Lehigh Athletics celebrates 2016-17 school year at annual Convocation

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Event: Women's Soccer at American on October 4, 2025 at 1:00 PM
1:00 PM
- Watch
- Stats
Women's Soccer
at American
Upcoming Event: Women's Soccer versus Loyola on October 10, 2025 at 6:00 PM
6:00 PM
- Watch
- Stats
Women's Soccer
vs Loyola
Upcoming Event: Women's Soccer versus Colgate on October 15, 2025 at 6:00 PM
6:00 PM
- Watch
- Stats
Women's Soccer
vs Colgate
Upcoming Event: Women's Soccer at Holy Cross on October 18, 2025 at 1:00 PM
1:00 PM
- Watch
Women's Soccer
at Holy Cross
Upcoming Event: Women's Soccer at Princeton on October 21, 2025 at 8:00 PM
8:00 PM
Women's Soccer
at Princeton
Upcoming Event: Women's Soccer versus Boston University on October 25, 2025 at 1:00 PM
1:00 PM
- Watch
- Stats
Women's Soccer
vs Boston University
Upcoming Event: Women's Soccer at Lafayette on October 29, 2025 at 7:00 PM
7:00 PM
- Watch
Women's Soccer
at Lafayette

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh Athletics celebrated the 2016-17 school year with its annual Convocation program on Monday, May 8 at Baker Hall inside the Zoellner Arts Center. The event served as a way for the entire athletics department to recognize the major individual and team accomplishments from this past school year. The Convocation included a highlight video, the announcement of Lehigh's department award winners and more.

Senior Kaitlyn Ruffing received the department's highest honor – the Graduating Scholar-Athlete of the Year award. A four-year All-Patriot League selection in swimming and diving who also competed for Lehigh in outdoor track and field, Ruffing owns a 3.9 cumulative GPA as a biology major. She won two individual Patriot League championships in swimming, winning the 100 yard freestyle in 2014 and the 50 free in 2015… A three-time Academic All-Patriot League performer Ruffing also is a member of Lehigh's orchestra where she is the lead flautist.

The Karen A. Adams Graduating Female Athlete Award was presented to Courtney Avery from track and field. Avery became the first-ever All-American for Lehigh women's track and field with an 11th place finish at last year's NCAA Championships. She is also a seven-time Patriot League Champion in the high jump, with her most-recent title coming this past weekend.

Men's Basketball standout Tim Kempton won the Graduating Male Athlete Award. A three-time first team All-Patriot League selection and two-time Player of the Year, Kempton was also a two-time honorable mention Associated Press All-American. The NBA prospect holds both the Lehigh and Patriot League record for career rebounds and scored more than 2,000 points for the Brown and White.

(5/8/2017) 2016-17 Lehigh Athletics Convocation

The John Steckbeck Award, presented to the top first-year female student-athlete, went to women's soccer's Sam Miller. The second-team All-Patriot League selection was a two-time Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week and a three-time Rookie of the Week in 2016. Miller began her career with a lengthy shutout streak and finished the season ranked seventh nationally with 12 shutouts.

Conor Gaffney from men's lacrosse received the J. Daniel Nolan Award, presented to the top first-year male student-athlete. Gaffney was a four-time Patriot League Rookie of the Week and three-time Faceoff Specialist of the Week. He ranks in the top 10 nationally in both faceoff winning percentage and groundballs.

Senior Vicky Lattanzio from softball received the Mary O'Hurley Leadership Award, given to the department's top graduating female leader. A graduate of every phase of Lehigh's Leadership Academy, Lattanzio is one of the top leaders on a softball team that has won the Patriot League regular season title in all four of her seasons and will host the Patriot League Tournament later this week.

The John A. Cable Award, for the department's outstanding graduating male leader went to Justin White from the men's swimming and diving team. A 2017 Patriot League Champion and three-time All-Patriot League selection, White is also a graduate of Lehigh's Leadership Academy and helped foster continued improvement within the swimming and diving program.

The department's top service award, the Marlene "Linny" Fowler Service Award went to wrestler Matthew Bonshak. A co-captain of Lehigh's Student-Athlete Council in 2015-16, Bonshak has been heavily involved in a number of community service initiatives including Lehigh's annual Adopt-a-Family Initiative, and has also been heavily involved in engaging his wrestling teammates in community service initiatives.

