April 30, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Carole Grills
(413) 585-2703

Smith Athletes Honored at Annual Sports Banquet

Northampton, MA: Over 250 Smith student-athletes, coaches, administrators and guests were in attendance last night at the Department of Athletics annual awards banquet. Guest speaker, Victoria "Tori" Murden McClure '85, opened the festivities and received a standing ovation and cheers of appreciation at the conclusion of her "Ten Commandments for Women in Sport."

During the evening all senior athletes were recognized for their accomplishments and received awards from their respective coaches.  Videos from the three sport seasons were interlaced among the special awards and a seniors recognition video concluded the banquet.  The special awards segment of the evening was opened by President Carol Christ who presented the cross-country team with the Team Academic Award.  The harriers, who have taken this honor three times over the past seven years, had fourteen athletes combine for a cumulative grade point average of 3.522, the highest among Smith's fourteen teams.  Coaches Suzanne Payne and Christine Davis followed with the presentation of the Senior Scholar Athlete Award given to the senior with the highest grade point average.  This year's recipient, Lauren Pierce (Asheville, NC), was four-year member and captain of the field hockey team.  She received the Seven Sisters Scholar Athlete Award, was a three-year selection to the NEWMAC Academic All Conference team and a member of the NFHCA Academic Team. A government major with a minor in Latin American Studies, Pierce leaves Smith with a 3.96 cumulative grade point average.

Swimming and Diving coach, Kim Bierwert and field hockey coach, Jaime Ginsberg received the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Coach of the Year Award.  Created in 2003 by the SAAC, coaches are nominated by their players and voted upon by the entire SAAC group.

Student-athletes from each class, including two sophomores, were recognized for their standout athletic performances.  Nominated by coaches and voted upon by the entire department, the First Year, Sophomore, Junior and Senior Athletes of the Year awards were presented to Lily Seidman '11 (Westfield, IN), Megan Kiefer '10 (Oak Park, IL), Etta Grover-Silva '10 (Arcata, CA), Nora Youngs '09 (Penacook, NH) and Shanti Freitas '08 (Evanston, IL).

Etta Grover-Silva, Lily Seidman, Shanti Freitas, Lauren Pierce, Megan Kiefer

Lily Seidman of the swimming & diving team placed first in 19 out of 23 races, was second twice and third three times over the course of the season.  She earned All Seven Sisters Swimming & Diving honors and was second team All NEWMAC.  Three sport athlete Megan Kiefer, cross-country, basketball and softball, played in 19 basketball games and in softball, led the team in at bats (125), runs (36), hits (53), doubles (15), home runs (7), RBI's (26) and stolen bases (15-for-16).  She was named to the NEWMAC Softball All Conference Second Team.  Trackster Etta Grover-Silva set the Smith record in the pole vault; earned Indoor New England III and Open New England All Conference honors; was the ECAC Indoor Champion in the pole vault and placed 5th at the NCAA Indoor Championships earning All American honors.  In the outdoor season thus far, she earned NEWMAC All Conference Second Team honors.  NEWMAC Cross-Country Champion Nora Youngs received the Junior Athlete of the Year award.  In addition to her NEWMAC title, Youngs was the runner-up at the Seven Sisters Championship.  She was named for the third consecutive year to the Cross Country Coaches All Academic team based on her GPA (3.86) and impressive 40th Regional finish.  Senior diver Shanti Freitas received the Senior Athlete of the Year Award and was named Smith's NCAA Woman of the Year.  Freitas, who captained the swimming and diving team this year, set numerous records at Smith.  In 60 competitions throughout her career, she won 56 and was second in four.  She was the Seven Sisters Diving Champion on the 1m and 3m boards in 2005, 2006 and 2008.  She was NEWMAC All Conference First Team in 2006 and second team in 2005 and '08 on both boards.  Freitas qualified for Nationals three times and received All American honors all three years on both boards.  She holds five team records and the Seven Sisters records.  The NCAA Woman of the Year Award has three equally weighted components, athletic, academic and community service.  A sociology major and Education and Child Study minor, Freitas has a GPA of 3.75.  She was named a First Group Scholar in 2006, Dean's List in 2005 & '06 and an Academic All American in 2005, '06 & '08.  She received the Seven Sisters Scholar Athlete Award and was named to the NEWMAC Academic All Conference team in 2006 and 2008.  Freitas spent the second semester of her junior year in Ecuador working in the area of the culture and development of Ecuador.  Her independent student project focused on domestic violence and the indigenous community and women's strength and struggle to move forward.  She has been an active Athletic Association representative for four years and served on SAAC.  In 2005, she was Smith's delegate to the NCAA Leadership Conference.  Deeply involved in Best Buddies for four years, Shanti has organized many of the campuses Best Buddies events and has been a driving force in the development of the program at Smith.  She has served as the organizations treasurer and is currently the Associate Director.  Shanti is currently involved in the Connections after school program where she acts as a tutor and mentor for community children and she has taught in Smith's children's diving program for all four years.