May 6, 2003
FAIRFAX, VA ... Four George Mason University student-athletes were honored at the annual Student-Athlete Awards Ceremony, held Tuesday evening at the Student Union Building II Ballroom.
Three student-athletes were selected for the Dr. Frank Pettrone Student-Athlete of the Year Award. The male award went to senior men's volleyball player Art Kulans, while the female award was shared by women's lacrosse senior Jill Toomey and women's volleyball junior Aline Pereira. In addition, senior wrestler Adrian Austin received the Aimee Willard Commemorative Award.
In addition to these major awards, each Patriot senior student-athlete was presented with the George Mason Award, a statue in the likeness of George Mason. The award is in recognition of the culmination of a student-athlete's participation in intercollegiate athletics.
The Dr. Frank Pettrone Student-Athlete of the Year Award is selected by George Mason student-athletes and is based on the following standards: be a team player on and off the field, demonstrate motivational qualities and good sportsmanship, and maintain good academic standing.
The Aimee Willard Commemorative Award is presented to the George Mason student-athlete who best exemplifies the standards of quality set by Willard, a former two-sport Patriot star (soccer and lacrosse) who was murdered in Philadelphia in 1996. These standards of quality include intensity, consistency of purpose, achievement and teamwork. Nominees are selected by head coaches, and the recipient is selected by Gail Willard, Aimee's mother, and the Willard family.
Kulans (Crystal Lake, IL/Crystal Lake South), a 6-5 outside hitter on George Mason's men's volleyball team, was an All-Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association first-team and EIVA All-Academic team selection in his final season. He recorded his 1,000th career kill during the EIVA Tournament and finished his career first in kills, second in digs and blocks and fourth in assists in George Mason rally-scoring era records. A Verizon Academic All-America second-team honoree in 2002, Kulans has earned a perfect 4.0 GPA in the last six consecutive semesters and owns a 3.99 cumulative GPA with a double major in finance and accounting.
Toomey (Annapolis, MD/Broadneck) garnered first-team All-Colonial Athletic Association accolades for the third consecutive season after leading the Patriots in goals scored with 59 and points with 72. A 2002 national All-American, she is the only player to amass 200 career points and concludes her career as George Mason's all-time leader in goals scored and points, while also holding the single-season and single-game records in both categories. A team co-captain both as a junior and senior, she also has made her mark in the classroom, having been named a CAA Scholar-Athlete and placed on the Athletic Director's Honor Roll.
Pereira (Sao Paolo, Brazil/Tecnologico de Osasco), an outside hitter, led the nation with an average of 6.58 kills per game this season as she helped the Patriots to a 22-8 record, the CAA championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. She recorded 724 kills on the year, a new Mason season record, and hit a team-high .327, which was fourth-best in the conference. Pereira was voted the conference Player of the Year for the second straight season and also was acknowledged as the Virginia state Player of the Year, as well as a first-team All-East Region honoree and conference tournament MVP.
Austin (Colonial Heights, VA/Matoaca) sat out the past season as a redshirt and will return for his final year of eligibility in 2003-04. He is a two-time NCAA qualifier and has a career record of 65-39 with seven falls. Austin was 24-12 overall at 149 pounds, placed second at the CAA Championships and won twice at the NCAA Championships in 2001-02.
