Seven seniors received the top awards at the 23rd annual Senior Student-Athlete Luncheon at the DeNaples Center in May.
1st row (l-r):  Kaitlyn Greeley (Willensky Award), Devon Cohen (Carlesimo Award), Samantha Russo (O'Hara Award), Kerry Sullivan (Fitzpatick Award)
2nd row (l-r):  Mike Gaeta (Fitzpatrick Award), Tommy Morgan (O'Hara Award), Ryan Saraceni (Carlesimo Award)

The University honored 70 student-athletes and a faculty member at its 23rd annual Senior Student-Athlete Luncheon at the DeNaples Center in May.  Highlighting the festivities were the presentations of the Beining, Willensky, Fitzpatrick, Carlesimo and O’Hara awards.

Harry Dammer, Ph.D, professor and chair of the department of sociology/criminal justice/criminology, received the 11th annual Beining Award for special contributions to the athletics department. This award is named in honor of the late Reverend Paul R. Beining, S.J., a native of Pittsburgh and long-time member of the Scranton faculty who passed away on March 20, 2004, at the age of 81.  For the past nine years, Dr. Dammer has served as the athletics department’s NCAA faculty representative.  He is also a member of the athletics department’s faculty mentor program and serves as a color commentator for Royal and Lady Royal basketball games for the campus radio station, WUSR.

Kaitlyn Greeley of the women’s soccer team was presented the Willensky Award, which honors the senior student-athlete who consistently undertakes to understand and improve the human condition.  It is named after Ron Willensky, a Scranton native and 1963 graduate of the University who was a lifelong fan of the Royals.  Greeley overcame two season-ending injuries to become a starter on the women’s soccer team last fall that advanced to the NCAA Division III championships for the fourth straight year.

Receiving the Father Fitzpatrick awards were Michael Gaeta of the baseball team and Kerry Sullivan of the women’s lacrosse team.

Named in honor of the late Reverend John J. Fitzpatrick, S.J., long-time friend and counselor of Royal student-athletes, these awards are bestowed upon the male and female senior student-athletes who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and who have given extraordinary service and contributions to The University of Scranton community and society in general.

Gaeta was involved with numerous community service projects, including the Autism Awareness Walk, Relay for Life, Volleyball Marathon for Cystic Fibrosis, and served as a coach for the New Jersey Hawks Special Olympics team.  He also worked with the Nutrition Fair, Scranton 5K, University for Success, the Growing Stronger Program, and the Healthy Heart Fair, along with being a member of the Exercise Science and Physical Therapy clubs. As a four-year starter on the baseball team, he served as two-time team captain and was twice named all-conference.

Sullivan served as a volunteer at the St. Francis of Assisi Kitchen in downtown Scranton, Royal ambassador for the office of admissions, and as a coordinator and participant in the Leader of Connections retreat.  She was also a member of the President’s Alumni Liaison Society and Student Nurses Association.  In 2012, she took part in an International Service Program (ISP) in Jamaica and served as a peer facilitator for ISP trip to Honduras in June.  On the lacrosse field, Sullivan was named the Landmark Conference Rookie of the Year in 2011 and was selected all-conference three times.  She ended her career as the fifth all-time leading scorer in Royals' history.

The Carlesimo awards were presented to Ryan Saraceni of the men’s lacrosse team and Devon Cohen of the women’s tennis team.   These awards, named in honor of the late Peter Carlesimo, former director of athletics and head football, basketball and cross-country coach at the university, are presented to the male and female student-athlete who has demonstrated academic and athletic excellence.

Saraceni was named to the Dean’s List every semester. A business administration major with a minor in political science and a concentration in modern standard Arabic and international studies, he was a member of the Criminal Justice Club, University of Scranton chapter of the Knights of Columbus, Arabic Club, and the President’s Alumni Liaison Society.  On the playing field, he was a two-time team captain and member of four Landmark Conference tournament-qualifying teams, including the 2011 squad that won a conference title and advanced to the NCAA Division III championships for the first time in school history.  He was also named first-team all-conference this past spring.

Cohen had the highest grade point average among all senior student-athletes at the University.  An occupational therapy major, she was a member of two academic honor societies and Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges.  She was also involved in numerous campus organizations, serving as an Orientation assistant, retreat leader, and Big Brothers/Big Sisters volunteer. On the tennis court, she was a four-year starter, served as team captain this past year, and played a major role in leading the Royals to three consecutive Landmark Conference titles and three NCAA tournament appearances (2012-2014).  She earned first-team all-conference honors for her play in singles in 2013 and second team in 2012. 
 
The O’Hara awards, presented annually to the top male and female athlete of the senior class, went to Tommy Morgan of the men’s basketball team and Samantha Russo of the women’s soccer team.  These awards are named in honor of the late Frank O’Hara, class of 1925, who served as registrar, director of alumni relations and acting president during his more than 52 years of service to the university.

Morgan was a four-year starter on a men’s basketball team that won three Landmark Conference titles (2011, 2012, 2014) and advanced to the NCAA Division III championship three times (2011, 2012, 2014), including a berth in the Elite Eight in 2012.  This past season, he was voted the Landmark Conference Defensive Player of the Year and second-team selection by the conference’s eight head coaches. He finished his career 12th in assists (329), 14th in steals (120), 26th in blocks (45), and 37th in scoring (1038) all-time in Royals’ history.

Russo started 84 consecutive matches in helping the women’s soccer team capture three Landmark Conference titles (2010-2012) and advance to the NCAA Division III tournament four times (2010-2013).  During this span, she won two major awards from the Landmark Conference—Rookie of the Year (2010) and Offensive Player of the Year (2013)—and was voted first-team all-conference four times.  In addition, she was named all-Mid-Atlantic region by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), earning first-team honors in 2011 and second team in 2010 and 2013. A prolific scorer, she finished her career sixth in assists (23), ninth in total points (87), and 10th in goals scored (32) in Royals’ history.

