In a year in which the St. Kate’s athletic teams scored the most points in the MIAC All-Sports standings in school history, there was certainly plenty to celebrate at the annual athletic department awards banquet.
During the 2008-2009 year Wildcat student-athletes set 25 school records in everything from most points scored in a basketball season (Laura Kalbfell) to the 50 free (Sarah Vrudny) in the swimming pool. The teams also recorded their highest MIAC finishes in many years in soccer, hockey, softball, swimming & diving and track & field.
In addition to celebrating these achievements the evening also included honoring the two-year and four-year letter winners, the MIAC All-Conference and Honorable Mention award winners, and academic award winners.
Also as a part of the evening festivities the department presented their three main awards for the year. The Rookie of the Year award, Sheila Brown Wildcat award and McCahill Athlete of the Year award.
Bridget Perkins was named the Rookie of the Year. This past season Perkins became the first MIAC women’s athlete in five years to score in both swimming and diving events. The multi-talented and tireless worker was also part of four St. Kate’s relay records and set the 100 fly record. In the 100 fly, Perkins broke a record that had stood for over 25 years. Bridget, who carries a 3.3 GPA was also the team’s “Most Dedicated” award winner.
The Sheila Brown Wildcat Award is given to athletes who consistently exhibited a combination of athleticism, scholarship, dedication, sportsmanship and leadership. This year there were two award winners: Andrea Boser and Sarah Meissner.
Boser was a four-year letter winner and outstanding leader during her career at St. Kate’s. She played in 123 games in her softball career, and was the team’s defensive player of the year. She was also a four-time NFCA Scholar Athlete, and served as an officer in WSAAC. She has a 3.77 GPA in Sign Language Interpretation.
Meissner played a similar role as a team leader for St. Kate’s track & field team. During her career she also set school records in the 55 and 100 hurdles, the 4 x 200 and 4 x 200 relays. and was an NCAA Provisional qualifier in the Heptathlon. Her work ethic and desire to compete as hard as she could at every meet and every practice carried over to her teammates and even to other teams as her involvement with WSAAC included creating more student-support at Wildcats athletics.
The evening’s final award, the McCahill Athlete of the Year, went to junior cross country and track athlete Greta Sieve. The McCahill Athlete of the Year is awarded to the student-athlete that exemplifies the best qualities of athletes participating in Division III collegiate sports. The criteria for the award is focused mainly on athletic achievement, but also includes team leadership, academic achievement, and community involvement.
Greta’s list of accomplishments this year were impressive to say the least. Greta started her year by setting a new St. Kate’s record in cross country. She beat the previous record in the 6k by 45 seconds. As a testament to her hard work and improvement, this record setting performance was over three minutes faster than her fastest time as a freshman two years ago. Greta was also the first wildcat over the finish line at every race this year and she was honored with the team’s MVP award.
When track season began, she picked up right where she left off. At the MIAC indoor championships, Greta anchored the distance medley relay team that set a new St. Kate’s record and she also finished fifth in the MIAC in the 3k. During the outdoor championships, Greta continued to excel. She set school records in the 1500 meter, the 5k, the 10k, and the steeplechase. Her records in the 5k and 10k were both replacing a member of St. Kate’s Hall of Fame and earned her MIAC All-Conference Honors. However, Greta wasn’t done yet. At a last chance meet she shaved 15 seconds off of her own school record in the steeplechase and qualified to compete at the NCAA championships in Ohio on May 22nd. In doing so she became the first runner in St. Kate’s history to qualify for the national meet on the track, and now holds the fourth fastest women’s steeplechase time in MIAC history.
While the students complete their final exams this week, the athletic department is not only reflecting on their success this past season, but are already looking forward to continued growth and even more success during the 2009-10 season.