Completed Event: Women's Golf at St. John's Women's Invitational on April 6, 2026 , , T-11th of 12
Women's Golf
at St. John's Women's Invitational
Final
T-11th of 12
Providence College Athletics
Athletic Department Honors Top Athletes
Athletic Department Honors Top Athletes
April 28, 2004
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Providence College honored its top athletes at the 43rd annual Athletic Awards Banquet at the College's Peterson Recreation Center on Wednesday, April 28.
Kim Smith (Jr. , Auckland, New Zealand), the 2004 NCAA Indoor Track Champion in the 3,000 and 5,000 meters and the second-place finisher at the 2003 NCAA Cross Country Championships, was named the College's Female Athlete of the Year for Individual Sports, while All-New England and All-BIG EAST performer Dylan Wykes (Jr., Kingston, Ontario) of the cross country and track teams earned Male Athlete of the Year honors for Individual Sports. Kelli Halcisak (Sr., Grosse Ile, Mich.), a two-time All-American and the leading scorer on the women's ice hockey squad, was selected as the school's Female Athlete of the Year for Team Sports for the second-consecutive year. She is the sixth female to earn the award for two consecutive years. Ryan Gomes (Jr., Waterbury, Conn.), who earned nine All-America honors along with First-Team All-BIG EAST accolades as a member of the men's basketball team, was named Male Athlete of the Year for Teams Sports for the second year in a row. He is just the sixth PC male athlete to earn this distinguished honor for two consecutive years.
Along with the Athlete of the Year Awards, four other major awards were presented at the banquet. Women's ice hockey player Sarah Youlen (Sr., Potsdam, N.Y.) received the Paul Connolly Award as the female athlete who has distinguished herself among her peers through sportsmanship, courage and honor. Brian O'Rorke (Sr., Montclair, N.J.), a two-time MAAC First-Team selection and MAAC Defensive Player of the Year in men's lacrosse, was honored as the Mal Brown Award winner given annually to the male athlete whose career of intercollegiate competition portrayed sportsmanship, courage and honor. The Sine Quo Non Awards, given annually to the male and female athletes who have distinguished themselves among their peers without receiving proper recognition, were presented to softball player Cori Van Dusen (Sr., Riverside, Calif.) and men's ice hockey player Stephen Wood (Sr., Sudbury, Mass.).
Smith, who has earned three All-America honors this year, concluded the cross country season by finishing second overall and leading the team to a third-place finish at the NCAA Championship in November in Waterloo, Iowa. She won five of the seven cross country races she ran in 2003, including the Roy Griak Invitational, the Penn State Invitational, the BIG EAST Championship and the NCAA Northeast Regional Championship. She was named United States Track Coaches Association Indoor Female Athlete of the Year after she won the 3,000 and 5,000 meter titles at the 2004 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships on March 12-13 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. On March 12, Smith ran the 5,000 meters in a time of 15:14.18, breaking the 13-year-old NCAA record (15:17.28) in that event. The following day, Smith captured the 3,000 meters in a time of 8:49.18 and set an NCAA record, eclipsing the previous mark of 8:53.54 that was set in 1983. Smith became the first Friar to capture two NCAA titles at the same meet. She also won the 3,000 meters and anchored the 4 x 800 meter relay team at the BIG EAST Indoor Championship. For her efforts, she was named BIG EAST Most Outstanding Track Performer. In addition, Smith was named Northeast Region Athlete of the Year for the indoor season. On April 23, Smith established her third collegiate record this year when she placed second in the 5,000 meters at the Mt. Sac Relays in Walnut, Calif. Her time of 15:09.72 broke the previous record set in 1985.
Wykes led the men's cross country team to its ninth consecutive appearance and 24th overall at the 2003 NCAA Championship. He was the Friars' top finisher in five of the team's seven races, including the BIG EAST, the NCAA Northeast Regional Championship and the NCAA Championship. During the indoor track season, Wykes won the 3,000 meters at the BIG EAST Championship. He also placed 15th in the 3,000 at the NCAA Indoor Championship.
