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June 17, 2010
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern University's N Club held its annual Senior Recognition Banquet Thursday night at the Hilton Orrington Evanston, inducting the senior class into the N Club while honoring several Wildcats for outstanding seasons and careers at Northwestern.
Following is a list of the awards bestowed at the banquet:
Northwestern's Big Ten Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year Nominee
Mike Kafka (Chicago, Ill./St. Rita) Football
The Jesse Owens and Suzy Favor awards are given annually to the outstanding male and female athletes in the Big Ten.
Kafka had to wait until his senior season to become the full-time starter at quarterback for Northwestern, but the Chicago native made the most of his opportunity. Kafka led the Wildcats to an 8-5 record and a berth in the New Year's Day Outback Bowl during the 2009 season, leading the Big Ten in passing yardage, total offense, completions, completion percentage and fewest interceptions thrown. He capped his career by throwing for a school-record 532 yards in one of the most riveting bowl games in NCAA history, a 38-35 overtime loss to Auburn.
Kafka holds the Northwestern single-game (83.3), single season (64.8) and career (64.1) marks for completion percentage. He also holds the Big Ten's single-game rushing record by a quarterback after racking up 217 yards on the ground against Minnesota in 2008.
Kafka ranks fourth in Big Ten history with a 64.1 completion percentage and was the first conference quarterback (and fifth overall) chosen in the 2010 NFL Draft when Philadelphia selected him in the fourth round. He was named the Offensive MVP of the 2010 East-West Shrine Game after leading the East team to a 13-10 come-from-behind victory with a game-winning touchdown drive in the waning seconds.
Northwestern's Big Ten Suzy Favor Female Athlete of the Year Nominee
Katrina Dowd (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown) Women's Lacrosse
The Jesse Owens and Suzy Favor awards are given annually to the outstanding male and female athletes in the Big Ten.
Dowd, the American Lacrosse Conference Player of the Year and IWLCA Attacker of the Year, tallied 77 goals and 33 assists on the year, and helped lead second-ranked Northwestern to a 20-2 record and a national runner-up finish. She ranked second nationally in points (110), goals and points per game (5.24) while sitting fourth in goals per game (3.67). Her 77 goals are the second-highest single-season total in program history while her 110 points rank fourth and her 33 assists rank seventh among the season lists.
A Tewaaraton Award and Honda Lacrosse Award finalist, Dowd finishes her Northwestern career as one of the top all-around players in Wildcat history. She became the 10th member of the Northwestern 200-point club, sitting at sixth all-time with 267. Dowd also ranks fourth in Wildcat history in goals (209) and is tied for ninth in assists (58). One of the top all-around players in the country, she ranks eighth in program history in ground balls (113), caused turnovers (57) and draw controls (83).
Big Ten Medal of Honor Recipients
Mark Blades (Lakewood, Ohio/St. Ignatius) men's soccer
Lauren Lui (Houston, Texas/Kinkaid) women's tennis
The Big Ten Medal of Honor is given annually to one graduating male and female student-athlete of outstanding academic and athletic talent.
Blades became the first player in the history of the Wildcat men's soccer program to earn multiple All-America honors by virtue of his second-team selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) in 2009. A three-time All-Big Ten honoree, he was named a first-team all-conference selection and the Big Ten co-Defensive Player of the Year his senior year. He previously earned third-team All-America recognition as a junior in 2008.
Blades was a member of the most successful senior class in school history, guiding Northwestern to 52 victories while the group became the first in program history to qualify for the NCAA tournament all four years. The Wildcats twice advanced to the NCAA quarterfinal round, in 2006 and again in 2008. Blades was a candidate for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award and was named to the watch list for the Hermann Trophy which honors the nation's top collegiate soccer player. A psychology major, he was twice named Academic All-Big Ten.
Lui is a three-time All-Big Ten honoree and qualified for the NCAA Doubles Championship on three occasions, earning All-American status as a junior in 2009 when she advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals. She finished her career with a 127-44 overall singles record, including an outstanding 37-2 mark in Big Ten singles matches. Lui has been a crucial contributor on NU teams that won back-to-back ITA National Indoor Team championships and twice finished the season ranked No. 2 in the nation.
