June 9, 2003
The Siena athletic department released the names of its winter and spring Leo Dufort Student-Athlete of the Month award winners this afternoon. The ledger, which dates back to December, recognizes 12 student-athletes, completing the 18 honored during the academic year.
For the month of December, basketball seniors Michael Buhrman and Erica Anderson were honored. Buhrman, who graduated this May with a 3.73 grade point average as an accounting major, battled back from chronic knee injuries to see time in six games this past year. Anderson finished her stellar career as one of the top point guards in school history. The North Easton, Mass. native graduated with a 3.18 GPA in English.
Senior Olga Kandarouva of the women's swimming team and junior Justim Miller of the men's basketball team were the award winners for the month of January. Kandarouva helped her team to a second place finish in the MAAC Championships and graduated last month with a 3.33 GPA in finance. Miller started 20 of 32 games, playing his best basketball in the Saints postseason NIT run. He enters his senior season with a 3.18 grade point average in marketing and management.
Junior swimmer Kathleen Noonan was joined by hoopster Nathalie Marchino as February award recipients. Noonan scored several key victories in the butterfly and medley events for the upstart Saints, while managing a 3.09 GPA in mathematics. Marchino started 24 of Siena's 33 games, playing an active role in the women's basketball team's third consecutive postseason appearance. She holds a 3.80 GPA as a finance major.
Junior Lacrosse standout Tom Nally and senior golfer Stephanie Reeves were honored with the March awards. Nally finished second on the Saints with 13 goals this spring while maintaining an overall 3.35 GPA as a history education major. Reeves held down the low scoring average for the women's golf program which "three-peted" as conference champions this spring. Reeves graduated with a 3.28 GPA in finance.
The low scorer on the men's golf team, freshman Robby Bigley, was awarded the April student-athlete of the month award along with senior tennis standout Nikki Mayer. Bigley finished in sixth place at the MAAC Championships helping Siena to a third place showing, and enjoyed a fine first season in the classroom, earning a 3.38 GPA in mathematics. Mayer's career has been well documented regionally, as she graduated this spring as arguable the greatest tennis player in school history. Her athletic career culminated in a second place showing by the ever-improving Saints at this year's MAAC Championships. She graduated with a marketing and management degree and a 3.26 GPA last month.
The final honorees were lacrosse players Mary Elizabeth Dupelle and Daniel Wolpert who earned May Student-Athlete of the Month recognition. Dupelle started all 13 games in the cage for the Saints making 197 saves for a Siena team that tripled its win total from the previous two seasons. The junior boasts a 3.35 GPA. Wolpert led the men's team with 23 goals and 32 points, while holding down a 3.46GPA as an English major.
The Leo Dufort student-athlete of the month award is presented nine times annually to Siena athletes who excel on the playing fields and in the classroom. Fall recipients included: Stephanie Reeves, Anthony Marasco, Erin Mead, Mark Thornhill, Erin Beam and Vinny Russo were all honored.
