VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton held its 69th Annual Varsity Athletics Awards Banquet Monday night at the Events Center. The department honored its 400+ student-athletes and celebrated the achievements of the 2015-16 year.
During the evening, BU recognized its 84 seniors and two of them - baseball player David Schanz and cross country/track athlete Alexis Hatcher, offered reflections on their time at Binghamton.
The awards presented honored academic achievement, community service, individual perseverance and athletics excellence for the 2015-16 year and career distinction as well. The night culminated with the naming of the Athlete of the Year finalists, the four notable senior awards and the unveiling of the 2015-16 Highlight Video.
Seniors Kim Albrecht (basketball), Sydney Harbaugh (softball), Jesse Garn (track) and Sid Hazarika (tennis) took home the prominent career awards. Harbaugh and Hazarika received the John Bilos Awards, Albrecht earned the Jessie A. Godfrey Award and Garn was named the 56th recipient of the Jake Pitler Award.
Hazarika was a two-time conference player of the year and three-time first team all-conference selection who spearheaded BU's seamless transition from an America East power to an annual contender in the much tougher Mid-American Conference. Early in his career, he led the Bearcats to a pair of America East championships, earning Northeast Region Rookie of the Year honors in 2013 and player of the year in 2013 and 2014. Last spring, Hazarika went unbeaten as BU was making its inaugural appearance in the MAC tournament and led the team to the championship match. He was named to the All-MAC and all-tournament teams. This year, Hazarika has won 28 singles and doubles matches and helped lift the Bearcats to another postseason berth after tying for regular season runnerup honors in the MAC. He will graduate among the program's all-time top-10 in singles and doubles wins.
Harbaugh was a three-time first team all-conference outfielder who was selected as the 2014 America East Player of the Year and then helped lead the Bearcats to their first conference title and NCAA berth in 2015. She was twice named to the America East all-tournament team and was an all-region selection as a sophomore, when she also earned BU Athlete of the Year honors. This season, she became the school's all-time hits leader and is approaching the 200-hit plateau while pushing the Bearcats to the top of the America East standings. She holds school records for season and career runs as well as with stolen bases. Harbaugh is ranked among the program's all-time top-10 in 13 different offensive categories. Currently among the league leaders in doubles, runs and slugging percentage, she is bidding to become Binghamton's very FIRST four-time FIRST-team all-conference softball selection.
Albrecht, a four-year guard, saved her best for last, spearheading a resurgent women's basketball program this past winter. She earned third team all-conference honors after averaging 12.1 points and shooting 41 percent from three-point range. But Albrecht did the most damage from the free throw line, where she led the entire nation with 91 percent accuracy — an even higher rate than NBA leader Steph Curry. She finished her career as the program's all-time leader in free throw percentage and also ranked in the top-20 in scoring, three-pointers and three-point percentage. Off the court, Albrecht was equally inspirational, earning America East All-Academic and Helping Hands accolades and donating countless hours with meaningful community service. An urban planning major with a 3.69 GPA, Albrecht is also a member of the National College Athlete Honor Society.
Garn, a two-time All-American and eight-time America East champion, has displayed the Binghamton green at elite track meets across the country, earning a stellar reputation for himself and the university along the way. A two-time BU Athlete of the Year, Garn is one of just two Binghamton runners to ever break a four-minute mile. He was named the 2014 America East Most Outstanding Indoor Track athlete and also won the Northeast Region Indoor Track Athlete of the Year award in 2015. Garn was one of the top eight 1,500 meter runners in the country last winter and then in the spring, he placed fourth in the 800 meters at the NCAA Championship — the highest national finish of any BU runner at the Division I level. He is back on the track this spring and aiming to return to Eugene, Oregon for the NCAAs next month. Off the track, Garn is a multiple semester America East Honor Roll and AD Honor Roll recipient. He has also served as an admissions tour guide, an active member of the BU Zoo and has even suited up as Baxter the Bearcat.
2015-16 Award Winners
Team MVPs
Baseball – Reed Gamache and Mike Bunal
Men's Basketball – Willie Rodriguez
Women's Basketball – Kim Albrecht
Men's Cross Country – Collin Frost
Women's Cross Country – Alexis Hatcher
Golf – Kyle Wambold
Men's Lacrosse – Zach Scaduto
Women's Lacrosse – Allie Rodgers
Men's Soccer – Pascal Trappe
Women's Soccer – Katie Hatziyianis
Softball – Jessica Rutherford
Men's Swimming & Diving – Brian McKenna
Women's Swimming & Diving – Selina Ng
Men's Tennis – Thomas Caputo
Women's Tennis – Sara Kohtz
Men's Indoor Track & Field – Jon Alkins
Men's Outdor Track & Field - Joe Miceli
Women's Indoor Track & Field – Keishorea Armstrong
Women's Outdoor Track & Field - Sarah Osaheni
Volleyball – Sarah Ngo
Wrestling – Jack McKeever
Athlete of the Year Finalists (winner to be named after spring seasons are complete)
Male – Robert Moewes (soccer), Jack McKeever (wrestling), Jon Alkins (track & field)
Female – Keishorea Armstrong (track & field), Imani Watkins (basketball), Sarah Ngo (volleyball)
John Bilos Alumni Awards (career achievement)
Male winner – Sid Hazarika, Tennis
Female winner – Sydney Harbaugh, Softball
Jake Pitler Award (career achievement and leadership)
Jesse Garn, Men's Track & Field
Jessie A. Godfrey Award (career achievement and leadership)
Kim Albrecht, Women's Basketball
Academic Achievement (top senior male and female GPAs in department)
Jonathan Vallecorsa, Men's Cross Country (3.903 in cell & molecular biology)
Alyssa Vallar, Women's Soccer (3.893 in philosophy, politics & law)
Binghamton Bearcats Athletic Association Team Community Service Award
Women's Basketball Team
Comeback Athlete of the Year
Pascal Trappe, Men's Soccer
Athletic Trainers of the Year
Jimmy Weyand and Nicole Contompasis
Orthopedic Associates Scholarship Award
Brianna DeVincentis
Dan McCormack PhD Athletic Tutor of the Year
Brendan McGovern