Lehigh celebrates 2015-16 school year at annual Athletics Convocation

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Lehigh Athletics celebrated the 2015-16 school year with its annual Convocation on Monday, May 9 at Baker Hall inside the Zoellner Arts Center. The event served as a way for the entire athletics department to recognize individual accomplishments from this past school year. The Convocation included a highlight video, the announcement of Lehigh's department award winners and more.

(5/9/2016) 2015-16 Lehigh Athletics Convocation

Senior baseball standout Mike Garzillo garnered several awards, including the department's highest honor - the Graduating Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The 2015 MVP of the Patriot League Tournament owns a strong 3.39 GPA as a management major while excelling on the baseball diamond. Garzillo was named an All-American as a junior and is the school record holder for hits and doubles. He recently became the first-ever Lehigh baseball player named a CoSIDA All-District honoree, and has already been named to the Academic All-Patriot League twice in his first three seasons.

Garzillo also received the Sportsmanship Award, the John A. Cable Leadership Award and garnered a Distinguished Achievement Award. These recipients are senior student-athletes who have displayed a high level of scholarship, significant athletic achievement at the league level (and beyond) and demonstrated service to the institution. In addition to Garzillo, recipients of this award included Mason Beckman, Nathaniel Brown and Max Wessell from wrestling, Morgan Decker and Alexis Watanabe from softball, Jamie Luchini from men's soccer, Gabrielle Wardle from track and field and Elizabeth Weiler from cross country/track and field.

Wrestler Nathaniel Brown garnered the Graduating Male Athlete Award. A four-year starter, Brown placed in EIWAs and qualified for the NCAA Championships every season, while winning the EIWA Championship at 174 pounds in 2013. Brown was a two-time NCAA All-American, reaching the national finals in 2015 and finishing seventh this past season.

The Karen A. Adams Graduating Female Athlete Award was presented to Decker from softball. She was named an All-Patriot League honoree in each of her first three seasons while garnering All-Region twice in three years. Decker has won a major award every season thus far, garnering Rookie of the Year in 2013 before repeating as Patriot League Player of the Year in 2014 and 2015. Decker is Lehigh's career leader in home runs, sitting third in school and Patriot League history in doubles and runs batted in. It was announced at Monday's Convocation that Lehigh's Graduating Female Athlete Award would be named in honor of Karen Adams, a longtime administrator and associate athletic director who is retiring after this year.

Mark Forrest from men's soccer received the J. Daniel Nolan Award, presented to the top first-year male student-athlete. Forrest led the Patriot League with 11 goals, and finished second in the league with 26 points. Forrest helped lead Lehigh to its second-ever Patriot League Championship, scoring twice in the league tournament before tallying the Mountain Hawks' only goal in the NCAA Tournament. Forrest was named third team NSCAA All-Mid-Atlantic Region while earning third team All-Patriot League laurels as well.

The John Steckbeck Award, presented to the top first-year female student-athlete, went to softball's Emily Sorem. A two-time Patriot League Rookie of the Week, Sorem is tied for the league lead with four shutouts and leads Patriot League freshmen pitchers with 15 victories. She also leads Lehigh with 107 strikeouts.

Senior Kendall Garden of women's lacrosse received the Mary O'Hurley Leadership Award. A two-time team captain and graduate of the Leadership Academy, Garden was a member of the Student-Athlete Council in 2014 and served as Co-Captain of SAC this year. According to her peers, Garden's legacy includes consistent execution of her role on the field and her ability to hold teammates accountable, which contributed to the team's overall improvement from her freshman to senior years. The Mountain Hawks wrapped up 2016 with a 13-5 record following an appearance in the Patriot League Semifinals for the first time since 2011.

Senior Elizabeth Sharlow from women's basketball received the Marlene "Linny" Fowler Service Award. A co-captain of Student-Athlete Council in 2015, she was also co-chair of the Adopt-A-Family program in 2014. Sharlow has made an impact in many realms, participating in the food bank and Victory House initiatives. She took part in the 5K Breast Cancer Run and has visited patients at St. Luke's Hospital.

Junior men's soccer manager Michael Pires was honored with the Phillip J. Sclar Award. Pires was always one step ahead in anticipating the needs of the team. Pires attended every practice and was always there early with the coaches. He assisted with everything from setting up equipment to shagging balls, picking up cones, organizing pinnes, feeding balls to coaches during drills and videotaping all the games.

2015-16 Lehigh Athletics Department Awards

Phillip J. Sclar Award – Michael Pires '17 (Men's Soccer manager)
John Steckbeck Award – Emily Sorem (Softball)
J. Daniel Nolan Award – Mark Forrest (Men's Soccer)
Karen A. Adams Graduating Female Athlete Award – Morgan Decker (Softball)
Graduating Male Athlete Award – Nathaniel Brown (Wrestling)
Sportsmanship Award – Mike Garzillo (Baseball)
Marlene "Linny" Fowler Service Award – Elizabeth Sharlow (Women's Basketball)
Mary O'Hurley Leadership Award – Kendall Garden (Lacrosse)
John A. Cable Leadership Award – Mike Garzillo (Baseball)
Distinguished Achievement Awards – Mason Beckman (Wrestling), Nathaniel Brown (Wrestling), Morgan Decker (Softball), Mike Garzillo (Baseball), Kerry Kinek (Women's Basketball), Jamie Luchini (Men's Soccer), Gabrielle Wardle (Track and field), Alexis Watanabe (Softball), Elizabeth Weiler (Cross Country/Track and Field), Max Wessell (Wrestling)
Graduating Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award – Mike Garzillo (Baseball)

Lehigh University Athletics

Lehigh celebrates 2015-16 school year at annual Athletics Convocation

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