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BOSTON - An accomplished group of seven seniors, two graduate students and a junior were honored Tuesday evening at the Boston University's annual student-athlete awards reception, held at the Metcalf Trustee Center. Highlights of the ceremony included ECAC Women's Soccer Defender of the Year Corie Halasz and men's basketball All-American John Holland receiving the Mildred Barnes and Mickey Cochrane awards, which are given to the top female and male athletes, respectively.
The E. Ray Speare and Gretchen Schyler awards, given yearly to the top male and female scholar-athletes, were awarded to swimmer Bryon Kallert and graduate students Lisa Kevorkian (soccer) and Catherine Ward (ice hockey). Softball's April Setterlund was named the 2011 BU Woman of the Year, while John Hall (wrestling) and Holly Lorms (ice hockey) were the recipients of the John B. Simpson Award, given to both a male and female senior who has demonstrated enthusiasm and leadership. Krystyn McIntyre of the women's basketball team and Alex Thornton of the women's rowing team garnered the Student-Athlete Service Award.
Boston University's departing Executive Vice President Joseph Mercurio was recognized with the Campus Community Recognition Award, which will be renamed in his honor for his 30+ year service to the campus and his support of the Department of Athletics in particular.
Senior wingman John Holland will go down as one of all-time greats in both program and America East history after becoming just the second in the league alongside the late Boston Celtic Reggie Lewis to reach 2,000 points, 700 rebounds and 200 steals. Earning BU's first AE Player of the Year award since 1997, Holland was also named the conference tournament's Most Outstanding Player after recording a game-high 27 points and 11 rebounds to help the Terriers overcome a 15-point second half deficit against Stony Brook at Agganis Arena and claim the team's first NCAA berth since 2002. Named an All-America Honorable Mention by the Associated Press, the Bronx, N.Y., native was also a member of the Lou Henson "Mid-Major" All-America team after leading the league in scoring for the second consecutive year at 19.2 ppg.
(All of the senior student-athletes in attendance pose for a picture with Director of Athletics Mike Lynch)
Senior defender Corie Halasz proved to be one of the most versatile athletes to don the scarlet and white for women's soccer head coach Nancy Feldman. The Milford, Conn., native came to BU as a striker but quickly transformed into one of the program's best defenders. Named the America East Defender of the Year and the ECAC Defensive Player of the Year after anchoring one the nation's premier backlines in 2010, Halasz led a defense that did something that no other BU women's soccer team has ever done. The Terriers shut out opponents for 1,260:38 consecutive minutes and produced the second-longest shutout streak in NCAA history at 13 straight games.
Graduating in May with a 3.5 GPA and a degree in business administration and management, senior Bryon Kallert recently completed one of the most impressive careers in men's swimming and diving history. He will leave as the program's record holder in the 100 and 200 backstroke and the 200 butterfly as well as a member of three record-breaking relay teams (200 & 400 medley, 800 free). In addition to all of his success in the pool, he has been equally impressive in the classroom. A member of the School of Management's Dean's List for the past four semesters, the New Milford, N.J., native is also a two-time America East All-Academic Team and Commissioner's Honor Roll member.
Lisa Kevorkian, an Arcadia, Calif., native, came to BU as a graduate student with one year of eligibility remaining after a stellar career at Cal-Berkeley. Her offensive prowess helped the Terriers earn their fourth consecutive America East title and appear in their sixth straight NCAA tournament. In just one season as a Terrier, Kevorkian made a major impact as she recorded 14 goals and seven assists for 35 points to rank third in the BU record book for single-season goals and points. Her 35 career points places her 16th among the program's all-time scorers. She went on to earn NSCAA Division I All-America Fourth Team honors, becoming the fifth Terrier to earn All-America accolades and the second in as many years. She is working toward her master's degree in mass communication, earning a 3.78 GPA in the College of Communication.
Following a successful undergraduate career at McGill University (Que.) and an Olympic gold medal with Team Canada, Catherine Ward came to Boston University with one season of eligibility remaining and, in that season, left an impressive mark on the program. The Montreal, Que., native anchored the Terrier blue line during their most successful season, as they secured their first-ever Frozen Four berth. An assistant captain who set the program's single-season record for assists (27), Ward became the first Terrier to receive All-America status when she landed on the American Hockey Coaches Association Second Team. Achieving a GPA of 3.57, she will earn an MBA with a concentration in strategy and business analysis and is expected to graduate with Honors.
