Lehigh celebrates 2013-14 school year with annual convocation
4/28/2014 2:55:00 PM | Athletics, Student Athlete
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh Athletics held its annual Convocation Program on Monday, April 28 at Baker Hall inside the Zoellner Arts Center to look back on the significant team and individual accomplishments of the past year. The event featured a highlight video, recognition of student-athlete winners of Lehigh University awards and the announcement of winners of Lehigh's department awards.
The highest honor of the event went to senior men's lacrosse player Ty Souders, who was named the Graduating Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Souders is a two-time All-American who has tallied an impressive 3.54 GPA in his finance major. Souders is a three-time Academic All-League honoree, as well as a three-time All-Patriot League selection.
Senior men's cross country and track and field athlete Tyler Mueller earned two awards, the Graduating Male Athlete of the Year for his athletic accomplishments and the John A. Cable Leadership Award for his execution of effective team leadership and consistent performance and work ethic. Mueller was the 2013 Patriot League Champion in Cross Country and Lehigh's first Patriot League Male Runner of the Year. He finished 67th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, the best-ever finish for a Lehigh runner and is the Patriot League indoor champion in the 3,000 and 5,000 meter runs and ranked in the top 20 in the East in the outdoor 5,000 and 10,000 meter events. He is a two-time team co-captain in cross country, leading the 2012 Patriot League Championship-winning team. Mueller is also a graduate of Lehigh's Leadership Academy.
Senior women's track and field athlete Brooke Astor also garnered two awards, the Graduating Female Athlete of the Year and the Mary O'Hurley Leadership Award. Astor has won seven Patriot League titles in Indoor/Outdoor Track and Field and been named the Patriot League Indoor Field Athlete of the Meet in both the 2013 and 2014 indoor championships. The accomplished senior also won the 2014 ECAC Pentathlon championship and owns five school records. A strong leader, Astor is a two-time co-captain and has initiated and followed through on team goal setting sessions at key points in the season. She is a graduate of every phase of the Leadership Academy and a two-year member of the Student-Athlete Council.
The first year student-athlete awards went to Kaitlyn Ruffing from swimming and diving and track and field and wrestler Darian Cruz.
A two sport athlete, Ruffing was the recipient of the John Steckbeck Award. The first-year swimmer was Lehigh's first freshman Patriot League swimming champion since 2003 after she won the 100 yard freestyle. She was a first team All-Patriot League selection and is now competing as a member of the outdoor track team.
Cruz earned the J. Daniel Nolan Award for his NCAA All-American status after his seventh place finish at 125 pounds, which made him Lehigh's first true freshman All-American since 1980. He finished third in the EIWA behind only the national runner-up and the wrestler he defeated in the All-America round at NCAAs. Cruz posted a 23-10 overall record and won nine of his last 11 bouts in dual meets.
Baseball senior Joe Abeln received the Sportsmanship Award for his on-field demeanor towards teammates, coaches, opponents and umpires, as well as his unselfish, team-first attitude. The team co-captain is one of Lehigh's most consistent offensive weapons and a two-time All-Patriot League selection. Abeln moved positions three times in the past three years for the good of the team and takes the time to mentor the younger Mountain Hawks while playing the game with passion and energy.
Women's lacrosse senior Alexandra Fitzpatrick received the Marlene "Linny" Fowler Service Award for her community service work. Fitzpatrick is a co-captain of the Student-Athlete Council and a three-year member of the Council. She was the former COACH Co-Chair of the 2012 Adopt-A-Family program and intern in the Athletics Leadership Development Office.
Sophomore Shelby Fabian was named the Phillip J. Sclar Award Winner for her efforts as a student manager with the softball program for the past two years. She travels to every game and goes above and beyond to make the coaches jobs easier and help the players remain confident and composed. Fabian also films games, keeps scorebooks and plays walk-up music for each batter at home games.
Also on Monday, nine senior student-athletes were honored with Distinguished Achievement Awards. These recipients are student-athletes who have displayed a high level of scholarship, significant athletic achievement at the league level and beyond and demonstrated service to the institution. The honorees included: Astor, Muller, Souders, Fitzpatrick, Jimil Ataman (track and field), Rachel Charles (volleyball), Mark Goldberg (men's tennis), Murphee Greeley (soccer) and Joey Napoli (wrestling).
2013-14 Lehigh Athletics Department Awards
Phillip J. Sclar Award – Shelby Fabian (softball manager)
John Steckbeck Award – Kaitlyn Ruffing (women's swimming and diving/track and field)
J. Daniel Nolan Award – Darian Cruz (wrestling)
Graduating Female Athlete Award – Brooke Astor (women's track and field)
Graduating Male Athlete Award – Tyler Mueller (men's cross country/track and field)
Sportsmanship Award – Joe Abeln (baseball)
Marlene "Linny" Fowler Service Award – Alexandra Fitzpatrick (women's lacrosse)
Mary O'Hurley Leadership Award – Brooke Astor (women's track and field)
John A. Cable Leadership Award – Tyler Mueller (men's cross country/track and field)
Distinguished Achievement Awards - Brooke Astor (women's track and field), Jimil Ataman (women's track and field), Rachel Charles (volleyball), Alexandra Fitzpatrick (women's lacrosse), Mark Goldberg (men's tennis), Murphee Greeley (women's soccer), Tyler Mueller (men's cross country/track and field), Joey Napoli (wrestling) and Ty Souders (men's lacrosse)<%--2013-14 Lehigh Athletics Convocation Gallery--%>
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh Athletics held its annual Convocation Program on Monday, April 28 at Baker Hall inside the Zoellner Arts Center to look back on the significant team and individual accomplishments of the past year. The event featured a highlight video, recognition of student-athlete winners of Lehigh University awards and the announcement of winners of Lehigh's department awards.
