Earlier this evening, the Lehman College athletic department paid tribute to all of the student-athletes at the 56th annual Athletic Awards dinner. The dinner was held in the East Dining Room on the campus of Lehman College, and was truly a special evening for those in attendance.
The night kicked-off with the presentation rings and jackets for a number of teams that captured championships during the 2007-2008 athletic year. Lehman College Athletic Director Dr. Martin L. Zwiren and Vice President for Student Affairs Jose M. Magdaleno presented championship rings to members of the men’s swimming team, while members of both indoor track and field teams as well as the women’s outdoor track and field team were presented with commemorative jackets recognizing their special accomplishments. All four teams captured CUNYAC championships this past season.
"I gave this program everything that I have and I enjoyed every second of it," said Bodden, a senior who was extremely satisfied with the men’s swimming team’s accomplishment. "To be able to be a part of a squad that was so dedicated and so hungry throughout my tenure is something I’ll always remember."
Highlighting the evening was the presentation of the Male and Female Athletes of the Year. Men’s Cross Country/Track and Field standout Pete Charles captured the award on the men’s side, while women’s basketball sensation Sally Nnamani received the praise for the second consecutive year.
Charles’ most glaring accomplishment was when he helped lead the Men’s Indoor Track and Field team to a 2008 CUNYAC championship. During the championship meet, this standout won the triple jump and long jump events en route to helping his team score a conference-best 141 points. He also captured second place in the 55-meter dash finals (6.69). After he helped lead his team to a title, he headed to Ada, Ohio to compete in the NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships, where he placed fifth in the long jump event with a score of 48-1.25. A team-oriented participant who displays his unselfishness every time he competes, he is truly one of Lehman’s all-time greats.
In Nnamani’s three-year tenure at Lehman College, this standout has captivated the basketball world with her amazing talents, and her ability to lead by example. A two-time CUNYAC Player of the Year and Lehman College’s all-time leading scorer, she helped lead the women’s basketball team back to the CUNYAC championship game this past season a year after she helped Lehman capture its first program title. This Warwick High School product is also coming off of a season in which she was named to the D3Hoops All-Atlantic Region Team, the ECAC Division III Metro Second-Team, and selected as an All-Met Division III First-Team All Star. One of the highlights of her terrific 2007-2008 campaign came back on January 8, when she scored 20 points and became the program’s all-time leading scorer in a non-conference defeat at the hands of Western Connecticut State University. Her 19.3 points-per-game led the CUNY conference. Her 2.21 triples-per-game and 2.6 blocks-per-contest were also conference-bests. The junior hit the 20-point barrier in 13 of Lehman’s 29 contests this season. In her three years at Lehman she has accumulated 1,550 points, and she sits just 723 points behind CUNYAC all-time women’s basketball’s leading scorer Lauren Cargill who scored 2272 points during her four-year playing career.
“To reach a level of excellence and continue to improve is the most a coach can ask of a player, and Sally Nnamani has done just that during her three seasons with the team,” Harrison said. “Not only does she contribute on both sides of the floor, but she serves as an inspiration and mentor to our veteran and freshmen players. She’s very deserving of his award and I am extremely proud of her.”
The prestigious President’s Award was presented to Darnell James of the men’s swimming and diving team by Lehman College President, Dr. Ricardo Fernandez. The award is the highest honor given at the dinner, and was awarded to James for helping the Lightning win three consecutive CUNYAC titles during his tenure with the team.
Other awards presented included the Male and Female Scholar Athlete awards, received respectively by Jhonny Reyes of the baseball team and Evauna Neville of the women’s tennis team.
“This dinner gives us a tremendous opportunity to give back to the many student-athletes, coaches, and support staff who represent our athletic programs here at Lehman College so well,” said Lehman College Athletic Director Dr. Martin L. Zwiren. “I’m very proud of all our teams and student-athletes that accomplished great things this season, and I wish everybody a happy and healthy summer.”
The 2007-2008 Lehman College Award Winners
Women's Basketball: MVP- Sally Nnamani, Rookie of the Year - Paulie Tuazon
Men's Basketball: MVP - Duane Rhoden, Rookie of the Year - Jameson Garcia
Cheerleading: Most Improved - Nicole Dawson, Most Improved - Carla Whyte
Women's Volleyball: MVP - Nicole Petralia, Rookie of the Year - Jillian Acevedo
Men's Volleyball: MVP - Joel Sanchez, Rookie of the Year - RJ LeBlanc
Women's Tennis: MVP - Evauna Neville, Rookie of the Year - Aurora Peters
Men’s Tennis: MVP – Raul Santana, Rookie of the Year – Gabriel Duah
Women's Cross Country: MVP - Dorothy Jean-Pierre, Rookie of the Year - Rukmini Moorleedher
Men's Cross Country: MVP - Raul Sanchez, Most Improved - Richard James
Women's Indoor Track: MVP - Lauren Lourick, Most Improved - Jillene Sennon
Men's Indoor Track: MVP - Pete Charles, Most Improved - Jase Franklyn
Baseball: MVP – Jhonny Reyes, Rookie of the Year – Gilbert Garcia
Softball: MVP – Yvelise Santiago, Rookie of the Year – Crissette Maxwell
Women's Outdoor Track: MVP – Irfan Anwar, Most Improved – Wesley Gibbs
Men's Outdoor Track: MVP – Lauren Lourick, Most Improved – Rama Bah
Men’s Swimming: MVP – Joseph Bodden, Most Valuable Diver – Johan Lopez
Rookie of the Year – Orlando Urena
Women’s Swimming: MVP – Luisa Garcia, Most Valuable Diver – Joanne Gonsalves-Barreiro,
Rookie of the Year – Allison Koschei
Special Award Winners
Male Scholar Athlete - Jhonny Reyes
Female Scholar Athlete - Evauna Neville
Ed Kramer – Fiseha Brooks
Charlie Greenberg – Emmanuel Vera
Male Athlete of the Year - Pete Charles
Female Athlete of the Year - Sally Nnamani
President's Award - Darnell James
Paula Soto Award - Reginald Sampson
Pedro Viale Award - Venus Diaz
Special Service Award - Thomas Garcia
Special Service Award - Bill Hill