Halcisak helped lead her team to its second consecutive HOCKEY EAST tournament title in 2004. She led the team in scoring with career highs in points (46) and goals (20) this season. She finished her career with 159 points (56 goals, 103 assists) in 136 games. Halcisak earned numerous accolades this season, including First Team All-America, Second Team All-HOCKEY EAST, HOCKEY EAST Tournament MVP and All-Tournament Team and New England Hockey Writers All-Star. Halcisak finished the season second in the nation in scoring among defensemen.
Gomes, a 6-7, 245-pound junior forward had an impressive season for the Friar men's basketball team. Gomes averaged 18.9 points and 9.4 rebounds per game while leading the Friars to a 20-9 mark and a third-place finish in the BIG EAST with an 11-5 record. He also posted 13 double-doubles and scored 20 or more points 14 times, including nine games in which he registered 25 or more points. He ranked in the top five in the BIG EAST in field goal percentage (50.7), rebounds (9.4 rpg), scoring (18.9 ppg), and free throw percentage (87.0). Gomes, a four-time BIG EAST Player of the Week honoree this season, was one of only two players to be named a unanimous selection for the 2004 All-BIG EAST First Team. In addition to their third place finish in the league, Gomes brought the Friars to new heights this season as they earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament and reached No. 12 in the Associated Press rankings -- the highest the team had been ranked since 1978. In recognition of his stellar performance this season, Gomes was named to nine All-America Teams, including Associated Press First Team. In just three seasons of action, Gomes ranks 11th all-time at Providence in points scored with 1,468.
Youlen captained this year's women's team to its third consecutive league title. She has played in a total of 136 games in her career and tallied 32 points on 15 goals and 17 assists. A key contributor to the team, Youlen led by example through her dedication and hard work. A member of the women's hockey team has won this award the last two years and three out of the last four winners have been women's hockey players.
O'Rorke is a two-time MAAC Defensive Player of the Year and First-Team All-Conference selection for the Friar men's lacrosse team and was the recipient of the MAAC Rookie of the Year award as a freshman in 2001. O'Rorke has been a force in PC's defensive unit as a four-year starter and will look to become the program's first three-time All-MAAC selection at the conclusion of the season. He has helped guide the Friars to three-consecutive appearances in the MAAC Championship Tournament, where he was named to the All-Tournament Team in 2003. To date, O'Rorke has played in 46 career games and has collected 165 groundballs, including a team-leading 45 groundballs in 2004.
Van Dusen's all-around effort has helped the softball team to its first 30-win season since 1995. On the mound, Van Dusen has led the Friars with a 13-9 record. She is fifth in the BIG EAST with 158 innings pitched, eighth with 15 complete games and ninth with 110 strikeouts. At the plate, Van Dusen has a .283 batting average with a career-high eight home runs, 29 RBI and two triples. Six of Van Dusen's home runs have come in BIG EAST action, which ranks first in the league.
Wood led the men's hockey team to a 16-14-7 overall record and a fifth-place finish in HOCKEY EAST. Wood was named to the 2004 Division I Ice Hockey Second Team All-America East Team. He became the 16th Providence College men's hockey player to earn All-America accolades and the first since 2001. In addition, Wood is the first PC defenseman since Rob Gaudreau in 1992 to be named All-America. Wood, who earned Hockey East First Team All-Star honors and New England Hockey Writers All-Star accolades, finished third on the team in scoring with 29 points, including a career-high 11 goals. He led the team in power-play goals (six), short-handed goals (two) and plus/minus rating (+19). In addition, Wood, who posted seven multiple-point games, led all Hockey East defensemen in league scoring with 20 points (nine goals, 11 assists). Wood finished his career at Providence with 28 goals, 60 assists for 88 points. His 88 points ranks eighth all-time among Providence College defensemen.
More than 300 athletes from PC's 19 varsity sports attended the dinner.
