The University of Mary Washington athletic department celebrated the 2014-15 year on Thursday night at the annual athletic banquet.
The evening began with a social hour, including photo booths and an ice cream social. The program started with a video commemorating the school year, and followed with remarks from Director of Athletics Ken Tyler.
A special presentation for departing Vice President of Student Affairs Doug Searcy followed, including gifts from the department and a special video presentation.
The awards ceremony included recognition of SAAC representatives, the leadership council, and senior Tyler Carey for his efforts with the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation and the department's friendship with Wesley Berry this year.
All-America selections from Spring 2014 and the fall and winter of this year recognized the following individuals.
Unable to attend were 2014 graduates Luke Dick (the 2014 CAC Men's Lacrosse Player of the Year and second team All-American), Jenna Petrucelli (the 2014 CAC Women's Lacrosse Player of the Year and first team All-American), and Lindsey Raulston (the 2014 CAC Women's Tennis Player of the Year and singles and doubles All-American), as well as riders Molly Banfield and Michelle Lee, who competed at the IHSA National show last May.
Tyler Carey won the 2014 Capital Athletic Conference Player of the Year in men's tennis after leading the Eagles to a 21-6 record and their 15th straight CAC Championship. He finished the year undefeated in singles and doubles in CAC play, and was a first team all-conference selection in both singles and doubles. He finished with 18 wins at one singles, and 20 wins at one doubles.
Brandon Griffin was instrumental in the men's tennis team's run to the third round of the NCAA Tournament, winning 20 matches in singles and 23 in doubles. For his efforts, he was named as the 2014 CAC Men's tennis rookie of the Year.
Shelby Harris repeated as an All-American in doubles as a sophomore. With teammate Lindsey Raulston, she was ranked first in the region in doubles for much of the season, and ended with a 23-6 record and as the top seed in the NCAA Tournament, a first in program history.
Patrick Catullo is the architect of nine consecutive CAC Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances, and claimed the 2014 CAC women's tennis coach of the year gained the award for the ninth consecutive year. He led the Eagles to an 18-8 record a season ago, and the team advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament.
Glenn Taylor won the 200 meter dash championship as well as a second place finish in the 100 meters to earn the 2014 CAC men's outdoor track rookie of the year. He went on to compete at the NCAA Championships last May, and is the first UMW athlete to win this award since 2005.
Teagan Young won the 2015 Capital Athletic Conference women's cross country meet in gaining the 2015 CAC runner of the year award. In addition, she gained regional runner of the year honors, and with Lauren Braney became one of two UMW runners to advance to the NCAA Championships since 2008. Last spring, she won the 5000 meters and the 10,000 meters at the CAC Championships to gain CAC Athlete of the Year as a freshman!
Stan Soper was named the 2014 CAC outdoor track and field coach of the year after leading the Eagles to a second place finish at the CAC Championships. A 15-time winner of the women's track Coach of the Year, Soper will retire following the 2015 season.
Haley Kane led the team to a 14-5 overall record. For the season she scored nine goals and added a team-high 10 assists for 28 points, good for second on the team. She gained first team all-conference, all-region, and all-state honors before capturing second team All-America honors. Congratulations to Haley Kane!
Dani Fiore led the volleyball team to its best season since 1997, as the team finished 22-12 and advanced to the CAC semifinals. One of the top servers in the conference, she was named CAC Rookie of the Year after leading the team in kills per set (3.04) and service aces (66).
Stephanie Hallock helped the women's swimming team to an unprecedented 25th straight Capital Athletic Conference Championship, finishing first in the 50, 100, and 200 yard freestyles and was a member of four winning relays. She has won eight races at the CAC Championships in her three-year career.
Megan Murphy was named the 2015 CAC Women's Rookie of the Year after claiming individual first place finishes in the 200 yard butterfly and 400 Individual medley at the CAC Championships. She was also a member of the winning 800 free relay team.
Abby Brethauer led both the men's and women's swim teams to the Capital Athletic Conference championships yet again this winter. The women's team won 16 of 18 races at the CAC Championships, and set seven school records during the year. Her men's team won 14 of 18 events at the championships, and broke six school records. Please join me in recognizing the 2015 CAC men's AND women's swimming coach of the year, Abby Brethauer!
Alex Anderson captured the CAC male swimmer of the year for the third straight year, leading the Eagles to their 15th straight Capital Athletic Conference championship by winning seven events at the CAC Championships. He became the most highly-decorated athlete in UMW history by gaining All-America honors in all three of his events at the NCAA Championships, breaking the existing national record time in all three events, and broke the national record in the 200 yard butterfly in gaining the national championship – the fourth of his remarkable career. Congratulations to a nine-time All-American, Alex Anderson!
Kimberly Counts has already qualified for spring nationals this year. Kimberly will represent UMW at the Intercollegiate Horse Show in Springfield, Massachussetts next Friday, so good luck to Kimberly, who was the high point rider in the region, and will compete in the Cacchione Cup competition!
