Varsity Club Appreciation Award - Pat Pierce
Competitive Spirit Award - Monica Davy
Impact Player Award - Sarah Allen
Impact Player Award - Rachael Leonard
Leadership Award - Adele Edmonds
Mary Ellen Smith Academic and Athletic Achievement Award - Elizabeth Preister
Don Miller Belles Spirit Award - Erin Maloney
Marvin Wood Outstanding Senior Athlete Award - Kate Kelly
Competitive Spirit Award - Monica Davy
Presented in recognition of demonstrated passion and love for the sport through work-ethic, desire to succeed, and commitment to teammates.
Monica Davy's intensity and competitiveness are unmistakable. She brings a fire and passion to the court each time she laces up her shoes to compete. Fist pumps are second nature to her, as are her rallying cries of "LET'S GO!". And while she may put the weight of the world on her own shoulders at times as the team’s number one singles player, she knows that supporting teammates is paramount to the success of the Belles.
Monica has left her mark both on and off the court for the tennis program. She has competed in nearly 190 singles and doubles matches over the past four seasons. Since 2016, she has only played at the one doubles flight and has almost exclusively played one or two singles. Monica never had a losing record in doubles play and had nearly 90 wins combined in singles and doubles in four years for the Belles. In addition to her success, the team has compiled over 50 wins in the past four seasons. The Belles have earned a spot in the top-four MIAA Tournament in each year Monica has been on the team. Last spring, she and sister Megan had a big 9-8 (7-4) one doubles win against Kalamazoo for the Belles' first conference win over the Hornets in ten years.
Monica's efforts did not go unnoticed by her opposition in conference play. She was a First Team All-MIAA selection in 2018 and a Second Team honoree in 2016, 2017, and 2019. She is just the sixth player in program history to garner First or Second Team All-MIAA accolades in each of her four seasons.
Monica has been one of the leaders to have an impact on the team’s culture through her passion and love of the game of tennis. Giving your best was always the expectation with Monica; and she helped hold her teammates to that same expectation of maximum effort. That was evident in every match. She was a "program changer" for Saint Mary’s Tennis, and it all started because her competitive spirit changed the way she and her teammates approached contests. She always stepped on the court expecting to win, and she was going to fight as hard as she could to make that happen. That sheer will to win no matter what was contagious. Since day one, Monica has been a true competitor.
A native of Morris, Illinois, Monica is the daughter of Eric and Sara Davy. She will earn her degree with a major in communication studies with minors in public relations and advertising as well as sociology. She then plans to work in events and hospitality for Vagabond Cruise in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. We are proud to present the 2019 Competitive Spirit Award to Monica Davy.
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Impact Player Award - Sarah Allen
Presented to the senior athlete who elevates the intensity and focus of a game beyond what statistics can measure.
Maya Angelou said, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Sarah Allen is one of those people that you will never forget. To simply say that she has a presence, is an understatement. Her presence has impact.
She brings life, energy, and laughter to any situation. Sarah uplifts everyone around her and motivates teammates to succeed. She is highly encouraging and marvelously witty. Sarah gave her team and this department an example of what hard work, intrinsic motivation, and determination to compete looks like. After working through painful chronic injuries, Sarah made the decision to sit out her junior season on the cross country team in order to focus her energy on getting healthy.
This was tough news for the coaching staff and her teammates to hear. They had a good sense of the pain that she was enduring and wanted her to be well; but, a team without Sarah Allen was hard to imagine! The team dynamic influenced by her is fun, connected, and cohesive. A team without her, sorely misses out on all the joy and wisdom she brings to the squad. To sit out a year of competition and expect to come back your senior season in race-shape is a pretty daunting task.
Sarah has never been one to be intimidated by a challenge. She rose confidently to meet this one as she has met others in her life. She approached the road to recovery with poise and good sense balancing out her running and training with appropriate rest; and, it paid off. Sarah came back her senior year to have the best season of her collegiate career.
Sarah’s best times from her first two seasons were 21:06 for the 5k and 24:45 in the 6k. Despite the year off of competition, she came back her senior year and ran a 20:22 and a 24:16 respectively. She went from never scoring for the team, to scoring in the last five meets of her career. As she had done her first two seasons with the Belles, she once again made the cut to participate in regionals; however, her senior season was different. She was a scorer!
