NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Without the ability to host an end of the year banquet this spring due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Albertus Magnus College Athletic Department took to social media the week of June 8th, announcing the 2019-20 team award winners - Most Valuable Player, Falcon Award and Most Improved Player - for the fall and winter teams.
The Team Award Winners can be found on our Social Media Platforms - Twitter, Facebook and Instagram - or see below for complete list.
Field Hockey Award Winners
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER - Mikayla Lyston (Fr. / Medford, N.Y.)
"Mikayla was a wall for us her freshman year. She led all of D3 in Saves per Game. We are expecting great things from Mikayla in the future." – Coach Caruso
FALCON AWARD - Ariana Martin (Fr. / Hamden, CT)
"Ari had a great freshman year. She is an all around coachable player and the one all her teammates look to for advice. A future leader for sure." – Coach Caruso
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER - Summer Bartnick (Fr. / Seaford, N.Y.)
"Summer was new to field hockey her freshman year. She is a very good athlete and picked up the sport very quickly and easily. She ended the season as one of our best defenders." – Coach Caruso
Women's Tennis Award Winners
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER - Jessica Coughlin (Jr. / Durham, CT)
"Jess is the strongest player on the team playing at the top of both the singles and doubles line-up. She will also be the captain of our team for the 2020-2021 season." – Coach Migliorini
FALCON AWARD - Cassie Couture (Jr. / Waterbury, CT)
"Cassie is the hardest worker on the team. She loves to practice and brings a real fighting spirit in her matches." – Coach Migliorini
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER - Mariah Mandulak (Fr. / Shelton, CT)
"Mariah had an outstanding year as a freshman playing #2 singles in our line-up. Her singles and doubles game continued to improve throughout the season." – Coach Migliorini
Men's Soccer Award Winners
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER - Salah Oumorou (Jr. / West Haven, CT)
"Salah's offensive output is one of the single best seasons in program history. This historical season rightly earned him Player of the Year and All-New England Recognition." – Coach Hamasian
FALCON AWARD - Diogo Cruz (Sr. / Naugatuck, CT)
"As team captain Diogo embodied what our program stands for with his selfless mentality and relentless work ethic." – Coach Hamasian
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER - John Iannucci-Berge (Sr. / Oakville, CT)
"As a Senior John was a huge piece of our team this season. John was 4th on the team in total points and was a major spark in our midfield." – Coach Hamasian
Women's Volleyball Award Winners
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER - Jesselle Guzman (Sr. / El Paso, Texas)
A senior who was dedicated and played with heart all 4 years. An athlete who played whatever position I asked her to without hesitation. An athlete who did whatever it would take. This year finished 1st in our conference with digs per set and 3rd overall with total digs as our libero." – Coach Rosario
FALCON AWARD - Ashley David (Sr. / West Islip, N.Y.)
"A senior who's selfless and dedicated herself to the volleyball program all 4 years. An athlete I can count on, on and off the court. An athlete who did whatever it took to make the team work. Humble with a great spirit. She's a role model, a teammate and a friend. " – Coach Rosario
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER - Maria Vazquez (So. / Hamden, CT)
"From last season up to this season has been by far our most improved player. Her overall confidence in the game has grown. She is a right side, however mid season had to transition to middle which is one of the most difficult positions and she made it happen." – Coach Rosario
Women's Soccer Award Winners
FALCON AWARD - Sammara Streater (So. / Hamden, CT)
"Hardest spot is backup goalie. You've always gotta be ready at a moments notice. Sam was the consummate teammate that brought great energy everyday. She stepped up when we needed her on the field and lead the way from the sidelines when called upon. Coaches need more Samara's on their roster"
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER - Sophia Austin (Jr. / East Hartford, CT)
"Sophs on the field improvement was only bested by her off the field growth. The best is still yet to come with for Soph. A leader who we will rely upon next fall and who will cause a ruckus in the GNAC." – Coach Wajnowski
SPECIAL THANKS
"I wanna thank Sam and her entire communications team for their effort this year. Also thanks to our training staff that kept us on the field and gave us a chance to bounce back all year."
