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2018 Brandeis Department of Athletics Award Winners May 6, 2018

On Sunday, May 6, the Brandeis University Department of Athletics handed out its annual end-of-season awards. The following student-athletes were all recognized at the department's awards brunch.

ATHLETIC DIRECTOR'S AWARDS

are presented to student-athletes who have displayed general excellence in representing Brandeis Athletics. They went to

KYLE BERNEY

of Shreveport, Louisiana, of the men’s fencing team. A saber fencer, Berney led his squad in wins in each of the past three seasons. He was named Second-Team All-Northeast Fencing Conference all four years, and earned the NFC Elliott Lilien Sportsmanship Award this year. Berney helped the Judges post back-to-back undefeated NFC championships.

President Ron Liebowitz along with Kyle Berney '18

SAMANTHA SCHWARTZ

of Highland Park, Illinois, of the women’s soccer team. A four-year team member and captain as a senior, Schwartz led the Judges in scoring as a junior and was second as a freshman and senior, finishing sixth on Brandeis’s career list with 29 goals and ninth with 70 points. She helped guide the Judges to four-straight NCAA tournament berths, scoring some dramatic goals in the team’s run to the 2016 Final Four.

Samantha Schwartz '18 and President Liebowitz

RYAN STENDER

of Amherst, Massachusetts, of the men’s track and cross country teams. A four-year team member and senior captain, Stender was a three-time NCAA Championship qualifier – twice in cross country and once in indoor track and field. After just missing All-America honors in cross country as a junior, he finished 28th at nationals this year. He was a two-time All-UAA performer in cross country, finishing runner-up as a junior and fifth as a senior. He won the UAA 3,000-meter title in the winter of his sophomore year.

President Liebowitz and Ryan Stender '18

and

LATYE WORKMAN

of Brooklyn, New York, of the men’s basketball team. A four-year team member and senior captain, Workman earned honorable mention All-UAA honors as a senior after leading the team in rebounding, steals and blocked shots and finishing second in scoring. He was an invaluable member of the department’s work-study staff, often working 40 hours a week as a building manager and as a marketing intern.

President Liebowitz and Latye Workman '18

THE JAMES McCULLY '86 AWARD

is presented to seniors who best exemplify the character, dedication and good sportsmanship that depicted soccer All-American and inaugural Hall of Famer Jim McCully’s career at Brandeis. They went to

HALEY COHEN

of Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Cohen is a four-year member of the women’s tennis team, who served as a two-time team captain. She was named All-UAA as a junior and was selected to the 2018 UAA All-Tournament team. Cohen recorded 88 wins across singles and doubles in her career, battling through injuries and persevering through adverse situations, but her competitive nature helped her lead a young team to its highest national ranking at #18 and tie the school record for most wins in a season with 15 as a junior.

Haley Cohen '18 with teammate Olivia Leavitt '19

and

LIZ FELLER

of Cortlandt Manor, New York. Feller is a four-year member of the women’s fencing team. She led the Brandeis epee squad in wins in three of the past four seasons, earning All-Northeast Fencing Conference honors as a freshman and a junior. This year, Feller’s performance was especially impressive - in addition to fencing epee, she picked up the saber on occasion to help out that shorthanded squad, posting an 8-4 record in her second weapon. Coach Bill Shipman said, “She’s been the most enthusiastic and dedicated member of the team in recent years and has been excellent this season in mentoring a young team.”

President Liebowitz and Liz Feller '18

The JOSEPH M. LINSEY FELLOWSHIPS

are awarded each year to one female and one male graduating student-athlete with plans to attend graduate school. Candidates for this award must exemplify the ideals of the Brandeis student-athlete by demonstrating sportsmanship and commitment to academics. They went to

HALIANA BURHANS

of Charlotte, Vermont. Burhans is a four-year member of the women’s soccer team who also earned All-UAA honors as a member of the track and field team during her freshman and sophomore years. She helped the women’s soccer team to four-straight NCAA tournament berths, including a spot in the Final Four as a junior, when she scored a goal against WashU in the national semifinals. In the classroom, Burhans is a three-time Academic All-UAA honoree for soccer, plus twice for track. She graduates with a 3.598 GPA and will will earn degrees in International and Global Studies and French and will be back at Brandeis next year as a graduate student earning her master’s in global studies.

