Clark University Announces 2004-05 Athletic Department Award Winners

WORCESTER, MA Athletic department award winners and senior athletes were honored at the Clark University Athletic Awards Program on Tuesday, May 3, 2005. A scholar athlete reception was held before the awards program honoring eighty-nine athletes who earned a 3.5 GPA for the 2004 spring semester and/or 2004 fall semester and/or have a 3.5 cumulative GPA.

The following capsules are profiles of the major award recipients.

Russ Granger Award
The Russ Granger Award for academic excellence and athletic achievement by a male athlete was awarded to senior Todd Mathewson (N. Branford, CT/N. Branford), a four-year baseball player and senior captain. Mathewson has been a major contributor to both the baseball program and athletic department over the past four years. In 124 career games he has 126 hits and a .319 batting average. In his senior season, he set a new school record for RBI in a season with 36 and for RBI in a career (96) and tied the record for most home runs in a season with six. In addition, he helped the Cougars to the most wins in school history with 17 in 2005 and was named to the 2005 New England Women’s & Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) All-Conference Second Team. Mathewson received NEWMAC Academic All-Conference honors the past three years and he was recognized as a Clark Scholar-Athlete all four years. He has been a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee for three years and chaired the Community Service Sub-Committee. A management major, Mathewson has a 3.92 grade-point average and was selected to the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. He will return in the fall to earn his MBA in Clark's fifth-year program.

Alice Higgins Award
Senior rower Ashley Blake (Hudson, NH/Alvime) received the Alice Higgins Award for academic excellence and athletic achievement by a female athlete. A four-year member and captain of the crew team, Blake has been a key contributor to the success of the crew program over the last four years. She was a member of the varsity four boat that placed second in the New England Rowing Championships in 2005, finished third in the New England Rowing Championships in 2004 and sixth at the ECAC National Championships in 2004. The second-place finish is the highest achievement by a Clark boat at the New England Championships. In addition, she helped her boat claim the 2004 Worcester City Championship varsity four title. Blake was named to the NEWMAC All-Conference Varsity Team in 2003, 2004 and 2005 and received all-conference novice team honors in 2002. Blake, a government major, has a 3.58 grade point average and earned NEWMAC Academic All-Conference honors three times and was named a Clark Scholar Athlete all four years. She will return in the fall to earn a master's degree in Clark's fifth-year program.

Fred Hebert Trophy
The Fred Hebert Trophy is awarded to the outstanding senior male athlete who has made a significant contribution to the intercollegiate athletic program and whose dedication and performance have enriched the tradition of Clark Athletics. This year’s winner was senior Brian Godard (Southington,CT/Southington HS), a four-year rower. Godard received the Russ Granger Award last year awarded for academic excellence and athletic achievement by a male athlete. The four-year captain stroked the men’s varsity four boat that placed second in the NH Championships in the fall of 2002. Goddard's boat also placed sixth overall at the New England Championships in 2003 and fifth in 2004. As a first-year he rowed in the novice eight boat that had one of the fastest times in recent Clark history and the novice four boat that finished 5th at the 2002 New England Championship. He is a four-year scholar athlete and three-year Student Athlete Advisory Committee member. A biology major, Godard has a 3.79 grade-point average and was selected to the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. He will be attending Optometry school post-Clark.

