Hamilton College football player Trevor Pedrick '09 (Wallkill, N.Y./Wallkill Senior HS) and women's soccer player Erica Dressler '09 (Farmington, Conn./Miss Porter's School) were recipients of the inaugural Milton H. Jannone Award at the College's senior athlete awards dinner on May 21.
Milt Jannone '43 was a record-setting running back on the football team and earned the first All-America award in the history of Hamilton athletics in 1941. Jannone is still tied for the most rushing touchdowns in a game (four) and a season (16) at the College. He also owns the team's record for longest run from scrimmage with a 97-yard scamper against Swarthmore College in 1941.
Jannone also participated in baseball, basketball and track and field at Hamilton. Upon his death in 2008, friends and family created this award in his memory. The award will be given annually to honor a male and female senior student-athlete who has demonstrated outstanding athleticism, leadership and academic excellence during their four-year career.
Pedrick was a standout linebacker for the football team for four years. He finished his career with 203 tackles, including 120 solo stops. Pedrick was credited with six sacks and finished with a total of 22 tackles for a loss. He intercepted two passes, one of which he returned 56 yards for a touchdown against Colby College as a freshman in 2005.
Pedrick was selected to the 2006 New England Small College Athletic Conference all-conference second team on defense after his sophomore season. The team finished that season ranked seventh in Division III in scoring defense.
As a senior, Pedrick ranked sixth in the NESCAC in tackles with 70 and tied for eighth with eight tackles for a loss. The 2008 team captain led a defense that ranked eighth in Division III in rushing defense. After the season was over, the biology major earned a spot on the 2008 NESCAC fall all-academic team, which honors student-athletes who have reached junior or senior academic eligibility, recorded a cumulative GPA of 3.35 or better, and receive a varsity letter for that particular season.
Dressler finished her career ranked second in program history with 34 goals and 81 points, and is tied for fifth place with 13 assists. She holds team records for most goals, assists and points in a single season. In four years, the forward helped the team to a record of 40-16-7, three appearances in the Liberty League tournament and one league regular season title.
Dressler's finest season came as a junior in 2007, when she scored 14 goals and assisted on 10 others as the team reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division III tournament for the first time, and won a team-record 16 games. She was a three-time member of the all-league team and the league's all-academic team, and was voted first team all-region for the New York Region twice.
Dressler capped her career with two academic awards. She was voted to the 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Women's Soccer Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America, and she was selected to the NSCAA/adidas Collegiate Scholar All-America Team by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. She is the first Hamilton women's soccer player to earn either honor. She holds a double major in Hispanic studies and world politics.
