Hamilton College's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) co-sponsored an event with the Department of Athletics to honor the College's own outstanding scholar-athletes on April 24.
Twenty-nine students were honored at The Annex in the Beinecke Student Activities Village during a special luncheon attended by the student-athletes, their coaches and some of their favorite professors. The award recipients maintain an outstanding cumulative grade point average and make a significant contribution to their team. These 29 young men and women exemplify what it means to be a successful student-athlete.
Hundreds of events around the nation marked April 6 as the 26th Annual National Student-Athlete Day. On this special day, we honored student-athletes and the network of parents, coaches, teachers and school systems that make it possible for young people to strike a balance between academic and athletic achievement. The day is established by the National Consortium for Academics and Sports and Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society, and is co-sponsored by the NCAA and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).
The luncheon was a great event and a terrific step in the direction of meeting one of SAAC's main goals, which is to improve communication and interaction among athletes, coaches and professors. Indeed, the 29 recipients of the outstanding scholar-athlete award are proof that it is possible to be dedicated and loyal to both the academic and athletic arenas. They have displayed dedication and hard work and successfully juggled academic and athletic endeavors. These students deserve the admiration and congratulations of the Hamilton community for their perseverance, teamwork, self-discipline, commitment to goals and general pursuit of excellence.
The following student athletes were honored:
Fall Sports - Hashem Zikry '13 (Men's Cross Country); Sarah Ohanesian '14 (Women's Cross Country); Leah Cairns '13 (Field Hockey); Nick Robinson '13 (Football); Dan Tempest '13 (Men's Soccer); Meg Alexander '15 (Women's Soccer); Amanda Cohen '13 (Volleyball).
Winter Sports – Eric Benvenuti '13 (Men's Basketball); Kim Goidell '13 (Women's Basketball); Nick Vassos '15 (Men's Ice Hockey); Becca Hazlett '13 (Women's Ice Hockey); Miles Blackburn '13 (Men's Indoor Track & Field); Agne Jakubauskaite '13 (Women's Indoor Track & Field); Ronald German '13 (Men's Squash); Alexis Lee '13 (Women's Squash); Reid Swartz '15 (Men's Swimming & Diving); Allie Reeder '14 (Women's Swimming & Diving).
Spring Sports – Gabe Klein '13 (Baseball); Dylan Jackson '13 (Men's Crew); Jessica Pedersen '15 (Women's Crew); Dhanika DeSilva '15 (Men’s Golf); Anne Govern '15 (Women’s Golf); Mike Fiacco '13 (Men's Lacrosse); Rachel Friedman '13 (Women's Lacrosse); Amy Appel '13 (Softball); Sam Reider '14 (Men's Outdoor Track & Field); Rachel Cackett '13 (Women's Outdoor Track & Field); Jon Franzel '13 (Men's Tennis); Mira Khanna '15 (Women's Tennis).
