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DUDLEY, Mass. (May 16) – The Nichols College Department of Athletics recently handed out its end-of-year awards. The department honored 12 student-athletes in two ceremonies in early May. The top senior awards were given out on the evening of May 2nd at the annual Senior Reception in Daniels Auditorium.
Ashley Robidoux (Milford, Mass.) was named the recipient of the Hal Chalmers Memorial Award for Dedication and Sportsmanship. JoJo Bojanowski (Washington Township, Mich.) was awarded the Major Charles T. Hopkins Award for Study, Sports and Spirit. Kara Buckley (Nashua, N.H.) was named the recipient of the Dan Cardin Memorial Award for Integrity and Leadership, and the Elliott “Bates” Craver Award for Dedication, Commitment and Rehabilitation was given to Samantha Lacerra (Watertown, Mass.).
The Jim Miller Award for Outstanding Male Senior Athlete recipient was Matthew Nash (West Springfield, Mass.), while the Outstanding Female Senior Athlete Award was given to Mary Kate Frodema (Springfield, Mass.).
David Johnson (Canterbury, Conn.) was given the Outstanding Male Junior Athlete Award and Chelsea Shaughnessy (Halifax, Mass.) was named the recipient of the Outstanding Female Junior Athlete Award.
The William Horrigan-Bud Sessions Award for Outstanding Male Sophomore Athlete was given to Scott Coderre (Thompson, Conn.) and the Nancy Rossini Memorial Award for Outstanding Female Sophomore Athlete recipient was Emily Widdison (Greenfield, Mass.).
The Gary McNulty Award for Outstanding Male Freshman Athlete recipient was Ryan Sheehan (North Attleboro, Mass.) and Anna Dyakiv (Amsterdam, N.Y.) was named the Outstanding Female Freshman Athlete.
Hal Chalmers Memorial Award for Dedication and Sportsmanship: Ashley Robidoux
A two-sport athlete, Ashley has demonstrated dedication to Nichols College Athletics both on and off the court. In basketball, she was an All-TCCC Second Team selection at guard who averaged almost 15 points per game. She started all 24 games, logging team highs in minutes and assists and scoring in double digits in all but three games. She joined the 1,000 point club on January 27th at Western New England, finishing her four-year career with 1,120 points and in 10th place on the Bison's all-time scoring charts. Her softball season was cut short by injury, though she took one at-bat against Gordon last week. Outside of competition, Ashley served as the president of both the Nichols College and TCCC Student Athlete Advisory Committee, assisting both organizations with several community service events, including the tremendous Nichols College Spring Cleanup Day in April.
Major Charles T. Hopkins Award for Study, Sports and Spirit: Gerald (JoJo) Bojanowski
A senior captain, JoJo played in all 26 games for the men's ice hockey team while maintaining a 3.8 GPA with a dual major in international business and economics. He scored eight goals with two game-winners and added nine assists for 17 points this season. Off the ice, JoJo's academic honors are numerous including memberships in Delta Mu Delta, Omicron Delta Epsilon, Chi Alpha Sigma and Zeta Alpha Phi honor societies. He was the recipient of the Professor Keith Corkum Endowed Scholarship in Economics for this academic year and was recently named to the 2011 edition of Who's Who Among Students in American Universities in Colleges. He has maintained Dean's List High Honors every semester and is an ECAC All-Academic Team honoree. JoJo is also the past president and active member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Dan Cardin Memorial Award for Integrity and Leadership: Kara Buckley
Kara has produced a solid senior campaign on the mound for the softball team with a 6-4 record and a 3.22 ERA. She has helped lead Nichols to the third seed in the TCCC Tournament with a 5-2 conference record including her first career no-hitter in early April on the same day she secured post-graduate employment with Shawmut Design and Construction in Boston. A double major in sport management and human resources management who interned at Madison Square Garden in the fall, Kara defines a true student-athlete: she is a dedicated student, a great teammate, and a talented leader both on and off the field.
Elliott “Bates” Craver Award for Dedication, Commitment and Rehabilitation: Samantha Lacerra
Sam has battled back from injury on multiple occasions and is a true leader on the field hockey team. An All-TCCC First Team honoree this season, she started all 10 games in which she played, despite playing half the season with her hand in a cast. She helped lead Nichols to the second-lowest goals against average and second-fewest goals allowed in a single season in program history. After a season-ending elbow injury as a sophomore, she transitioned to back as a junior, commanding the back line to lead Nichols to the TCCC title and the program's first NCAA appearance. She never missed a practice throughout her career.
