HUNTINGDON, Pa. – Juniata College Athletics celebrated a year of success, recognized its most valuable players, and presented its “big five” awards at the 16th Annual Athletic Awards Night, held Sunday, April 29, in Ellis Hall.
Men’s track and field standout Nicholas Bauer (Glen Ridge, N.J./Glen Ridge) was presented with the Standford Mickle Award, which goes to the senior male athlete who has made the greatest contribution to Juniata Athletics.
Women’s basketball guard Ashton Bankos (York, Pa./York Catholic) was awarded the Charles Bargerstock ’47 Award for greatest contribution to Juniata Athletics by a senior female athlete.
Men’s volleyball’s Mike Kraft (York, Pa./Eastern York) was presented the William R. Smaltz Award, which goes to a senior student-athlete who has demonstrated hard work and perseverance in his or her endeavors.
Field hockey forward and midfielder Caitlyn Bowman (Seven Valleys, Pa./Dallastown) was named the recipient of the John E. Blood Memorial Award, which is presented the senior student-athlete who has earned the highest grade point average combined with significant athletic achievement.
Bauer will graduate from Juniata among the top five in program history in the long jump and triple jump. A three-time First team All-Landmark Conference selection as the conference’s long jump champion, he increased his long jump mark by over three feet during his collegiate career. He is the third-highest scorer in Juniata history at indoor conference track championships, with the opportunity to finish his career as the program’s second-highest scorer at conference outdoor meets. Bauer earned All-Academic Team honors in both 2010 and 2011.
Bankos capped her career by becoming just the fourth player in program history to earn All-America honors, when she was named an Honorable Mention selection to the D3hoops.com All-America team. She was named to the All-Landmark Conference First Team, Landmark Conference Player of the Year, and the D3hoops.com Mid-Atlantic Region Player of the Year, after averaging 13.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while leading the Eagles to an undefeated record in the Landmark and the second round of the NCAA tournament. Over her four years at Juniata, she tallied 1,085 points, 340 assists, 551 rebounds, becoming the first player in Juniata history to earn 1,000 points-300 assists-500 rebounds in a career.
Morrison played just two seasons for Juniata women’s volleyball, but left her mark as among the top liberos in program history. She tallied 1,391 career digs, and is ranked eighth on the Juniata career leaderboard. In her senior season, she paced the Eagles with 725 digs, averaging 6.49 per set, and was ranked fifth among all players in Division III. Also an accomplished student in environmental science, she earned Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-District honors this year.
Kraft has played several different positions since transferring to Juniata College to play men’s volleyball, but he has performed to the utmost of his abilities at every position he’s been asked to play over his four-year career. A setter and outside hitter early in his career, he moved to the libero position as a senior to meet the needs of his team and finished the season with 275 digs – an average of 2.29 per set. Over his four years, he has logged 248 kills, 1,166 assists, 36 service aces, 592 digs, and even 110 blocks.
Bowman has been a reliable contributor on offense and defense over her four years with Juniata field hockey, thanks to her great speed and tenacity. She finished her career with 15 goals and eight assists for 38 points, with three game-winning goals. As a senior, she was fourth on the team in scoring with six goals and two assists for 14 points, netting game winners against Stevens and Susquehanna. In the classroom, she had a nearly perfect grade point average in biology, and interned last summer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA).
All Juniata College teams announced their Most Valuable Players or Performers for 2011-12 during Sunday’s Athletic Awards Night; the complete list of MVPs is as follows:
Football Most Valuable Offensive Player, donated by Mr. George Weber '40 – Willie Reich, Sr., OL (Frederick, Md./Gov. Thomas Johnson)
Football Most Valuable Defensive Player, donated by Dr. J. Harold Engle '23 – Jason Marquis, Sr., DL (Jeannette, Pa./Jeannette)
Field Hockey MVP, donated by Dr. Thomas Robinson – Shauna Deschenes, Sr., For./Mid. (Duncannon, Pa./Susquenita)
Women's Volleyball MVP, donated in memory of Arthur Evans – Libby Morrison, Sr., Libero (Portland, Ore./Oregon Episcopal School)
Men's Soccer MVP, donated by Fran Zimmerman '54 – Ezra Cassel, Jr., Goalkeeper (Denver, Pa./Cocalico)
Women's Soccer MVP – Alicia Snyder, So., Back (Jonestown, Pa./Northern Lebanon)
Women's Cross Country MVP, donated by William F. Ferrier '60 – Katrina Woods, So. (Shirleysburg, Pa./Mount Union)
Men's Cross Country MVP, donated by Mr. C. Clifford Brown – Nate Alter, So. (Pittsburgh, Pa./Taylor Allderdice)
Women's Basketball MVP, donated by Gale Wampler Pollock – Ashton Bankos, Sr., G (York, Pa./York Catholic)
Men's Basketball MVP, donated by Mr. Jack Oller – Alex Raymond, Jr., G (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Altoona Area)
Men's Track and Field MVP, donated by Mr. J. Foster Gehrett '16 – Aaron McCoy, Sr. (Muncy, Pa./Hughesville)
Women's Track and Field MVP – Angela Shaffer, Jr. (Prospect, Pa./Slippery Rock)
Women's Swimming MVP – Kathryn Viola, So. (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East)
Women's Tennis MVP, donated by J.M. Haskell '65 – Cara Stough, Fr. (Friendsville, Md./Northern Garrett)
Men's Tennis MVP – Brice Morey, Jr. (Enola, Pa./East Pennsboro)
Baseball MVP, donated by Mr. Charles Goodale '39 – Ben Mersky, Jr., OF (Hershey, Pa./Hershey)
Softball MVP, donated by Judith Rodgers Pheasant '65 – Rachel Smith, So., P/IF (Martinsburg, Pa./Central)
Men's Volleyball MVP, donated by Mike Wojcik '87 – Mike Kraft, Sr., Libero (York, Pa./Eastern York)
Outstanding Cheerleader – Tara Brumbaugh, So. (Curryville, Pa./Central)
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