TROY, N.Y. - The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) department of athletics' 2010-11 year-end awards have been announced and four student-athletes have garnered prestigious awards. Jarrett Regier of men's tennis and Cheryl Tran of women's track & field were selected as the Male and Female Freshmen of the Year, respectively. Chase Polacek of men's hockey earned both the Male Athlete of the Year and Career Athlete, while Jen Bach of softball was honored with both awards on the women's side.
Regier, a native of East Amherst, N.Y., played in 14 matches last year as a freshman, posting a 13-1 record at #1 singles. His only loss came in his very first match – to a nationally-ranked opponent and he went on to win 13 straight matches through the spring semester. He also posted a 10-4 record in #1 doubles with partner Patrick Russo. A former standout at Clarence High School, Regier was a five-time Liberty League Rookie of the Week and a Performer of the Week once. He was named All-League in singles and was the Liberty League Rookie of the Year.
Tran, who hails from Milton, Mass., won the high jump at the Liberty League Indoor Championships and finished third and fourth, respectively in the 4x200-meter relay and the 55-meter hurdles. She also finished fourth in the high jump at the NYSCTC Indoor Championships. A two-time Liberty League Rookie of the Week, she was later named the conference's Rookie of the Year. A graduate of Milton Academy, Tran's success continued into the outdoor season as she won the high jump at the league meet and was third at States.
Polacek, a forward from Edina, Minn., led ECAC Hockey in numerous categories on his way to capturing many prestigious accolades for the second straight season, including ECAC Hockey Player of the Year, Hobey Baker Award finalist and National All-America. In 38 games, he had 21 goals and 27 assists for 48 points. Twenty-five of his points (11 goals, 14 assists) came on the power play and he had a national-best nine game-winning goals. The Academy of Holy Angels ranked first in the league in points, points per game (1.26) and power play points. He was second in goals, power play goals and shorthanded goals and was fourth in assists. Polacek, an assistant captain, helped the Engineers back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1995.
In his career, Polacek – who was Rensselaer's Male Athlete of the Year in 2009-10 and Freshman Male Athlete of the Year in 2007-08 – never missed a game, setting the school record for games played with 154. He notched 65 goals with 95 assists for 160 career points and led the team in scoring each of his last three seasons. Polacek graduated in May ranked 19th all-time in career points and was also a three-time team Most Valuable Player, a two-time Hobey Baker Award finalist, a two-time First Team All-America and the ECAC Hockey Player of the Year twice – only the third student-athlete to accomplish such a feat in the history of the prestigious conference.
Bach, a designated player/pitcher out of Lansdale, Pa., played in 37 games in 2011. She led the Liberty League in slugging percentage (.890), runs (38), runs batted in (55), home runs (13), total bases (105), sacrifice flies (4) and fewest errors (0). She was also first on the team in batting average (.449), hits (53) and total bases (105). She broke her own records for single season and career (44) home runs and set the single season record in RBIs. The Gwynedd Mercy Academy graduate went 14-4 from the circle in 22 appearances (18 starts), posting a 2.59 earned run average while allowing 54 runs on 93 hits. She struck out a team-high 83 batters while walking just 37 in 102.2 innings.
Bach was named the Liberty League Player of the Year for the second straight season and was a unanimous All-League First Team selection at designated player while also earning First Team as a pitcher. A Liberty League All-Tournament Team honoree, she also became just the second player in RPI history to garner NFCA Division III National All-America recognition.
In her career, Bach graduated in May with many of the school's records, including the career records for home runs (44), hits (215) and runs batted in (179). Boasting an average of .427 (215 for 503), she scored 141 runs and added 30 doubles and three triples. She also went 34-18 over 78 appearances as a pitcher, hurling 345.1 innings while surrendering just 161 earned runs and striking out 257 batters. A two-time Liberty League Player of the Year, she was also a five-time All-League selection, a three-time All-Northeast Region honoree and the conference's Rookie of the Year in 2008.
Regier, Tran, Polacek and Bach will be honored at Rensselaer's Annual Hall of Fame Banquet, which will be held during Homecoming/Reunion Weekend on October 21-23.