Even members of the team that had no history with Sarah recognized and appreciated the value and strength that she brings to this team and named her co-captain upon her return. She is that teammate that weaves together and connects the many personalities running side-by-side into a one cohesive group. Her commitment and follow through to return as the strongest, healthiest runner that she could be impacted this team in an incredible manner.
Teammate Katie Glenn has this to say about Sarah, "In a way that is humble and unassuming, Sarah has always brought so much positivity and life into a room. When she had to sit out a season because of injuries, it became all too apparent how important her presence is to our team. She has a way of making you fired up and inspired to compete one minute, and then making you laugh so hard you cry, or roll your eyes at her puns, the next. Her presence is palpable, and our team has been closer, stronger, smarter, and maybe a little louder and crazier, because of her."
A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Sarah is the daughter of Michael and Kathryn Allen. She will earn a double major in political science and history. She then plans to pursue a master’s degree in peace and conflict resolution from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. We are proud to present the 2019 Impact Award to Sarah Allen.
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Impact Player Award - Rachael Leonard
Presented to the senior athlete who elevates the intensity and focus of a game beyond what statistics can measure.
Playing defense in any sport is hardly a glamourous choice. It takes grit, determination, and resilience. Oftentimes, individual accolades or statistics are few and far between. But good defense to any team is crucial to its success. Players who lead on defense elevate the team above themselves and bring a much-needed level of intensity. Rachael Leonard has been one such player whose impact on the lacrosse team far surpasses any individual accolade.
A two-time team captain, Lenny has continued to develop into one of the best defensive players in the MIAA. Her season totals in caused turnovers and ground balls has increased steadily each year she has been on the team. Comparing her freshman year to this year, she has more than doubled both season totals in those statistics. Conversely, the opposition’s goal totals have decreased over the past few years as Lenny has grown as both a player and a leader for the Belles. It is no mistake that Lenny and her example on defense had a direct impact to the Belles giving up fewer and fewer goals each season over the past three years.
Her efforts and impact have been noticed and recognized by the other coaches in the MIAA. She is a three-time All-MIAA First Team honoree. Only three defenders are selected for the first team honor. She joins just one other player in MIAA women’s lacrosse history as having earned first team honors as a defender in three consecutive seasons. Lenny is third all-time in program history in both career ground balls and caused turnovers. Additionally, she has set the single-game school record for ground balls in a game and caused turnovers in game.
As a team captain, her impact on her teammates goes well beyond any statistic. Her exceptional work ethic, loyal dedication to her teammates, and unwavering passion for our lacrosse program have been just as important to the program’s success as her defense on the field. Lenny’s leadership on and off the field – especially her approachability and the strong example she sets – has helped foster a team culture that emphasizes the importance of each teammate. She has helped forge the way for those who will follow her as her impact will continue beyond these past four years.
A native of Hendersonville, Tennessee, Rachael is the daughter of Ed and Kathleen Leonard. She will earn her degree with a major in biology and minors in neuroscience and psychology. She plans to take a year and work before attending physician assistant school in the fall of 2020. We are proud to present the 2019 Impact Award to Rachael Leonard.
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Leadership Award - Adele Edmonds
Presented for outstanding leadership, commitment, and dedication.
Reading resumes from our student-athletes, one will often see the following titles listed under positions of leadership: team captain, vice president, committee chair, executive board member, club president, tutor, "Big Sister" peer mentor. What one does not often see is all of these positions on one person's resume. Meet Adele Edmonds.
The sheer number of leadership positions Adele has held while a student here is impressive; but, what is most impressive is not the number, but the manner in which she leads. She leads with poise, integrity and confidence. Her leadership is driven by her desire to serve.
She lives out the mission of a Holy Cross education by responding to the needs of others through the organizations that she has chosen to be involved in. Adele is the president of Belles for Africa, the vice president for the Student Nurses Association, and is on the executive board for Dance Marathon. In these roles, she has served as an organizer, a fundraiser, and an advocate.
As a nursing major, she is a leader in her field. She is a tutor in Microbiology and Foundations of Nursing. She was very recently awarded the Sister Olivia Hutcheson Award for Service in the Health Field for her work as a provider and advocate at the Health Clinic in Uganda. She co-authored a poster presentation titled, "Implementing Data Analytics Technology for Vital Statistic Evaluation in Uganda" and presented it at the Midwest Nursing Research Society in Kansas City, Missouri as well as at the College’s annual research symposium.
