Providence College Athletics
Providence College Hosts 62nd Annual All-Sports Gala
5/2/2023 7:45:00 PM | General
This year's Gala was held at Schneider Arena as more than 300 student-athletes and staff reflected on 2022-23.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Providence College Athletics Department hosted its 62nd Annual All-Sports Gala on Tuesday, May 2. This year's event was held at Schneider Arena and was followed by an evening of music and dancing. Prior to the Gala, the department honored this year's inductees to the Providence College Letterwinner's Society.
Sophomore men's basketball player Bryce Hopkins (Oak Park, Ill.), was named Male Athlete of the Year for Team Sports after leading Providence to a NCAA Tournament berth. He became the first Friar to earn All-BIG EAST First Team recognition since Kris Dunn and Ben Bentil in 2016. Junior Will Layden (Farmington, Conn.), who claimed a pair of BIG EAST individual titles for the men's swimming & diving program, was named Male Athlete of the Year for Individual Sports. Layden became the first men's swimmer in program history to win multiple BIG EAST Championships, topping the field in the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard freestyle.
On the women's side, graduate student forward Sara Hjalmarsson (Bankeryd, Sweden) was recognized as Female Athlete of the Year for Team Sports. She was a First Team Hockey East All-Star and was tabbed Hockey East Best Defensive Forward. Freshman Jane Buckley (Cork, Ireland) earned Female Athlete of the Year for Individual Sports after an impressive rookie year with the women's cross country and outdoor track teams. Buckley became the first Friar freshman and second freshman in conference history to win the individual BIG EAST Cross Country Championship. She also helped guide the Friars to a first-place team finish at the NCAA Northeast Regional meet to automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships.
Senior Sally Alrutz (Springfield, Mass.) of the women's swimming and diving team was the winner of the Paul Connolly Award as the female senior student-athlete who has distinguished herself among her peers through sportsmanship, courage and honor.
Senior Parker Ford (Wakefield, R.I.) of the men's ice hockey team was the recipient of the Mal Brown Award. The Mal Brown Award is given annually to the male senior student-athlete whose career of intercollegiate competition portrayed sportsmanship, courage and honor.
The Sine Qua Non Awards, given annually to the male and female senior student-athletes who have distinguished themselves among their peers without receiving proper recognition, were presented to red-shirt senior men's basketball player Ed Croswell (Philadelphia, Pa.) and senior Elysia Cunnigan (Corona, Calif.) of the softball team.
Senior field hockey player Lisa McNamara (Barre, Vt.) 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.
Senior Vannelie Melendez (Cayey, Puerto Rico) was the 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.
Hopkins was named All-BIG EAST First Team in March. Hopkins also earned 2023 Associated Press All-BIG EAST First Team honors. On March 14, he claimed USBWA District 1 Honors and NABC All-District 5 First Team accolades. Hopkins, a two-time BIG EAST Player of the Week in 2022-23, led the Friars in scoring (15.8 ppg), rebounding (8.5) and double-doubles (10). He was tied for sixth in scoring, and he was second in rebounding amongst BIG EAST players in overall action. Hopkins also ranked third in the league in defensive rebounds (226, 6.8 rpg) and fourth in minutes played (34.9 mpg). During BIG EAST action, he finished third in scoring (16.7 ppg) and rebounding (8.6 rpg). He posted a team-best 10 double-doubles, including a 29-point, 23-rebound and three-steal effort in a double-overtime win over Marquette (103-98) on Dec. 20. He played 47 of the 50 minutes in the game. Hopkins' 20-20 game was the 34th in program history and the first since 2010.
Layden won the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard freestyle titles at the 2023 BIG EAST Swimming & Diving Championships. He became the first male swimmer in program history to win multiple BIG EAST individual titles. Layden also helped guide the 200-yard freestyle relay squad to a third-place finish at the BIG EAST Championship, earning each member of the team All-BIG EAST honors. For his career, he has combined to establish a dozen individual and relay-team school records. Layden also has led the team in scoring during each of the last two seasons.
Hjalmarsson helped the women's ice hockey team advance to the Hockey East Championship game. Hjalmarsson led the team in scoring with career-highs in points (44), goals (24) and assists (20). She became the 28th player in program history reach the 100-point milestone, finishing her career with 122 points. Hjalmarsson started in all 37 games for the Friars in 2022-23 and finished the season with a +26 rating and 20 blocked shots. She was a two-time Hockey East Player of the Week, and earned First Team Hockey East All-Star accolades. She also was tabbed Hockey East Best Defensive Forward.