The highest honor of the event went to senior men's lacrosse player Ty Souders, who was named the Graduating Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Souders is a two-time All-American who has tallied an impressive 3.54 GPA in his finance major. Souders is a three-time Academic All-League honoree, as well as a three-time All-Patriot League selection.
Senior men's cross country and track and field athlete Tyler Mueller earned two awards, the Graduating Male Athlete of the Year for his athletic accomplishments and the John A. Cable Leadership Award for his execution of effective team leadership and consistent performance and work ethic. Mueller was the 2013 Patriot League Champion in Cross Country and Lehigh's first Patriot League Male Runner of the Year. He finished 67th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, the best-ever finish for a Lehigh runner and is the Patriot League indoor champion in the 3,000 and 5,000 meter runs and ranked in the top 20 in the East in the outdoor 5,000 and 10,000 meter events. He is a two-time team co-captain in cross country, leading the 2012 Patriot League Championship-winning team. Mueller is also a graduate of Lehigh's Leadership Academy.
Senior women's track and field athlete Brooke Astor also garnered two awards, the Graduating Female Athlete of the Year and the Mary O'Hurley Leadership Award. Astor has won seven Patriot League titles in Indoor/Outdoor Track and Field and been named the Patriot League Indoor Field Athlete of the Meet in both the 2013 and 2014 indoor championships. The accomplished senior also won the 2014 ECAC Pentathlon championship and owns five school records. A strong leader, Astor is a two-time co-captain and has initiated and followed through on team goal setting sessions at key points in the season. She is a graduate of every phase of the Leadership Academy and a two-year member of the Student-Athlete Council.
The first year student-athlete awards went to Kaitlyn Ruffing from swimming and diving and track and field and wrestler Darian Cruz.
A two sport athlete, Ruffing was the recipient of the John Steckbeck Award. The first-year swimmer was Lehigh's first freshman Patriot League swimming champion since 2003 after she won the 100 yard freestyle. She was a first team All-Patriot League selection and is now competing as a member of the outdoor track team.
Cruz earned the J. Daniel Nolan Award for his NCAA All-American status after his seventh place finish at 125 pounds, which made him Lehigh's first true freshman All-American since 1980. He finished third in the EIWA behind only the national runner-up and the wrestler he defeated in the All-America round at NCAAs. Cruz posted a 23-10 overall record and won nine of his last 11 bouts in dual meets.
Baseball senior Joe Abeln received the Sportsmanship Award for his on-field demeanor towards teammates, coaches, opponents and umpires, as well as his unselfish, team-first attitude. The team co-captain is one of Lehigh's most consistent offensive weapons and a two-time All-Patriot League selection. Abeln moved positions three times in the past three years for the good of the team and takes the time to mentor the younger Mountain Hawks while playing the game with passion and energy.
Women's lacrosse senior Alexandra Fitzpatrick received the Marlene "Linny" Fowler Service Award for her community service work. Fitzpatrick is a co-captain of the Student-Athlete Council and a three-year member of the Council. She was the former COACH Co-Chair of the 2012 Adopt-A-Family program and intern in the Athletics Leadership Development Office.
Sophomore Shelby Fabian was named the Phillip J. Sclar Award Winner for her efforts as a student manager with the softball program for the past two years. She travels to every game and goes above and beyond to make the coaches jobs easier and help the players remain confident and composed. Fabian also films games, keeps scorebooks and plays walk-up music for each batter at home games.
Also on Monday, nine senior student-athletes were honored with Distinguished Achievement Awards. These recipients are student-athletes who have displayed a high level of scholarship, significant athletic achievement at the league level and beyond and demonstrated service to the institution. The honorees included: Astor, Muller, Souders, Fitzpatrick, Jimil Ataman (track and field), Rachel Charles (volleyball), Mark Goldberg (men's tennis), Murphee Greeley (soccer) and Joey Napoli (wrestling).
2013-14 Lehigh Athletics Department Awards
Phillip J. Sclar Award – Shelby Fabian (softball manager)
John Steckbeck Award – Kaitlyn Ruffing (women's swimming and diving/track and field)
J. Daniel Nolan Award – Darian Cruz (wrestling)
Graduating Female Athlete Award – Brooke Astor (women's track and field)
Graduating Male Athlete Award – Tyler Mueller (men's cross country/track and field)
Sportsmanship Award – Joe Abeln (baseball)
Marlene "Linny" Fowler Service Award – Alexandra Fitzpatrick (women's lacrosse)
Mary O'Hurley Leadership Award – Brooke Astor (women's track and field)
John A. Cable Leadership Award – Tyler Mueller (men's cross country/track and field)
Distinguished Achievement Awards - Brooke Astor (women's track and field), Jimil Ataman (women's track and field), Rachel Charles (volleyball), Alexandra Fitzpatrick (women's lacrosse), Mark Goldberg (men's tennis), Murphee Greeley (women's soccer), Tyler Mueller (men's cross country/track and field), Joey Napoli (wrestling) and Ty Souders (men's lacrosse)
Undergraduate Commencement
Sunday, May 18
Graduate Commencement & Doctoral Hooding
Saturday, May 17
Commencement - Undergraduate Degrees
Sunday, May 19
Commencement - Graduate Degrees
Saturday, May 18