Her leadership reach has been extensive through her involvement on both the Student Activities Board and in her role as a peer mentor in the athletic department's Big Sister program. Adele has been a part of this program for the past three years guiding and encouraging first-year student-athletes from a variety of teams.
As a two-year captain on the cross country team, she has established a positive team culture and modeled a true dedication to her training through her strong work ethic. Adele has been a four year scorer. She led the team as the first Belle across the finish line in every race of the 2017 season as well as twice as a senior. As a top five finisher for the team, she has made the cut each year of her career to represent Saint Mary's at regionals and has also been a scorer at the regional meet each of those years.
A native of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Adele is the daughter of Bentley and Lisa Edmonds. She will earn her degree with a major in nursing and a minor in biology. She plans to work as a clinical nurse in the medical surgical department at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. We are proud to present the Leadership Award to Adele Edmonds.
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Mary Ellen Smith Academic and Athletic Achievement Award - Elizabeth Preister
Presented for outstanding academic and athletic achievement and future promise as a Saint Mary's graduate.
Mary Ellen Smith served as our Dean of Students from 1986 – 1992. She was a dedicated leader, educator and avid supporter of all students during her tenure at Saint Mary's. She was especially supportive of the athletic department and of all student-athletes. Every student-athlete knew Mary Ellen. She was at our home events, award banquets, fundraisers, and would even assist in driving our teams to away contests. Through Mary Ellen's leadership and commitment to improving the athletic experience, she advocated for and oversaw the transition to our move from NAIA to NCAA Division III. Mary Ellen Smith passed away suddenly on June 1, 2015. To ensure that her contributions to Saint Mary’s College Athletics will not be forgotten, we have re-named our academic and athletic achievement award in her honor.
Elizabeth Preister has amassed quite an impressive amount of success both on the tennis court and in the classroom over the past four years. During her athletic career, she had at least 12 wins in singles competitions in each of her four seasons. She is on a short list of players over the past ten years to have collected more than 50 wins in singles. Liz boasts a 59-13 singles record, winning more than 80 percent of the time she stepped onto the court for singles play.
In her first season, she did not play a doubles match for the Belles. As the years progressed, Liz worked her way into becoming a key contributor to the doubles lineup for Saint Mary's. In her final three seasons, Liz won 37 times in doubles play – 30 of those wins came in her junior and senior years alone. She was instrumental to wins over perennial conference powers Calvin and Kalamazoo in the last two seasons.
Academically, Liz's accomplishments speak for themselves. Named one of the Class of 2019's valedictorians, she boasts a 4.0 grade point average. As such, she has been on the Dean's List every semester and will be a four-time MIAA Academic Honor Roll honoree. She has been part of the DeciBelles Research Group through Saint Mary's to help gauge the effectiveness of language therapies on patients with Down syndrome while also analyzing the portrayal of autism in television shows and movies. Liz has also been part of the orchestra and women's liturgical choir at Notre Dame.
A native of Columbus, Nebraska, Elizabeth is the daughter of Alan and Carolee Preister. She will graduate from Saint Mary’s with a degree in communicative sciences and disorders. She then plans to pursue a master's degree in speech and language pathology from the University of Nebraska Lincoln. We are proud to present the 2019 Mary Ellen Smith Academic and Athletic Achievement Award to Elizabeth Preister.
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Don Miller Belles Spirit Award - Erin Maloney
Presented to the person who best exemplifies the winning spirit of the College's athletic programs.
In 2008, the Belles Varsity Club Award was re-named the Don Miller Belles Spirit Award in his honor as a longtime math professor and assistant softball coach for the Belles. His life was taken by pancreatic cancer, but his legacy lives on through the many lives he touched both in the classroom and on the softball field. Coach Miller displayed true dedication and passion for Saint Mary's College and her Belles. This award is presented each year at the Senior Athlete Awards Reception to the student-athlete who best exemplifies the winning spirit of the athletic program.
Erin Maloney's winning spirit was evident from the day that she walked in through the doors of Angela Athletic Facility. At that time though, we had no idea what an impact this quiet and humble first-year student-athlete would end up having on her team and this department throughout her four years with us.
She came into a basketball program that was struggling for wins. She also came into a building that was about to undergo a transformation. While not all student-athletes would have the fortitude and will to continue, Erin saw excitement and opportunity in both!
