May 26, 2005
EVANSTON, Ill. -- The Center Court Board of Directors held their season-ending awards function Wednesday night at the Hilton Garden Inn in Evanston, presenting their annual awards to some of Northwestern University's outstanding female athletes. Center Court is a booster group devoted to the women's athletic programs at Northwestern.
The Torch of Center Court Scholarship was awarded to junior Cristelle Grier (Epsom, England/Putney) from the tennis team. Grier played No. 2 singles for the Wildcats this year after two years at No. 1, but had another outstanding season in picking up All-Big Ten honors and qualifying for the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships. She finished the season with a 38-7 singles record, and to date has a 35-6 doubles mark with partner Audra Cohen. Grier and Cohen, in fact, won the ITA All-America Fall Championship in November. Northwestern won the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles again in 2005, and advanced to the NCAA Round of 16 earlier this month.
Senior field hockey player Candice Cooper (Winnetka, Ill./New Trier) was recognized as the Outstanding Senior Athlete. Cooper earned NFHCA second-team All-America and second-team All-Big Ten honors after scoring 21 goals this season for the 'Cats -- third on NU's single-season list, and more than she had in her first three years combined. Cooper also had four assists for 46 points, and graduates with 39 career goals (tied for seventh all-time) and 90 career points (tied for eighth all-time).
Senior Lauren Van Gieson (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley) from the fencing team was honored with the Jean Youngs Baddeley Spirit Award.Van Gieson -- who competed at the 2004 NCAA Championships -- rattled off 30 straight wins to open the season and posted a career-best season mark of 77-22, eclipsing the 200-win mark for career. She constructed a 10-5 mark at the Midwest Regional Championships, placing fifth, and tied for third at the Midwest Conference Championships to earn first team All-Midwest Conference honors.
Senior lacrosse standout Courtney Koester (Richmond, Ind./Richmond) was honored as the Center Court's Scholar Athlete, the second straight year she has received the award. Koester recently completed an improbable athletic journey at Northwestern -- she had never even seen the sport of lacrosse before her sophomore year, but was recruited to join the team along with her twin sister Ashley. The duo anchored a defense that led the country in goals-against average, and helped the Wildcats win the NCAA championship in just their fourth year as a varsity. NU finished the regular season 21-0. Courtney was an IWLCA first-team All-America this spring.
Seventeen other women were accorded senior recognition by Center Court: Brielle Bovee (swimming), Kate Darmody (lacrosse), Lauren Dunn (fencing), Julia Földi (fencing), Ashleigh Garmon (soccer), Ashley Gersuk (lacrosse), Carolyn Hack (soccer), Diana Hossfeld (cross country), Ashley Koester (lacrosse), Morgan Kuhn (field hockey), Donna McCann (lacrosse), Samantha McComb (basketball), Lesley Meade (cross country), Erin Mobley (softball), Christy Olin (swimming), Caroline Speirs (cross country), and Drew Robertson (volleyball). In addition, the cross country team was cited for having the highest combined team grade point average at 3.43.