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The Siena College Athletic Department held its 2015-16 All-Sports Celebration Tuesday afternoon at the Alumni Recreation Center. The annual event honored student athletes for their achievements on the field of competition, in the classroom and in the community, while also recognizing graduating seniors for their years of service to Siena College.

The evening culminated with the awarding of Siena College's 2015-16 Male and Female Student Athlete of the Year and Male and Female Rookie of the Year honors which were presented by associate athletic directors Lori Anctil and Dennis Bates. Men's Basketball redshirt junior Brett Bisping (Peoria, Ill.) and women's soccer junior Tara Sobierajski (Rockaway, N.J.) were named the Student Athletes of the Year, while men's basketball's Nico Clareth (Baltimore, Md.) and women's swimming and diving's Theresa Cotter (Clarksville, Md.) were tabbed the department's Rookies of the Year.

Bisping was named a unanimous First Team All-MAAC selection after captaining the men's basketball team to 21 wins and a national postseason tournament berth in the College Basketball Invitational. Also named to the MAAC All-Tournament Team and a three-time MAAC Player of the Week, he led the MAAC in both rebounding (10.4) and defensive rebounding (8.1) which ranked him 19th and eighth nationally respectively. An NABC District I First Team honoree, Bisping ranked eighth in the MAAC in scoring (15.8) and became the 41st member of Siena Basketball's 1,000 Point Club this season. He recorded 13 double-doubles and posted double-digit rebound performances 15 times, which included a career-high five 18-rebound games as he led the Saints to their most victories in six years in achieving a 10-win improvement which was tied for the 12th best nationally. Bisping also continued to excel in the classroom and was one of just 10 Division I men's basketball players nationally named to the Division I-AAA ADA Scholar Athlete Team in addition to earning MAAC All-Academic Team honors for the third year in a row.

Sobierajski was tabbed both a First Team All-ECAC and All-MAAC selection after leading women's soccer to the program's second MAAC Championship and NCAA Tournament Appearance last fall. The only non-goalkeeper in the conference to earn MAAC Defensive Player of the Week honors (Oct. 26), the standout two-way center back ranked third in the MAAC with seven assists while also scoring a pair of game-winning goals. Sobierajski, who has played all but three minutes in her first three seasons with the Saints, anchored a defensive unit which recorded a program single-season record nine shutouts and which posted a team-record shutout streak spanning 504 minutes. Sobierajski's exemplary performance helped guide the women's soccer squad to one of the most improbable MAAC Championships in conference history. The Saints went 3-0-1 over their final four matches to secure the sixth and final MAAC Tournament berth and then defeated the No. 1, 2 and 3 seeds to become the first No. 6 seed in the conference's women's soccer history to capture the title.

Clareth was just the second player in men's basketball history to be named the MAAC Sixth Player of the Year. Also tabbed to the MAAC All-Rookie Team, he broke the program's all-time freshman scoring record with 447 points. A two-time MAAC Rookie of the Week and also heralded once as the ECAC Rookie of the Week, Clareth ranked second in the MAAC with 54 steals and led the Saints with 55 three-pointers. He scored in double figures 22 times which included six 20-point performances as his breakout freshman campaign helped propel Siena to its winningest season in six years which culminated in a berth to the College Basketball Invitational.

Cotter broke three school records during a decorated freshman season in the pool for the women's swimming and diving team. She set new program marks in both the 100 and 200 back to finish in the top-three overall in leading the Saints to their first-ever ECAC Championship in December. Named the MAAC Swimmer of the Week on Oct. 28, she later broke her own record in the 200 back to finish second overall with a time of 2:03.25 at the MAAC Championships to help the Saints to a fifth place finish.

Water Polo Head Coach and Life Skills Coordinator Ellen Howe presented the S.A.IN.T.S Cup to the men's soccer team. The award is presented annually to a Siena Athletics team for their exemplary community service work, strong academics and support of their fellow student athletes.

Women's swimming and diving senior and Siena's Student Athlete Advisory Committee President Emily Carideo presented the SAAC Appreciation Award to assistant athletic trainer Brian McElroy. The committee annually recognizes a member of the athletic administration or support staff for their commitment and dedication to Siena's student athletes. In addition to his continued exemplary service to Siena's student athletes, McElroy provided life-saving CPR to a fallen game official at a Siena Women's Soccer scrimmage last August.

Athletic academic advisor Megan Van Tatenhove awarded the Student Athlete Academic Achievement Awards to men's soccer's Tom Allen (Camberley, England) and women's basketball's Symone Kelly (Wyandanch, N.Y.). The honor goes to a graduating male and female student athlete who have worked diligently in the classroom and shown great improvement.

Director of Student Athlete Engagement Lori Jancik handed out Senior Academic Honor and Academic Excellence Awards to student athletes who have maintained cumulative grade point averages between 3.2-3.69 and 3.7-4.0 respectively. A total of 30 seniors earned Academic Honor Awards and eight received Academic Excellence distinction.

Jancik also presented awards to those who achieved the highest cumulative GPAs amongst Siena's senior student athletes in their respective schools. The awardees were Matt Needham (Sheffield, England) of men's soccer (School of Business), Megan Grace (Dalton, Mass.) of women's swimming and diving (School of Liberal Arts), and Kirby O'Keefe (Wethersfield, Conn.) of women's soccer (School of Science).

A total of 74 graduating seniors were recognized and honored by each of their respective sport coaches for their efforts both on and off the field during their time donning the Green and Gold. Each of the seniors will be receiving special graduation sashes to wear at Siena College's upcoming Commencement to be held on May 15th.