Buckley claimed three top-10 finishes throughout the cross country season and was the Friars' top finisher in five meets overall. She finished first at the 2023 BIG EAST Cross Country Championships and became the first Providence College freshman and second freshman in league history to win the individual BIG EAST title. Buckley was the top finisher for the Friars at the NCAA Northeast Regional Championship (third) and helped Providence to a first-place team finish. At the NCAA Cross Country Championship, Buckley finished 49th overall. She is the first Friar to finish inside the top-50 since 2015. Buckley returned for outdoor track, after redshirting the indoor season. She finished inside the top-10 in the 5,000 meters at the Raleigh Relays and placed first in the 3,000 meters at the Friar Invitational. Buckley also was a member of the 4 x 1,500-meter team that won the title in the Champions of America Division at the prestigious Penn Relays. She and her teammates won the race in a school-record time of 17:11.35.
Alrutz enjoyed a remarkable four-year career with the women's swimming and diving program. The backstroke and butterfly specialist holds five individual school records and has been part of all four school records claimed by medley relay teams. During her career with the Friars, she has claimed the program's O'Neill Family Award as most outstanding freshman (2020) and also was the recipient of The Cindi Luciani Award as the team's most valuable student athlete (2022). Alrutz was named co-captain of the team in 2022-23 and has been a multi-year representative for the program on the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC).
Ford, a co-captain for the men's hockey team in 2022-23, led the Friars in scoring with 26 points on 12 goals and 14 assists with a +18 rating. He was proficient at the faceoff dot this season, winning 448 draws (8th in the NCAA) for a 58.6% success rate. He was a Walter Brown Award Semifinalist and Third Team Hockey East All-Star selection in 2022-23. In 131 career games with the Friars, Ford totaled 41 goals and 53 assists for 94 points with a +39 rating. As a junior in 2021-22, he served as an alternate captain and recorded a career-high 27 points. At the conclusion of his senior season, he signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Winnipeg Jets.
Croswell had a standout season for the Friars, finishing second on the team in scoring (13.3 ppg) and rebounding (7.5 rpg). He posted eight double-doubles, including a career-high 25 points and 13 rebounds against Georgetown (Feb. 26). He also recorded six games with 20-or-more points. Croswell was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll, twice, in 2022-23. He finished his career with 1,069 points and 864 rebounds in 148 games.
Cunnigan has spent the last four seasons as a member of the softball team. She has appeared in 102 games recording 22 hits, 18 runs, seven RBIs and two home runs. Cunnigan also appeared in the circle during 34 games as a member of the pitching staff. She pitched a total of 87.1 innings for the Friars during her career, striking out 42 batters. Cunnigan also served as a Friar Edge Captain and was a member of the DE&I subcommittee within SAAC and the student-athlete committee for 50 Years of Women's Athletics.
McNamara, is a four-year member of the field hockey program at Providence College and will return for a fifth season in the fall of 2023 as a graduate student. As a member of the team, she has served as a multi-year captain, playing a total of 59 career games with 38 appearances in the starting line-up. She has totaled 23 points on five goals and 13 assists. Two of her five goals have been game winners. Throughout her career, she has been an active member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), serving in an executive role during each of the last two years. McNamara has persevered extreme personal circumstances and opened-up publicly about her battle with an eating disorder with the hopes of helping others who have experienced personal struggles of their own. McNamara also excels in the classroom as a four-time NFHCA Division I National Academic Squad honoree, while pursuing a major in global studies and a double minor in business innovation and Black studies.
Melendez was a four-year member of the women's tennis program and three-time BIG EAST All-Academic Team selection. She has immersed herself deeply within the Providence College community, serving as an integral member of SAAC since the fall of 2020. In addition to being a Resident Assistant as a junior and Head Resident Assistant as a senior this year, Melendez also served on the DE&I subcommittee within SAAC and was named Vice President of DE&I in 2022-23. She led a group of fellow student-athletes in developing the 2022 NCAA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Social Media campaign, demonstrating her focus on creating a truly inclusive community at Providence College.
Formerly the Friar Cup, the Driscoll Cup was renamed in 2022 in honor of former Athletic Director Bob Driscoll. The winner of the Driscoll Cup is determined through a competition among all varsity teams each academic year where teams can earn points in various categories: competitive performance, academic performance and community service and engagement. This year's winner was the women's cross country and track team, followed by women's soccer (2nd) and field hockey (3rd).
