HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College Athletic Department hosted its annual Senior Award Ceremony on Tuesday, May 14, presenting several awards to student-athletes from the Class of 2013.
After an opening welcome from Director of Athletics Wendy Smith '87 and Martha Denney, Dean of the College, the program continued with a video tribute to the senior athletes (YouTube). Jordan Schilit, of the men’s cross country and track teams, then offered a few remarks on the senior seasons.
Following Schilit’s address, Smith and Denney began the awards portion of the program recognizing those seniors who etched their names into Haverford's record books. The administrative duo then began to announce the senior award presenters and recipients.
The A.W. "Pop" Haddleton Award is presented for perseverance, dedication and loyalty, recognizing senior student-athletes for outstanding contribution to an athletic team but who may have not received the recognition that, for example, a regular starting players does. Charlie Michele of men’s soccer, Benjamin Walter of men’s tennis and David Block from men’s lacrosse shared the 2013 award.
Dominique Meeks of women's basketball and track & field was presented with the Stephen G. Cary '37 Award which is given to the senior who made the greatest overall impact on the Haverford athletic program during a collegiate career through some combination of athletic participation and achievement, leadership, sportsmanship, off-field athletic department involvement or other athletically-related contributions.
Earning second-team all-Centennial Conference recognition for the second straight year, Meeks topped the team in scoring (9.8 points per game), rebounds (7.6 per game) and steals (2.5 pg) and took game-high scoring honors 11 times in her final season. She registered four double-doubles to finish with 19 in her career. Meeks graduates as the program leader in steals (229) and second all-time in points (1,141) and rebounds (755). The forward's heart and tenacity was a staple in the Haverford lineup throughout her four years as she ranks tied for first in program history with 100 starts.
Her efforts for the track team resulted in the third-longest shot put toss, 38 feet, 7 inches, in program history. Meeks also recorded the program’s eighth-longest throw, 104 feet, in the javelin.
The Gregory Kannerstein '63 Award, formerly the Alumni-Varsity Club award, was presented to men's soccer midfielder Matt Gorski. The award is given to an individual whose combination of outstanding athletic achievement and leadership has been a significant factor in a team's competitive success, and whose level of performance has brought distinction not only to the individual and team but also the entire athletic program.
Gorski tied for the team lead in goals (seven) and points (16) in his senior year. A fixture in the midfield throughout his career, Gorski reached double figures in points in a season three times. Ranked among the 2012 conference leaders in goals per game (0.37) and points per game (0.84), Gorski tallied two game-winning goals on the season and his penalty kick goal against McDaniel on October 20 established a new program record for penalty kicks made in a career (four).
A first-team All-Centennial Conference honoree in 2011 and 2012, Gorski was named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) 2012 All-Mid-Atlantic Region Second Team, and was voted to the Philadelphia Inquirer 2012 Academic All-Area men’s Soccer Team. Also meriting honorable mention all-conference honors in 2010, Gorski ranks 19th in program history in assists with 16.
The final award of the night, the Varsity Cup, is presented annually to the outstanding athlete or athletes in the senior class and the 2013 honor was shared by Kevin Caulfield of men’s tennis, Mary Hobbs of field hockey, and Schilit.
Caulfield was voted first-team singles for the fourth consecutive season this spring and teamed with senior Danny Himelstein to earn first-team honors in doubles for the third straight season. Caulfield has played at No. 1 singles and doubles for the Fords since his opening match at Haverford. A three-time member of the Centennial's academic honor roll and the 2012 Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Men's Tennis Performer of the Year in 2012, Caulfield finishes his time at Haverford with 56 singles wins which is tied for third-most in program history. On Tuesday the Intercollegiate Tennis Association announced that the senior from Hawaii was tabbed as the recipient of the Atlantic South Region’s Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship award, and on Wednesday the Centennial office will name Caulfield its 2012-13 Student-Athlete Sportsmanship honoree.
A team captain for field hockey in 2012, Hobbs helped lead her team into the championship game of the Centennial Conference's postseason tournament. It was the second time (2010) in three seasons that Haverford played its way into the tournament final.
She was named to the Philadelphia Inquirer academic all-area field hockey team for the second straight year in 2012, and was tabbed a second-team Longstreth/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) All-American -- just the fourth all-American in program history -- after earning first-team NFHCA All-South region honors. A first-team all-Centennial player in 2012, Hobbs was chosen for and played in the NFHCA 2012 Senior Game. The Centennial's fall academic honor roll included Hobbs for the third straight season with its November release.
Hobbs led the 2012 Fords in points (41), goals (15) and assists (11), and recorded three game-winning goals, second-most on the team. She closed out her career with all-time program records in points (171), goals (65), assists (41) and game-winners (12), and is among the conference's all-time leaders in goals (fourth), assists (fifth) and points (171).
Schilit is among Haverford’s most highly honored athletes at the national level, achieving five All-American honors with the outdoor track season yet to be completed.
The individual winner of the 2011 Centennial cross country championship, he went on to earn his second all-American honor at the national race. Schilit ran to all-American status in the 5,000-meter run at the 2012 NCAA indoor track championship and was part of an all-American distance medley relay quartet at the 2013 national meet. At the 2012 outdoor championship he finished as the national runner-up in the 5,000 to add another all-American nod. Schilit’s time of 13 minutes, 59.21 seconds in the outdoor 5,000 is both a school and Centennial record.
As men's cross country raced to the national championship in 2010 and followed with consecutive second-place finishes in 2011 and 2012, Schilit holds the distinction of being the only Haverford runner on all three of those championship-caliber teams.
Also recognized at Tuesday’s ceremony was Aaron Buikema '13, the recipient earlier in the spring of the William W. Ambler '45 Award presented annually to the graduating student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average.
The senior Fords recognized early in Tuesday's ceremony as owners of school records were: Gorski, Hobbs, Meeks, Schilit, Cam Baker (men’s basketball), Kimberly Carlomagno (women’s indoor track), Scott Chanelli (men’s lacrosse), Olivia Coburn-Flynn (volleyball), Hannah Davis (women’s indoor track), Perrin Downing (women’s lacrosse), Bridget Gibbons (field hockey), Kevin Goff (baseball), Sara Hess (women’s outdoor track), Alex Hudak (baseball), Sydney Hyder (field hockey), Cara Keifer (women’s outdoor track), Kara McMahon (women’s outdoor track), Ivo Milic-Strkalj (men’s indoor track), Calla Miller (women’s basketball), Christie Quake (field hockey), Sheera Rosenbaum (women’s outdoor track), Victoria Sobocinski (women’s basketball).
Video tribute to the athletic department's Class of 2013 (YouTube)
Video of senior award presentations (YouTube)