NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The State University of New York at New Paltz Department of Athletics, Wellness & Recreation celebrated yet another successful year in the annals of Hawk Athletics, as the department honored a number of individuals at the 2012 New Paltz Athletics Ceremony at McKenna Theatre on the New Paltz campus on Wednesday, May 9.

New Paltz director of athletics Stuart Robinson began the evening by reflecting on the amount of improvement and success the department has seen in his 10 years of service at his current position. Each coach then spoke about his/her team's season, after which he/she gave out a team MVP award. Prior to the distribution of academic awards, the newest additions to the Leadership Wall were announced. After senior women's basketball player Zoe Cohen delivered the senior address, each senior was called up on stage to receive his/her senior gift. Finally, the highlight of the night, as always, was when the 2011-12 end-of-the-year highlight video was unveiled.

The following individuals and teams were given awards during the ceremony:

The New Paltz Prize:
Awarded to the male and female team that has the highest team grade-point average at the conclusion of each semester. To be considered for the team prize, a team must have a minimum of 10 members.

Spring 2011:
Field Hockey (3.51 GPA)
Men's Basketball (3.03 GPA)

Fall 2011:
Field Hockey (3.40 GPA)
Men's Swimming (2.99 GPA)

The Donald Bishko Award:
Awarded to the male and female athlete who has the highest combined grade-point average at the conclusion of the spring and fall of the year leading to the award.

Elizabeth Hauser (women's volleyball/women's basketball): 4.0 GPA, secondary education (math)
Jeremy Borrelli (men's swimming): 3.87 GPA, anthropology

Leadership Wall Honorees:
These individuals have demonstrated exemplary leadership both in and out of competition and will have a plaque bearing their name and photo on the department's Leadership Wall.

Jamal Lis-Simmons (men's soccer)
Caitlin Irwin (women's basketball)
Shannon Cobb (women's soccer)
Jeremy Borrelli (men's swimming)
David Spiegel (sports information)

The Kenneth F. Burda Sportsmanship Award:
Awarded to a student-athlete who has participated for at least three years and who demonstrates outstanding academic achievement, sportsmanship, citizenship, ethical conduct and leadership throughout his/her career beyond which is generally expected of student-athletes at New Paltz.

Female – Zoe Cohen (women's basketball)

Zoe Cohen, a four-year member of the New Paltz women's basketball program, has shown an exemplary amount of sportsmanship and leadership throughout her four years donning the Blue and Orange. A Spanish and business double major, the Brooklyn, N.Y., resident constantly gave back to the women's basketball team both on and off the court. While she played a vital role this past year in knocking off SUNY Oneonta on the road—which was a key match-up for the Hawks late in the season—she also ignited the team by her volunteerism. She served as president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) this past year, and she helped organize the Special Olympics basketball event that involved both the men's and women's teams. Academically, Cohen is a two-time State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Commissioner's List honoree and is a three-time SUNYAC All-Academic Team member.

Male – Ramius Pruiss (men's volleyball)

Ramius Pruiss, in essence, embodies all that the Kenneth F. Burda Sportsmanship Award stands for. He put the team before himself, doing whatever it took to help the whole of the program. The essence of the award goes far beyond the stat sheet, but rather, it touches on character. Pruiss does not play for personal achievement. Rather, he leaves practice every day hoping that his efforts made the team better. He has given four years of service to the New Paltz men's volleyball program, and this past season, the Wallkill, N.Y., native saw action in 18 matches and drew one start.

The Athletic Director's Award:
Awarded to a person or persons who, in the estimation of the Athletic Director, has provided dedicated service to the department

David Spiegel:
Beginning as a volunteer in the sports information office, David Spiegel quickly became an invaluable member of the Department of Athletics, Wellness & Recreation. Spiegel spent countless hours in the sports information office without being compensated, working tirelessly to promote New Paltz Athletics. During the spring, he began earning internship credits, but he once again went well above and beyond the call of duty, working 13 office hours during the week and every home athletics event.

Nothing was more indicative of Spiegel's drive and dedication than when he volunteered to work a baseball doubleheader all on his own. With a home women's lacrosse game running concurrently with baseball, sports information staffing dictated that one person would have to work baseball while the other two worked women's lacrosse. Spiegel scored the game, ran the music between innings, announced the batters and coordinated a Senior Day ceremony, all of which were run seamlessly.