The Senior Scholar-Athlete Awards for highest cumulative GPA went to Lacrosse's Chad Cannon and women's track's Nicole Borowiec.
A full list of the Athletic Department's 2022-23 Letterwinner's Society Inductees is below:
- GO FRIARS! -
Sophomore men's basketball player Bryce Hopkins (Oak Park, Ill.), was named Male Athlete of the Year for Team Sports after leading Providence to a NCAA Tournament berth. He became the first Friar to earn All-BIG EAST First Team recognition since Kris Dunn and Ben Bentil in 2016. Junior Will Layden (Farmington, Conn.), who claimed a pair of BIG EAST individual titles for the men's swimming & diving program, was named Male Athlete of the Year for Individual Sports. Layden became the first men's swimmer in program history to win multiple BIG EAST Championships, topping the field in the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard freestyle.
On the women's side, graduate student forward Sara Hjalmarsson (Bankeryd, Sweden) was recognized as Female Athlete of the Year for Team Sports. She was a First Team Hockey East All-Star and was tabbed Hockey East Best Defensive Forward. Freshman Jane Buckley (Cork, Ireland) earned Female Athlete of the Year for Individual Sports after an impressive rookie year with the women's cross country and outdoor track teams. Buckley became the first Friar freshman and second freshman in conference history to win the individual BIG EAST Cross Country Championship. She also helped guide the Friars to a first-place team finish at the NCAA Northeast Regional meet to automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships.
Senior Sally Alrutz (Springfield, Mass.) of the women's swimming and diving team was the winner of the Paul Connolly Award as the female senior student-athlete who has distinguished herself among her peers through sportsmanship, courage and honor.
Senior Parker Ford (Wakefield, R.I.) of the men's ice hockey team was the recipient of the Mal Brown Award. The Mal Brown Award is given annually to the male senior student-athlete whose career of intercollegiate competition portrayed sportsmanship, courage and honor.
The Sine Qua Non Awards, given annually to the male and female senior student-athletes who have distinguished themselves among their peers without receiving proper recognition, were presented to red-shirt senior men's basketball player Ed Croswell (Philadelphia, Pa.) and senior Elysia Cunnigan (Corona, Calif.) of the softball team.
Senior field hockey player Lisa McNamara (Barre, Vt.) 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.
Senior Vannelie Melendez (Cayey, Puerto Rico) was the 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.
Hopkins was named All-BIG EAST First Team in March. Hopkins also earned 2023 Associated Press All-BIG EAST First Team honors. On March 14, he claimed USBWA District 1 Honors and NABC All-District 5 First Team accolades. Hopkins, a two-time BIG EAST Player of the Week in 2022-23, led the Friars in scoring (15.8 ppg), rebounding (8.5) and double-doubles (10). He was tied for sixth in scoring, and he was second in rebounding amongst BIG EAST players in overall action. Hopkins also ranked third in the league in defensive rebounds (226, 6.8 rpg) and fourth in minutes played (34.9 mpg). During BIG EAST action, he finished third in scoring (16.7 ppg) and rebounding (8.6 rpg). He posted a team-best 10 double-doubles, including a 29-point, 23-rebound and three-steal effort in a double-overtime win over Marquette (103-98) on Dec. 20. He played 47 of the 50 minutes in the game. Hopkins' 20-20 game was the 34th in program history and the first since 2010.
Layden won the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard freestyle titles at the 2023 BIG EAST Swimming & Diving Championships. He became the first male swimmer in program history to win multiple BIG EAST individual titles. Layden also helped guide the 200-yard freestyle relay squad to a third-place finish at the BIG EAST Championship, earning each member of the team All-BIG EAST honors. For his career, he has combined to establish a dozen individual and relay-team school records. Layden also has led the team in scoring during each of the last two seasons.
Hjalmarsson helped the women's ice hockey team advance to the Hockey East Championship game. Hjalmarsson led the team in scoring with career-highs in points (44), goals (24) and assists (20). She became the 28th player in program history reach the 100-point milestone, finishing her career with 122 points. Hjalmarsson started in all 37 games for the Friars in 2022-23 and finished the season with a +26 rating and 20 blocked shots. She was a two-time Hockey East Player of the Week, and earned First Team Hockey East All-Star accolades. She also was tabbed Hockey East Best Defensive Forward.