Men's Golf Team Award Winners
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER - Ryan Sember (Jr. / Branford, CT)
"His scores speak for himself. His stats are MVP." – Coach Fredette
FALCON AWARD – David Aquavia (Fr. / Oakville, CT)
"As a freshman he has taken on a role as one of the programs foundational pliers. His consistent attitude and approach to the game of golf and the game of life is what the golf falcon award is all about." – Coach Fredette
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER - Brandon Fowler (Jr. / Lexington, S.C.)
"His scored speaks for himself. Fowler has improved each season on the course. This year, he shot career lows and had his best finishes in his three year on the team." – Coach Fredette
thanks
Men's Basketball Team Award Winners
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER - Jahmerikah Green-Younger (Sr. / Norwalk, CT)
"Jahmerikah closed out a great career at Albertus scoring over 1000 points and winning multiple championships. Jahmerikah's performance on the court mirrored his high character off the court. A great person that showed tremendous dedication. His commitment, leadership and loyalty will be greatly missed. Jahmerikah will leave Albertus as one of the great players to play in this program." – Coach Oliver
FALCON AWARD - Qualon Wilkes (So. / Bridgeport, CT)
"Q is the ultimate teammate. He is always focused on the team task at hand and is always willing to do whatever it takes to help the team succeed. Simply speaking Q is always on." – Coach Oliver
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER - Terry Dawkins (So. / Bronx, N.Y.)
"Terry's improvement was significant from freshman to sophomore season as he transitioned into a full-time starter and was extremely consistent and productive. Terry's game reached new heights on both ends of the floor. We expect even more improvement from Terry moving forward as he is always working." – Coach Oliver
Women's Basketball Team Award Winners
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER – Shyla Osmond (Sr. / New Haven, CT)
"Shyla will be remembered as a fierce competitor as her record was 41-12 in two seasons. She will be remembered for her dynamic play on the court with the ability to do it all. She had three triple doubles in two seasons. Shyla will be greatly missed next season." – Coach Fredette
FALCON AWARD - Rah-Rah Thompson (Sr. / Bridgeport, CT)
"I just want to thank her for her commitment to the game and her will to win 41-12 in two years. Her ability to rebound the basketball was special. her inside presents will be greatly missed next season." – Coach Fredette
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER – Cassie Couture (Jr. / Waterbury, CT)
"Cassie is a hard worker, who has improved vastly from her sophomore to junior year. She started in 23 games up from zero, she played 30 minutes up from seven, shot 20% from three-point range from 17% and she averaged 7.5 points up from 2.4 points per game from last season." – Coach Fredette
Women's Swimming & Diving Team Award Winners
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER – Ana Luci Gutierrez Gomez
"Luci was our highest team scorer at conference championships bringing in 59 individual points. She also scored 75 individual points at our post season championships as well as being a huge part of our relay scoring teams at both meets. She made an impact the second she stepped foot onto campus and we are excited to see what she can accomplish in the future." – Coach Pallone
FALCON AWARD – Crisbeth Castañeda (Fr. / Guatemala City, Guatemala)
"Crisbeth is the definition of a fearless falcon as well as embodying the four pillars Albertus Magnus College is founded on. It is an honor to work with someone who literally defines what the school and our swimming and diving program stands for. She has helped pave the way for our inaugural program in a way that can't be matched." – Coach Pallone
MOST IMPROVED – Arle Cruceta (Fr. / Salcedo, Dominican Republic)
"Most improved doesn't even begin to grasp what Arle accomplished this year. Jumping in the water day one as a beginner to scoring points at our championship meet in one of the hardest and longest events (the mile) is just incredible. I couldn't be more proud of her strength, courage, determination, and resilience." – Coach Pallone
