Sports Wrapup

On May 10 at the annual Athletics Banquet, the Department of Athletics & Physical Education honored 69 senior student-athletes and five other athletes with awards and special tributes. Retiring President Frances D. Fergusson also highlighted the event.

Fergusson, who was presented with gifts from the Student Athletic Advisory Committee and the Department of Athletics & Physical Education for her two decades of support and dedication, had the Coaches Award named in her honor. The inaugural Frances D. Fergusson Coaches Award was presented to senior Natalie Serkowski (pictured above), a four-year member of the women’s basketball team who earned the award based on commitment to the team, strong leadership on and off the playing field, respect and admiration from teammates, strong work ethic, and a high level of sportsmanship. This past season, Serkowski suffered an ACL injury that cut short her final campaign, but she still managed to play in 12 games.

The Male and Female Athletes of the Year, senior fencer Justin Bernstein (pictured right) and senior volleyball player Anita Stavin (pictured far right) respectively, were also honored.

Bernstein, from Atlanta, Georgia, fenced in his second NCAA fencing championship and finished 19th in the field with seven wins. For the first time in his collegiate career, he defeated Harvard’s Tim Hagemen, a top fencer who lost to only four others in the NCAA competition. The bout score was a resounding 5-2. Bernstein also played spoiler by defeating Notre Dame’s Matt Stearns 5-4.

Volleyball star Stavin, from Clifton Park, New York, concluded her career as Vassar’s all-time leader in points (1,955), matches (130), kills (1,550), and block assists (182). She ranks second all-time in attacks (4,131), block solos (72), total blocks (242), and ppg (4.20), third all-time in kills per game (3.33) and service aces (242), and fourth in digs (1,328). In 2005, Stavin played in 117 games and averaged 3.25 kills per game, 3.79 digs, 0.56 blocks, 0.35 assists, 0.61 service ace average, and had a .242 hitting percentage. She was a First-Team All-Liberty League, New York State & Seven Sisters selection, and an honorable mention All-District III selection from the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

The Betty Richey Award is presented annually to an outstanding student-athlete on the women’s field hockey, lacrosse, or squash team; Richey taught and coached at Vassar for 41 seasons. This year’s recipient was sophomore Catherine Twardy, from Sherborn, Massachusetts, who was a member of the field hockey and lacrosse teams. She was selected for her loyalty, self-reliance, leadership, and excellent sportsmanship.

Senior women’s golfer Andrea Cody from Smithtown, New York, earned the Athletic and Fitness Alumnae/i of Vassar College (AFAVC) Award. Instrumental in the development of women’s golf at Vassar, Cody was a leader on campus as vice president of the Eating Disorder Reach-Out Service, also serving as a wellness peer educator and intern in the Office of Health Education. Cody, a captain on the 2005–06 team, was also a Student-Athlete Mentor and representative on the Drug and Alcohol Education Committee.

The Club Sport Athlete of the Year Award was presented to senior Nilly Buschbaum, from Harford, Pennsylvania, who set more club track records than any other runner in Vassar history. She established new club track records in seven events, both indoor and outdoor. Her record-setting performances in her specialty, the 5K, have met ECAC qualifying standards the last two years.

Athletes Excel in the Classroom

A record 131 athletes were named to the Liberty League All-Academic Team, which recognizes students for their academic and athletic merits. The students honored are all upperclassmen that have achieved at least a 3.25 cumulative grade point average. Vassar’s 131 athletes, representing eight teams, led the Liberty League in number of student-athletes being recognized for a college participating in the primary league sports.