Six Sagehens Receive Major Sports Awards
2009
Six Pomona-Pitzer athletes were awarded the program's major sports awards in a campus ceremony on May 6, 2009. Senior Drew Hedman (baseball) and junior Siobhan Finicane (tennis) were named Most Valuable Athlete, senior Cameron Taylor (soccer/tennis) and junior Claire McGroder (soccer/track) were awarded for Athletic Excellence, and senior Kevin Kelley (football) and senior Becca Lange (tennis) were named Scholar-Athlete.
Most Valuable Athlete Award: This honor is achieved by an athlete who has contributed most to the intercollegiate program. Without their presence, the specified team and entire athletic program would not have attained the same level of recognition. These awards are presented to the outstanding female athlete and to the outstanding male athlete.
Drew Hedman is a four-year starter and two-year captain for the
baseball team. Hedman was named SCIAC athlete of the Week once in
2009, and is currently ranked nationally in the following
categories: Home Runs (1st), Runs Batted In
(1st), Batting Average (2nd), Runs
(4th), Hits (2nd), Slugging Percentage
(1st), Total Bases (2nd). In addition, Hedman
is batting .537, with 17 HRs, 56 RBIs in 28 games.
Siobhan Finicane has dominated Division III women's tennis nationally, regionally and in the SCIAC conference for the past three years. A three-time SCIAC Player of the Year, Finicane is currently ranked first in the nation in singles and third in doubles. The 2008 National Singles Champion, Finicane is currently 12-1 in singles and 11-0 in doubles.
Athletic Excellence Award: This honor is earned by an athlete who has demonstrated outstanding performance while participating in more than one intercollegiate sport. The award is presented to a woman and/or man.
Cameron Taylor has been a soccer team leader for four years in both the defender position and as an attacking wide player. On the tennis squad, Taylor went from #7 singles to #1 singles in one season. As a junior, Taylor became the programs first finalist at the prestigious Ojai Tournament. A three-time Academic All-American, Taylor compiled a 15-12 overall record as a junior, and ranked top-8 in the region and top-20 in the nation, along with earning All American honors in singles.
Claire McGroder has been a major contributor to the women's soccer and track and field programs. In soccer she has been a starting defender in almost every game over the last three years. In the 2008 season, she anchored the second-best defense in SCIAC. She was awarded First Team All-Conference and Second Team All-West Region. In track and field, McGroder is a terrific sprinter who ranked on the 2009 SCIAC top-10 lists in the 100m, 200m, and 400m. At the SCIAC Championships, McGroder won the 400m and took second in the 200m. McGroder's 400m time of 56.65 won by over 1.5 seconds, and is the fastest time run at the SCIAC Champs since 2003. The time is also a sixth-fastest nationally on the lists for May's National Championships in Ohio. Her 400m time is the #3 all-time mark in school history. In the 200m, McGroder has run 25.92, which is second-fastest in SCIAC and the #4 all-time mark in school history. In addition, the junior ran second leg on the #2 400 meter relay team that ran a season's best 49.01 (the #3 time in school history) as well as the leadoff leg of the #3 1600m relay team that ran 4:03.03 (the #6 time in school history).
Scholar Athlete Award: This honor is earned by an athlete who has demonstrated outstanding performance both academically and athletically. This person must be a junior or a senior, and would usually receive conference or higher recognition. Oftentimes this person would be the MVP or Captain of his or her team. The award is presented to a man and/or woman. A minimum of a 10.00 (Pomona) or 3.30 (Pitzer) GPA is required.
Senior football player Kevin Kelley finished third in the nation in Pass Receptions and Pass Yards in his senior season. A First Team All-Conference selection, Kelley led SCIAC in receiving and yardage and broke a number of football team records. Academically, Kelley holds an 11.61 (on a 12-point scale) GPA in his dual major of Chemistry and Physics. He was recently named as one of only nine football players in the country to earn an NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship. Kelley scored in the 99th percentile on the MCAT test.
Becca Lange is a three-time All-American and three-time Academic All American in tennis. She has won numerous ITA Regional awards, including Rookie Player of the Year, Player to Watch, and Arthur Ashe Sportsmanship and Leadership. A senior Economics major, Lange holds a 10.8 GPA (on a 12-point scale). She currently is ranked fifth in West Region singles, and has earne d SCIAC First Team honors four years in a row.
