Stonehill Holds Annual Academic Excellence Recognition Breakfast

2017 St. Thomas Aquinas Medal recipients: Front (l-r) Baylee Kimbar (equestrian), Abby Hersom (cross country/track & field), Courtney Walsh (basketball), Olivia Peterson (softball), Michelle Vonick (soccer); Back (l-r) Mark Hamalian (track & field), Erika Isner (lacrosse), Charlie Calenda (football), Alexander Demeule (cross country), Nikolay Lisichenok (tennis), Stephen Kulka (basketball), Dylan Podbielski (ice hockey), Jackie Del Bonis (field hockey). Absent from photo: Michael Young (baseball), Adam Branco (soccer), Colleen Kenney (volleyball), Colleen O'Donnell (tennis).

17 student-athletes receive St. Thomas Aquinas medals
Prof. Gregory Shaw earns Outstanding Faculty Member Award

SAAC vice chair Joe Santo (left) presents Prof. Gregory J. Shaw, Religious Studies, with the Outstanding Faculty Member award.

EASTON, Mass. (April 7, 2017) - Stonehill College held its annual Academic Excellence Recognition Breakfast at the Sally Blair Ames Sports Complex this morning. The event is the signature event for the College in recognition of National Student-Athlete Week as administrators, faculty and athletic staff presented St. Thomas Aquinas medals as well as its Outstanding Faculty Member Award.

The event honors student-athletes from Stonehill’s 20 varsity programs who have the highest cumulative grade point average on their respective teams through the fall 2016 semester. Those students are presented with St. Thomas Aquinas, Patron Saint of Students, Medals. Of the 17 medal recipients, seven are repeat honorees, including seniors Erika Isner (Farmington, Connecticut/Farmington) of the No. 19-ranked women’s lacrosse program and Michelle Vonick (Boulder, Colorado/Fairview) from the Northeast-10 Conference champion women’s soccer team who are both three-time medal recipients.

Juniors Charlie Calenda (Chelmsford, Massachusetts/Chelmsford) from the football program, Mark Hamalian (West Bridgewater, Massachusetts/Bridgewater-Raynham) of the men’s track & field program, Abby Hersom (Rockland, Maine/Oceanside) from the NE10 champion women’s cross country and track & field programs, Nikolay Lisichenok (Danvers, Massachusetts/Danvers) of the men’s tennis program and Michael Young (Mashpee, Massachusetts/Pope John Paul II) of the baseball program all received medals for the second time.

In addition, men’s cross country and track & field senior Joe Santo (Newburyport, Massachusetts/Newburyport), vice chairperson of Stonehill's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, presented the athletic department's Outstanding Faculty Member Award to Gregory J. Shaw, Professor of Religious Studies at the College. Professor Shaw has taught at the College since 1987 and is an avid supporter of its student-athletes, but also a great mentor in the classroom.

Earning St. Thomas Aquinas Medals were:

Adam Branco (Naugatuck, Conn./Naugatuck), Junior, Men’s Soccer

Charlie Calenda (Chelmsford, Mass./Chelmsford), Junior, Football**

Jackie Del Bonis (North Attleboro, Mass./North Attleboro), Senior, Field Hockey

Alexander Demeule (Merrimac, Mass./Pentucket Regional), Sophomore, Men’s Cross Country

Mark Hamalian (West Bridgewater, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham), Junior, Men’s Track & Field**

Abby Hersom (Rockland, Maine/Oceanside), Junior, Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field**

Erika Isner (Farmington, Conn./Farmington), Senior, Women’s Lacrosse***

Colleen Kenney (Barnstable, Mass./Barnstable), Junior, Volleyball

Baylee Kimbar (Worcester, Mass./West Boylston), Junior, Equestrian

Stephen Kulka (Norwell, Mass./Norwell), Sophomore, Men’s Basketball

Nikolay Lisichenok (Danvers, Mass./Danvers), Junior, Men’s Tennis**

Colleen O’Donnell (Waterville, Maine/Waterville), Junior, Women’s Tennis

Olivia Peterson (Westford, Mass./Westford Academy), Junior, Softball

Dylan Podbielski (Northford, Conn./North Branford), Senior, Ice Hockey

Michelle Vonick (Boulder, Colorado/Fairview), Senior, Women’s Soccer***

Courtney Walsh (Windham, N.H./Central Catholic), Junior, Women’s Basketball

Michael Young (Mashpee, Mass./Pope John Paul II), Junior, Baseball**

Number of years honored marked with asterisks

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