SIXTH ANNUAL ‘CUSE AWARDS CELEBRATES ORANGE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

After a record-breaking year in Syracuse Athletics, student-athletes, coaches, and administrators celebrated the unforgettable achievements of many at the sixth annual ‘Cuse Awards held at the Goldstein Auditorium in the Schine Student Center.

The 2012 NCAA Division I 60-meter hurdles champion, Jarret Eaton earned awards for Male Performance of the Year and Male Athlete of the Year. He is the first SU track and field student-athlete to win an NCAA title. Eaton won the NCAA title with a time of 7.54 seconds, winning the event by 0.01 seconds and beating defending champion Andrew Riley of Illinois. Eaton owns the school record in the 60-meter hurdles (7.49 seconds) and the BIG EAST Conference Championship Meet record (7.7 seconds).

The NCAA crown completed a perfect season for Eaton, who won every race he ran during the 2012 campaign. Eaton was named the USTFCCCA Northeast Region Male Track Athlete of the Year for the second time in his career and is currently on the Watch List for the Bowerman Award, which is presented annually to the top male and female track and field athletes.

All-American Lauren Penney won the Female Athlete of the Year honor. Syracuse’s first female cross country All-American, Penney was an All-Northeast Region and All-BIG EAST performer. She finished 29th overall at the NCAA Championship (20:19). Penney finished first for the Orange in every race she ran in 2011.

Penney also broke two school records during the indoor track season, both of which she already held. Penney improved her record in the mile to 4:39 at the Penn State Invitational and broke her own school record in the 3000-meter run (9:12.76) at the Husky Classic in Washington. In the classroom, Penney is a three-time United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic honoree.

Two coaches shared the Coach of the Year honors. Softball coach Leigh Ross and women’s lacrosse coach Gary Gait earned the award for leading their teams to national prominence.

Ross has guided the Orange to back-to-back BIG EAST titles and NCAA Tournament invitations and has the Orange rolling again this season at 38-12. She was named 2011 Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year, as well.

After Syracuse was picked 12th in the preseason polls, Gait has guided the Orange to its highest ranking in school history at No. 2. The Orange won the BIG EAST regular season title and enters the league tournament as the top seed. SU has won or shared the conference crown in five of the last six seasons.

The women’s lacrosse squad earned two team honors, accepting the Most Improved Team and the Women’s Team of the Year awards. Syracuse has a school-record 14 consecutive victories, including wins against the two top-five teams and four opponents ranked in the top 10

The men’s basketball team received the award for Men’s Team of the Year. After recording the most wins in program history and the best start in program history, the basketball team was the first SU team to ever be ranked in the top five the entire season. The Orange won a record 17 BIG EAST conference games.

The 2012 Doris Soladay Awards were presented to seniors Emily Harman and Michael Dietrick.

A four-year tennis letterwinner, Harman was the team captain as a junior and senior. She earned 2012 All-BIG EAST honors, in addition to being on the Dean’s List and the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll every semester at Syracuse. A 2012 Syracuse University Class Marshall, Harman received several academic honors, including the Chancellor’s Scholarship, the Richard C. and Claire B. Kleinhans Athletic scholarship and the Con Med Corporation Scholarship. Harman is also active in the community, serving as a volunteer at the Onondaga Nation Kidz Day and as a volunteer tennis instructor at her former high school in Petersburg, W.Va. Following graduation, Harman will play professionally on the Women’s Tennis Association Tour, after earning a world-ranking as an amateur.

Dietrick rowed in the Varsity eight for three seasons after walking on to the team as a freshman. In 2011 Dietrick helped the varsity boat to the Grand Final at the Eastern Sprints, as well helping SU to its first IRA Grand Final appearance in 30 years. Dietrick is an active member of the community, serving as tutor to accounting students, as well as donating more than 25 hours of help to Meals on Wheels in Syracuse. In the classroom, Dietrick earned his undergraduate degree from the Whitman School of Management in three years and will complete his master’s degree in accounting upon graduation this May.

The 2012 Soladay nominees included Bryan Clegg and Heather Wentz (lacrosse), Pat Dupont and Heather Stephens (cross country), Francis McGill (spirit squad), Casey Ramirez and Nick Roydhouse (soccer), Nick Resavy (men’s basketball), Kelly Saco (softball), Megan Skelly (ice hockey), Kevyn Scott (football), Heather Susek (field hockey), Ashley Williams (volleyball), and Flings Joyner Owusu-Agyapong and Darryl White (track & field).

Football student-athlete Shamarko Thomas was recognized with the Syracuse Eight Award of Courage. He has persevered through the loss of both of his parents and is now assisting in raising his five younger siblings.

Alyssa Murray won the Female Performance of the Year Award after setting a school record with eight goals in a 23-12 victory against No. 13 Boston College. She also dished out two assists in her 10-point effort, which ties her for second on the school record list for points in a game.

The men’s basketball team’s unforgettable 64-63 win against Wisconsin in the Sweet 16 won the Game of the Year. Wisconsin hit 14 three’s in the game, including nine in the second half, but SU’s defense shut down the Badgers on their final possession with the game on the line as the Orange defeated Wisconsin 64-63 right before the buzzer.

Men’s basketball student-athletes Michael Carter-Williams and Kris Joseph won awards for Shot of the Year and Play of the Year, respectively.

Carter Williams’ monstrous dunk over St. John’s 6’8’’ God’sgift Achiuwa came in the second half of a 95-70 win against the Red Storm was the Shot of the Year, while Joseph’s game-winning 3-pointer against rival Georgetown in overtime earned the award for Play of the Year. With 18 seconds to go, Joseph hit the decisive three-pointer to give Syracuse the win over the #11 Hoyas. That last three gave him a career-best of six from behind the arc. The senior scored a career-high 29 points in the win.

The Female and Male Rookie of the Year honors went to Julie Wambold and Dyshawn Davis.

Wambold leads the team with 11 home runs, which is the most by a first-year Syracuse player, and 32 RBI, and has had three game-winning hits this season. Her .263 batting average is fourth on the team.

As one of 10 true freshmen who played in 2011, Dyshawn Davis posted 43 tackles, including a team-leading 10.5 for a loss of yards, forced a fumble and had a fumble recovery. The ECAC Defensive Rookie of the Year also recorded four sacks.

Seven student-athletes were recognized for earning All-America First Team honors, including Pat Dupont, Lauren Penney, Jarret Eaton, John Galloway, Joel White, John Lade and Elizabeth McInerny.

The tennis team won the Team Grade Point Average award for the highest GPA of the year and the men’s soccer team won the ‘Cuse Cares award for their outstanding commitment to community engagement. Football graduate student Kevyn Scott earned Academic All-America First Team honors. The men’s basketball team was awarded the NACDA Award for its 73 points.

Press release provided by SU Athletics