Clark University Announces 2003-04 Athletic Department Award Winners

WORCESTER, MA…Athletic department award winners and senior athletes were honored at the Clark University Athletic Awards Program on Tuesday, May 4th. A scholar athlete reception was held before the awards program honoring eighty-two athletes who had earned a 3.5 GPA for the 2003 spring semester and/or 2003 fall semester and/or have a 3.5 cumulative GPA.

The following capsules are profiles of the major award recipients.

Russ Granger Award
The Russ Granger Award for academic excellence and athletic achievement by a male athlete was awarded to junior Brian Godard (Southington,CT/Southington HS), a three-year rower. The three-year captain and stroke seat, Godard has been a member of the crew program for a total of six seasons. He was member of the men’s varsity four boat that placed second in the NH Championships in the fall of 2002, sixth overall at the New England Championships in the spring of 2003 and fifth at this year’s New England Championships. In addition, as a first-year he was a part of the novice eight boat that had one of the fastest times in recent Clark history and the novice four boat finished 5th out of 18 boats at the New England Championship in the spring of 2002. He is a three-year scholar athlete and two-year SAAC member while participating in the Leadership Workshop Series for the past two years. A biology major, Godard has maintained a 3.9 grade-point average over the past three years and will be applying to Optometry school post-Clark.

Alice Higgins Award
The recipient of the Alice Higgins Award for academic excellence and athletic achievement by a female athlete was junior soccer and softball player Jen Scavone (Worcester, MA/Holy Name HS). A three-year starter on both teams and captain in softball this year, Scavone has had an impressive career thus far. She was second on the soccer team in scoring with five goals and has been a major offensive threat all three years. Scavone had another outstanding softball season in 2004 leading the team in batting average (.435), RBIs (16), doubles (7), triples (5) and home runs (3). In addition, she ranks in the top ten in five offensive statistical categories in the New England Women’s & Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) including second in batting average and first in triples. A three-time selection to the all-conference team and Rookie of the Year in 2002, she earned National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America First Team honors her rookie season. She has also been named to the NFCA New England Regional All-America First Team, New England Intercollegiate Softball Coaches Association (NEISCA) All-New England First Team and the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference All-Star First Team in 2002 and 2003. In addition, she is the 10th member of the 100-hit club at Clark and through 95 career games is ranked fifth on the all-time career hits list with 131 and is tied for the most doubles in a season (15) and holds the record for the most triples in a season (8). Scavone, a management major, has maintained a 3.42 grade point average and has earned Clark scholar-athlete honors the past two years.

Fred Hebert Trophy
The Fred Hebert Trophy is awarded to the outstanding senior male athlete who has made a significant contribution to the intercollegiate athletic program and whose dedication and performance have enriched the tradition of Clark Athletics. This year’s winner was men’s basketball and baseball standout senior Dave McNamara (Worcester, MA/Worcester Academy). McNamara, who played both sports all four years, served as a captain for the basketball and baseball squads his senior year. During his career on the hard wood he was a four-time NEWMAC All-Conference selection and was named the 2001 NEWMAC Rookie of the Year. He led the team in scoring with 18.7 points per game his senior year and grabbed 3.7 rebounds per game while dishing out 2.0 assists. McNamara also averaged 2.6 3-point field goals a game while shooting 36.2 percent from long range. In addition, he finished the season ranked third in the conference in scoring, ninth in steals, eighth in 3FG%, fourth in 3FGs made per game and sixth in FT% (.766). He received CoSIDA Academic All-America Men’s Basketball College Division All-District I Second Team honors and concluded his career ranked second on Clark’s All-Time scoring list with 1,827 points. During his four years he earned ECAC All-Star Third Team honors in 2000-01, was selected to the 2002-03 ECAC All-Star Honorable Mention team and earned 2002-03 D3Hoops.com All-Northeast Regional Third Team. He helped lead the Cougars to back-to-back trips to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight in 2001 and 2002, a trip to the NCAA tournament in 2003 and NEWMAC Championships in 2001, 2002 and 2003 while compiling an 81-30 overall record (.730 winning %) during his career. On the diamond, McNamara led the team with a .387 batting average and 10 doubles in 2004 and added team-highs in hits (43), RBI (31), runs scored (27) and stolen bases (12). In addition, he was ranked in the top ten in the NEWMAC in five offensive statistical categories including third in batting average and third in stolen bases while earning all-conference first team honors for the first time in his career. McNamara, a solid hitter, reached the 100 career-hit plateau this year and ended with 110 hits while playing in 92 career games. McNamara, who hit a three-run homerun in his last at-bat of his career, reached 31 RBI for the season and set the school record for runs batted in for a season. He fell just four hits shy of tying the school mark for most hits in a single season, 47. A management major, he has achieved a 3.22 grade-point average.