Buckley claimed three top-10 finishes throughout the cross country season and was the Friars' top finisher in five meets overall. She finished first at the 2023 BIG EAST Cross Country Championships and became the first Providence College freshman and second freshman in league history to win the individual BIG EAST title. Buckley was the top finisher for the Friars at the NCAA Northeast Regional Championship (third) and helped Providence to a first-place team finish. At the NCAA Cross Country Championship, Buckley finished 49th overall. She is the first Friar to finish inside the top-50 since 2015. Buckley returned for outdoor track, after redshirting the indoor season. She finished inside the top-10 in the 5,000 meters at the Raleigh Relays and placed first in the 3,000 meters at the Friar Invitational. Buckley also was a member of the 4 x 1,500-meter team that won the title in the Champions of America Division at the prestigious Penn Relays. She and her teammates won the race in a school-record time of 17:11.35.
Alrutz enjoyed a remarkable four-year career with the women's swimming and diving program. The backstroke and butterfly specialist holds five individual school records and has been part of all four school records claimed by medley relay teams. During her career with the Friars, she has claimed the program's O'Neill Family Award as most outstanding freshman (2020) and also was the recipient of The Cindi Luciani Award as the team's most valuable student athlete (2022). Alrutz was named co-captain of the team in 2022-23 and has been a multi-year representative for the program on the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC).
Ford, a co-captain for the men's hockey team in 2022-23, led the Friars in scoring with 26 points on 12 goals and 14 assists with a +18 rating. He was proficient at the faceoff dot this season, winning 448 draws (8th in the NCAA) for a 58.6% success rate. He was a Walter Brown Award Semifinalist and Third Team Hockey East All-Star selection in 2022-23. In 131 career games with the Friars, Ford totaled 41 goals and 53 assists for 94 points with a +39 rating. As a junior in 2021-22, he served as an alternate captain and recorded a career-high 27 points. At the conclusion of his senior season, he signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Winnipeg Jets.
Croswell had a standout season for the Friars, finishing second on the team in scoring (13.3 ppg) and rebounding (7.5 rpg). He posted eight double-doubles, including a career-high 25 points and 13 rebounds against Georgetown (Feb. 26). He also recorded six games with 20-or-more points. Croswell was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll, twice, in 2022-23. He finished his career with 1,069 points and 864 rebounds in 148 games.
Cunnigan has spent the last four seasons as a member of the softball team. She has appeared in 102 games recording 22 hits, 18 runs, seven RBIs and two home runs. Cunnigan also appeared in the circle during 34 games as a member of the pitching staff. She pitched a total of 87.1 innings for the Friars during her career, striking out 42 batters. Cunnigan also served as a Friar Edge Captain and was a member of the DE&I subcommittee within SAAC and the student-athlete committee for 50 Years of Women's Athletics.
McNamara, is a four-year member of the field hockey program at Providence College and will return for a fifth season in the fall of 2023 as a graduate student. As a member of the team, she has served as a multi-year captain, playing a total of 59 career games with 38 appearances in the starting line-up. She has totaled 23 points on five goals and 13 assists. Two of her five goals have been game winners. Throughout her career, she has been an active member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), serving in an executive role during each of the last two years. McNamara has persevered extreme personal circumstances and opened-up publicly about her battle with an eating disorder with the hopes of helping others who have experienced personal struggles of their own. McNamara also excels in the classroom as a four-time NFHCA Division I National Academic Squad honoree, while pursuing a major in global studies and a double minor in business innovation and Black studies.
Melendez was a four-year member of the women's tennis program and three-time BIG EAST All-Academic Team selection. She has immersed herself deeply within the Providence College community, serving as an integral member of SAAC since the fall of 2020. In addition to being a Resident Assistant as a junior and Head Resident Assistant as a senior this year, Melendez also served on the DE&I subcommittee within SAAC and was named Vice President of DE&I in 2022-23. She led a group of fellow student-athletes in developing the 2022 NCAA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Social Media campaign, demonstrating her focus on creating a truly inclusive community at Providence College.
Formerly the Friar Cup, the Driscoll Cup was renamed in 2022 in honor of former Athletic Director Bob Driscoll. The winner of the Driscoll Cup is determined through a competition among all varsity teams each academic year where teams can earn points in various categories: competitive performance, academic performance and community service and engagement. This year's winner was the women's cross country and track team, followed by women's soccer (2nd) and field hockey (3rd).
The Senior Scholar-Athlete Awards for highest cumulative GPA went to Lacrosse's Chad Cannon and women's track's Nicole Borowiec.
