On Tuesday night, the George Mason athletic department, its student-athletes, coaches and staff, gathered at the Mason Inn to recognize the 2013 senior class one last time and announce the recipients of the annual awards.
After George Mason University President Dr. Angel Cabrera welcomed the attendees, Director of Athletics Tom O'Connor opened the awards portion of the evening presenting Gustavo Osorio with the Aimee Willard Commemorative Award. 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.
Osorio, a senior from Woodbridge, Va., is the first track and field student-athlete to receive the honor since two-sport student-athlete Kimmy Moss in 2011. Osorio is a two-time CAA Decathlon champion, including a victory this past weekend which punched his ticket to the IC4A Championships. Last season at the IC4As, Osorio earned All-IC4A recognition and contributed to Mason's team title.
Following the Aimee Willard Award presentation, Casey Thompson, treasurer of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council, and Ashley Delaney, secretary of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council, award the men's soccer and dance teams with this year's community service awards and the women's volleyball team the Patriot Cup. The Patriot Cup is awarded to the team that has accumulated the most points over the academic year based on the following categories: Academic Development, Athletes Supporting Athletes, Athletic Development, Career Development, Community Service and Personal Development.
After the scholar-athletes and provost award winners were recognized, 99 seniors from 17 sports and the cheerleading and dance teams were then honored with the George Mason Award. The award 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.
The evening's final awards were presented to the winners of the Dr. Frank Pettrone Student-Athlete of the Year. The winners of this award were selected by the student-athletes and staff members of the athletic department based on the following standards: be a team player on and off the field, demonstrate motivated qualities and good sportsmanship and maintain good academic standing.
Track and field swept the awards as Cierra McGee was voted the Female Student-Athlete of the Year, while teammate David Verburg won the Male Student-Athlete of the Year award. This marks the first year teammates have taken home the award.
McGee had a successful season taking home the 400m individual title at the CAA Championships this past weekend to mark the 13th time in program history Mason has won the event. Also a member of the 4x100m relay, McGee and teammates captured the top spot in the tournament. In the Mason Spring Invitational, McGee took third in the 400m, while finishing third overall in the 200m. McGee crossed the finish line in the 200m at the Raleigh Relays in an ECAC qualifying time of 23.84 to take the top spot after opening the outdoor season claiming first in the 4x400m relay at the VCU Rams Invitational. McGee became the fourth member of the women's track and field team to receive the honor.
Verburg, a three-time CAA Men's Track and Field Athlete of the Week, capped his senior season being named the men's track outstanding performer of the CAA Championships for the second consecutive season. The Lynchburg, Va., native set a Unitas Stadium record with his top-time of 45.37 in the 400m to claim his fourth-straight CAA title in the event at the Championships. Verburg also took home the title in the 200m with the fourth-fastest time in Mason program history. Verburg also won the 200m and 400m at the Michael Johnson Classic, while also capturing the 200m at the Mason Spring Invitational and Raleigh Relays. The award marks the third time a member of the men's track and field team was voted Male Student-Athlete of the Year.
Also nominated for the student-athlete of the year awards were Brooke Blakenship (softball), Paige Impink (swimming and diving), Lana Zonjic (volleyball), Mark Jones (men's volleyball), Taylor Morgan (soccer) and Sherrod Wright (basketball).
Seniors were also recognized for their efforts in the classroom as 22 student-athletes received the Scholar-Athlete Award for carrying a cumulative grade point average of 3.4 or greater. A complete list of the student-athletes receiving the Scholar-Athlete Award is below with those earning the Provost's Award indicated with an asterisk.
Joyous Tharrington – Women's Basketball
Alanna Steinmeyer – Cheerleading
Lindsey Iandolo – Dance
Jennifer Storch – Dance*
Shelby Cohen – Lacrosse*
Caitlin Formato – Lacrosse
Meredith Bennett – Rowing
Madison Beumer – Rowing*
Victoria Owen – Rowing
Alec Constantine – Soccer*
Megan Blank – Softball
Reagan Doiron – Softball
Adam Carter – Swimming
Cole Jamison – Swimming
Kiersten Pappas – Women's Tennis
David Rushing – Track and Field
Conor Doan – Track and Field
Cierra McGee – Track and Field
Patrick Maloney – Volleyball*
Javier Perez – Volleyball*
Lauren Goodell – Volleyball
Ran Yin - Volleyball
Underclassmen Provost's Scholar Student-Athlete Award Recipients
Kaitelyn Fariss – Cheer
Kelli Beard – Lacrosse
Kirstin Russell – Lacrosse
Sheridan Gunderson – Rowing
Hayley Walczer – Rowing
Elizabeth Agiato – Women's Soccer
Nicole Clark – Women's Soccer
Lyndse Hokanson – Women's Soccer
Kelly Pizzingrilli – Women's Soccer
Amanda Bender – Softball
Paige Impink – Swimming and Diving
Kelsey Ryan – Swimming and Diving
Christopher Borden – Tennis
Megan Kaiser – Track and Field
Meredith Oare – Track and Field
Heather Selheimer – Track and Field
Maggie Underwood – Track and Field
Stuart Lampen-Crowell – Track and Field
Ryan McGreal – Track and Field
Peter Cuppernull – Men's Volleyball
David Lucas – Men's Volleyball
