April 13, 2004

SAULT STE. MARIE - Lake Superior State men's tennis player Alex Beauregard and golfer Brad Ward shared the Clifford Everett Trophy for outstanding male athlete, and women's basketball player Allyson Conaway received the Debra McPherson Outstanding Female Athlete Award during the LSSU Athletic Awards Banquet held Monday at the Cisler Center.

Conaway (Escanaba, Mich.) is a two-time All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Second Team selection and three-time GLIAC All-Academic Team pick who finished her career ranked fifth on the all-time scoring list with 1,474 points and second in all-time field goals with 600. She led a senior class that compiled an impressive 71-16 record during the last three seasons, including three straight GLIAC North Division titles, two GLIAC Tournament championships and three NCAA Great Lakes Regional appearances.

Beauregard (Charny, Quebec) is expected to earn his second All-GLIAC First Team honor this season. He is currently playing No. 1 singles and doubles for the Lakers, who are trying to qualify for the NCAA Great Lakes Regional for the first time in school history. He is 13-3 in doubles and 12-4 in singles heading into next week's GLIAC Tournament.

Ward (East Lansing, Mich.) led after the first day and eventually tied for sixth at the NCAA Superior Regional held last spring, and earned All-GLIAC Second Team and Golf Coaches Association of America All-Great Lakes Region honors last season. This season's top finish to date was second place at the NCAA Great Lakes Fall Regional held in Coldwater, Mich., in September. He started that tournament in ninth place before rallying back. Last June, he fired a 1-under 69 to qualify for the 2003 Northern Ontario Open.

Several other special awards and most valuable player honors were presented, including the Bud Cooper Coaches Awards to the athletes who best display the qualities of citizenship, leadership, campus participation and significant contributions to the athletic program. Junior hockey player Bo Cheesman (Peoria, Ill.) and junior women's tennis player Kelli Hammond (Alma, Mich.) were recipients.

Cheesman performed consistently for the Lakers at both ends of the ice. He was second on the team in scoring in 2003-04 after more than doubling his goal totals from each of the last two seasons. He finished with a team-high 11 goals and seven assists.

As a junior in 2003, Hammond finished 6-8 at No. 4 singles and 8-8 at No. 1 doubles. She has been instrumental in promoting the unity that is the trademark of the men's and women's tennis programs.

Goaltender Jeff Jakaitis (Rochester, Minn.) and middle hitter Ashley Wyers (White Cloud, Mich.) received the Terry McDermott Award honoring outstanding freshman athletes. Wyers appeared in 92 of 111 games and posted an attack percentage of .155 for the volleyball team. She also led the team in total blocks with 65. Jakaitis burst on the college hockey scene with 41 saves in his first career victory, a 4-2 win over St. Lawrence on Nov. 1. He was 2-0 before recording his first career shutout, a 0-0 tie with Bowling Green on Nov. 15. It was LSSU's first scoreless tie in school history, but not its last. The Lakers and Falcons also skated to a 0-0 deadlock on Feb. 14 as Jakaitis totaled 31 saves. Jakaitis (5-9-4) eventually notched his first shutout victory by totaling 23 saves in a 3-0 victory over Notre Dame on March 5. His overall goals-against average of 2.13 ranked ninth nationally, while his overall save percentage of .933 ranked third nationally. He was No. 1 in the CCHA in both categories in overall games played.

The Jim Fallis Award honoring an outstanding student athlete in a non-fully-funded sport who maintains at least a 2.50 grade point average went to sophomore catcher Chelsea Sparrow (Dexter, Mich.). Sparrow batted .291 as a freshman to lead the Laker softball team in hitting in 2003. She has improved that clip to .329 so far this season.

The Dr. Harry Pike Scholarship Award is a similar honor based on need, athletic ability and academic merit. Junior David Partyka (Rogers City, Mich.) of the men's cross country and track teams was the recipient. He was the Lakers' No. 3 runner at the NCAA Regional Cross Country Championships last fall. According to coach Drew Ludtke, he meticulously passed runners the entire race to move up dozens of positions and save the team's overall placing.

The Ronald "Bud" Cooper Endowment Award is also a scholarship given to a student athlete in a non-fully-funded sport. Junior Brooke Brenner (Hopkins, Mich.), of the women's cross country and track teams, carries a 3.075 GPA in exercise science. She was the Lakers' No. 3 runner at the NCAA Regional Cross Country Championships and the GLIAC Championships.

Senior guard Becca Johnson (Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.) was the winner of the Chris Comito Memorial Award, which goes annually to the LSSU women's basketball player who most exemplifies the dogged determination and competitive nature of the late Christina Comito, a former Laker player and teammate of current coach Kris Dunbar. Johnson is a fifth-year senior who is a four-time GLIAC All-Academic Team member carrying a 3.9 GPA in biology. She same back from a season-ending knee injury to shoot 59 percent from the field in 2002-03 and help the Lakers earn a No. 1 national ranking in team field-goal shooting percentage. This season, she played an important sixth-man role, averaging 5.4 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.

Sophomore Richard Stein (Dorr, Mich.) received the Chris Yanni Memorial Award, which is named in honor of the former Laker standout in cross country and track, and presented by his brother, Dr. Steve Yanni. Stein was the Lakers' No. 4 runner at the GLIAC Cross Country Championships and the No. 5 runner at the NCAA Regional. He placed 16th in the men's 3,000-meter run at the GLIAC Indoor Track and Field Championships.

The Ray Chelberg Award is presented annually to the outstanding student athlete majoring in any of the sciences. Junior Michelle Balance (White Cloud, Mich.), of the women's cross country and track teams, carries a 3.524 GPA while majoring in biology. She is a first-year runner who is expected to have a break-through season this spring.

Another runner, senior Jody Sauer (Gaylord, Mich.) received the Kiwanis Scholastic Award, which goes to the student athlete who attains the highest academic competence. Sauer maintains a 3.915 GPA in sociology and is expected to be named to the 2004 GLIAC All-Academic Team for indoor and outdoor track. Sauer and Brenner are both members of LSSU's school record-breaking 4x800-meter relay team.

The following athletes received team MVP awards:
Jakaitis, Shouldice Award/hockey
Junior Scott Jamison (Port Huron, Mich.), Crawford Award/men's basketball
Conaway and junior Randi Johnson (St. Ignace, Mich.), DeVault Award/women's basketball
Kristy James (Grand Rapids, Mich.), volleyball
Junior Anthony Pavicic (Sterling Heights, Mich.),and Senior Jeff Thuss (Grand Bend, Ont.), Poisson Award/men's cross country
Junior Amy Busfield (Caledonia, Mich.), Poisson Award/women's CC
Senior Stephanie Matthew (Midland, Mich.), softball
Beauregard, men's tennis
Hammond, women's tennis
Pavicic, men's track
Junior Dianna Kintz (Michigan Center, Mich.), women's track
Ward, men's golf