It would take a student-athlete with an incredible winning spirit to inspire her teammates to continue to train and play through construction. It would have been far too easy to use the excuse that we did not have courts or a real weight room during the transition to the new Angela Athletic & Wellness Complex. Erin does not use excuses. She finds solutions. She and fellow senior, Caroline Macius, worked with Holy Cross College in the off-season seeking permission to play in their gym. They would encourage their teammates to join them for workouts in the basement of Regina which served as our interim fitness center. In fact, she did not even let the excuse of an injury prevent her from giving everything she had for her team. During her junior year with a shoulder that needed surgery, she led the conference in steals and was third in assists. Surgery happened after the season.
Her talent on the basketball court has earned this two-year captain places in our record books and a starting position all four-years for the Belles. Her winning spirit shines through in how she plays, but especially in how she leads. Her sophomore year, the team needed her at the point guard position. Since it was in the best interest of the team, she made the move. This is how Erin operates: the needs of the team are always ahead of her own. She is one of the purest examples of servant leadership that this department has ever seen. As our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) President, Erin once again put the needs of the committee first. Due to several schedule conflicts, the vote for the new executive committee had to be delayed. Erin stayed on to serve an extended term with no complaints. Her commitment to her fellow athletes to keep SAAC going strong was another lesson imparted to her underclasswomen as an example of true leadership.
It is by no accident that the basketball program has seen steady improvement and had its best finish since 2012! It is through Erin's hard work, commitment, leadership and especially her winning spirt that she leaves this basketball program and our department in a better place.
A native of Elmhurst, Illinois, Erin is the daughter of John and Susan Maloney. She will graduate from Saint Mary's with major in business administration in accounting with a concentration in finance. We are proud to present the 2019 Don Miller Belles Spirit Award to Erin Maloney.
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Marvin Wood Outstanding Senior Athlete Award - Kate Kelly
Presented to the outstanding senior athlete.
In 2000, the athletic department named the Outstanding Senior Athlete Award in honor of Coach Marvin Wood. Coach Wood was an outstanding former basketball coach who finished out his career at Saint Mary's College. His commitment, passion, and love for his athletes through the years inspired the nationally acclaimed movie, "Hoosiers" which highlighted the Cinderella basketball success story early in his coaching career. Coach Marvin Wood’s former athletes say his passion, faith, dedication and commitment to his players made their athletic experience at Saint Mary’s a truly fulfilling and lifelong treasure for each of them. This year's recipient is the type of athlete that Coach Wood would have been proud of!
When you have almost completely re-written the record book for your sport, it should come as no surprise that the description of "outstanding senior athlete" should be put next to your name. That very much is the case for Kate Kelly.
The sheer quantity of Kate's career stats for the Saint Mary's lacrosse team is staggering. 180 career goals. 98 assists. 278 points. 160 caused turnovers. 327 ground balls. 386 draw controls. She scored a goal almost 43 percent of the time she shot the ball. She holds the top two highest single-season assist totals in program history. In fact, her highest single-season total for assists is 18 more than the next closest person not named Kate. She set new single-season records for ground balls and draw controls in her senior season, and she scored at least one goal in 65 games of her career. If you were to look up the top ten places in school history for draw controls in a game, you would only see Kate Kelly's name listed.
Kate was twice named MIAA Offensive Player of the Week and was an MIAA Defensive Player of the Week twice. She is only the second player in conference history to earn each player of the week accolade twice. To add to the lengthy list of things Kate has accomplished, she is the first player in program history to be named All-MIAA in each of her four years. Kate was a vital part of a 2019 season which saw the Belles outscore their conference opponents 152-61, go undefeated in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association play, and win the program's first MIAA Championship.
An even more important part of Kate's narrative, however, is that it has never been about her own success. Yes, she has amassed an impressive resume of records over the past four seasons. To her, it has always been about the team. She has done whatever she has needed to do to put her team in the best position to win. And the Belles have done just that. She has ushered in a new era for the Belles Lacrosse team – one where winning is expected, championships are possible, and dreams can be shaped into reality.
A native of Orland Park, Illinois, Kate is the daughter of John and Aishling Kelly. She will earn her degree with a major in nursing and a minor in biology. She plans to work as a registered nurse in Chicago before furthering her education. We are proud to present the 2019 Marvin Wood Outstanding Senior Athlete Award to Kate Kelly.
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