Off the court, Lui has been honored by the ITA on two occasions, first as the ITA National Sportsmanship Award recipient in 2009 and again as the Wilson/ITA National Promoter of the Year in 2010. A major in learning and organizational change, Lui is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
N Club Performance Awards
Sherrick McManis (Peoria, Ill./Richwoods) football
Danielle Spencer (Brighton, N.Y./Brighton) women's lacrosse
The N Club Performance Award is presented to one male and one female student-athlete in recognition of "spectacular and outstanding" athletic performance by a graduating senior and letter award winner.
McManis concluded his career ranked sixth on Northwestern's all-time interceptions list with nine and third on the Wildcats' career pass breakups list with 30. A team co-captain and All-Big Ten first team cornerback selection by the media in 2009, McManis was selected as Northwestern's Defensive MVP despite missing three games during the season with an injury. He finished the year with 37 tackles and a team-best five interceptions in 10 games played. McManis was selected in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans
Spencer closed her career having made her mark on the Northwestern record books. She ranks second in program history with 203 draw controls while her 238 career points rank seventh in program history and her 193 goals are sixth in the Wildcat record books. Spencer is a two-time IWLCA All-American, nabbing second team honors in 2009 and first team honors in 2010. In 2010, Spencer was the nation's leader in draw controls, winning 110 which is the third-highest single-season total in NCAA history. The Inside Lacrosse National Player of the Week on March 22, Spencer was named an American Lacrosse Conference first-team selection and was named to the ALC Championship all-tournament team as well as the NCAA all-tournament team.
N Club Achievement Award
Brad Phillips (Export, Pa./Franklin Regional) football
Nicole Pauly (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) softball
The N Club Achievement Award is given to the student-athletes who have exhibited the qualities of good citizenship, significant academic achievement and outstanding athletic performance.
Phillips played in 50 career games with 34 starts during his career in Evanston, becoming one of the top safeties in college football while compiling 257 tackles, eight forced fumbles and five interceptions in four seasons. As a senior, Phillips was named a first-team All-Big Ten selection after racking up 86 tackles (five for loss) and five forced fumbles in 2009. An incredible tough player, Phillips at one point in his career started in 28-straight games despite suffering a string of injuries during his four years. He also excelled in the classroom, earning three Academic All-Big Ten honors.
Pauly concluded her career ranked second all-time at Northwestern in runs scored (149) and third in home runs (53), RBIs (168), doubles (39) and total bases (391). A four-time All-Big Ten selection and the 2007 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Pauly was the starter at second base in all 215 games the Wildcats played during her tenure in Evanston. In the classroom, Pauly was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree. As a senior, she was selected as one of 10 finalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award for softball and was elected an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V second-team member.
Billy McKinney Award
Alex Sanborn (Houston, Texas/Kincaid) men's tennis
Chad Noble (Rockwall, Texas/Rockwall) baseball
The Billy McKinney Award is presented to the male student-athlete who has exhibited exemplary leadership qualities, constant (110 percent) effort, and a positive attitude that, in his coach's estimation, makes him a "coach's dream." McKinney is Northwestern's all-time leading scorer, netting 1,900 points for the men's basketball team from 1973-77. He went on to play nine years in the NBA.
A leader on and off the tennis court, Sanborn has been the captain of the men's tennis team since his sophomore season. As a junior he recorded a career-best 21 singles victories and led the team with 19 dual wins, spearheading a Northwestern squad that went from 0-10 in the Big Ten in 2008 to 6-4 in 2009, qualifying for its first NCAA Championship since 2005. As the lone senior in 2010, Sanborn recorded 11 more dual wins and provided invaluable leadership to a young NU team that reached as high as No. 36 in the national polls, its highest ranking in five years. He is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
"Alex has been the captain of our team for the last three years, doing everything for other guys on the team and putting the team ahead of his personal interests," men's tennis head coach Arvid Swan said. "Every day he is our hardest worker, playing wherever he is asked and always performing above his talent level. He certainly is the best student-athlete we have ever worked with."
A four-year starter at catcher, Noble was a steadying influence behind the plate for the Wildcats. As the only regular senior starter in the Northwestern lineup this season, he led the squad with 42 runs scored while ranking second on the team with a .355 batting average. A member of the watch list for the Johnny Bench Award, which honors the nation's top catcher, Noble threw out 47 percent of baserunners attempting to steal this year to rank in the top 10 nationally. He recently was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
"On a team filled with freshmen and sophomores, Chad did a tremendous job of providing senior leadership and showing his younger teammates the way," head coach Paul Stevens said. "His experience was a great asset to the team and he was our quarterback on the field. He displayed an outstanding work ethic and set a great example for his teammates."