The Carol Eckman Award:
Awarded to the outstanding female athlete of the year.

Stephanie Vega (women's soccer):

Vega served as the catalyst for the New Paltz women's soccer team's SUNYAC title run and the program's push to the third round of the 2011 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Tournament. She finished the 2011 campaign ranked second in NCAA Division III in save percentage (.914), sixth in NCAA Division III in goalie minutes played (2,106) and 15th in NCAA Division III in goals-against average (0.47). Furthermore, she led the SUNYAC in save percentage, saves (117), goals-against average and shutouts (13). Her 13 shutouts served as a single-season program record, and she now sits just three saves shy of the program's all-time mark in the statistical category.

She was honored a number of times for her outstanding play throughout the course of the season. Vega became the program's first-ever All-America honoree, as she was tabbed to the 2011 D3soccer.com Women's All-America Third Team. She also named to the All-SUNYAC Second Team and was chosen as the MVP of the 2011 SUNYAC Women's Soccer Tournament. Following that SUNYAC Tournament MVP performance, she was named the SUNYAC Women's Soccer Player of the Week for the week ending Nov. 6.

The Floyd Patterson Award:
Awarded to the outstanding male athlete of the year.

Matt Devine (men's basketball):

During the 2011-12 season, Devine led the SUNYAC in points per game (21.5) and ranked second in the league in rebounding (8.4), as the 6-foot, 4-inch forward started in all 26 of the team's games during the campaign. In addition, Devine shot 85.5 percent from the free-throw line, which gave him the 36th-highest free-throw percentage in NCAA Division III. At the season's end, he was named to the All-SUNYAC Second Team, marking his first-ever All-Conference honor.

For his dominance on the court, Devine was chosen to the 2011-12 D3hoops.como All-Star Team, which will compete from May 21-31, 2012, in Europe. Devine was named the SUNYAC Men's Basketball Player of the Week and was selected to the Scoutware/D3hoops.com Team of the Week for the week ending Nov. 27, 2011, as he scored 31 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in a 95-88 loss to Mount Saint Mary College on Nov. 22, 2011.

The Heinz Ahlmeyer Award:
Awarded to a junior or senior athlete with two or more years of varsity participation whose dedication, perseverance and service beyond self throughout his/her athletic career at New Paltz has been an inspiration to both his/her teammates and fellow students.

Caitlin Irwin (women's basketball):

Caitlin Irwin, a four-year member of the women's basketball team, shares many of the selfless traits that Heinz Ahlmeyer had. Irwin not only excelled on the court—she was named the team's MVP for the 2011-12 season and finished her career ranked among the program's top 10 all-time in steals (235, fourth) and assists (200, seventh)—but she volunteered countless hours of service to her academics, the community and SAAC.

On the court, she finds ways to get her teammates the ball, as she led the team in assists in both her junior and senior campaigns. Academically, Irwin has been a model student, as she is also a two-time SUNYAC Commissioner's List honoree and was named an All-Academic Team member twice as well.

Irwin embodies the three aspects of this award. She is dedicated to her team and helping others shine. She is the hardest worker in every practice and in every game, and as a two-year captain of the women's basketball team, she has always pushes her teammates to play at their highest level. She perseveres in high-pressure situations and is never afraid to stick up for a teammate or get in an opponent's face when the situation called for it. She is the vice president of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), recently playing a big role in a Special Olympics basketball event at the Hawk Center. Irwin, whose positive attitude and altruism have strengthened the New Paltz women's basketball program and the Department of Athletics, Wellness & Recreation, will be missed greatly by her teammates and student-athletes from other programs alike.

Team MVPs:
Women's Lacrosse: Erin Tornatore
Men's Basketball: Matt Devine
Men's Soccer: Jamal Lis-Simmons
Softball: Melissa Liotta
Men's Swimming: Jesse Sweeney
Women's Swimming: Yuka Suzuka
Field Hockey: Amy Lee
Men's Cross Country: Jeff Raab
Women's Cross Country: Nichole Wischoff
Men's Volleyball: Mike Van Tyne
Women's Basketball: Caitlin Irwin
Baseball: Matt Carr
Women's Volleyball: Melinda DiGiovanna
Women's Tennis: Kayla DiPaulo
Women's Soccer: Stephanie Vega