May 17, 2011

The Queens College department of athletics held its annual awards dinner Monday night (May 16) at The Inn at New Hyde Park, and senior men's soccer standout, Brian Buckmire (video), along with senior women's tennis performer, Laura Mocodeanu (video), received the college's Male and Female Silver Knight Awards, respectively.

Over 100 awards were handed out on the evening, as Queens College's 250-plus student-athletes were recognized for their accomplishments in the 2010-11 academic year, both on and off the field of play.

Buckmire, a defender and team captain, was named the East Coast Conference's Defensive Player of the Year in his senior campaign. The accolades continued to roll in for the Toronto, Ontario native, as he was named to the Daktronics All-America Third Team, as well as to the organization's All-East Region First Team. A two-time ECC first-team all-conference selection, Buckmire was actively involved in Queens College's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (as vice president) and Student-Athlete Mentor (SAM) programs throughout his time at the Flushing, N.Y. school.

Mocodeanu, a native of Hyde Park, N.Y., is now one of the first two-time winners of the Silver Knight award in school history, as she won the same praise in the 2009-10 academic year. The Intercollegiate Tennis Association's East Regional Senior Player of the Year this season, she was a two-time ECC Player of the Year and four-time all-conference first-team recipient. Mocodeanu, a three-time team captain, was ranked No. 38 nationally in singles play at the Division II level this spring, and well as East regional ranks of No. 2 and 5 in singles and doubles action, respectively. Her efforts lifted head coach Alan Nagel's Queens side to its second-consecutive NCAA Division II Round of 16, and she lost just four times (two singles, two doubles) in ECC action throughout her illustrious career. Mocodeanu, also, participated in Queens' Student-Athlete Mentor program.

Winners of the Outstanding Senior Award included women's volleyball standout Latoya Edward, and men's basketball 1,000-point scorer, Lamonte Lans. Edward put down 626 kills in her 84-match, three-year stint at Queens, while Lans was a second-team All-ECC performer and conference Defensive Player of the Year honoree in 2010-11.

Academically speaking, seniors Robert Scheuing of men's tennis (video), and Erica Rodriguez of women's swimming and diving (video), took home Paul Paplin Scholar-Athlete Award kudos. Scheuing, a team captain who was recently named the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's East Regional winner of the Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award, registered a 3.928 grade-point average during his time in Flushing.

Rodriguez's story is just as impressive. A three-year All-Metropolitan Conference performer in the pool, the neuroscience major registered a 3.51 grade-point average, and through her exceptional research talents and projects, has earned a full scholarship to a combined Master's/PhD program in the same major at Duke University -- which will commence in the fall of 2011.

Men's tennis standout Diego Medrano posted a 21-2 record in singles play en route to helping the Knights to a NCAA Division II Round of 16 appearance, while women's lacrosse attacker Heather Rosen nearly doubled her points totals from the team's inaugural 2010 campaign on her way to the No. 2 ranking nationally in goals per game. For their efforts, both student-athletes received Queens College's Most Improved Award.

The institution's Oustanding Freshman Awards went to women's soccer phenom Christina Porco, and men's tennis mainstay Andre Pellegrino. Porco's play at the sweeper position helped the Knights to a sub-0.60 goals against average against East Coast Conference competition, as Queens competed in its first-ever ECC title game. Pellegrino went 29-9 overall (15-4 singles; 14-5 doubles) and was on the No. 8-ranked doubles team in the East Region, helping the Knights to a pair of victories in NCAA regional competition by capturing his singles and doubles matches in each round of play.

