'KEENE, N.H. 4/24/04 - Chris Timson was named Keene State College's male Athlete of the Year and Jennifer Ortisi and Tanya Strong were selected as co-female Athletes of the Year at the College's 2003-04 Athletic Awards Dinner held Friday night at Spaulding Gym.
In addition, Chepina Witkowski and Megan Perkins were the co-recipients of the Scholar-Athlete Award and the Keene State women's swim team was presented with the Don Carle Award for having the highest GPA among Owl teams.
Timson, a senior forward on the men's basketball squad, averaged a team-high 16.8 points and 6.6 rebounds to lead KSC (25-6, 13-1 LEC) to its first conference championship and first-ever NCAA Tournament berth where the Owls advanced to the Elite 8. Selected to All-Region, All-ECAC , and All Little East teams, Timson, a Beverly, Mass., native completed his career fifth on KSC's all-time scoring list with 1,448 points.
A senior midfielder on the Keene State women's soccer team, Ortisi capped her four-year career by earning NSCAA second team All-America honors this fall. Ortisi, who led the Owls (14-6-3) in scoring with 11 goals, four assists, and 26 points, was also selected to NEWISA All-New England and Little East All-Conference teams. The Allenstown, N.H., native completed her career fourth on KSC's all-time scoring list with 41 goals, 24 assists, and 106 points.
Named to the 2003 Womensfieldhockey.com All-America second team, Strong shattered Keene State (19-6) records with 30 goals, 10 assists, and 70 points this season. Strong, a senior from Hatfield, Mass., was named both the Little East Conference's offensive player of the year and the MVP of the ECAC Division III New England Tournament. Her 148 career points are second on KSC's all-time scoring list.
A junior member of the Keene State women's cross country team, Witkowski excelled on the trails and in the classroom this year. A Dean's List student every semester, the math/education major is currently on exchange at New Mexico State University. Witkowski, from Keene, N.H., had her most successful cross country season this fall earning All-LEC/Alliance honors. One of the squad's top runners, her best finishes included seventh place at the KSC Invitational and 10th place at the LEC Championships.
A health promotion/fitness major, Perkins competed on the women's cross country team this fall. A diligent competitor, Perkins overcame several injuries to compete this season. The junior from Weare, N.H., is presently studying abroad at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand.
The women's swim team is the first Owl squad, other than women's volleyball, to claim the Don Carle Award since it was first presented four years ago. Collectively, the 16-member team - that posted a 7-2 dual meet record and placed fourth at the New England Division II-III Championships - has a cumulative 3.09 GPA.
The following student/athletes are members of the 2003-04 Keene State All-Academic Team (3.3 GPA or better): Baseball: Matthew Brewer (Wiscasset, Maine), Peter Hall (Danielson, Conn.), Ryan Kohler (Alstead, N.H.), Zachary Rokes (Keene, N.H.), Jeremy Schilling (Centerville, Mass.); Men's Basketball: Alexander Laush (Jericho, Vt.), Benjamin Maynard (Nobleboro, Maine); Nick Wickles (Hatfield, Mass); Women's Basketball: Andrea Arsenault (Dover, N.H.); Cheerleading: Jamie-Lee Francoeur (Mont Vernon, N.H.); Women's Cross Country/Track: Laura Ahern (Sanbornton, N.H.), Candice Brown (Londonderry, N.H.); Meghan Duffy (Monroe, Conn.), Stephanie Gibson (Sanbornton, N.H.), Stacey Kroon (Bryantville, Mass.), Marie-Astrid Leray (France), Megan Perkins (Weare, N.H.), Elizabeth Pomerleau (Derry, N.H.), Lynn Therrien (Rochester, N.H.), Chepina Witkowski (Keene, N.H.), Laurie Yorgensen (Wethersfield, Conn.); Men's Cross Country/Track: Patrick Ard (Kingston, N.H.), Matthew Haley (Middleton, Mass.), Kevin McGrath (Auburn, N.H.), Andrew Mercer (Laconia, N.H.); Field Hockey: Nichole Garneau (Twin Mountain, N.H.), Nicole Lemire (New Milford, Conn.), Katrina Pokrywka (Roxbury, Conn.), Kara Spang (Andover, Mass.), Tanya Strong (Hatfield, Mass.), Justina Wentworth (Keene, N.H.), Kristen Zaluki (North Swanzey, N.H.); Women's Lacrosse: Melissa Gagnon (Saco,
(MORE)
(KSC ATHLETIC AWARDS - PAGE THREE)
Maine), Amanda Gray (Sharon, Mass.), Melissa Grondin (Somers, Conn.), Natalie Kent (Billerica, Mass.), Nicole Lemire (New Milford, Conn.), Erin Mehner (Stamford, Conn); Women's Soccer: Laura Ahern (Sanbornton, N.H.), Molly Blanchette (Canterbury N.H.), Suzanne Estey (South Dennis, Mass.), Michelle Harmon (Nashua, N.H.), Katie Parkinson (South Kingstown, R.I.); Men's Soccer: John Harke (Leeds, Mass.), Derek Leclerc (Berlin, N.H.); Softball: Kathleen Gambino (Freeport, N.Y.), Kari Gardner (Grafton, Mass.), Stephanie Konopaske (Terryville, Conn.); Women's Swim/Dive: Catherine Avener (Belfast, Maine), Laura Cuomo (Hamden, Conn.), Kate Curtis (Watertown, Conn.), Megan Humphreys (New Hartford, N.Y.), Karly Smith (Concord, N.H.), Shannon Talbot (Cheshire, Conn.), Devon Trabilsy (Hillsborough, N.J.); Men's Swim/Dive: Timothy Pollin (Ledyard, Conn); Volleyball: Stephanie Benard (Tilton, N.H.), Kristen Brosius (Plymouth, N.H.), Stacey Kroon (Bryantville, Mass.), Lynn Therrien (Rochester, N.H.), Corissa Widger (McGraw, N.Y.); Student Athletic Trainers: Kristine Anderson, Mary Dwight (Greenfield, Mass.), Lauren Goley (North Kingstown, R.I.), Nicholas Lane (Keene, N.H.), Emma Mitchell (Saxtons River ,Vt.), John Riesenberg (Stoddard, N.H.), Shaina Winston (Norwalk, Conn.).