M. Hazel Hughes Trophy
The M. Hazel Hughes Trophy is awarded to the outstanding senior female athlete who has made a significant contribution to the intercollegiate athletic program and whose dedication and performance have enriched the tradition of Clark Athletics. This year’s recipient was senior softball and soccer player Jen Scavone (Worcester, MA/Holy Name HS). A four-year starter on both teams, she was a captain in soccer her senior year and softball her junior and senior year. Scavone's impressive softball career ended with an outstanding senior season. She led the team in batting average (.481), doubles (10), and home runs (3). Through games 05/01/05, she is ranked 15th in the country in batting average (.481), 28th in slugging percentage (.779) and 25th in runs per game (1.14). In addition, she ranked in the top ten in six offensive statistical categories in the New England Women’s & Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) including first in batting average, fifth in home runs (6), fifth in doubles (10), fourth in runs scored (32), eighth in stolen bases (10) and seventh in triples (2). Scavone led the conference in batting average the last three years. A four-time selection to the all-conference team, Scavone earned Rookie of the Year honors in 2002 and ended her career with the 2005 NEWMAC Player of the Year Award. She earned National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America First Team honors her rookie season. She was named to the NFCA New England Regional All-America First Team, New England Intercollegiate Softball Coaches Association (NEISCA) All-New England First Team and the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference All-Star First Team in 2002, 2003 and 2004. In addition, she is the 10th member of the 100-hit club at Clark and in 123 career games is ranked fourth on the all-time career hits list with 168 with a .448 career batting average. She tied the record for doubles in a season (15) and holds the record for triples in a season (8). Also a major contributor on the soccer team, Scavone was a consistent offensive threat throughout her career. As a management major, she has a 3.44 grade point average and has earned Clark scholar-athlete honors the past two years. Scavone will return in the fall to earn her MBA in Clark's fifth-year program

Merit Award
Each year the Athletic Department presents Merit Awards to seniors who have had a significant impact on their sport. This year’s recipient was senior Ashley Perez (Worcester, MA/Holy Name) a four-year starter on the field hockey team and three-year starter on the softball team. Perez finished her career establishing herself as one of the very best field hockey players to wear a Clark uniform. Only the second player in the history of the field hockey program to receive NFHCA National All-America honors twice, Perez was selected to the first team her senior year and the third team as a junior. In addition, she earned NFHCA New England East Regional First Team honors in 2003 and 2004 and regional second team honors in 2002. Perez was selected to play in the NFHCA Senior North-South All-Star Game. She earned NEWMAC All-Conference First Team honors her senior year and second team honors her sophomore and junior years. She ranks 11th amongst Clark’s scoring leaders with 20 goals, 27 assists and 67 points. She has helped her team to a 61-23 overall record during her career which stands as the second best overall record over a four-year period in the history of the program. In addition, Perez led her team to four straight ECAC postseason appearances including two runner-ups. On the softball field, the three-year starter at shortstop posted a .900 fielding percentage.

Senior Class Award
The Senior Class Award is given annually to the senior athlete who best exemplifies class, spirit and integrity in his or her athletic endeavors. This year’s winners were Oliver Hartman ‘05 (Whitefield, ME/Cony) and Margaretta Wilcox ‘05 (Philadelphia, PA/J.R. Masterman). Hartman, a four-year member of the men’s tennis team and two-year captain, played at the number one singles and doubles position for the past three years. He was a two-year member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and served as co-chair of the leadership sub-committee. Hartman earned a 3.58 gpa and was named to the NEWMAC Academic All-Conference team in 2004 and 2005. He also received recognition as a Clark Scholar athlete the last three years. He has provided outstanding leadership for the men's tennis program and last year led the team to its first winning season in over a decade. Wilcox, a four-year rower and two-year captain was one of Clark’s top rowers the past four years. She earned NEWMAC All-Conference Varsity Team honors her junior and senior year. She stroked the varsity four boat that finished second at the 2005 New England Rowing Championships and third in 2004. Her boat also placed sixth in the 2004 ECAC Championships. She earned Clark Scholar-Athlete honors in 2004 and 2005. Wilcox served on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee for two years and was actively involved in community service projects.

Richie Fairbanks Service Award
The Richie Fairbanks Service Award, which is given to individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the athletic program, was awarded to senior Sara McGinley (Falmouth, ME/Falmouth ME). McGinley, has served as a volunteer women’s basketball manager for the past four years and has worked endless hours for the team. Attending 99% of the practices and all of the games, she is a quiet “behind the scenes” worker who will be impossible to replace.

Four-Year Participation Awards
Thirty senior and graduate student athletes received Clark watches in recognition of their four years of varsity athletic participation in the same sport.

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