Claire Haeuptle overcame a serious knee injury as an underclassman, and returned to form during her career, punctuated by an All-Capital Athletic Conference team appearance this season as a senior. A model student-athlete on the court, in the weight room, and in the classroom, she averaged 10.6 points per game for the women's basketball team that finished with a 20-7 overall record and advanced to the CAC Championship.
Jono Haught rewrote the record books for his sport, serving as a true team leader as a team captain, leading by example on the field, in the weight room, and off the field. The top player in the Capital Athletic Conference, he transformed himself as a possible professional player, setting the UMW baseball season home run record with 10, batting .457 and leading the team in average, home runs, RBI with 52, and an on base plus slugging average of 1.349, and Mike Trout's is only .968.
The major awards of the included the following:
FEMALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Haley Kane – Field Hockey
Kane excelled both on the field and in the classroom this year. In her sport, she gained first team all-conference, first team all-region, and first team all-state honors, as well as gaining All-America honors for her nationally-ranked team. She is a three-time first team All-conference and all-state selection. This season, she scored nine goals and added a team-high 10 assists for 28 points.
Academically, she has been a member of the UMW academic honor roll every semester, and each year she has been named to her sport’s academic honor roll. She is a Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-district winner, and a scholar of distinction in her sport. She boasts a perfect 4.0 grade-point average in her Psychology major. This spring, she became the first-ever recipient of the National Field Hockey Coaches Association’s National Scholar Athlete of the Year Award, given to the All-American with the highest cumulative grade point average.
MALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
David Lunding-Johansson – Men’s Tennis
Lunding-Johansson has already captured a career’s worth of accolades both academically and athletically, despite being a junior. A double major in business and economics who has excelled with a 3.85 grade point average, including a perfect 4.0 GPA in his economics major, he has been recognized by the conference, school, and state for his academic achievements. He was named to the Capital Athletic Conference academic honor roll in his freshman and sophomore years, and has made the UMW Athletics academic honor roll every semester.
He was his sport’s conference Rookie of the Year in 2013, and has gained four first team all-conference selections in two years, enough points to qualify as the only active junior athlete in any sport to be named to his sport’s Capital Athletic Conference Silver Anniversary Team, which recognizes the top 25 athletes in each sport of the league’s 25 year existence. He advanced to the ITA fall regional semifinals in each of the past two years in doubles play, and has been ranked regionally in doubles as well.
He currently has over 100 career wins in singles and doubles and is on pace to become one of the winningest players in men’s tennis history.
FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Teagan Young – XC/Track
Young shined as the top athlete in her sport in the entire region this season, as she gained Capital Athletic Conference Athlete of the Year as well as her sport’s Regional Athlete of the Year by landslide margins.
She advanced to the NCAA Championships for the first time this fall, and in the winter season, she was ranked nationally in two events – the 3000 meters and the 5000 meters - after winning CAC Championships at the conference indoor track meet. On campus, she was the lone female student-athlete to be named as the UMW/Wagner Wealth Management Athlete of the Month twice.
A promising spring outdoor season was cut short by a broken ankle, but her accomplishments in cross country and indoor track set her a notch above any other runner in the region. She won the conference cross country meet by 22 seconds over her nearest competitor, and became the first UMW women’s runner to take top honors at the regional championship, winning by eight seconds ahead of the second place runner. She finished in 44th place at the NCAA National Championships.
At the CAC Indoor Track Championships, she broke her own meet record in winning the 5000 meters with a time of 18 minutes and four seconds, and won the 3000 meters with a new CAC Championship record time of 10 minutes, 39 seconds.
MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Alex Anderson - Swimming
Anderson capped a career unmatched in Mary Washington athletics history. A four-time Capital Athletic Conference Athlete of the Week, he gained CAC Athlete of the Year by winning seven events at the conference championships, and in the process setting three CAC Championship records. He was the only male UMW/Wagner Wealth Management Athlete of the Month in two different months.
At the NCAA Championships, he swam in three events, and broke the existing national Division III record in all three, finishing in second place in the 200 and 400 yard individual medleys, becming the second fastest swimmer in NCAA history in those events. He saved his best for last, however, breaking the NCAA Division III record time in winning the 00 yard butterfly, becoming the only swimmer in Division III history to eclipse one minute, 45 seconds.
In his last eight NCAA Championship events over the past three years, he never finished lower than second place, winning four national championships. He was named the 2014 National Swimmer of the Meet at the NCAA Championships.
In all, he finished his career as a nine-time All-American, and a four-time national champion – the only athlete in any sport in school history to gain an individual national title more than once.
The 2014-15 University of Mary Washington Male Athlete of the Year, Anderson is the most decorated athlete in Mary Washington Athletics history and a three-time winner of this award.