Lisa Ishikawa Award
Genny Szymanski (Haines, Alaska/Haines) women's swimming
Whitney White (Wyckoff, N.J./Ramapo) women's fencing
The Lisa Ishikawa award is presented to a female student-athlete who has exhibited outstanding leadership ability and selfless dedication to team goals; Ishikawa's determination and positive attitude on the softball diamond led her to perform above and beyond the expected. She was the NCAA's single-season strikeout record-holder for nearly a decade, leading Northwestern to four-straight Big Ten titles and three-straight Women's College World Series from 1984-87.
Szymanski qualified for the NCAA Championships in her sophomore season at Northwestern when she broke a seven-year-old school record in the 200 backstroke to finish fourth at the Big Ten Championships. As a junior, she outdid herself by re-breaking her own record in the event by nearly a full second, placing sixth at the conference meet in the process. Szymanski scored points for Northwestern at the Big Ten Championships in all four of her collegiate seasons. She was named a co-captain prior to 2009-10, and is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten recipient.
"Genny is the consummate team leader in and out of the pool," women's swimming head coach Jimmy Tierney said. "She is a great role model for young women, giving her time to volunteering for others and for the team. Her actions and attitude inspire the rest of our team."
White capped her Northwestern career by being named both the sabre and overall team captain. White finished her career sixth all-time in the Wildcat sabre with 204 victories; her 65 wins as a senior were tied for the second-most among the sabre squad. White was a three-time NCAA Midwest Regional qualifier, placing sixth in 2010. She was a two-time second-team All-Midwest Conference choice as she notched her 200th career victory at the NCAA Midwest Regional, becoming just the sixth Wildcat sabreist to eclipse the milestone. A two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, White was the consummate team leader, serving as team captain for the past two years and was the fencing team's Sportsmanship Award nominee.
"Whitney is one of those dream athletes who not only listens and works hard, but is a natural born leader," said women's fencing head coach Laurie Schiller. "From the moment she stepped onto the team, she was doing everything she could to help her teammates get better, not just in terms of fencing skills, but in their preparation and their personal lives. No one listens better or works harder than Whitney.
Northwestern's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Recipients
Beth Marshall (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) women's basketball
Eric Metzler (Luxemburg, Wis./Luxemburg-Casco) wrestling
The Big Ten Sportsmanship award is given to one male and female student-athlete who displays exemplary sportsmanship and is a key contributor in the community.
After enduring two season-ending injuries and the death of her father, Marshall returned to the court as the 'Cats' floor general this season. The 5'5" guard assumed the role of team captain while supplying the squad an injection of heart, determination and hustle. The Fishers, Ind., native finished sixth in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio and led NU to its first postseason appearance in 13 years. Off the court, Marshall has taken an active role in representing the women's basketball program in the community, participating in the Autism Walk and Girl Scout Day while also participating in the Purple Mentor for the past three years.
A consummate leader and fighter for Northwestern, Metzler was a four-year starter and was elected captain of the Wildcat wrestling team three times in his career. He finished 14-12 overall in his senior campaign, placing at the Big Ten Championships for the first time in his career, and won a total of 46 matches over four seasons. Metzler repeatedly displayed his unmatched determination during his time at NU, overcoming severe neck and back injuries as well as adversity away from the mat to make his way back to the wrestling room.
Northwestern also announced its 2010 NCAA Woman of the Year candidate at the event. This award recognizes individual excellence in three areas: athletics, academics and community service. Up to two graduating seniors at each institution who participated in the 2009-10 academic year will be recognized as the "NCAA Women of the Year" and will automatically be eligible for state selection. Northwestern's nominee is Samantha Murray (Altrincham, England/Altrincham Grammar) from women's tennis, a four-time All-Big Ten honoree who recently became the third Wildcat in program history to qualify for the NCAA Singles Championship all four years she competed. Murray compiled a 133-45 career singles record and was a key contributor on Northwestern teams that won back-to-back ITA National Championships and three Big Ten titles.
Kyle Bertin (Cleveland, Ohio/St. Edward) of wrestling and Marshall of women's basketball were honored with the Director's Award, given annually to the male and female graduating student-athlete with the highest GPA. Volleyball's Ariel Baxterbeck (Menlo Park, Calif./Castilleja) and Blades addressed the group as the senior class' speakers at the event.
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