Senior Student-Athletes Honored at Annual Awards Dinner

May 17: The St. Lawrence University Athletic Department honored its senior student-athletes at the annual awards dinner on Tuesday at Eben Holden.  Seniors Wendy Pavlus, Dan Ramsey, Jordyn Buzza, Jeremy Mwenda, Chris Funch and Caitlin Estes earned awards, while associate athletic director Randy LaBrake and men's soccer head coach Bob Durocher and head football coach Mark Raymond were also recognized.

"I am very proud of each of our award winners, as they truly are special people and athletes that accomplished amazing things during their time on campus," said Margie Strait, St. Lawrence University's Director of Athletics.  "They are all dedicated students, talented athletes who made a major impact on our department."

Pavlus and Ramsey earned the Martha Finch Awards, which recognize the outstanding female and male senior athlete of the year.  A winner of four national championships including two in her senior year, Pavlus is a three-time National Athlete of the Year award winner and a seven-time conference Performer of the Year.  She is one of the finest athletes in University history, and will look to add to her impressive resume at the upcoming 2011 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships where she has qualified to participate in two events.

Ramsey completed the "triple crown" of All-America honors in his junior year, earning the accolade for cross country as well as both indoor and outdoor track and field.  The Essex Junction, VT native won 22 Liberty League Championships and 11 New York State titles in his time at St. Lawrence.  Ramsey was a captain of the men's cross country team and is a four-time conference Performer of the Year award recipient.

Funch and Estes were named the Department's Senior Scholar Athlete award winners for 2011.  Funch has a GPA of 3.81 while majoring in physics and is headed to the University of Oregon to study renewable and alternative energy sources.  He is the state champion in the mile for indoor track and the Liberty League champion in the steeplechase.

Estes, meanwhile, has a 3.94 GPA and is a double major in biology and psychology.  An All-Conference honoree, she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and has been on the Dean's List every semester since the Fall of 2007.  During her time at St. Lawrence, Estes also served as a researcher and tutor.

The 2011 Daniel F. Sullivan Athletic Leadership and Community Service Award was shared by Buzza and Mwenda.  Buzza was named ODK's Circle Leader of the Year this spring, and served as a primary organizer for the highly-successful "Dig Pink" event held in the fall.  An intern in the admissions office, she was involved in other community projects including Camp Sunshine, St. Jude's Children's Hospital and the "Be the Match" Foundation.

Mwenda also boasts an impressive resume of community work during his time in Canton, NY.  He serves as a peer tutor on campus in computer science and Swahili.  A Dean's List honoree, Jeremy is a student-delegate to the Alumni Council and volunteered with Habitat for Humanity.

Durocher and Raymond shared the 2011 Bernie McKinnon Coach of the Year award, as voted on by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.  Durocher's soccer squad finished with a 17-3-2 overall record and he was named both the regional and league Coach of the Year.  Meanwhile, Raymond guided the football team to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1982 and captured the Liberty League crown for the first time in school history.

The 2011 Littlejohn - Waske Athletic Service Award went to LaBrake, who helps manage the Department's game management, Division I NCAA compliance and operating budgets.  He received a well-deserved standing ovation while receiving the honor from Strait.

University President Dr. Bill Fox, Margie Strait and Dean of Admissions Terry Cowdrey each offered remarks to those in attendance.  A special thanks to Karell Emard '11 and Kirsten Roach '11 for their dedicated work on the tribute videos that were shown throughout the event.