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