Mountain Hawks' annual banquet looks back at 2004-05
Posted: April 12, 2005
Bethlehem, PA – Lehigh held its annual women’s basketball banquet on Sunday, April 10 in the Governor’s Suite of Iacocca Hall on the Mountaintop Campus. Three Lehigh players captured awards on the afternoon, in a program that included lunch, presentation of four awards, reflections from the program’s five departing seniors, and the viewing of a highlight film that looked back at the Mountain Hawks’ 2004-2005 season.
For the second straight year, senior captain Jessica DePalo captured the Athlete of the Year award. The Athlete of the Year award is presented to the team member who makes the most outstanding athletic contribution to the accomplishments of the team. DePalo led the Patriot League in scoring at 18.5 points per game, and she became the first player in Lehigh history to be named the Patriot League Player of the Year.
Senior Carli Toliver was named the Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The Scholar-Athlete award goes to the student-athlete who in the eyes of his/her teammates exemplifies the ideal of the scholar-athlete. Toliver earned her degree in sociology in 2004 and has taken graduate school classes for the past year. As a team, the women’s basketball program tied for the highest grade point average in the Athletics department, boasting a 3.38 team GPA in the fall of 2004.
Senior Mary Frances Hynoski won the Coaches Award at the banquet. The Coaches Award is presented to the individual who made significant contributions to the well being of the team in terms of attitude, improvement, or special leadership. Plagued by injuries through her first three seasons at Lehigh, a healthy Hynoski finally had the chance to shine as a senior, and she did. Hynoski started every game and led the Patriot League in rebounding during league play, averaging 8.7 boards per league contest.
For the first time, the 2005 banquet featured the presentation of a new award – the Sixth Man Award. This honor is bestowed upon an individual who makes a major impact upon the program. The inaugural Sixth Man Award was presented to longtime program and women’s athletics supporter Rob Kaufman.
Next year, the Mountain Hawks return six letterwinners from a team that won a school record ten league games and advanced to the Patriot League semifinal for the second straight year.
Photos copyright 2005 Lindsay Davis, used with permission.