FIVE SENIORS HONORED AT ANNUAL AWARDS BANQUET

The St. Lawrence University Athletic Department handed out its annual Scholar-Athlete awards at the 2008 Senior Student-Athlete Awards Dinner, held last Monday at Eben Holden.  Seniors Ben Buskey, Sabrina Harbec, Annie Guay, Dan McElvaine and Kim Sikule were honored for their accomplishments in both athletics and academics.

Buskey (left) was the recipient of the 2008 Martha Finch Memorial Award representing the most outstanding male athlete.  A member of both the football and men’s lacrosse squads, Buskey led the football team in tackles with 48.5 in eight games.  On the lacrosse field, the Hanover, NH native was one of the premier defenders in the country, and earned All-America honors in 2006 as well as First Team All-Conference as a sophomore and senior. 

Meanwhile, Guay and Harbec (right) of the women’s hockey team shared the women’s Martha Finch Memorial Award having each become the first women in University history to earn All-America honors three consecutive seasons.  Harbec, who shattered the career-point record and was the first player in St. Lawrence history to receive ECAC Hockey’s Player of the Year honors, leaves St. Lawrence with the career marks in goals, assists and short-handed tallies.  Guay re-wrote the defensive record books during her tenure on campus, as she would become the all-time leader in goals, assists and points in both a career and season by a defenseman.

McElvaine and Sikule were named the male and female winners for the 2008 Scholar-Athlete Awards.  McElvaine (below) has been the cornerstone of the men’s squash program since he arrived at St. Lawrence, and he has matched his efforts on the court with those in the classroom.  A Phi Beta Kappa and a regular on the Dean’s List, the Harare, Zimbabwe native is a three-time Liberty League All-Academic Team member and was the first player in Liberty League history to be named both the Player and Rookie of the Year.

Sikule (right) started all 29 games for the women’s basketball team and averaged 8.5 points per game with a team and league-high 97 steals.  The Westerlo, NY native was also a three-year member of the women’s golf squad, helping the Saints to an NCAA Championship bid this spring.  Sikule is a two-time All-American Scholar in golf and a three-time Liberty League All-Academic selection for basketball.

“These athletes have shown great commitment to excellence both in their athletic prowess and in the classroom, and each is very deserving of their award,” said St. Lawrence University Athletic Director Margie Strait.

Meanwhile, men’s lacrosse head coach Mike Mahoney (left) was voted the 2008 Bernie McKinnon Coach of the Year by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.  Mahoney’s team won their third consecutive Liberty League championship and hosted an NCAA Tournament Second Round game for the second straight season. 

Finally, the 2008 Doc Littlejohn Award, which is handed out annually to a member of the St. Lawrence community who shows deep commitment and offers great dedication to the department, was given to Phil Trivilino of the Information Technology Department.  Trivilino has worked extensively this year on the addition of webcasting athletic events as well as providing live results for track meets.