Women's lacrosse senior Lauren Beausoleil won the department's Sportsmanship Award. Beausoleil is a team captain who has always set a positive example of how the game should be played. She competes hard but still respects opponents and officials. Competitively, Beausoleil is a two-time second-team All-Patriot League selection.

Eleven student-athletes were recipients of the 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. Winners included Avery, White and Ruffing plus wrestlers Randy Cruz, Mitch Minotti and Doug Vollaro, women's lacrosse standout Allison LaBeau, Jacob Moyar from men's swimming and diving, football's Micah Tennant, Lucas Warning from track and field and Justin Worley from men's soccer.

Junior volleyball manager Gary DeSarno was honored with the Phillip J. Sclar Award, which recognizes an underclass student worker or manager who exemplifies the spirit and character of the late Phil Sclar. DeSarno has been cited as going above and beyond to assist the volleyball coaching staff in the organization and execution of practices while also providing support for home matches and select road matches.

2016-17 Lehigh Athletics Department Awards

Phillip J. Sclar Award – Gary DeSarno '18 (Volleyball manager)
John Steckbeck Award – Sam Miller (Women's Soccer)
J. Daniel Nolan Award – Conor Gaffney (Men's Lacrosse)
Karen A. Adams Graduating Female Athlete Award – Courtney Avery (Track and Field)
Graduating Male Athlete Award – Tim Kempton (Men's Basketball)
Sportsmanship Award – Lauren Beausoleil (Women's Lacrosse)
Marlene "Linny" Fowler Service Award – Matt Bonshak (Wrestling)
Mary O'Hurley Leadership Award – Vicky Lattanzio (Softball)
John A. Cable Leadership Award – Justin White (Men's Swimming and Diving)
Distinguished Achievement Awards – Courtney Avery (Track and Field), Randy Cruz (Wrestling), Allison LaBeau (Women's Lacrosse), Mitch Minotti (Wrestling), Jacob Moyar (Men's Swimming and Diving), Kaitlyn Ruffing (Women's Swimming and Diving/Outdoor Track and Field), Micah Tennant (Football), Doug Vollaro (Wrestling), Lucas Warning (Track and Field), Justin White (Men's Swimming and Diving), Justin Worley (Men's Soccer)
Graduating Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award – Kaitlyn Ruffing (Women's Swimming and Diving/Outdoor Track and Field)

Lehigh University Athletics

Upcoming Event: Women's Soccer at American on October 4, 2025 at 1:00 PM

Upcoming Event: Women's Soccer versus Loyola on October 10, 2025 at 6:00 PM

Upcoming Event: Women's Soccer versus Colgate on October 15, 2025 at 6:00 PM

Upcoming Event: Women's Soccer at Holy Cross on October 18, 2025 at 1:00 PM

Upcoming Event: Women's Soccer at Princeton on October 21, 2025 at 8:00 PM

Upcoming Event: Women's Soccer versus Boston University on October 25, 2025 at 1:00 PM

Upcoming Event: Women's Soccer at Lafayette on October 29, 2025 at 7:00 PM

Completed Event: Women's Soccer at Navy on October 1, 2025 , Tie , 2, to, 2

Completed Event: Women's Soccer versus Army on September 26, 2025 , Loss , 0, to, 4

Completed Event: Women's Soccer versus Bucknell on September 20, 2025 , Loss , 0, to, 2

Completed Event: Women's Soccer versus Seton Hall on September 14, 2025 , Tie , 1, to, 1

Completed Event: Women's Soccer at Villanova on September 7, 2025 , Loss , 0, to, 4

Completed Event: Women's Soccer versus Drexel on September 4, 2025 , Tie , 1, to, 1

Completed Event: Women's Soccer at NJIT on August 27, 2025 , Win , 2, to, 1

Lehigh Athletics celebrates 2016-17 school year at annual Convocation

Players Mentioned

Courtney Avery

Lauren Beausoleil

Matt Bonshak

Randy Cruz

Conor Gaffney

Tim Kempton

Allison LaBeau

Vicky Lattanzio

Sam Miller

Sam Miller

Mitch Minotti

Jacob Moyar

Kaitlyn Ruffing

Micah Tennant

Doug Vollaro

Lucas Warning

Justin White

Justin Worley

Related Videos