Jim Miller Award for Outstanding Male Senior Athlete: Matthew Nash (Soccer, Lacrosse)
Matt is a two-sport athlete who joined the men's lacrosse team this season after a standout four-year career on the soccer team. His efforts at midfield helped the men's soccer team to its first TCCC title and NCAA Tournament appearance as well as to a program-best 13 shutouts among a program-record 15 wins. Under his captaincy, the team also set records for consecutive shutouts and lowest single-season goals-against average. Matt changed gears from the defensive side to score his first career goal at Wentworth, and scored the game-winning tally on senior night against Newbury. In lacrosse, Matt played in all 12 games at midfield, playing an important defensive role and adding two assists as the Bison returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2005.
Outstanding Female Senior Athlete Award: Mary Kate Frodema (Field Hockey, Softball)
Mary Kate is a talented two-sport athlete who was a key midfielder and All-TCCC Second Team honoree in field hockey, starting all 18 games. She ended the regular season with back-to-back two-goal games, finishing the year with 19 points. She helped Nichols to the program's second-lowest goals-against average and goals allowed in its history, as well as to the TCCC's highest scoring margin and scoring average. In softball Mary Kate had a breakout season with the first two home runs of her career. She had an eight-game hit streak in April and has driven in a career-high 10 runs this year as the Bison clinched the third seed in the TCCC Tournament.
Gary McNulty Award for Outstanding Male Freshman Athlete: Ryan Sheehan (Basketball)
Ryan made an immediate impact on the men's basketball team in his inaugural season and was named the TCCC, ECAC and d3hoops.com Rookie of the Year. He led the nation's freshmen in scoring and was the only player in the TCCC to average more than 20 points per game in both conference and overall play. He scored in double digits in all but three games, crossing the 20-point mark 14 times and twice netting over 30 points in a game.
Outstanding Female Freshman Athlete: Anna Dyakiv (Tennis)
Anna's efforts on the court landed her the TCCC Player and Rookie of the Year awards, and led the women's tennis team to its first-ever TCCC title. She set the program's single-season records for singles and doubles victories, going 21-0 at the top singles spot and winning 19 doubles matches. Anna and the women's tennis team represented Nichols at the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history last weekend.
William Horrigan-Bud Sessions Award for Outstanding Male Sophomore Athlete: Scott Coderre (Soccer)
An All-TCCC First Team honoree, Scott was key in the men's soccer team's first-ever TCCC title and NCAA Tournament appearance. He ranked second in the conference in points and goals, scoring over 25% of the Bison's goals on the year including a pivotal tally in the TCCC Championship game. Scott not only produced Nichols' sixth-highest single-season totals in points and goals, but helped Nichols to program records on the defensive side, including a program-low 11 goals allowed during the entire season that featured a record 15 wins.
Nancy Rossini Memorial Award for Outstanding Female Sophomore Athlete: Emily Widdison (Field Hockey)
Emily controlled the midfield for the field hockey team, and earned All-TCCC Second Team honors. She started all 18 games and had league-high 10 assists. Emily helped Nichols at both ends of the field, leading the Bison to the conference's best scoring average and scoring margin, as well as to the lowest goals against average and fewest goals allowed.
Outstanding Male Junior Athlete Award: David Johnson (Soccer)
The first All-American in Nichols soccer history, DJ led the men's soccer team to its first TCCC Championship title and NCAA tournament appearance in program history as the anchor of the Bison's back line. He earned First Team All America and All Region honors, as well as All-TCCC First Team accolades. DJ's efforts helped Nichols to a program-best 13 shutouts among a program-record 15 wins, and the team set records for consecutive shutouts and lowest single-season goals-against average.
Outstanding Female Junior Athlete Award: Chelsea Shaughnessy (Soccer, Basketball, Lacrosse)
A talented three-sport athlete, Chelsea is a solid contributor in soccer, basketball and lacrosse. On the soccer field, she dominated the midfield and was an All-TCCC First Team honoree with eight goals and an assist in 19 starts. She started 10 of 24 basketball games at forward, leading the team with 76 steals and 11 blocks with her aggressive play while shooting 47.7% from the field. She started 10 of 11 games during the lacrosse season, leading the Bison to their second-ever TCCC Tournament appearance with a team-best 35 draw controls. She finished fourth on the team with 20 points including two game-winning goals.