M. Hazel Hughes Trophy
The M. Hazel Hughes Trophy is awarded to the outstanding senior female athlete who has made a significant contribution to the intercollegiate athletic program and whose dedication and performance have enriched the tradition of Clark Athletics. This year’s recipients were senior field hockey player and captain Jessica Petitt (Hatfield, MA/Smith Academy) and graduate student and two-year women’s basketball captain Rachael Turkington (Holland, MA/Tantasqua Regional). Petitt, a four-year starter, was named to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) All-America First Team in 2003 and the second team in 2002. In 2003, she led the team in scoring with 14 goals, 11 assists and 39 points including a team-high four game-winning goals. In addition to all-America honors Petitt was selected to the NFHCA All-New England East Regional First Team, the NEWMAC All-Conference first team and the ECAC All-Star second team in 2003. This marked her third appearance on the regional first team and the all-conference team after being selected the NEWMAC Rookie of the Year in 2000. She concluded her career playing in the NFHCA senior all-star game as a member of the north all-star team and finished her impressive four years playing in 84 career games while recording 49 goals, 30 assists and 128 points and is tied for first on Clark’s all-time scoring list. She is tied for second in career goals (49) and third in career assists (30). Petitt is only the fourth Clark field hockey player to be named to the all-America first team and is the third consecutive player to earn first team honors in the last three years. While at Clark, Petitt helped lead the Cougars to four consecutive ECAC Tournament appearances. The team finished as ECAC tournament runners-up in 2000 and 2002 and reached the semifinals twice while compiling a 63-23 overall record (.733 winning %) and was a member of the team that set the record for most wins in a season (19). Petitt also participated on the women’s basketball team for three years.Turkington, who ended her impressive career with 1,361 points and ranked eighth on Clark’s all-time scoring list, was named the 2004 NEWMAC Player of the Year and earned all-conference first team honors for the second consecutive year. She was also named to Verizon Academic All-District I College Division second team, D3Hoops.com Northeast Regional second team and ECAC All-Star second team in 2004 while leading the team in scoring with 14.0 points per game and adding a team-high 4.2 assists per game. In addition, she helped the Cougars earn an automatic bid to the 2004 NCAA Tournament and claim a NEWMAC Championship, while compiling a 21-6 overall record. Turkington who has recovered from two ACL injuries was a finalist for the prestigious Jostens Trophy by members of the Rotary Club of Salem, Virginia this year. The award honors the most outstanding men and women’s Division III basketball players of the year. The award takes into account basketball ability, academic prowess and community service. The trophy models the Rotary motto of “Service above Self” by recognizing those who truly fit the ideal of the well-rounded Division III student-athlete. Adding to her impressive career and numerous accomplishments she received 2001-02 Verizon Academic All-America Women's Basketball District I Second Team honors and was named to the 2002-03 Verizon Academic All-America District I First Team. In addition, she finished the 2002-03 season ranked first in the nation in three-point field goals per game (4.0). Turkington received the Alice Higgins Award in 2003 awarded to a female athlete for academic excellence and athletic achievement.

Merit Award
Each year the Athletic Department presents Merit Awards to seniors who have had a significant impact on their sport. This year’s recipient was senior Roy Barnum (Hyde Park, NY/The Peddie School), a three-year transfer swimmer, who led the Cougars with six multiple event wins during the year. A versatile swimmer, he recorded top five all-time times in 2004 in the 200-yard freestyle (1:47.79, 2nd), the 50-yard backstroke (27.40, 2nd), the 50-yard breaststroke (28.80, 2nd), the 200-yard breaststroke (2:18.00, 3rd), and the 200-yard individual medley (2:01.07, 3rd). In addition, he holds the school record in the 100-yard IM (56.28) and additional top five times in the 100-yard breaststroke (2nd, 1:01.15) and 100-yard freestyle (3rd, 2:18.00). Banrum is a member of the 200-yard medley relay team that holds the school record (1:14.66) and the 400-yard medley relay teams that set the school record (3:43.69). He placed 6th in the 2004 NEWMAC Championships 200-yard IM event (2:01.58), 9th in the 200-yard freestyle (1:47.89) and 8th in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:18.10).

Senior Class Award
The Senior Class Award is given annually to the senior athlete who best exemplifies class, spirit and integrity in his or her athletic endeavors. This year’s winners were Brent Kenneway ‘04 (Sturbridge, MA/Tantasqua Regional HS) and Jerome Boutaud ‘04 (Belmont, MA/Belmont). Kenneway, a four-year member of the men’s basketball team, was a member of the back-to-back NCAA Tournament Elite Eight teams in 2001 and 2002, an NCAA Tournament team in 2003 and won three conference championships. He was a two-year member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and the athletic board. He also participated in the leadership workshop series and served as a home contest supervisor. Boutaud, a four-year cross country runner and two-year captain was one of Clark’s top runners for the past three years. He also participated as a coxswain in the crew program for two years. Boutaud served on the SAAC for three years and also participated in the leadership workshop series.

Richie Fairbanks Award
The Richie Fairbanks Service Award, which is given to individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the athletic program, was awarded to senior Peter Kirschner (Marlboro, NJ/Marlboro HS). Kirschner, the men’s basketball student assistant coach for the past two years has worked endless hours for the basketball team. Over his four years at Clark he has been a manager, junior varsity player and a score keeper, all as a volunteer. In addition, Kirschner has been an active member of the Goddard Reading Program while involved in all aspects of the basketball program including conducting tours to all recruits, scouting opponents, attending high school games to recruit future players and attending all practices and games.

Four-Year Participation Awards
Twenty-five senior and graduate student athletes received Clark watches in recognition of their four years of varsity athletic participation in the same sport.

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