Athletics Holds Third Hall of Fame/Student-Athlete Awards Ceremony

General | 4/29/2019 12:00:00 AM

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Goldey-Beacom College on Sunday once again had a great night of celebration by honoring its 2018-19 athletics season and welcoming its third class into the Athletics Hall of Fame.

GBC proudly inducted Stephanie Topolie and the 2005-06 Golf Team into the elite class. The ceremony at Deerfield Golf Club in Newark also was a chance to celebrate all 13 teams and the awards are listed below.

Topolie never competed in softball prior to her appearance in Pike Creek, but it was that sport in which she played four seasons and made an indelible mark primarily as a center fielder. Entering a College whose department only was in its eighth year, Topolie set the bar by graduating first in school history with 212 hits, 108 RBI, 10 home runs, 22 triples and 123 runs. She also was second with 48 doubles and seventh with a .414 batting average.

Her marks for hits, RBI, triples and runs remain school records.

Topolie's effort in softball helped her to be named a 2000 NAIA Scholar-Athlete, 2001 All-Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference and to the 2001 CACC All-Tournament Team. She played a big role in the 2001 unit ending second in the league and winning 17 conference games, both of which remain school records. Topolie also guided the 2000 squad to the CACC Tournament for the first time in team history.

Topolie also was part of the first women's basketball season in school history, averaging 12.1 points and 3.6 rebounds during the 2000-01 campaign. She also competed in volleyball for three seasons, being named All-CACC and to the CACC All-Tournament Team in 2000. While no known statistics can be found, others around her say Topolie never came off the court.

Competing in baseball prior to and since her college days, Topolie played for Canada in the Women's World Series and the Women's World Cup.

The 2005-06 golf squad played a massive role in the history of the department, which only was in its third year as a full NCAA Division II member. The Lightning ran away with the NCAA East Regional championship, becoming the first team in school history in any sport to win an NCAA Tournament event. The last of the squad's three victories that year saw GBC go wire-to-wire in the three-round event, winning by 24 shots.

That squad was highlighted by 2017 GBC Athletics Hall-of-Fame inductee Michael Tobiason, who won the regional with an 8-over-par 221 that included a 3-under-par 68 in the final round. Tobiason, a participant in the 2011 United States Open, won five titles in 2005-06 and averaged 74.83 for the season.

Steve Cutler also was a major part of that team by sharing the CACC individual title with Tobiason at 144. He averaged 77.40 that season over a personal-best 30 rounds, eventually closing with a 78.07 career average over 83 rounds and a school-best 136th national ranking in 2006-07.

Goldey-Beacom toward the end of the program took time to honor President Dr. Gary L. Wirt, who will retire after working at the College for 45 years. Gifts were presented to him that included a collage of the conference champions and winners of the CACC Sportsmanship Award during his time and an engraved chair was given to him by CACC Commissioner Dan Mara.

2018-19 Goldey-Beacom Athletics Awards

Men's Soccer
Legacy Award: Suhail Bismilla
Highest Team GPA: Suhail Bismilla

Women's Soccer
Most Valuable Player: Cliona Crammond
Coaches Award: Sophie Greenwood
Highest Team GPA: Rose Benjamin

Volleyball
Comeback Player: Lindsay Przywara
Most Valuable Player: Olivia Florence
Highest GPA for Female Student-Athletes: Lindsay Przywara

Men's Cross Country
Most Valuable Player: Jono Hooper
Coaches Award: Ronald Prescott
Highest Team GPA: Jono Hooper

Men's Track & Field
Most Valuable Player: Khalil Lau-Dickinson
Coaches Award: Aaron Easter
Highest Team GPA: Jono Hooper

Women's Cross Country
Most Valuable Player: Mary Ann Jones
Coaches Award: Chelby McCall
Highest Team GPA: Mary Ann Jones

Women's Track & Field
Most Valuable Player: Kayla Cook
Coaches Award: Alexia Cheriza
Highest Team GPA: Cara Jones

Men's Basketball
MVP: Corey Taite
Coach's Award: Mahir Johnson
Highest Team GPA: Corey Taite

Women's Basketball
Most Valuable Player: Tanner Turner-Rush
Coach's Award: Alanna Speaks
Highest Team GPA: Amanda McGrogan

Baseball
STRIKE Award: Brandon Abdul
STRIKE Award: Jake Trejo
Highest GPA for Male Student-Athletes: Trevor Jump

Softball
Most Valuable Player: Taylor Beres
Rookie of the Year: Kaisey Reed
Highest GPA for Female Student-Athletes: Dianna Gatto

Women's Tennis
Team Leadership Award: Manuela Cornejo
Most Improved Player: Ksenija Markovic
Highest Team GPA: Catarina Zheng

Men's Golf
MVP: Braden Wheeler
Coach's Award: Corbin Babyak
Highest Team GPA: Shea Murphy

Brian Conley Award Presented by NovaCare: Lindsay Przywara
President's Award: Manuela Cornejo
Female Most Valuable Player: Cliona Crammond
Male Most Valuable Player: Corey Taite

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