SUNY Cortland Athletics

The finalists have been announced for the 2009-10 SUNY Cortland C-Club Senior Male Athlete of the Year and Senior Female Athlete of the Year Awards. The winners will be recognized at the C-Club Athletics Awards Ceremony on Monday, May 10, at the Alumni Ice Arena.

The 2009-10 C-Club Senior Athlete of the Year Finalists are:

MEN:
Dan Evans, Swimming and Diving (Hamburg, NY/Hamburg)
Andersen Gardner, Baseball (Fairport, NY/Fairport)
Gerard Heinz, Ice Hockey (Kings Park, NY/Kings Park)
Joe Murphy, Wrestling (St. James, NY/Smithtown)
Kyle O'Brien, Cross Country/Track and Field (Monroe, NY/Monroe-Woodbury)

WOMEN:
Katie Finch, Softball (Amsterdam, NY/Broadalbin-Perth)
Michelle Gaufman, Volleyball (Wantagh, NY/MacArthur)
Taylor Houseman, Swimming and Diving (Rushford, NY/Wellsville)
Jessica Laing, Basketball (Bloomville, NY/South Kortright)
Christine McCabe, Field Hockey (Greene, NY/Greene)

Accomplishments of the finalists are listed below:


MEN:

Dan Evans, Swimming and Diving (Freestyle/Butterfly)

Senior Year: Hon. mention All-American, 100-yard freestyle (ninth place)...Hon. mention All-American, 50-yard freestyle (15th place)...SUNYAC Men’s Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet...SUNYAC James Fulton Award Winner...SUNYAC Champion in 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle and 200-yard freestyle...Swam on SUNYAC championship 200-yard freestyle, 200-yard medley, 400-yard freestyle and 800-yard freestyle relay teams...Set SUNYAC records in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard freestyle...Team finished 44th nationally (due to his points), second in SUNYAC and 15-2 in duals (school record for wins).

Career: Two-time SUNYAC Men’s Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet (2009 and 2010)...Finished with six individual and five relay SUNYAC titles...Won 50-yard, 100-yard and 200-yard freestyle races and was part of winning 200-yard freestyle relay at 2009 SUNYAC Championships.

Andersen Gardner, Baseball (Catcher)

Senior Year: Batting .393 with six homers, five triples, 46 RBI and 30 runs in 29 games (through May 2)...SUNYAC Player of the Week (April 25)...Team is 30-7-1, won SUNYAC regular-season title and will host SUNYAC Tournament.

Career: Tied for first at Cortland in career RBI (149), ranked fifth in career hits (199) and second in triples (19) (through May 2)...Three-time all-region selection (first team in 2008 and 2009; second team in 2007)...First Team All-SUNYAC in 2007 and 2009...2007 First Team All-ECAC Upstate New York...2007 SUNYAC Rookie of the Year...2008 NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team...2009 SUNYAC All-Tournament Team...Team finished 42-7 in 2007 (fourth in nation), 42-5 in 2008 (tied for seventh in nation) and 31-14 in 2009 (tied for 31st in nation)...Team won SUNYAC titles in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Gerard Heinz, Ice Hockey (Defenseman)

Senior Year: Second Team All-SUNYAC...Finished third on the team with 20 points, including a team-high 15 assists.

Career: First Cortland hockey player in school history to earn All-SUNYAC honors four times (first team in 2006-07 and 2007-08 and second team in 2008-09 and 2009-10)...Career totals of 17 goals and 59 assists for 76 points...USCHO.com SUNYAC All-Rookie Team and honorable mention All-East Region Rookie Team in 2006-07.

Joe Murphy, Wrestling (Heavyweight)

Senior Year: Finished 33-7 with eight pins...Won Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference heavyweight title to earn berth into NCAA Div. III Championships...Finished 1-2 at nationals...Earned all-state honors with third place finish at all-division New York State Championships...Team finished 16-4 in duals, won Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference title and placed 22nd nationally.

Career: Finished 103-40 with 33 pins...Fifth wrestler in school history to record 100 career wins...Two-time Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference champion (2008-09, 2009-10)...Three-time all-state (eighth in 2007-08, fifth in 2008-09 and third in 2009-10)...Team won three league titles and finished second once...Team had combined 55-14 dual record, including 11-0 mark in 2007-08, and placed in top 30 nationally four times (eighth in 2006-07 and 19th in 2008-09).

Kyle O’Brien, Cross Country/Track and Field (Distance/Steeplechase)

Senior Year: Earned All-America honors with a 17th place finish at the NCAA Div. III Cross Country Championships...First Team All-Region (7th place) and First Team All-SUNYAC (7th place)...Team finished fifth nationally and won Atlantic Region title...Has provisionally qualified for the NCAA Div. III Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

Career – Track and Field: Earned All-America honors twice in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (third place nationally in 2009 (SUNYAC record time) and fourth place in 2008)...Won the ECAC and SUNYAC titles in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in both 2008 and 2009...Team finished second nationally at outdoor nationals in 2007 and 2008.

