HUNTINGDON, Pa. – On May 3, the Juniata Athletic Department held the second annual Alfie Awards honoring and recognizing the academic and athletic achievements of their 17 varsity sports teams and the cheerleading squad.
Highlighting the night was the announcement of the Big Five Awards. A tradition dating back to 1947 when the Stanford Mickle Award was first introduced, the Big Five Awards recognize the top senior athletes for their outstanding contributions to Juniata Athletics.
The Mickle Award is presented to the senior male athlete who has made the greatest contribution to Juniata Athletics. The 2016 nominees for the Mickle Award were men’s volleyball’s Chad Albert (Cranberry Twp., Pa. / Seneca Valley), baseball’s Anthony Lombardo (Altoona, Pa. / Altoona Area) and football’s Frank Marin (Queens, N.Y. / Holy Cross).
Marin was named the 2016 winner of the Mickle Award. He was a four-year starting offensive lineman and a captain of the football team. Marin received two Centennial All-Conference selections throughout his career and was named a 2015 Pre-Season All-American. He was a clear leader on the team and helped his teammates push themselves to be the best they could be.
The Charles Bargerstock Award goes to the senior female athlete with the greatest contribution to Juniata Athletics. Field hockey standout Sarah Bilheimer (Bethlehem, Pa. / Freedom) and tri-athlete Sarah Rhodes (Bloomfield, N.Y. / ) were nominated for the award. With a list of accolades that continues to grow, Bilheimer was named the 2016 winner of the Bargerstock Award.
She was named Landmark Conference Player of the Year in 2015, while picking up First Team honors as well. Bilheimer was named to an All-Landmark team each season of her career. She surpassed 100 points in her career and finished 7th among NCAA athletes in points per game and 14th in goals per game in 2016. Bilheimer was also named to the NFHCA and Synapse Sports Second Team All-American. Academically, she was awarded Landmark Conference Senior Scholar Athlete Honors and was named to the Landmark Honor Roll for three years. Most recently, Bilheimer was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team.
The John E. Blood Award recognizes the senior student-athlete who has earned the highest grade point average combined with significant athletic achievement. Nominees for the Blood Award were Bilheimer, Kelsey Leibelsperger (Fleetwood, Pa. / Fleetwood) and Kyle Gill (East Stroudsburg, Pa. / East Stroudsburg).
The field hockey team won their second Big Five Award of the night as Leibelsperger won the Blood Award. A three-time Landmark Conference Honor Roll selection, two-time First Team All-Landmark and one-time Second Team All-Landmark selection, Leibelsperger epitomizes what it means to be great student-athlete. She totaled 65 starts in her career and recorded 17 defensive saves. Leibelsperger was a member of three Landmark Conference tournament teams, including the 2014 championship team.
Many athletes face adversity and are forced to persevere throughout their careers. The next Big Five Award, the William R. Smaltz Award recognizes the senior athlete that has demonstrated hard work and perseverance throughout their career. The 2016 nominees for the Smaltz Award were tennis’ Bryan Gregory (Glen Mills, Pa. / Garnet Valley) , basketball’s Justin Fleming (Richmond, Va. / Benedictine College Prep.) and football’s Jonah Plymire (York, Pa. / Central York).
Having battled several potential career-ending injuries and working his way back onto the field to be with his teammates each time, Plymire was named the recipient of the 2016 Smaltz Award. His work ethic and positive attitude motivated his teammates and coaches to continue doing their best on and off the field. Plymire totaled 40 tackles this past season to rank third amongst his teammates. He ranks sixth all-time in punting average and was named a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success.
The final Big Five Award is the Carolyn L. Stambaugh Award. The Stambaugh Award is presented to the senior athlete who best exemplifies the qualities of a winning attitude, self-confidence, concern for others, high sense of values and enthusiasm for life. The recipient of the Stambaugh Award is a true leader and inspires those around them. The 2016 nominees were basketball’s Natalie Hager (Franklin, Pa. / Franklin), swimming’s Tzvia Cahn (San Jose, Calif. / Kehilia Jewish) and volleyball’s Bryce Arnold (Shippensburg, Pa. / Shippensburg Area).
Arnold won the Stambaugh Award and was a true symbol of versatility during her career. She has played at any position asked of her and done what she can to help the team succeed. Bryce is always looking after her teammates and supporting them to the fullest. In her career at Juniata, she has played 286 sets in 98 matches. She totaled 362 kills, 95 service aces, 575 digs and 48 blocks. This year she got her name in the Juniata record books when she made eight service aces to Christopher Newport to lead the eagles to a 3-2 victory.
The Student Athletic Advisory Committee also presented awards at the Alfies. The SAAC Awards include Unsung Hero, Athlete that Exemplifies Leadership, Athlete that Plays with Extreme Passion and Heart, Best Contest and Best Comeback. The SAAC Awards started in 2015. The nominees are selected and voted on by the student-athletes.
The winner of the Unsung Hero Award was basketball’s Nate Ogle (Falls Church, Va. / George Mason).
The winner of the Athlete that Exemplifies Leadership was Bilheimer.
The winner of the Athlete that Plays with Extreme Passion and Heart was soccer’s Reese Fisher (State College, Pa. / State College Area).
The winner of the Best Contest was field hockey vs. Catholic in double overtime on Oct. 31.
The winner of Best Comeback was women’s volleyball vs. Susquehanna in the Landmark Conference Championship match on Nov. 7.
The Juniata Athletic Department also recognized each year of letter-winners, postseason participants, honor roll selections, All-Conference selections, All-Region selections and All-American selections.