VIDEOS: FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR | MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR | FEMALE SENIOR SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR | MALE SENIOR SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR | FEMALE UNSUNG HERO AWARD | MALE UNSUNG HERO AWARD | FEMALE PENMEN PRIDE AWARD | MALE PENMEN PRIDE AWARD | JIM ATHERTON AWARD
MANCHESTER, N.H. – Graduate student Laura van der Doorn (Beverwijk, The Netherlands) and junior Jeffrey Praml (Bridgewater, N.J.) received female and male Athlete of the Year honors, respectively, to highlight nine major awards that were handed out over the course of the past week by the Southern New Hampshire University Department of Athletics & Recreation. The awards are normally announced at the annual Athletic Awards Ceremony, which could not be held this year due to COVID-19. Instead, a different award was announced each day from May 11-15 on the @SNHUPenmen social media channels.
The Athlete of the Year award, which was unveiled Friday, is given to a student-athlete whose outstanding play brought about both regional and national recognition for that player and for Southern New Hampshire University.
van der Doorn submitted the most decorated campaign in program history, becoming Penmen field hockey's first NFHCA All-America First Team honoree, in addition to being named both the NFHCA East Region and Northeast-10 Player of the Year. Earning her second straight NE10 First Team nod, van der Doorn registered 15 goals and five assists for 35 points, as she established a new program record for goals. She also had two separate goals appear on ESPN SportsCenter's "Top 10." The captain ranked eighth in the nation in goals and 11th in points, while placing first and second in conference in those respective categories. van der Doorn was also exquisite in the classroom, earning multiple academic accolades, including the NFHCA Division II National Scholar-Athlete and NE10 Sport Excellence Award, in addition to seeing her name on the Zag Sports/NFHCA National Academic Squad and Scholars of Distinction lists.
Though his season was significantly shortened due to COVID-19, Praml was downright dominant in his four appearances on the mound for the nationally-ranked baseball team. Praml went 3-0 with a microscopic 0.40 earned-run averaged, as he struck out 22 and walked just three in 22-and-a-third innings of work, while limiting opponents to an .082 batting average. Praml, the two-time NCBWA East Region and NE10 Pitcher of the Week, led the league in wins, while ranking third in ERA, fourth in opponent batting average and eighth in strikeouts. Praml was named an All-American and All-Region First Teamer by two separate organizations last season, as he went 5-1 with 10 saves and a 0.98 ERA, while punching out 44, walking only seven and giving up just 17 hits, in 36-and-two-third innings.
The Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, passed down Thursday, is given to a student-athlete, who has attained excellence in the classroom and on the playing field. The winner must be a starter or an important reserve and must have completed at least one academic year at Southern New Hampshire University.
The female Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year went to softball senior Maddy Barone (Halifax, Mass.), who is a mathematics major with a 3.95 grade-point average. Through six appearances, including five starts, in her abbreviated season, Barone was 4-2 with a 1.89 ERA, striking out 27 and walking just six in 27 innings of work. Barone placed fourth in the conference in wins, sixth in strikeouts, seventh in opponent batting average and ninth in ERA. Barone again shined the classroom, as she secured CoSIDA Academic All-District honors for the third consecutive year. Barone was an All-American last season, in addition to earning NE10 Academic All-Conference accolades for the second straight year, as she finished 20-7 with one save and a 1.25 ERA, while allowing only 163 hits, striking out 182 and walking just 35, in 206-and-two-thirds innings.
Men's tennis senior Bas van Biezen (Sassenheim, The Netherlands) was the male Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year. At the time his season was halted, van Biezen was 10-5 in singles play, which included a run to the ITA East Regional Championship final and rankings as high as No. 49 in the country and No. 2 in the region. Teaming with his brother, who he lost to in that ITA final, van Biezen was 7-3 in doubles, with the duo ranking as high as sixth in the East. van Biezen got it done in the classroom, as well, posting a 3.72 GPA as a business administration major. The two-time captain was an NE10 First Team selection in both singles and doubles last season, as well as the NE10 Championship MVP, leading the Penmen to their fourth straight league title, while also securing NE10 Academic All-Conference honors.
The Unsung Hero Award was announced Wednesday and goes to a senior student-athlete, who made major contributions to the success of the team with a relentless work-ethic and pride in team success.
The female Unsung Hero Award was field hockey senior Marissa Leger (Holliston, Mass.). Leger may have been the definition of "unsung" this season, playing an important position that does not receive much recognition, on a team that set a new program record with 17 wins and reached both the NCAA Tournament and the finals of the NE10 Championship for the first time. The captain started all 22 games as the team's center-back, anchoring a back line that ranked third in the league in both goals allowed (19) and goals-against average (0.83).
Men's basketball senior Shawn Montague (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) received the male Unsung Hero Award after averaging 14.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks per game, while shooting 51 percent from the field. Author of numerous high-flying dunks, the athletic 4-man ranked seventh in the league in rebounding, 9th in blocks, 14th in free throws made and in the top 20 in field goal percentage, scoring and field goals made, despite not receiving All-Conference honors.
The Penmen Pride Award, released Tuesday, is presented to a senior student-athlete, who represents what it means to be an SNHU student-athlete, displaying excellence in all phases of the student-athlete experience.
Women's soccer senior Shae Roys (No. Billerica, Mass.) captured the female Penmen Pride Award, as she capped her career with the same rock-steady play she provided over her four years in an SNHU uniform, producing two goals and two assists for six points, playing a crucial position as the team's holding midfielder. Roys, who also served as a two-year captain, worked in the athletic department's game operations area and earned a 3.61 GPA, received NE10 All-Conference honors for the fourth time in her career with a Second Team nod.
The Male Penmen Pride Award winner was baseball graduate student Joshua Goldstein (Haverhill, Mass.). Despite the shortened campaign, Goldstein looked to be on pace for another solid season as the team's starting second baseman. Through 16 games, Goldstein was batting .306 with a home run, nine RBI and 12 runs scored, while producing an on-base percentage of .460 and a slugging mark of .490. The captain ranked second in the NE10 in doubles, fifth in steals, sixth in walks and 14th in hits, runs and total bases. Goldstein had received back-to-back NE10 Third Team selections and, as the owner of a 3.76 GPA, was also a two-time NE10 Academic All-Conference pick. Goldstein also received his first CoSIDA Academic All-District nod Thursday.
On Monday, Emma Donnelly was selected as the winner of the eighth annual Jim Atherton Award, which was created in memory of Jim Atherton '13, a student worker in the athletic department for two years, who passed away following a battle with Ewing's sarcoma in March 2013. The award is given annually to an outstanding student worker in the SNHU athletic department. Donnelly was a four-year member of the communications office, where she mainly served as the lead statistician.
For the latest on Southern New Hampshire University athletics, follow the Penmen via social media on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and Instagram. You can also sign up to receive text message alerts and e-mail newsletters about your favorite Penmen teams.
