Providence College Athletics
Providence College Hosts 55th Annual All-Sports Gala
4/18/2016 12:00:00 AM | General
Photo Gallery PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Providence College honored its top student-athletes at the 55th Annual All-Sports Gala on Monday, April 18. The ceremony was held at Alumni Hall/Mullaney Gymnasium on the campus of Providence College in Providence, R.I. A social hour preceded the event in `64 Hall. The gathering of more than 300 student-athletes, coaches and staff members celebrated a successful 2015-16 athletics campaign.
Junior All-America selection Kris Dunn (New London, Conn.), who led the men's basketball team to its third-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, was named Male Athlete of the Year for Team Sports. Senior two-time All-American Julian Oakley (Tauranga, New Zealand), of the cross country/track team, was named Male Athlete of the Year for Individual Sports. On the women's side, soccer player Catherine Zimmerman (Madison, N.J.), who helped guide the Friars to the BIG EAST Championship game and earned All-BIG EAST First-Team honors for the second-consecutive season, was recognized as Female Athlete of the Year for Team Sports. Five-time All-American and 2015 BIG EAST Cross Country Individual Champion Sarah Collins (Basel, Switzerland) claimed Female Athlete of the Year honors for Individual Sports.
Along with the Athlete of the Year Awards, six other major awards were presented at the banquet. Senior Kathryn Hiller (Dartmouth, Mass.) of the women's soccer team was the winner of the Paul Connolly Award as the female athlete who has distinguished herself among her peers through sportsmanship, courage and honor. Senior men's ice hockey player Kevin Rooney (Canton, Mass.) was the recipient of the Mal Brown Award. The Mal Brown Award is given annually to the male athlete whose career of intercollegiate competition portrayed sportsmanship, courage and honor.
The Sine Qua Non Awards, given annually to the male and female athletes who have distinguished themselves among their peers without receiving proper recognition, were presented to senior men's soccer player Manny Andrade (Fogo, Cape Verde), senior women's cross country and track runner Lauren Mullins (Binghamton, N.Y.) and senior volleyball player Jordan Wiesler (Coconut Creek, Fla.). Senior Drew Brown (Grass Lake, Mich.), who is a member of the men's ice hockey program, was the recipient of the Jane Thompson Award, which is presented to the male or female senior student-athlete who personifies all that is good about being a student-athlete at Providence College and exhibits selflessness, dedication, loyalty, courage and perseverance.
Dunn, who earned Male Athlete of the Year recognition, also became the second recipient of the Rev. Robert A. Morris, O.P. '46 Memorial Award, which is given annually to a student-athlete who has had a profound impact on Providence College during their career, as selected by the Athletic Director and the senior administrative staff. Last year, men's basketball player LaDontae Henton became the first-ever winner of the award.
Since the conclusion of the regular season, Dunn has been named First Team All-BIG EAST, BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year and BIG EAST Player of the Year. Other honors he has earned are NCAA Consensus Second Team All-American, NABC Second Team All-American, John R. Wooden Award All-American, USBWA Second Team All-American, Sports Illustrated Second Team All-American, Sporting News Second Team All-American, CBSSports.com Second Team All-American, ESPN.com Third Team All-American, USA Today Third Team All-American, USWBA District 1 Player of the Year and NABC Division I First Team All-District 5. Dunn, who is a two-time BIG EAST Player of the Year and two-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, joined Georgetown's Patrick Ewing `85 as the only players in the history of the league to earn Player of the Year twice and Defensive Player of the Year twice. Dunn also is just the sixth player in the 37-year history of the BIG EAST to be named Player of the Year two times. Dunn is the only guard in the history of the league to earn Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season. In addition to leading the league in steals and ranking fifth in the nation (2.5), Dunn ranked second in the BIG EAST in assists (6.2) and seventh in scoring (16.4). Dunn registered seven double-doubles and one triple-double. Dunn became the first Friar ever to register 1,000 points, 500 assists, 400 rebounds and 200 steals. In 95 career games, Dunn recorded 1,214 points (12.8 ppg), 552 assists (5.8 apg), 486 rebounds (5.1 rpg) and 208 steals (2.2 spg).
Oakley has continued his success in both cross country and track this year. During the cross country season, Oakley led the team to a third-place finish at the BIG EAST Championships where he finished ninth, earning All-BIG EAST honors. He went on to finish 16th at the NCAA Northeast Regional Championship to earn All-Northeast honors. Oakley carried his form into the indoor track season with his third career sub-four minute mile at the 109th NYRR Millrose Games on Feb. 20 with a time of 3:58.34. Oakley then earned his first First Team All-America honor at the 2016 NCAA Indoor Championship in the mile with a seventh-place finish. Additionally, the BIG EAST Conference named Oakley as the institutions Male Scholar Athlete of the year on Feb. 19.