The following senior student-athletes were honored:        

Fall Sports

Men's Cross-Country
*Stefan Bossbaly (Washington Crossing, Pa./Holy Ghost Preparatory)
Walter Cantwell (Collingswood, NJ/Camden Catholic)
*Matthew DiMaio (Drexel Hill, Pa./Devon Preparatory)

Women's Cross-Country
Mary O’Neill (Middletown, NJ/Middletown North)

Field Hockey
Jessica Conroy (Havertown, Pa./Merion Mercy Academy)
Megan McLaughlin (Rye Brook, NY/School of the Holy Child)

Men’s Soccer
Stephen Kilty (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West)
Derek Klingman (Clarks Summit, Pa./Abington Heights)
Colin McFadden (Ventnor City, NJ/St. Augustine’s Preparatory)
Bill McGuiness (Forty Fort, Pa./Wyoming Valley West)
Jared Miranda (Westbury, NY/Kellenberg Memorial)
Nicholas Paganelli (Ossining, NY/Fordham Preparatory)
James Peeler (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove Area)
John Spadaro (Stony Point, NY/Albertus Magnus)
Paul Trisuzzi (Morris Plains, NJ/Parsippany)
 
Women’s Soccer
*Kaitlyn Greeley (Bardonia, NY/Clarkstown South)
Katie Hennigan (West Caldwell, NJ/James Caldwell)
*Kelsy McAnelly (West Chester, Pa./Villa Maria Academy)
*Samantha Russo (Yorktown Heights, NY/Yorktown)

Volleyball
Kelly Johnson (Pearl River, NY/Albertus Magnus)
*Michael McCrudden (Fort Washington, Pa./Mt. St. Joseph Academy)

Winter Sports

Men’s Basketball
*Michael Barr (North Wales, Pa./Lansdale Catholic)
*Mike Marchman (Blauvelt, NY/St. Joseph Regional)
*Tommy Morgan (Greenlawn, NY/Chaminade)
Jason Pierce (Scranton, Pa./Conestoga)
Kyle Ranck (Lewisburg, Pa./Lewisburg)

Women’s Basketball
Katie Cunningham (Garden City, NY/Kellenberg Memorial)
Katie Sherry (Havertown, Pa./Merion Mercy Academy)
Alison Sweeney (Wall, NJ/Saint Rose)

Men’s Swimming & Diving
Daniel Gleason (South Abington Township, Pa./Abington Heights
John Hughes (Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Catholic)
Louis Yorey (Wayne, NY/Wayne Hills)

Women’s Swimming & Diving
*Sara Franciscovich (Frederick, Md./Gov. Thomas Johnson)
*Kelsy McAnelly (West Chester, Pa./Villa Maria Academy)
Colleen McMahon (West Chester, Pa./Villa Maria Academy)
Jessica Merino (New Hyde Park, NY/Holy Trinity Diocesan)

Wrestling
*Robert Leavy (Bronx, NY/Iona Preparatory)
John Riccardi (Manalapan, NJ/Manalapan)
Chris Silakoski (Trenton, NJ/Notre Dame)

Spring Sports

Baseball
Michael Gaeta (Cranford, NJ/Cranford)
Matt Maghini (Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand)
*Eric Pizzico (Royersford, Pa./Spring Ford)
Edward Ravert (Havertown, Pa./Malvern Preparatory)
*Christopher Rom (Wantagh, NY/Wantagh)
Mike Trabulsi (Malverne, NY/Chaminade)

Men’s Golf
Brandon Gano (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan)
Grant Gulick (Binghamton, NY/Johnson City)
Charles Hudacek (Moosic, Pa./Scranton Preparatory)
*Kevin Kucharski (Hampton, NJ/North Hunterdon)
Andrew Loyack (Greenfield Township, Pa./Scranton Preparatory)
*Daniel Penetar (Scranton, Pa./Scranton Preparatory)

Men’s Lacrosse
Mike Deliberti (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Ludlowe)
*John Gregitis (Wayne, Pa./St. Joseph’s Preparatory)
Joe Johnson (Annapolis, Md./Gonzaga)
*Ryan Saraceni (Lansdale, Pa./LaSalle)
Fran Smith (Sicklerville, NJ/St. Joseph’s Preparatory)
Gus Sturm (Devon, Pa./Conestoga)
*Matt Tibbitts (West Hartford, Conn./Conard)

Women’s Lacrosse
*Mary Armstrong (Endwell, NY/Seton Catholic)
Kiersten Carnes (Montgomery, NY/Pine Bush)
Christine Dredger (Glen Head, NY/Our Lady of Mercy Academy)
Shannon Ginty (Mineola, NY/Sacred Heart Academy)
*Erin Green (Merrick, NY/Sandford Calhoun)
Mariah Guy (Ocean Township, NJ/Ocean Township)
*Kerry Sullivan (Oceanport, NJ/Shore Regional)

Softball
Caitlin McHenry (Cortlandt Manor, NJ/Walter Panas)

Men's Tennis
James Dalkiewicz (Shavertown, Pa./Lake Lehman)
David Teres (Lebanon, NJ/North Hunterdon)
*Brian Williams (Madison, NJ/Madison)

Women’s Tennis
*Stephanie Boccuzzi (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East)
*Devon Cohen (Ambler, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham)

*Merit Award for Academic Excellence & Athletic Achievement recipient (3.5 cumulative grade point average-or-higher)