A full list of the Athletic Department's 2022-23 Letterwinner's Society Inductees is below:
| Logan Cook – Women's Basketball |
| Brynn Farrell – Women's Basketball |
| Devin Carter – Men's Basketball |
| Rafael Castro – Men's Basketball |
| Corey Floyd, Jr. – Men's Basketball |
| Bryce Hopkins – Men's Basketball |
| Noah Locke – Men's Basketball |
| Clifton Moore – Men's Basketball |
| Jayden Pierre – Men's Basketball |
| Cristina Cavaliere – Women's Ice Hockey |
| Reichen Kirchmair – Women's Ice Hockey |
| Noemi Neubauerova – Women's Ice Hockey |
| Ida Press – Women's Ice Hockey |
| Mégane Quirion – Women's Ice Hockey |
| Rachel Weiss – Women's Ice Hockey |
| Kayla Kutes – Women's Ice Hockey |
| Brady Berard – Men's Ice Hockey |
| Jaroslav Chmelar – Men's Ice Hockey |
| Connor Kelley – Men's Ice Hockey |
| Austen May – Men's Ice Hockey |
| Austin Roden – Men's Ice Hockey |
| Bennett Schimek – Men's Ice Hockey |
| Philip Svedebäck – Men's Ice Hockey |
| Liam Valente – Men's Ice Hockey |
| Kendall Eby – Women's Swimming & Diving |
| Annie Gathof – Women's Swimming & Diving |
| Elizabeth Glasspool – Women's Swimming & Diving |
| Jalen Howarth – Women's Swimming & Diving |
| Olivia Johanns – Women's Swimming & Diving |
| Ava Larkin – Women's Swimming & Diving |
| Abby McGuire – Women's Swimming & Diving |
| Kate Sundberg – Women's Swimming & Diving |
| Olivia Szerencsits – Women's Swimming & Diving |
| Quinn Danus – Men's Swimming & Diving |
| Donny Frost – Men's Swimming & Diving |
| Gabe Hawkins – Men's Swimming & Diving |
| Nico Menendez-Featherston – Men's Swimming & Diving |
| Jack Nowak – Men's Swimming & Diving |
| Noah San Vicente – Men's Swimming & Diving |
| Nathan Thayer – Men's Swimming & Diving |
| Mae Abreu – Tennis |
| Darah Ross – Tennis |
| Dean Metzger – Lacrosse |
| Richie Joseph – Lacrosse |
| Ian Olenik – Lacrosse |
| Frankie Carroll – Lacrosse |
| Pierce Gregory – Lacrosse |
| Gregg Dennison – Lacrosse |
| Will Ferraro – Lacrosse |
| Stephen Markowski – Lacrosse |
| James Corasaniti – Lacrosse |
| Elisa Smith – Softball |
| Riley Quirk – Softball |
| Geanice Morales – Softball |
| Julia Renny – Softball |
| Emily Jonte – Softball |
| Gabriella Lee – Softball |
| Gabriella Sebastian – Softball |
| Emma Douma – Softball |
| Hanna Aldrich – Softball |
| Charlotte Cousins – Women's Track & Field |
| Jill Fenerty – Women's Track & Field |
| Kyle Bloomer – Men's Track & Field |
| William Rainey – Men's Track & Field |
| Niamh O'Mahony – Women's Cross Country/Track & Field |
| Jane Buckley – Women's Cross Country/Track & Field |
| Olivia Belt – Women's Cross Country/Track & Field |
| Claire Kelly – Women's Cross Country/Track & Field |
| Luke Coffin – Men's Cross Country/Track & Field |
| Zane Powell – Men's Cross Country/Track & Field |
| Grady Satterfield – Men's Cross Country/Track & Field |
| Tim Dolan – Men's Cross Country/Track & Field |
| David Principe, Jr. – Men's Cross Country/Track & Field |
| Jiji Lykins – Volleyball |
| Kayla Grant – Volleyball |
| Nick Benjamin – Men's Soccer |
| Brian Lopez – Men's Soccer |
| Tomas Magnusson – Men's Soccer |
| Caroline Krebs – Field Hockey |
| Taylor Ligozio – Field Hockey |
| Mia Stilley – Field Hockey |
| Hannah Pinkus – Women's Soccer |
| Colleen Casey – Women's Soccer |
| Madi Coyne – Women's Soccer |
| Abbey Finn – Women's Soccer |
| Thaea Mouratidis – Women's Soccer |
| Ella McBride – Women's Soccer |
- GO FRIARS! -
Softball vs Dayton
Thursday, April 02
Softball vs. Boston College
Tuesday, March 31
Softball vs Bryant
Wednesday, March 25
Softball vs DePaul
Saturday, March 21
