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Southern New Hampshire University

Southern New Hampshire University Penmen

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Mukdaprakorn, Tsonis Named SNHU Athletes of the Year

MANCHESTER, N.H. – Seniors Alena Mukdaprakorn (Hartford, Conn.) and Chris Tsonis (Dartmouth, Mass.) have been named the 2012-13 Female and Male Athletes of the Year at Southern New Hampshire University.  The announcement was made during the University's 48th annual awards ceremony held recently at the Center of New Hampshire Radisson in downtown Manchester.

Seniors Daniela Abruzzese (Parsippany, N.J.) and Jordan Branco (Norton, Mass.) were named SNHU's Scholar-Athletes of the Year, while juniors Tesia Stanasek (Blackstone, Mass.) and Mike Stys (Hooksett, N.H.) garnered the Unsung Hero Award.  Junior Samantha Whittier (Sutton, Mass.) and graduate student Mark Painchaud (Concord, N.H.) each received the Sportsmanship Award.

A four-year standout for the women's tennis program, Mukdaprakorn capped her career in 2012-13 by being named Northeast-10 Player of the Year for the second straight season, compiling a 12-0 mark at No. 1 singles.  Over her career, Mukdaprakorn has compiled a 76-21 singles record, including a 48-1 mark in NE-10 competition, while in doubles play she is 81-21 and 50-0 in league matches.  SNHU's all-time leader in singles and doubles triumphs, Mukdaprakorn was NE-10 First Team in singles and doubles play in each of her four seasons.  Over her four seasons, the Penmen posted a 73-20 (.785) record, four Northeast-10 regular season titles, three NE-10 tournament crowns, and made four trips to the NCAA Tournament.

Tsonis wrapped up his brilliant career with the SNHU men's soccer program in 2012, leading the NE-10 with 16 goals and four assists for 36 points as the Penmen finished 19-4 and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals for the third time in four seasons.  The Daktronics East Region Co-Player of the Year, Tsonis had seven game-winning goals on the season and finished eighth nationally in total goals scored while serving as team co-captain.  He wrapped up his career ninth in the storied history of Penmen soccer with 40 career goals.  Over his four seasons the Penmen were 63-15-9 (.776), four time NCAA tournament participants and three time NCAA quarterfinalists.

A four-year standout for the SNHU women's soccer team, Abruzzese, a stalwart defender, has been a three-time Northeast-10 Third Team All-Conference selection in her career.  In 2012, she also garnered NSCAA Third Team All-Region accolades, and was also named a Capital One Academic All-American, just one of 13 SNHU student-athletes to ever receive the honor.  She helped anchor a defense that allowed just 16 goals all season and posted eight shutouts.  Abruzzese was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Northeast-10 Championship after leading the Penmen to three straight shutouts as they claimed their first NE-10 Tournament title.  A Business Administration major, Abruzzese has compiled a 3.821 grade point average in her time at SNHU.

Branco, who was named the Male Scholar Athlete of the Year for the second straight year, recently wrapped a standout three-year career with the Penmen men's soccer program.  In 2012 he finished with six goals and a team-high nine assists for 21 points en route to NSCAA Third Team All-Region and Northeast-10 Second Team All-Conference honors.  Branco was also named a Capital One Academic All-American for the second time in his career, just the second Penmen student-athlete to ever receive the honor twice.  Over his three-year career, Branco was a two-time Northeast-10 All-Conference selection and totaled 17 goals and 18 assists for 52 points in 59 career contests.  Branco graduated in December and wrapped up his SNHU career with a 3.773 grade point average as a Communication major.

Stanasek, an outfielder for the softball team, has been one of the reasons why the softball team has won a program-record 29 games and earned the Northeast-10 Northeast Division regular season championship.  She ranks second on the team in runs batted in with 22 while belting a pair of home runs on the season.  Stanasek is also tied for fourth on the team in runs scored with 20, while in the field, she has not committed an error in 35 chances this season. 

Stys, who practiced with the men's basketball team last season but was unable to play due to transfer regulations, was named a captain for the Penmen before ever playing in a game and was a big part of why SNHU finished 19-11, captured the program's first-ever NE-10 Tournament title and earned an NCAA berth for the first time since 2005.  One of two players to start all 30 games, Stys led a balanced Penmen scoring attack with his 12.0 points per game average, while making a team-high 55 three pointers and also averaging 3.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.  He reached double figures in scoring 20 times, including a career-best 20 points in a midseason win over Saint Rose.

In her third year as a member of the SNHU women's soccer program, Whittier, a goalkeeper, came up big down the stretch in goal as the Penmen captured their first Northeast-10 tournament title and advanced to the NCAAs for the third time in program history.  She did not allow a goal in SNHU's four postseason contests, and made a career-best seven saves in a 1-0 NE-10 semifinal win over five-time defending NE-10 champion Saint Rose.  In eight games this season, Whittier posted a 0.27 goals against average and five shutouts.  Off the field, Whittier is a member of the SNHU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and serves as the Northeast-10 Conference representative to the NCAA Division II SAAC.

Painchaud, who spent five years as a member of the Penmen men's soccer program, is a two-time recipient of the Sportsmanship Award as he also won the award two seasons ago.  A former walk-on, Painchaud served as a co-captain for SNHU this season, a season that saw it capture the program's first NCAA regional title in a decade and its fourth Northeast-10 tournament title.  In 2012 Painchaud saw action in three games in goal, including a pair of starts, while over his career he played in 10 games with five starts, posting a pair of shutouts and compiling a 0.80 goals-against average.

Most Valuable Players were also named each of SNHU's varsity sports:

Baseball – Brendan O'Brien (East Bridgewater, Mass.)
Women's Basketball – Sloane Sorrell (Berwick, Maine)
Men's Basketball – CJ Marriro (Boston, Mass.)
Cheerleading – Rebecca Ahern (Windham, N.H.)
Women's Cross Country – Maddie Hayes (Newington, Conn.)
Golf – Scott Underhill (Bedford, N.H.)
Ice Hockey – Tyler Holske (Attleboro, Mass.)
Women's Lacrosse – Ellie Morin (Scarborough, Maine)
Men's Lacrosse – Matt Langill (Billerica, Mass.)
Women's Soccer – Emily Mongeau (Westborough, Mass.)
Men's Soccer – Ruben Resendes (Fall River, Mass.)
Softball – Ali Maloof (Norwood, Mass.)
Women's Tennis – Mukdaprakorn
Men's Tennis – Mitch Dobek (Westfield, Mass.)
Volleyball – Emma Houlihan (Shoreham, N.Y.)

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