Moon Township, Pa. – The
Robert Morris University Department of Athletics honored its student-athletes for the 2015-16 school year Sunday at its 22nd annual All-Sports Banquet, held at the Charles L. Sewall Center.
Led by master of ceremonies
Chris Shovlin, the radio play-by-play voice of RMU athletics for the last 29 years, Robert Morris presented most valuable player plaques to each of its 16 intercollegiate sports, while 13 individuals and one team were also honored, respectively, with major awards.
Garnering the Presidential Scholar-Athlete Award, presented by Robert Morris University President Dr.
Christopher B. Howard, was senior
Kristin Thompson of the volleyball team and senior
Zac Lynch of the men's ice hockey squad.
Thompson has compiled a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.62 as a biology major and was a key component in helping lead the Colonials to the 2015 Northeast Conference Tournament title and subsequent bid to the NCAA Tournament. A middle blocker, Thompson led the NEC in attack percentage (.340) while finishing fifth in points per game (3.29) and eighth in kills per game (2.78). She also added 82 blocks. Thompson concluded her career with a .308 attack percentage, which ranks fifth in the volleyball record book.
Lynch concluded his career as in 2015-16 by establishing both single-season and career records for points. He scored 25 goals and added 30 assists for 55 points as a senior, pushing his career totals to 67 goals and 89 assists for 156 points. Lynch scored eight short-handed goals in 2015-16, including a stretch in which he tallied one in four consecutive games, an NCAA record, and finished with 14 career short-handed tallies. He also owns the RMU career mark for plus-minus rating (+64). As a manufacturing engineering major, he has maintained a 3.89 cumulative GPA.
Earning the honors for the Highest GPA Awards, which are bestowed to the senior student-athletes with the highest cumulative grade point average, were
Paige Oster of the rowing team and
Dan Maier of the golf squad. Oster has compiled a perfect 4.00 GPA as a nursing major, while Maier studies accounting and owns a 3.92 GPA.
For the second consecutive year, the RMU men's ice hockey team earned the Team GPA award, presented by Robert Morris Associate Director of Athletics
Ryan Fleischer. The Colonials posted a 3.624 team GPA during the 2014-15 academic year, the highest of RMU's 16 Division I programs.
Taking home the RMU Athletic Department Appreciation Award, handed out by RMU Director of Athletics
Craig Coleman, M.D., was RMU Provost
David Jamison. The RMU Athletic Department Appreciation Award is bestowed annually to an individual or individuals from outside the athletic department that display exemplary service.
RMU Associate Athletic Directors
Don Smith and
Sean Simmons presented the honors of Outstanding Senior Female to
Jessica Karwacki of women's lacrosse and the Outstanding Senior Male to
Neco Brett of men's soccer, respectively.
The winners of the eighth annual Strength & Conditioning Student-Athletes of the Year, presented to a male and a female by RMU head strength & conditioning coach
Todd Hamer, were awarded to senior
Aaron Tate of the men's basketball team and the four student-athletes that make up the 2016 women's basketball senior class. Included in that group are
Randi Jackson,
Lou Mataly,
Ashley Ravelli and
Leah Wormack.
The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) award for 2016, which was presented by Haley Johnson, was bestowed to junior
Megan Gold of the women's lacrosse team.
A total of 22 student-athletes were honored with MVP plaques at the 2016 All-Sports Banquet. To view the complete list of award winners, please use the link associated with this article.