Since arriving on campus in 2007, senior April Setterlund has become one of the most prolific athletes in school history. She has earned All-America honors, set numerous school records and led BU to back-to-back America East championships the last two years. Throughout her career, Setterlund, who is a two-time AE Commissioner's Honor Roll selection, is the current holder of five career records and closing in on a handful of others. The program's first-ever First Team All-American is coming off a heralded junior campaign that resulted in six single-season records. That year, she was named the America East Player of the Year, the ECAC Player of the Year and a Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I All-America First Team honoree. Maintaining a 3.30 GPA while majoring in business administration with a concentration in management information systems, the Torrance, Calif., native has volunteered her time in the community, working with the Special Olympics of Massachusetts and raising money for Haiti Relief.
A selfless leader, senior Holly Lorms played in 137 games for the women's ice hockey team during her four-year career and totaled 29 goals and 25 assists. After suffering a near career-ending injury as a junior, the Brookfield, Wis., native was selected team captain as a senior and helped lead the Terriers to the program's first-ever Frozen Four. A highly versatile player, she established career highs in nearly every statistical category while also being tabbed Hockey East's Best Defensive Forward. She set personal bests in goals (14), assists (9), points (23), power-play goals (2) and game-winning markers (2).
A native of Palo Alto, Calif., redshirt junior John Hall has played an instrumental role in elevating the success of the BU wrestling program. His passion for the sport and his teammates helped the Terriers have their best dual season since the 2003-04 campaign with a record of 11-6-1 and fourth-place finish at the CAA Championships. He became just the third in school history to earn a CAA individual title. At the NCAAs, he picked up a pair of victories to extend his winning streak to 17 matches. Finishing the year with an impressive record of 21-5, his impact on the program goes well beyond the mat, as his exceptional ability to lead others was a key reason he has been a captain for each of the past three seasons.
One of the most recognizable student-athletes on campus, senior Krystyn McIntyre has proven that a strong work ethic, loyalty and dedication will get you far, as she went from walk-on to scholarship athlete for the women's basketball team. Always willing to help out a fellow Terrier, McIntyre even joined the softball team in the spring of 2010 after learning that injuries had depleted the roster. She has served as the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) President as a junior and senior. In this role, her leadership has soared, helping SAAC become a diligent supporter of the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk as well as the Special Olympics of Massachusetts - raising more than $3,000 for SOMA through various fund-raising efforts such as auctions and Terrier Take-Out.
Besides serving on SAAC alongside McIntyre, senior Alex Thornton of the women's rowing team has participated in the department's Holiday Reading Program, the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Walk and Women Enduring Cancer Row (WeCanRow) at BU. A native of Maumee, Ohio, she has also helped coordinate her team's Angel Tree project through BU's Community Service Center and is currently serving in the newly founded Student Support Network this semester. The varsity eight boat coxswain is also this year's director for the College for Every Student program, which matches BU mentors with Jackson Mann Middle School students.
Stepping down from his position this summer, Joseph Mercurio has overseen an era of unprecedented growth at Boston University from a personnel, budget and facilities standpoint. The Campus Community Recognition Award will be renamed in his honor because his friendship with, interest in and overall enthusiasm for athletics have played a significant role in the success of BU Athletics. He began his association with BU as a student, graduating cum laude with a degree in business administration. In August of 1973, he joined the University as Associated Budget Director and later became Executive Vice President in January of 1995.
During his tenure, he headed up the funding, development and construction of the John Hancock Student Village, which includes Agganis Arena, the FitRec Center and two state-of-the-art dormitories. He was instrumental in the construction of the DeWolfe Boathouse (1999) and the Track and Tennis Center (2002), two premier facilities that continue to benefit several varsity programs and the campus community. Three women's club teams - lacrosse, ice hockey and soccer - were also elevated to intercollegiate status during his tenure and quickly established themselves as national contenders. Other projects completed under his supervision include last year's major renovations at Walter Brown Arena and the installation of a four-lane track in 2009 to Nickerson Field.
