ROHNERT PARK, Calif- Senior soccer stars Brook Johnson and Lindsay Catton took home top honors on Thursday night at The Wolfies, presented by Outback Steakhouse. Formerly known as Sonoma State University's Student-Athlete Award Night, The Wolfies honored the best and the brightest from the 2009-10 season.
Johnson, a four-year member of the Sonoma State soccer team, earned First Team All-CCAA and All-West Region honors in 2009. An All-American goalkeeper as a junior, Johnson will leave SSU as the school's all-time leader in wins, shutouts, and saves.
A four-year starter for the Sonoma State women's soccer team, Catton was a two-time All-American defender. She started all 78 games of her career and led the team in scoring as a junior and senior, despite playing a defensive position.
Alan Grady, another four-year member of the men's soccer team, won the Ralph Barkey Most Inspirational Student-Athlete Award. He was a member of four CCAA North Division Champion squads in his time at SSU.
The Dr. William K. Crowley Student-Athlete Academic Achievement Award went to two athletes, Rikki Buckshnis of volleyball and Stuart Gallant of men's soccer. While both were
ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District choices, Buckshnis became the only athlete in school history to win the honor three times.
The Dr. Rand Link Student-Athlete Leadership Award was given to Jen Russo of the women's basketball team. A four-year contributor, Russo was the president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (S.A.A.C.) as a senior.
Male and Female Freshman of the Year honors went to three-point specialist Will Olsem of men's basketball and pitching phenom Julianne Martinez of softball.
Slugger Max Shupe of baseball and All-American Keala Peterson of volleyball were honored with Male and Female Newcomer of the Year honors, respectively.
Seawolf Spirit Awards were given to Jesse Talaugon of softball and Scott Gaynor of men's tennis. They were cited for their dedication, loyalty, sportsmanship, community service, and competitiveness in the spirit of the Seawolves.
For their all-out effort, 110% Awards were handed out to Casey Dayton of men's soccer and Tracy Webster of women's soccer.
The Sonoma State Athletic Training Office recognized Simone Brandalise of softball and Ash Arnott of men's basketball with their Determined Student-Athlete Awards. They were commended for their hard work in overcoming injuries.
The Sonoma State Alumni Association Most Outstanding Student-Athlete Awards went to Jesse Talaugon of softball and Scott Gaynor of baseball.
For their academic achievements, Brook Johnson of men's soccer and Lindsay Brown of volleyball were picked for the CCAA's Dr. Hal Charnofsky Awards.
Director's Awards for athletic excellence were awarded to Stephanie Barnes (women's basketball), Patrick Bauer (men's golf), Katie Bolce (cross country), Simone Brandalise (softball), Ashley Britton (softball), Lindsay Brown (volleyball), Brittany Carrera (women's golf), Jessica Harris (women's tennis), Spencer Heller (women's golf), Kyle Jones (baseball), Connor Olson (men's tennis), Steven Pratt (men's basketball), Laurel Stricklin (water polo), and Cory Taufer (men's soccer).
Several other light-hearted awards, dubbed "Wolfies" were also dished out, including best mugshot (Stuart Gallant, men's soccer), best hair (Matthew French, basketball), and best team warm-up (men's basketball).
