May 5, 1997
Top Athletes Honored at Annual Awards Banquet
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Providence College honored its top athletes
at the 36th annual Athletic Awards Banquet at the College's
Peterson Recreation Center on Monday, May 5.
Eight-time cross country and track All-American Marie McMahon
(Sr., Ennistymon, Ireland) and track All-American Michael
Donnelly (Sr., Somerset, Mass.) were honored as the College's
Female and Male Athletes of the Year for Individual Sports.
Laurie Baker (So., Concord, Mass.), who earned ECAC First Team
All-Star honors while leading the Lady Friar hockey team to a
20-8-2 record, was selected as the school's Female Athlete of the
Year for Team Sports. Austin Croshere (Sr., Los Angeles,
Calif.), a unanimous First Team All-BIG EAST selection who helped
the men's basketball team advance to the NCAA Elite Eight, was
honored as the Male Athlete of the Year for Team Sports.
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Providence College Athletic Awards winners.
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Along with the Athlete of the Year Awards, four other major
awards were presented at the banquet. Second Team All-BIG EAST
swimmer Colleen Doyle (Sr., Seattle, Wash.) received the Paul
Connolly Award as the female athlete who has distinguished
herself among her peers through sportsmanship, courage and honor.
Mike Harrington (Sr., Seaford, N.Y.), a three-year starter on
the baseball team, was honored as the Mal Brown Award winner
given annually to the male athlete whose career of
intercollegiate competition portrayed sportsmanship, courage and
honor. The Sine Quo Non Awards, given annually to the male and
female athletes who have distinguished themselves among their
peers without receiving proper recognition, were presented to
lacrosse star Chris McManus (Manhasset, N.Y.) and softball
captain Marie McNulty (Sr., Concord, Mass.).
A special recognition award was presented this year to women's
basketball player Jennifer Davis (Sr, Coventry, Conn.) as she
will become the only athlete, male or female to graduate with a
perfect 4.0 grade point average at Providence College.
McMahon, who received the Female Athlete of the Year Award in
1996, joins former Lady Friars Kathy Finn, Jackie (Gladu) Barto
and Amy Rudolph as the only two-time winners. McMahon placed
second and earned her eighth All-America accolade as she led the
PC cross country team to a seventh-place finish at the 1996 NCAA
Cross Country Championship. McMahon captured individual BIG EAST
and New England cross country titles while leading her team to
victory at both events. In April, she won the 5,000 meters at
the prestigious Penn Relays.
Donnelly finished fifth in the 5,000 meters at the 1997 NCAA
Indoor Track Championship and became the first walk-on in the
history of the PC track program to earn All-America honors. In
January, he finished third in the 5,000 meters (13:55.22) at the
Terrier Classic and posted the fourth fastest collegiate time of
the season. Donnelly led the Friar cross country team to the New
England and BIG EAST titles in 1996. He was the Friars' top
finisher in five of his six cross country races.
Baker, who earned First Team ECAC and New England Hockey
Writers's All-Star honors for the second consecutive year, led
the team in scoring with 71 points (43 goals, 28 assists). With
43 tallies this season, she ranks second on PC's single season
goals list. Baker registered six points (two goals, four points)
in five games and finished tied for second in scoring on the U.S.
National Team which earned a silver medal in April at the IIHF
Women's World Championship.
Croshere, a native of Los Angeles, California capped his
brilliant career by leading the Friars in scoring for the season
with 17.9 points per game and 7.5 rebounds. A unanimous First
Team All-BIG EAST choice for the regular season, Croshere was
also selected First Team All-ECAC and was the ECAC Co-Player of
the Year with Colgate's Adonal Foyle. During the season, he set
the Providence College and BIG EAST consecutive free throw marks,
making 57 in a row. In the NCAA Tournament, Croshere got the
ball rolling for the Friars as he scored a career high 39 points
in PC's opening win against Marquette. One of PC's tri-captains,
Croshere led the Tournament in scoring with 91 points in four
NCAA Tournament games. Croshere became the 32nd player in
school history to go over 1,000 points in his career and finished
eighth all-time with 1,523 career points.
Doyle, a co-captain on the swim team, was named to the GTE CoSIDA
District I Academic All-America squad this season. Doyle led the
squad all season in the 200 and 400 IM winning several first
place honors. She won three events at St. John's and was named
PC Athlete of the Week for those efforts. An American Studies
major, Doyle has the second highest GPA among all athletes at
Providence.
Harrington, one of PC's baseball captains, was a member of
Providence College's most successful baseball class ever as the
Class of 97 recorded 134 wins in four seasons. A model of hard
work and perseverance, Harrington moved from the infield to the
outfield as a sophomore and has never looked back. The Seaford,
New York native led the Friars in hitting this season both
overall with a .356 average and in the BIG EAST with a .367 mark.
He registered career highs in doubles (10), triples (2), home
runs (8) and runs batted in (43). He had six assists playing
right field for the Friars as they finished the season with a
26-23 overall record and were 10-15 in the BIG EAST.
McNulty, the captain of the softball squad, started in
centerfield for the Lady Friars this season. A walk-on as a
freshman, McNulty finished her career as a starter after playing
in 37 games this season and tallying 12 hits. In the field, she
chalked up a .960 average with only one error all season.
McManus, who led the PC lacrosse team in scoring each of his four
years at the College, finished his career as the school's
all-time leading scorer with 183 points (104 goals, 79 assists).
He also ranks second all-time in goals and third in assists.
McManus is only the third player to ever score 100 more goals for
the Friars. This season, he tallied 31 goals and 17 assists in
15 games.
More than 300 athletes from PC's 22 varsity sports attended the
dinner. Watches were presented to the graduating senior athletes.
