May 6, 2009

Members of the George Mason University athletic department came together on Tuesday night at Dewberry Hall to recognize the 2009 senior class one final time, as the Patriots held their 2009 Senior Salute awards banquet. The student-athletes, head coaches and athletic staff members commemorated their accomplishments, both in the classroom and on the field.

The seniors were honored with the George Mason Award, which was commissioned in January of 1997 in an effort to recognize the culmination of a student-athlete's participation in intercollegiate athletics. The hand-sculpted artwork of George Mason was designed as a permanent remembrance of both the institution and the student-athlete's legacy. A total of 68 seniors from 17 sports and the cheerleading and dance teams accepted the award.

The Aimee Willard commemorative award was won by senior baseball player Scott Krieger. The award was established in 1997 and is presented to the Mason student-athlete who best exemplifies the standards of quality set by Aimee: 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.

Krieger is an outfielder from Towson, Md. He has started all 47 games for the Patriots this year and he is among the nation's leaders in home runs, batting average and total bases. A preseason first-team All-American this year, he leads the nation in active career home runs, RBI, runs and total bases. He is the fourth member of the baseball team to win the award in the past six years, including last year's recipient Dan Jaycox.

The final awards of the evening were presented to the winners of the Dr. Frank Pettrone Student-Athlete of the Year Award. The winners of this award are selected by the student-athletes 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.

Women's track and field's Ryann Hendricks won the Female Student-Athlete of the Year award, beating out lacrosse's Maggie Bridges, a three-time All-CAA first team selection, swimming's Ashley Danner, an honorable mention All-American and three-time CAA champion this season, and women's volleyball player Chelsea Kropp, a four-year anchor of the Patriots' backcourt.

Hendricks, a senior, qualified for the ECAC Championships during indoor season in both the long and triple jump, and will participate in both the ECAC and NCAA East Regional Championships later this month in the two events. She was named the Co-Most Outstanding Women's Field Performer of the CAA Championships after capturing the conference's triple jump title and placing second in the long jump.

Krieger was also selected the Male Student-Athlete of the Year, edging a field that included men's soccer player Kwame Adjeman-Pamboe, who was a second-round selection by the Colorado Rapids in the MLS SuperDraft following a first-team All-CAA season, wrestling's Cayle Byers, who won the CAA title at 197 pounds and advanced to the NCAA Championships, and swimmer Preston Wolter, who was chosen the Most Outstanding Male Swimmer of the 2009 CAA Championships after earning three CAA titles.

The Scholar-Athletes were recognized as well during the ceremony. In order to earn the Scholar-Athlete Award, seniors must have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.4 or greater, with the list of senior student-athletes meeting that criteria listed below:

SENIOR SCHOLAR-ATHLETES OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS

Jonathan Borrajo, Men's Soccer

Maggie Bridges, Lacrosse

Alison Bryan, Softball

Morgan Connell, Women's Volleyball

Kat Dolan, Rowing

Nilani Duarte, Women's Soccer

Zhana Edmonds, Cheerleading

Chelsea Kropp, Women's Volleyball

Crystal Lawrence, Track & Field

Denise Maclin, Dance

Justin Mallette, Swimming & Diving

Jenn Mockler, Rowing

Ryan Murphy, Track & Field

Mutsa Nyakabau, Track & Field

Jessica Paris, Women's Soccer

Daniel Schneider, Men's Tennis

Allie Smith, Swimming & Diving

Julie Tripson, Track & Field

Matthew Vaughn, Men's Tennis

Heather Voska, Rowing

Jordan Wheatley, Rowing

Alicia Van Zandt, Women's Tennis