Senior Student-Athletes Honored at Annual Banquet
NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College Department of Athletics hosted its annual senior awards banquet on campus in the Weller Center on Wednesday, May 10. The event, which drew over 100 guests, featured a series of end of year awards, along with recognition of the senior athletes in the class of 2023 as the academic and athletic year comes to an end.
The event began with opening remarks from Director of Athletics, Matt Finlayson and Dr. Tracy Espy, President of the College. This was followed by a special tribute to former men's soccer and baseball coach Dean Roberts, who is retiring from his current position of Faculty Athletic Representative, one which he has held since 2015. Roberts, who coached men's soccer at the college for 29 seasons, was on hand to present the Dean Roberts Distinguished Service Award, which is given annually to a student that embodies the concepts of selflessness, commitment and community service. This year's recipient was senior Bree Rudolph, a duel-sport athlete on both the women's volleyball and lacrosse teams.
Away from the court and field, Rudolph is an active member of the campus community, having served as the Student Government Treasurer in 2021-2022 and as the Vice President for 2022-2023. As a result of her continued support and dedication to helping fellow students, she was the 2021-2022 recipient of the Stephanie Turowski '15 Endowed Scholarship, an award given to a student who embodies helping and serving their fellow classmates. Rudolph also served as a SAAC representative for several years and is currently SAAC Secretary.
Following a short break for dinner, each head coach was given the opportunity to step to the podium to share words on their senior student athletes. At the conclusion of each presentation, seniors from each team gathered to collect a student-athlete sash and a gift bag put together by the department. Once the coaches concluded, the evening moved into the awards category, with eight trophies distributed in a variety of categories.
The first award which was handed out was the Mariner Excellence Award, which is presented annually to the male and female graduating student-athletes who have excelled athletically while also attaining an outstanding academic record with a cumulative grade point average no lower than a 3.3. On the women's side senior Sam McKenna from the women's basketball team was the recipient. McKenna, a First Team All-NECC selection and the NECC Tournament MVP, currently serves as the SAAC President, is a three-time Academic All-Conference selection, and a member of Chi Alpha Sigma.
On the men's side the award went to Ahmani Browne from the men's basketball team and Tyler Daly from the baseball team. Both marine biology majors, Browne and Daly attended the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Annual Conference in Austin, Texas earlier this year to present research on invasive marine fouling organisms. Both Browne and Daly have earned Academic All-Conference honors multiple times and both are also members of Chi Alpha Sigma.
The night then transitioned to the Doug Yarnall Coaches Award, which is given to the graduating male and female student-athletes who contribute most to the varsity athletics program by promoting excellence through sportsmanship, passion for the sport, and dedication to their team and teammates.
On the women's side, duel-sport athlete Madison Nicynski was the recipient. A two-year captain on both the softball and women's soccer team, Nicynski concluded her softball career with a .309 batting average and was a two-time All-Conference selection. On the soccer field this past season she started in all 16 games and anchored a defense which led the league with a 1.44 goals against average, earning All-Conference honors and becoming the first player in program history to be named NECC Defensive Player of the Year.
On the men's side, the Doug Yarnall Coaches Award went to Ryan Solimine, a pitcher on the baseball team. Solimine battled multiple injuries during his career including a separated shoulder and underwent Tommy John Surgery. He battled back, however, and was an NECC All-Tournament Team selection in 2022, playing a critical role in securing the program's eighth conference title. This season he posted a 7-2 record with a 2.21 ERA and helped guide a Mitchell pitching staff that is ranked in the top 25 nationally in earned run average. A two-time all-conference team selection, he most recently went six innings over the weekend in a win over New England College as the Mariners captured their third straight conference title.
Head baseball coach Travis Beausoleil was then welcomed to the podium to present the Michael T. Jenkins Memorial Award, which was given to senior Kenny Heon from the baseball program.
Next up was the Newcomer of the Year Award, given to a student-athlete that overall had most prolific first year as a varsity athlete. The recipient this year was freshman Julia Lent from the women's volleyball team. A libero who played in 22 of the Mariners 24 matches on the season, she was a first team All-NECC selection and was also tabbed as the NECC Co-Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the second player in the program history to claim a conference major award. During a season in which the Mitchell volleyball team won the third most games in program history, Lent led the Mariners with 261 digs, averaging 3.73 digs per set, finishing the regular season second in the conference in both statistical categories and led the league with 3.60 digs per set in conference play.
It was then time for the Athlete of the Year Award, presented to the male and female student-athlete considered to be the most accomplished athlete in the varsity sports program.
The female recipient was sophomore Gemma Landry, a member of both the softball and women's soccer program. This fall Landry, a goalie, led the conference with 170 saves, a while posting a league leading save percentage of .885 and a 1.45 goals against average. She was also recognized on a regional level for her play, making the United Soccer Coaches All-Region team as well as the NECC All-Conference team. Come spring, she was an All-Conference shortstop for a second consecutive season, batting .374 during a spring which saw the Mitchell softball team post the most victories in program history. A complete player, she finished second in the conference in runs scored, third in hits, fourth in RBI, sixth in batting average, eighth in doubles, and also became the fastest player to reach the 100 hit milestone in program history, needing just 70 games.
The night concluded with the presentation of the male Athlete of the Year award, which was given to senior Mikey Buscetto, a point guard on the men's basketball team who guided the Mariners to their second consecutive NECC title and berth in the NCAA tournament. A driving force behind the Mariners, who posted the most victories in the Division III era of the program, Buscetto posted a stat line of 13 points, 7.4 assists, and 2.9 steals per game. His 203 assists were most in the country at the Division III level, and his 7.5 assists per contest were tops in the NECC. A two-time first team All-Conference selection who continuously delivered on the biggest of stages, he was named conference tournament MVP, finishing with 29 points, including eight three pointers, to go along with nine assists, seven rebounds, and three steals in the Mariners victory over New England College. He then followed that up by pouring in a game high 24 points against the 11th ranked team in the country during Mitchell's NCAA tournament appearance.
The Commencement Ceremony for the Mitchell College class of 2023 is scheduled for Saturday, May 13, at 10:00 am on the College Green.