All-Time HonoreesTROY, N.Y. - The year-end Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) athletic department awards – the highest honors bestowed by the department – for the 2013-14 season have been announced and six student-athletes have garnered recognition. Grace Tilton '14 (cross country/track & field) and Zac Borellli '14 (track & field) were selected as the Richard S. Lyon Career Athletes of the Class of 2014; Meg Colitz '14 (lacrosse) and Ryan Haggerty '15 (hockey) were chosen the Athletes of the Year; and Morgan Kollmeier '17 (softball) and Breanainn McNeally '17 (lacrosse) captured Freshman of the Year. Awards are presented to one female and one male in each category.
Also announced was the department's Marvin Anderson Award as Coach of the Year to Leslie DeLano, the women's lacrosse coach who earned the honor for the third straight year. All awards are voted on by RPI coaches and athletic department administrators.
The six standout student-athletes include combined for three New York State Performer of the Year awards, two Liberty League Performer of the Year awards and a Regional Performer of the Year award. There were six All-League honors, three All-Region, two National All-America and a Capital One National Academic All-America.
Below is information about each of the award winners, who will be presented their plaques at the Rensselaer Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet in October.
RICHARD S. LYON MALE CAREER ATHLETE
Zac Borrelli (Methuen, MA / Central Catholic) – Track & Field
Throws … 2014 Outdoor: Won shot put in four meets ... Second twice ... Third once ... Won hammer in two meets ... One second ... One third ... Won discus in two meets ... Second once ... Third twice ... Won all three at Liberty League Meet ... Liberty League Field Event Athlete of the Meet ... Won shot put, second in discus and fourth in hammer at New York State Championship ... NYSCTC Field Performer of the Year ... Third in shot put, ninth in discus and 13th in hammer at ECAC Championship ... Set PRs in shot put (16.09) and hammer (53.79) ... Liberty League Field Performer of the Week 5x ... Liberty League Field Performer of the Year … Liberty League All-Academic ... Academic All-District First Team … Indoor: ECAC Championships: Set PRs in shot (15.51) and 35-lb weight (16.54) ... Fifth in shot and eighth in weight ... NYSCTC Championships: First in shot (15.10m) ... Third in weight (15.99m) ... Liberty League Championships: First in shot (14.95m)... Second in weight (15.42m) ... Liberty League Field Performer of the Week 3x …
2013 Outdoor: Liberty League Championship: Won shot put (15.10m) and discus (42.75m) ... Second in hammer (48.16m) ... Liberty League Field Performer of the Meet ... NYSCTC Championships: Won discus (45.59m) and shot (14.91m) ... NYSCTC Field Performer of the Year ... Liberty League Field Performer of the Week 2x ... Liberty League All-Academic … Indoor: Liberty League Championships: Third in shot (13.58m) and hammer (14.85m)... NYSCTC Championships: First-place, Shot (14.58m)... Liberty League All-Academic ...
2012 Outdoor: ECAC Championships: Third with PR of 48.59m in discus ... NYSCTC Championships: First in shot put (14.74m) ... Second in discus (40.48m) ... Seventh in hammer (45.26m) ... NYSCTC Field Performer of the Year ... Liberty League Championships: First in discus (42.10m) and shot with season-best 15.09m ... Fifth in hammer (46.10m) ... Liberty League Field Performer of the Meet ... Indoor: Liberty League Championships: Third in shot (13.50m)… NYSCTC Championships: Second in shot (14.48m)… PR in discus (48.59m) …
2011 Outdoor: Liberty League Championships: Second in hammer (39.69) and discus (40.81) … Third in shot (12.01) … NYSCTC Championships: Fourth in discus (40.47m) … Liberty League Rookie of the Week 1x … 2011: Liberty League Championships, Third in shot (13.55m) … Fifth in 35-lb. weight (12.36m) … NYSCTC Indoor Championships, Fifth in shot (14.02m) …
2012 Football: Played eight games ... Recorded 38 tackles, including 22 unassisted ... Two tackles for loss (12 yards) ... One sack (11 yards) ... Two pass breakups ... Liberty League All-Academic ... 2011: Played eight games … 51 tackles, including 25 unassisted … Had 1.5 tackles for loss (3 yards) … Recovered two fumbles … Two forced fumbles … Liberty League All-Academic.
