Photo by Will Nunnally

BOSTON - An accomplished group of nine seniors were honored on Tuesday evening at Boston University's annual student-athlete awards reception, held at the Metcalf Trustee Center. Leading the way were All-Americans Andrea Walkonen and Matt Gilroy, who received the Mildred Barnes and Mickey Cochrane awards, given to the top female and male athletes, respectively.

The E. Ray Speare and Gretchen Schuyler awards, given yearly to the top male and female scholar-athletes, were awarded to Dan Schultz of the men's soccer team and Marisha Schumacher-Hodge of the women's soccer team. Softball standout Christy Leath was named the 2009 BU Woman of the Year, while Caroline Bourdeau of the women's ice hockey team and John McCarthy of the men's ice hockey team were the recipients of the John B. Simpson Award, given to both a male and female senior who has demonstrated enthusiasm and leadership. David Barth of the men's track and field team received the Student-Athlete Service Award and senior lacrosse player Sarah Dalton was awarded the Terrier Pride accolade.

Walkonen will graduate from Boston University as one of the most accomplished distance runners the program has ever seen. A two-time All-American in her senior season, Walkonen qualified to compete for national honors in the spring. She led the Terriers to their fourth consecutive indoor America East title and this spring she automatically qualified for the national championships in the 10,000-meter run at the Stanford Invitational - posting the fastest time in the nation to that point.

Gilroy capped off a decorated career in the scarlet and white with college hockey's top honor - the Hobey Baker Memorial Award. A co-captain of the 2009 national championship team, Gilroy was also named a first-team All-American for the second consecutive season and was the recipient of the Walter Brown Award, honoring the top American-born college hockey player in New England. He is one of only three players in the program's history to earn All-America honors three times in a career. The senior defenseman completes his career with 92 points and an impressive plus-78 rating.

A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Schultz co-captained the 2008 America East regular-season and tournament champions and was named an ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-American. Schultz, who graduated early in December with a 3.80 GPA in the College of Arts and Sciences, never missed a game in his four-year career and made two appearances in the NCAA tournament. A defender, Schultz anchored a backline that shut out 10 opponents and allowed just four goals during an impressive 10-game unbeaten streak.

Schumacher-Hodge, a midfielder for the 2008 America East regular-season and tournament champions, will graduate as a member of the first senior class in program history to make four straight NCAA tournament appearances. A two-time America East Midfielder of the Year and three-time AE all-conference first team member, she added the inaugural America East Fan's Choice Player of the Year to her long list of accolades in 2009. Also an accomplished student, Schumacher-Hodge owns a 3.53 GPA and was named to the 2008 ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District 1 First Team.

McCarthy was named a captain after displaying a lead-by-example approach throughout his career and was a crucial component of the Terriers' run to their fifth national title in 2009. He recorded a career-best 29 points on six goals and 23 assists in his senior campaign and strung together a five-game point streak during the postseason. A recipient of the team's Friends/Albert Sidd "Unsung Hero", McCarthy will graduate as an economics major in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Bourdeau has been with the women's ice hockey team since its inception four years ago and her career culminated this season as the squad received its first-ever national ranking. Bourdeau scored the program's first goal four years ago and went on to post 15 goals and 20 assists throughout her career. A tenacious player, Bourdeau will be remembered as a smart and technical player who put her team first, and earned the squad's Spirit Award in each of the first four years of the program.

Over the past four years, Leath has blossomed as a leader both on and off the softball diamond, diversifying herself not only as a student-athlete, but also as a member of the University and Boston community. A three-time America East All-Conference honoree, Leath was named the league's Player of the Year in 2007. She currently holds a 3.49 GPA and is anticipated to graduate Cum Laude from the Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation. She is also an active member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), taking part in various community outreach initiatives.

Barth will leave his own distinctive mark on BU Athletics, not only as a student-athlete but also as a fervent supporter of other teams. A constant on the sidelines, Barth is vice president of the Dog Pound and helps to promote and plan events surrounding BU Athletics. Also a member of SAAC, Barth served as the Terrier Pride coordinator, and represented BU on the America East SAAC.

Dalton has made her mark as one of the finest players in BU lacrosse history and is still rewriting the record books. The Terriers' all-time leading scorer with 268 career points, including 231 goals, the Cornwall, Vt., native broke her own BU single-season record this year and leads the nation with 75 goals. She also set the Terriers' single-game record with eight goals earlier this season and has tied the mark for career draw controls. She is one of 25 nominees for the Tewaaraton Trophy - the top honor in collegiate lacrosse - for the second year in a row and is the reigning America East Player of the Year as well as a first-team All-American.

In addition to the senior student-athletes honored, Chris Parks, Director of the Boston University Bands, was the recipient of the Campus Community Recognition Award. Parks' support of the athletics department has been limitless, as the popular instructor leads the band at every men's ice hockey, men's basketball and women's basketball home game, as well as any postseason contest in which those teams participate.