The following student-athletes received awards from their respective teams for their on- and off-field excellence in 2010-11:

Team Awards

Baseball

• Most Valuable Player: Anthony Mazzella
• Most Improved: Warren Kelly
• Outstanding Freshman: Robert Gaertner
• Scholar-Athlete: Jordan Weiner

Men's Basketball

• Most Valuable Player: Khalil McDonald
• Most Improved: George Giorgios
• Outstanding Freshman: Jeremiah Mordi
• Scholar-Athlete: Lamonte Lans

Women's Basketball

• Most Valuable Player: Amanda Bartlett
• Most Improved: Jessica Fairweather
• Outstanding Freshman: Caitlin Hopkins
• Scholar-Athlete: Cadie Chu

Men's Cross Country

• Most Valuable Player: Max Gazzara
• Most Improved: Joseph Mayer
• Outstanding Freshman: Peter Kramer
• Scholar-Athlete: Andrew Mayer

Women's Cross Country

• Most Valuable Player: Indira Avila
• Most Improved: Sara Wong
• Outstanding Freshman: Michelle Martins
• Scholar-Athlete: Moyagaye Bedward

Dance

• Most Valuable Player: Dominique Ciminello
• Most Improved: Elisabeth Miller
• Outstanding Freshman: Emily Schiffman
• Scholar-Athlete: Sarah Viola

Fencing

• Most Valuable Player: Haley Ward
• Most Improved: Alisha McLean
• Outstanding Freshman: Janine-Marie Rafio
• Scholar-Athlete: Frances Fuster

Lacrosse

• Most Valuable Player: Heather Rosen
• Most Improved: Cristal Sampson
• Outstanding Freshman: Kahli Evans
• Scholar-Athlete: Meghan Monahan

Men's Soccer

• Most Valuable Player: Brian Buckmire
• Most Improved: Daniel Ospina
• Outstanding Freshman: Tyler Iocco
• Scholar-Athlete: Eric Vasquez

Women's Soccer

• Most Valuable Player: Laura D'Amore
• Most Improved: Caitlin Gracia
• Outstanding Freshman: Christina Porco
• Scholar-Athlete: Allison Breakey

Softball

• Most Valuable Player: Anniela Vaccaro
• Most Improved: Carla Pennolino
• Outstanding Freshman: Kaitlyn Crowley
• Scholar-Athlete: Samantha Stallone

Men's Swimming and Diving

• Most Valuable Player: Luke Culicerto
• Most Improved: Kobi Wasner
• Outstanding Freshman: Algirdas Skukauskas
• Scholar-Athlete: Kobi Wasner

Women's Swimming and Diving

• Most Valuable Player: Angela Parra
• Most Improved: Brittany Schuler
• Outstanding Freshman: Nicole Orsino
• Scholar-Athlete: Erica Rodriguez

Men's Tennis

• Most Valuable Player: Atilla Toth
• Most Improved: Taylor Crabill
• Outstanding Freshman: Andre Pellegrino
• Scholar-Athlete: Robert Scheuing

Women's Tennis

• Most Valuable Player: Laura Mocodeanu
• Most Improved: Andrea Salvetova
• Outstanding Freshman: Kim Xiong
• Scholar-Athlete: Maria Mendes

Men's Indoor Track and Field

• Most Valuable Player: Rafael Nunez
• Most Improved: Joseph Mayer
• Outstanding Freshman: Peter Kramer and Vincent Fratto
• Scholar-Athlete: Jose Rodriguez

Women's Indoor Track and Field

• Most Valuable Player: Indira Avila
• Most Improved: Diane Etiene
• Scholar-Athlete: Sara Wong

Men's Outdoor Track and Field

• Most Valuable Player: Joseph Mayer
• Most Improved: Andrew Mayer and Vincent Fratto
• Outstanding Freshman: Peter Kramer
• Scholar-Athlete: Jose Rodriguez

Women's Outdoor Track and Field

• Most Valuable Player: Indira Avila and Diane Etiene
• Most Improved: Justyna Dudko
• Scholar-Athlete: Emily Monaco

Volleyball

• Most Valuable Player: Latoya Edward
• Most Improved: Crystal Gordon
• Outstanding Freshman: Ceren Kilic
• Scholar-Athlete: Jovana Pavlovic

Water Polo

• Most Valuable Player: Vanja Kopilas
• Most Improved: Philip Cabasino
• Outstanding Freshman: Nemanja Milijanovic
• Scholar-Athlete: Camilo Bedoya