Career – Cross Country: Finished 61st (and was team’s fifth scorer) at NCAA Div. III Championships, helping Red Dragon win national team title...Second Team All-SUNYAC (10th place) in 2008...Finished 39th at 2007 regionals...Second team All-SUNYAC (10th place) in 2007...Competed at 2007 nationals...SUNYAC Cross Country Hall of Fame (by virtue of at least two top-10 conference finishes).


WOMEN:

Katie Finch, Softball (Pitcher)

Senior Year: 21-2 record, 0.71 ERA, 2 saves, 200 strikeouts, 15 walks, 65 hits allowed in 138 innings (through May 2)...Three no-hitters, including two perfect games (at one point retired 43 consecutive batters)...Five-time SUNYAC Pitcher of the Week, two-time ECAC Upstate N.Y. Pitcher of the Week and April 4 National Softball Player of the Week...Team is 34-6, won SUNYAC regular-season title and will host SUNYAC Tournament.

Career: Cortland and SUNYAC career leader with 88 wins and 957 strikeouts and also Cortland career leader with nine saves, 32 shutouts and 1.19 ERA (through May 2)...Seven career no-hitters (three perfect games)...Second team All-American as a junior (26 wins, 5 saves, 321 strikeouts) and third team All-American as a sophomore (22 wins, 2 saves, 254 strikeouts)...Two-time SUNYAC Pitcher of the Year...2009 ECAC Upstate Pitcher of the Year...2007 SUNYAC Rookie of the Year...Team advanced to NCAA Div. III World Series in 2008 and 2009 and won SUNYAC titles in 2007 and 2008.

Michelle Gaufman, Volleyball (Outside Hitter)

Senior Year: 37 matches played, team-high 386 kills (3.0 kills/set), 391 digs (3.1 digs/set), 27 aces...First team All-SUNYAC...SUNYAC All-Tournament Team...SUNYAC Player of the Week (Nov. 2).

Career: Cortland’s career leader with 1,822 kills and fourth all-time at Cortland with 1,757 digs...Honorable mention All-American, first team all-region and first team All-SUNYAC in both 2007 and 2008...2008 SUNYAC East Player of the Year...2006 SUNYAC All-Tournament Team...Team won SUNYAC titles in 2006 and 2007 and was league runner-up in 2009.

Taylor Houseman, Swimming and Diving (Breaststroke/Individual Medley)

Senior Year: First team All-American in both the 100-yard breaststroke (seventh place nationally) and 200-yard breaststroke (seventh place nationally)...Broke SUNYAC and school records in the 200-yard breaststroke and set a school record in the 100-yard breaststroke...First Cortland women’s swimmer to finish in the top eight nationally twice in one year since 1983...SUNYAC 200-yard breaststroke champion and league runner-up in 100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard individual medley...Part of SUNYAC championship 200-yard medley and 400-yard medley relay teams that set school records...Team finished 33rd nationally (due to her points), was SUNYAC runner-up and finished 11-4 in dual meets.

Career: Qualified for NCAA Div. III Championships in 2008 and competed in 100-yard breaststroke, 200-yard breaststroke and 200-yard individual medley...2008 SUNYAC champion in 200-yard breaststroke...Second team All-SUNYAC in 2009 with third-place finish in 200-yard breaststroke...Second team All-SUNYAC in 2007 with runner-up finish in 100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard breaststroke.

Jessica Laing, Basketball (Forward)

Senior Year: Averaged 20.4 points and 12.4 rebounds per game with 23 points-rebounds “double-doubles”...First Team WBCA All-American and Second Team D3hoops.com All-American...Jostens Trophy Award finalist (national Player of the Year)...D3hoops.com East Region Player of the Year...ECAC Upstate N.Y. Player of the Year...SUNYAC Player of the Year...SUNYAC Tournament MVP...Team finished 25-4 and won SUNYAC title before losing in NCAA opening round.

Career: Scored SUNYAC and school record 2,166 points...Set school record (second all-time in SUNYAC) with 1,305 rebounds...First player in NCAA Div. III history to finish career with at least 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 100 three-pointers...Recorded 77 points-rebounds “double-doubles”...Three-time WBCA All-American (first team as senior, hon. mention as sophomore and junior)...Two-time D3hoops.com All-American (second team as senior, third team as junior)...Four-time All-ECAC, including Upstate Player of the Year as junior and senior...Four-time first team All-SUNYAC...Two-time SUNYAC Player of the Year...2007 SUNYAC Rookie of the Year...Team won at least 24 games in each of her four seasons, won two SUNYAC titles, played in three NCAA tournaments (advanced to second round in 2007 and 2009) and won the 2008 ECAC Upstate N.Y. tournament.

Christine McCabe, Field Hockey (Midfield)

Senior Year: Recorded six goals and eight assists for 20 points...First team All-American...First team all-region...First team All-SUNYAC...Team finished 19-1, including a perfect 18-0 in the regular season, won the SUNYAC title and advanced to the NCAA Div. III quarterfinals before losing 3-2 at eventual national champion Salisbury.

Career: Three-time All-American (first team in 2009; second team in both 2007 and 2008)...2007 first team all-region and All-SUNYAC...2006 first team all-region, second team all-state, first team All-SUNYAC and SUNYAC Co-Rookie of the Year...Career totals of 23 goals and 29 assists for 75 points.