Athletic Holds Annual Recognition Night

On Wednesday April 25, the Suffolk University Athletics Department held their annual year-end banquet honoring the 13 varsity sports teams for the 2011-12 seasons.

Senior Leslie Hayden (Ross, Calif.) of the Women's Soccer team was honored with the Charles Law Student Athlete of the Year Award. In 1946 Charles Law established Suffolk University's Athletic program and remained as the University Director for 33 years. Law coached basketball at Suffolk for 30 years, winning the admiration of his players and peers as "Dean of New England Basketball Coaches" and directing his last two teams to NCAA Division III post-season tournament competition, completing his career with 295 victories. Serving also as the President and Treasurer of the New England Basketball Coaches Association, Charles Law was nominated for membership to the Citizen Savings Athletic Foundation's Coaches Hall of Fame. In honor of the late Charles Law, this award is given to a student-athlete who has excelled in academics and athletics.

Hayden reset the record books on the soccer field during her four-year span at Suffolk, becoming the all-leading scorer in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) history with 176 points. She was a four-time All-Conference Selection by the GNAC and was named 2011 GNAC Offensive Player of the Year during her senior season as well as a second team All-New England selection by the ECAC and fourth team All-Region selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America in 2011. Named GNAC Rookie of the Year in 2008, Hayden's statistical records include: 73 career goals which ranks as the second highest total in conference history, her 43 goals in conference games is the most ever in GNAC history, she is only the eighth player in GNAC history to record 50 goals in a career, needing only 45 games to do so, her 2.67 points per game in her career is third highest average while her 1.1 goals per game average is fourth, in 66 career games, she registered a hat trick in 14 of those contests, which includes October 14, 2009 when she netted six goals in a game against Mass Maritime Academy becoming only the 21st player in NCAA history to score that many times in one game. In 2010 she put aside her goal scoring skills and set the single season GNAC record for assists in conference games with 14 and helped lead the Rams to the GNAC regular season title. Aside from her scoring touch, Hayden was also named to the GNAC All-Sportsmanship team on two occasions and has served as a team captain her sophomore through senior seasons.

Seniors Dan and Tim Belanger (Raynham, Mass.) of the Baseball team were honored with the Unsung Hero Award in honor of the late Charles Melanson. Both brothers have worked in the athletics department over the past four years as they have been valuable members of the game-day event staff working home contests for men's and women's basketball and men's and women's soccer. They have also served as referees for Intramural Flag Football games that are open to their entire undergraduate population at Suffolk, as well as doing volunteer work within the Beacon Hill community. Both twin brothers have also been members of the Baseball team for four seasons, with Dan being a catcher and Tim being a pitcher for the Rams.

Senior Karina Bolster (Carlisle, Pa.) of the Softball team was honored with the Carol Maggio Departmental Recognition Award. Bolster is the first recipient of the newly named award that has been dedicated in honor of the late Carol Maggio, who past away earlier this year after serving as Administrative Assistant in the Athletics Department for 18 years. Bolster was presented with the award by Carol's husband Richard, while other members of the Maggio family were on hand for the evening. Bolster has been an integral part in the Athletics Department in her four years on campus at Suffolk. She has assisted in the day-to-day operations within the office, while also serving as a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC). Bolster has also helped organize the athletic department's community events as she worked in organizing events during October's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, as well as the Annual Breakfast Santa in December. A Broadcast Journalism major at Suffolk, Bolster holds a 3.77 GPA and has also worked on promoting Suffolk's athletics teams through internet broadcasts.

Other Award winners include:

Men’s Cross-County

Most Valuable Player – Justin Mark

Women’s Cross-Country

Most Valubale Player - Bridget Evangelista

Golf

Most Valuable Player – John Pettoruto

Rookie of the Year - Chris Taggart

Men’s Soccer

Most Valubale Player - Danny Lloyd

Rookie of the Year - Andres Cohen

Leadership Award - Nick Cugine