The Saint Anselm College Department of Athletics recognized and celebrated the academic and athletic accomplishments of its student-athletes during the 2021-22 academic year on Monday evening with its annual End of the Year Highlights & Awards Presentation in the Dana Center.
Among the awards handed out were the Charles J. Quinn Sportsmanship Awards, the Hawks Soar Higher Student-Athletes of the Year and the Senior Scholar-Athletes of the Year. The graduating student-athletes were also celebrated at a Senior Student-Athlete Recognition Dinner at the New England Institute of Politics just before the main awards presentation.
The Charles J. Quinn Sportsmanship Award honors a male and female student-athlete who best exemplify and demonstrate the values of sportsmanship on and off the playing surface. Voted on by the department's head coaches and support staff, the 2021-22 recipients were junior Kylie Fitzpatrick (Danville, N.H.) of the Hawks softball team and classmate Alex Horan (Clifton, Va.) of the Saint Anselm men's cross country program.
"Kylie has been an instrumental part of our team's success over the past several years," said Head Coach Jill Gagnon about her junior captain, a triple major on the Hilltop. "This year, however, has been her toughest to date, dealing with multiple injuries and missing significant time during the regular season. Despite being out of the lineup, she continues to have an important role off the field as one of the most selfless players and best teammates."
"A recent nominee for the Father Bernard Holmes, O.S.B. scholarship, Alex embodies what it means to be Anselmian through his commitment to academic excellence, giving back to the community, and representing the College in various ways," said Head Coach Brian Stankiewicz '17. "He was recently voted and appointed captain of the team starting this spring and he regularly puts the team ahead of himself, on and off the course."
The awards for Male and Female Hawks Soar Higher Student-Athletes of the Year are based on athletic accomplishments, conference and sport-specific awards and nominations, regional and national awards and nominations, as well as sportsmanship. Head coaches made nominations and voting was conducted among coaches and administrators.
Chris Paul (Highland Mills, N.Y.) of the Hawks men's basketball team was selected as the Male Student-Athlete of the Year. The two-time All-Region selection was named to the First Team All-Conference team after averaging 19.7 points per game, 7.6 rebounds per contest and 3.71 assists per game for Saint Anselm. Paul finished with the NE10 lead in free throws made (148) and free throws attempted (203).
Paul posted 20 points or more in 14 games, including a season-high 40 at New Haven in the NE10 Quarterfinals. He also posted seven double-doubles and logged eight games with five or more assists. He is set to depart the Hilltop as the fifth-ranked scorer in team history with 1,947 points to his credit.
Peyton Steinman (Pittsfield, Mass.) of the Saint Anselm women's basketball program earned WBCA Division II All-America Honorable Mention honors after picking up D2CCA First Team All-Region plaudits. The NE10 Player of the Year and First Team All-Conference selection led the NE10 with 20.6 points per game, scoring a career-high 577 points in 2021-22.
Steinman matched a decades-old single-game scoring record this season with 43 points in an overtime win over Southern New Hampshire on Feb. 8. She went for double-digit points in all but two games on the year on the way to becoming the program's all-time leading scorer with 1,781 points. She also departs as the all-time record-holder in free throws made (487) and free throws attempted (572).
The Senior Scholar-Athlete Awards are given to seniors who have demonstrated excellence in the classroom and on the playing field. Candidates must have a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.30, have significant academic credentials, evidence of a solid athletic career and a community service component.
Trevor Hott (Idaho Falls, Idaho), a standout defenseman on the Saint Anselm men's ice hockey team, is a team co-captain who is a Physics major. The multiple-time Dean's List selection is a key member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee at Saint Anselm, also serving the campus community as a peer tutor. Hott was one of just two NE10 Academic All-Conference Team selections across all sports at Saint Anselm this winter.
On the ice, Hott led a defense that posted a league-low 2.96 goals-against average, skating in 21 games for the Hawks. Skating in 21 games, Hott posted two goals and assisted on five others for seven points, all of which are career-highs. Upon graduating this year, Hott plans to attend Notre Dame for graduate school.
Jackie Gaumer (Thornton, N.H.), a four-year member of the Hawks field hockey team, is a Criminal Justice major with a grade-point average that leads all senior student-athletes at Saint Anselm. The recipient of the prestigious NFHCA Division II Scholar of Distinction award was the first in team history to collect such distinction in four consecutive seasons.
On the field, the Second Team All-Conference pick was a key part of a Saint Anselm defense that ranked second in NCAA Division II in shutouts per game (0.47) and fifth in goals-against average (0.78) this season. Gaumer was also the first-ever Northeast-10 Conference's Elite 24 winner in 2019, an honor conveyed to the student-athlete with the highest grade-point average at the championship site.
At the Senior Student-Athlete Recognition Dinner, the newest inductees into Chi Alpha Sigma, the national college athlete honor society, were recognized and honored. Nine new inductees were honored and the complete list of members reads as follows (BOLD signifies new inductees).
- Andrew Andary (Macomb, Mich.), Men's Ice Hockey
- Joanna Archambault (Andover, Mass.), Field Hockey
- Sarah Bagley (North Andover, Mass.), Field Hockey
- Caroline Belmontez (San Diego, Calif.), Volleyball
- Meredith Budds (Haverhill, Mass.), Women's Lacrosse
- Colleen Chen (Superior, Colo.), Volleyball
- Perrin Conant (Kennebunk, Maine), Football
- Meghan Cotraro (Beverly, Mass.), Women's Lacrosse
- Will Davis (Franklin, Mass.), Men's Lacrosse
- Zach Elliot (Manchester, N.H.), Men's Soccer
- Dominique Engle (Rutland, Mass.), Women's Cross Country
- Michael Fortin (Goffstown, N.H.), Men's Soccer
- Jackie Gaumer (Thornton, N.H.), Field Hockey
- Lia Guerette (Ellington, Conn.), Women's Cross Country
- Kilian Hammersmith (Glen Ellyn, Ill.), Men's Ice Hockey
- Will Harvey (Franklin, Mass.), Men's Lacrosse
- Alex Horan (Clifton, Va.), Men's Cross Country T
- revor Hott (Idaho Falls, Idaho), Men's Ice Hockey
- David Hunter (Middleton, Mass.), Baseball
- Gabrielle Huson (Edina, Minn.), Women's Ice Hockey
- Kevin Jordan (Danvers, Mass.), Men's Soccer
- Olivia Maier (Sherborn, Mass.), Women's Soccer
- Andrea McNeil (Canton, Mass.), Field Hockey
- McKenzie Robinson (Mont Vernon, N.H.), Field Hockey/Women's Lacrosse
- Joe Sgobbo (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.), Baseball
- Ally Shea (Franklin, Mass.), Softball
- Macy Spinks (Luton, England), Women's Basketball
- Grace Young (Merrimack, N.H.), Women's Lacrosse
Also celebrated at the Senior Student-Athlete Recognition Dinner were Gaumer and senior Michael Boucher (Milford, N.H.) of the Saint Anselm football program as both received the Strength & Conditioning Award. Senior Kelly Golini (Tewksbury, Mass.) and graduate student Sean Tomaszewski (Arlington, Mass.) were each recognized with the Sports Medicine Perseverance Award.