Haliana Burhans '18 and President Liebowitz

and

ZACH DIAMOND

of Staten Island, New York. Diamond is a key member of the men’s swimming and diving team. Over the past four years, he posted five All-Time Top 10 marks. As a sophomore, after a meet against Wheaton College, he was named not only UAA Swimmer of the Week, but also the National Swimmer of the Week by the College Swim Coaches Association of America. Out of the pool, he has done research at Mass General Hospital on the effects of radiation on blood flow in the vessels. He will graduate with a 3.364 GPA as and degrees in physics and mathematics. Diamond will be attending Georgia Tech to earn his Ph.D. in Nuclear & Radiological Engineering.

President Liebowitz and Zach Diamond '18

The STEPHEN GENDZIER PRIZE

was established to recognize a senior student-athlete who has overcome a hardship with perseverance. It went to

MIKE LYNCH

of Weymouth, Massachusetts, of the men’s soccer team. Lynch completed his fifth season as a member of the Judges last fall. After missing chunks of his first three seasons to concussion and leg injuries, he was at full strength in 2016 and 2017, saving his finest performances for the postseason. Lynch scored six of his 12 career goals during the Judges’ NCAA back-to-back Final Four Tournament runs, earning the nickname Mr. November.

Mike Lynch '18 and President Liebowitz

The MORRY STEIN '58 AWARD OF VALOR

presented to a student-athlete who has demonstrated courage both on and off the playing fields and/or intervened to better the lives of others, went to

FRANKIE PINTO

of San Clemente, California, of the women’s soccer team. After finishing as one of Brandeis’s all-time best 3-point shooters for the women’s basketball team last year, Pinto’s career in a Judges’ uniform seemed to be over, but she was still in Waltham at the International Business School to earn her Master’s degree. When the Judges’ nationally-ranked women’s soccer team lost their two rostered goalkeepers over the course of the season, Pinto took advantage of an additional year of eligibility and won an emergency tryout to join the squad for their final seven games. She earned one win and two ties with 24 saves in that span. The win was a five-save performance in a 3-1 victory in the opening round of the NCAA tournament, while the three defeats came at the hands of the defending national champions and this year’s eventual finalists.

Frankie Pinto BA '17/MA '18 along with award-winning teammates Samantha Schwartz '18 and Haliana Burhans '18

The MORRIS SEPINUCK AWARD

presented to the varsity athlete who not only displays outstanding sportsmanship but also makes a significant contribution to the athletic program and to campus life at Brandeis, went to

AMANDA SHORE

of San Jose, California, of the softball team. In addition to serving as a captain of the Judges and helping them to the ECAC tournament as a sophomore, Shore has served two years on the board of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, including president in 2017-18. She interned for the Senior Associate Athletic Director’s office, helped develop some of the department’s marketing efforts, and was the occasional PA voice of the Brandeis volleyball and soccer teams. Outside of athletics, Shore served on the University’s parking appeals committee, was a teaching assistant for two business classes, took notes for students with disabilities, and has been selected as one of the commencement speakers for the Brandeis Business major graduation. She will graduate with a 3.51 GPA and multiple Academic All-UAA and Dean’s List honors.

Amanda Shore '18 and President Liebowitz

The CHARLIE NAPOLI '58 SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARD

presented to an outstanding student athlete who has excelled in the classroom and on the athletic field, went to

BEN WOODHOUSE

of the men’s soccer team. Woodhouse helped the Judges reach back-to-back final fours while maintaining a 3.92 GPA as a business and economics double major who graduated in three-and-a-half years. Woodhouse was a third-team All-American selection by D3Soccer.com and a CoSIDA Academic All-American selection - just the third CoSIDA honoree in men’s soccer team history. He started for each of the past three seasons, posting 23 shutouts and 39 wins, both second in school history. His totals might have been even higher, but Woodhouse missed three games late in the season with a broken hand before posting four shutouts in the NCAA tournament. He earned Phi Beta Kappa honors in the classroom and will go down as one of the best goalkeepers in school history.