Zimmerman started 67 of the 68 games she appeared in over her four-year career. Her 76 career points ranks fourth all-time at Providence. She scored a team-high seven goals and four assists for 18 points during the 2015 season. Zimmerman tallied three game-winning goals in Providence's 1-0 win over Syracuse on Aug. 23, its 3-2 win over Boston College on Sept. 13 and in the Friars' 1-0 win over Villanova on Oct. 8. She was tabbed 2015 BIG EAST Preseason Co-Offensive Player of the Year and appeared on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team prior to the start of the season. She went on to earn All-BIG EAST First-Team honors for the second-consecutive season. For her efforts in the 2015 BIG EAST Championship, Zimmerman was named to the BIG EAST All-Tournament Team and was named BIG EAST Tournament Most Outstanding Offensive Player. She also was selected to the 2015 NEWISA Senior Bowl, named to the 2015 NSCAA NCAA Division I Women's All-Northeast Region Second Team and NEWISA All-New England First Team.
Collins was the team's top runner in the latter portion of the cross country season. She captured the BIG EAST Cross Country Individual title and helped the team to its seventh BIG EAST Team Championship in the history of the program. Collins also led the team to a podium finish (fourth-place) at the NCAA Championships, where she placed 20th to earn her third cross country All-America honors. During the indoor season, Collins earned her fifth All-America honors with a 12th-place finish in the 5,000 meters at the 2016 NCAA Indoor Championship. Collins, a biology major, also was named to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic team for earning a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 and finishing as an All-American at the NCAA Championship. Additionally, the BIG EAST Conference named Collins as the institutions Female Scholar Athlete of the year on Feb. 19.
Hiller started all 21 games she played, and recorded two goals and one assist during the 2015 season. She tallied two game-winning goals this year in Providence's 1-0 win over Bryant (Aug. 27) and the 1-0 win over DePaul (Nov. 3) in the First Round of the BIG EAST Championship. For her efforts in the BIG EAST Tournament, Hiller was named to the BIG EAST All-Tournament team on Nov. 8.
A co-captain and key cog on the Providence penalty kill, Rooney appeared in 117 consecutive games to close out his career in Friartown. This season, he tallied six goals and four assists, including a key insurance marker to complete the weekend sweep over then No. 7 Notre Dame on Feb. 20. Rooney boasts career totals of 17 goals and 19 assists in 144 games, including career highs as a junior of seven goals and eight assists during the Friars' 2014-15 national championship run. The 144 games played ranks 18th all-time in program history. Rooney recently completed a seven-game stint with the Albany Devils of the AHL, where he totaled three assists.
Andrade played 62 games in his career, tallying six goals and six assists for 18 points. Andrade also co-captained the men's soccer team during the 2015 season, leading the Friars to their third-consecutive BIG EAST Semifinal. Andrade was also a member of the 2014 BIG EAST Championship team and the 2014 NCAA College Cup semifinalist team.
Mullins, a co-captain for the women's cross country team this year, finished among the top-four in each race she competed in this season, including a runner-up finish at the BIG EAST Cross Country Championship on Oct. 31 to help the team earn its seventh BIG EAST Team title. Mullins then went on to place 11th at the NCAA Northeast Regional, earning All-Northeast Regional honors. Additionally, Mullins was the third Friar across the line at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, helping the team to a fourth-place finish. Mullins, a double major in marketing and finance, also was named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic team, like Collins, and was on the SAAC Executive Board this year.
Wiesler was a four-year starter for the Friars, starting in 30 matches during the 2015 season. Wiesler served as a captain in her senior campaign and led the Friars in assists, with 913 (9.51 per set). On Sept. 19, she recorded a career-high 54 assists and a season-high 24 digs against Colgate. The senior setter led the Friars to an eight-match winning streak, including victories in 21-consecutive sets. Wiesler finished her career ranked third on the Friars' all-time career assist list, with 3,681.
Brown continued to serve as an inspiration to the Friars and spent the 2015-16 season as an undergraduate assistant coach with the men's hockey team. He missed the 2014-15 campaign battling Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. During his playing days in Providence, Drew amassed 10 goals and 22 assists in 75 games during a three-year career. On February 26 of this season, Brown joined his teammates on the ice for warm-ups prior to senior night festivities at Schneider Arena. He was also named one of six finalists for the Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award, given to the player "who displays exemplary sportsmanship, is supremely competitive, intelligent and extraordinarily conditioned with an unmatched work ethic."
- GO FRIARS! -
