Article by: Matt West
On April 28, the Suffolk University Athletic Department held its annual Awards Night banquet to honor the student-athletes and coaches for their hard work and dedication throughout the year. Each of the 13 teams at Suffolk handed out awards to the players who earned honors such as team MVP, Rookie of the Year, and Most Improved Player. Special awards were given out as well, with graduating senior Bobby Barrett earning the Alumni Charles Law Student-Athlete Award, which is given out yearly to a student who excels in both athletics and academics. Barrett was a two-time captain of the baseball team, as well as a three-time first-team All-Conference selection by the GNAC.
Volleyball captain and graduating senior Kelsey Armstrong-Hahn received the Charles Melanson Unsung Heroine Award for her tireless work on and off the court: serving as an English teacher for Latino immigrants, volunteering with the Andean Bear Conservation Project in Ecuador, as well as being an election observer in the Presidential elections in El Salvador in 2009. Kelsey was a four-year starter on the volleyball team, and was a captain for three of those years. Leading the team on offense and defense, she was named team MVP her junior year. Maintaining a 3.81 GPA, she earned the Dean’s List High Honors as a major in International Affairs with a minor in Spanish.
Graduating senior Nick Celia of the men’s soccer team was awarded the Student Government Association’s Student Athlete of the Year award.
Additionally, graduating senior Abdel Ouedraogou of Guinea Bissau was recognized with the prestigious Departmental Recognition Award, as he donated immeasurable amounts of time at home games, acting as the photographer for both the hockey and basketball teams. In all, 69 awards were handed out during the banquet for a very successful 2009-2010 season.