RICHARD S. LYON FEMALE CAREER ATHLETE
Grace Tilton (Concord, NH / Concord) – Cross Country / Track & Field
2013 Cross Country: Captain ... Won four of the eight races she competed in, including victories in Liberty League Championships with meet record time (21:23) and NCAA Atlantic Regional with school and course record time (6k in 21:07.0) … All-Region First Team … Second at New York State Championship … All-State First Team … NCAA Qualifier … Finished 63rd out of 280 competitors at NCAA Championships … All-Liberty League First Team … Liberty League Runner of the Year … USTFCCA Atlantic Region Runner of the Year ... Liberty League All-Academic … USTFCCA All-Academic ... 2012: Second in two races, including Liberty League Championship ... All-Region ... 2009: Sixth or better in five of eight meet run ... Led team and All-Liberty League First Team after fourth (23:05) league meet ... Sixth overall (19:05.85) at NYSCTC Championships … All-State First Team ... Team appeared in first-ever NCAA Championship Meet …
2014 Indoor: NCAA Championships: Fourth in mile (4:56.01) … Set personal, school, Liberty League and New York State Association record ... National All-America ... ECAC Championships: Fifth in 800m with personal best 2:15.18 ... Broke own school record from earlier in season ... NYSCTC Championships: Won 1000m (2:52.66) ... Broke New York State and school record of 3:00.30 which she set earlier in season ... Fifth in DMR (12:39.48) ... Liberty League Championships: Won mile (4:56.79) and 800m (2:17.39) … Set Liberty League Championship Meet records in both ... Ran 9:44.44 in 3000m to break own school record of 9:57.76 from earlier in season ... Academic All-District First Team … Capital One National Academic All-America First Team … 2012: Liberty League Championships: Third-place, DMR (13:03.23) … Fourth in 800 (2:28.70) … NYSCTC Championships: Fifth, 800 Meter (2:23.88), 4x800 (10:06.55) and DMR (12:57.77) …
2013 Outdoor: Liberty League Championships: Second, 1500 (4:53.70) and 800 (2:22.06) ... NYSCTC Championships: Second, 1500m (4:37.99) ... Fourth, 800m (2:17.58) ... Liberty League All-Academic … 2012 outdoor: Liberty League Championships: Third, 1500-meter run (4:54.37) … NYSCTC Championships: Fourth, 1500-meter (4:48.19) … ECAC Championships: Sixth, 4x800 relay (9:37.34) … Liberty League All-Academic … 2011: NYSCTC Championships: Fourth, 1500m (4:51.31) … 2010: Liberty League Championships, third, 1500-meter (4:54.48) and 800-meter (2:23.78) … NTSCTC Championships, third, 800-meter (2:22.11) …
Swimming & Diving: Participated in 2009-10, 2010-11 & 2012-13 …
Leopold L. Balleisen Prize as Rensselaer senior student-athlete who has won a varsity letter in at least one sport during two undergraduate years and who stands highest academically in the senior class.
MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Ryan Haggerty (Stamford, CT / U.S. National Development Program) – Hockey
Junior … Forward … Played 35 games ...First on team with 28 goals and 43 points ... Had 15 assists ... Thirteen penalties for 42 minutes ... Team-high 10 power play goals and six game-winning goals ... Eight multiple-goal games … One hat trick … Among national leaders in goals per game (2nd), power play goals (5th), game-winning goals (5th) and points per game (15th) … ECAC Hockey Player of the Week 2x ... ECAC Player of the Month for October ... All-ECAC Hockey First Team ... National All-America East Second Team ... Team's Most Valuable Player ... Signed multi-year free agent contract with NY Rangers.
FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Meg Colitz (Greenwich, RI / LaSalle Academy) – Lacrosse
Senior … Captain … Midfield … Started all 18 games ... Scored 49 goals with 17 assists for 66 points … Had 86 shots, including 71 on goal … Three free-position goals and four game-winners … Scored 100th career goal … Had 23 ground balls, seven caused turnovers and 10 draw controls … Thirteen multiple-goal games, including one with eight and another with six … Multiple points in all but four games … Liberty League Performer of the Week 2x … All-Liberty League First Team … All-Region First Team … Liberty League All-Academic … Team MVP.
MALE FRESHMAN ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Breanainn McNeally (Severna Park, MD / Archbishop Spaulding) – Lacrosse
Attack … Started all 16 games ... Set school freshman record and team-high with 44 goals … Had 17 assists and 61 points ... Led Liberty League with 3.81 points per game … Took 98 shots with 71 on goal ... Four game-winning goals and three man-up goals ... Registered 21 grounds balls and one caused turnover ... All-Liberty League First Team.
FEMALE FRESHMAN ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Mogan Kollmeier (Kennett Square, PA / Kennett) – Softball
Outfielder … Third on team with .346 batting average with club-high 12 doubles, a home run, 29 runs scored and 18 runs batted in … Had a.456 slugging percentage and .419 on-base percentage … Was 9 for 10 on stolen base attempts … Fifteen multi-hit games … Two six-game hitting streaks … Liberty League Rookie of the Week 1x … All-Liberty League Second Team.
MARVIN ANDERSON MEMORIAL AWARD
Leslie DeLano – Women's Lacrosse
Team finished 13-5 … Won third straight Liberty League regular season title with first ever 9-0 mark in conference play … Won third straight Liberty League Tournament … Played in NCAA Tournament for third straight season … Fell at Fredonia State in Second Round … Others losses to Oneonta (6-5), Gettysburg (14-9), Middlebury (11-8) and Williams (13-6) … Team won seven straight games at one point and five in a row at another … Four All-Liberty League First Team selections (2 seniors, 2 juniors) … One All-League Second Team choice (junior) … One Honorable Mention (junior) … Three All-Region honorees (2 seniors, 1 junior).