Ben Woodhouse '18 and assistant men's soccer coach Adam Batista

The HARRY, JOSEPH AND IDA STEIN AWARD

presented to the outstanding male athlete, was shared by

JOSH OCEL

of North Attleboro, Massachusetts. Ocel, who won the award in 2017, returned to Brandeis for a medical hardship season last fall. He continued to excel in his “second senior” season, leading the Judges in scoring and assists. His three assists in the NCAA tournament brought him to 45 for his career, breaking a school record that had stood since 1977. Ocel was named to the UAA 30th Anniversary team as only the second player in league history to earn first-team honors four years in a row. He was a first-team All-American selection by the United Soccer Coaches and D3Soccer.com – his fifth and sixth career All-America honors – after leading the Judges to their fourth-straight NCAA tournament and second-consecutive Final Four. With Ocel in the midfield, Brandeis men’s soccer posted a 67-17-6 record over the last four seasons, never finishing lower than second in the UAA and advancing to the Final Four in back-to-back years.

Josh Ocel '18 and President Liebowitz

and

IRIE GOURDE

of Portland, Oregon. Gourde walked onto the men’s track and field last year as a senior and became one of the team’s best performers almost immediately. He was runner-up four times at the UAA Championships, in the 200- and 400-meter dashes indoors and outdoors. Gourde broke a school record in the 200 that had stood for nearly 40 years and qualified for the NCAA Championships outdoors in the 400, finishing 18th overall. Not satisfied with his performance, he enrolled in Brandeis’s International Business School for his final year of eligibility. After another silver medal at UAAs in the indoor 400, he finally broke through in the 200 for his first conference championship. Gourde was named the UAA and the New England Division III Runner of the Year indoors after turning in the second-fastest 400 in all of Division III, while finishing 11th in the 200 in the regular season to qualify for nationals in both events. Despite not making the finals in the 400, he bounced back to place eighth in the 200 to capture his first career All-America honor. He has continued his success outdoors, winning both his signature events at the UAA outdoor championships to repeat as Most Outstanding Performer. Currently ranked among the top 20 nationally outdoors in both the 200 and 400, he will hopefully have a chance to repeat his All-America performances at nationals later in May.

President Liebowitz and Irie Gourde BA '17/MA '18

The MAX I. SILBER AWARD

presented to the outstanding female student-athlete, was given to

EMILY BRYSON

of Quincy, Massachusetts, of the women’s track and cross country teams. Bryson is already one of the most decorated track and cross country runners in Brandeis history as a junior. She won the UAA cross country championships in Franklin Park in Boston as a freshman, making her the first woman to earn UAA Rookie and Runner of the Year honors in the same season. She went on to earn her first All-America honor in cross country that year. Between track and cross country, she has gone on to earn six more UAA titles in six different events. Bryson has also added two more All-America honors in cross country and two in track and field to bring her total up to five. This year alone, she finished 21st at the Division III cross country championships and anchored the third-place Distance Medley Relay at nationals to help three of her teammates also claim All-America honors. Her crowning achievement came in the 3,000-meter run, where a devastating finishing lap helped her set a school record and earn a national championship - Brandeis’s first since 1999. Bryson is currently ranked 14th nationally in the 5,000-meters during the outdoor season, giving her a chance to add to her All-America total later this month.

President Liebowitz and Emily Bryson '19

MICHAEL COVEN ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT AWARDS BANQUET

Finally, it was announced that the Department of Athletics Award ceremony will be known as the Michael Coven Award Banquet going forward, named after the Judges' long-time coach who retired after the 2016 season.

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