Varsity Club Appreciation Award - Sarah Miesle
Mary Fran Meekison '40 Service Award - Riley Swope
Competitive Spirit Award - Lindsey Herdsman
Impact Award - Rose Stackhouse
Impact Award - Sarah Frick
Composure Award - Mandi Hettinger
Mary Ellen Smith Academic and Athletic Achievement Award - Bridget Kane
Donald Miller Belles Spirit Award - Claudia Stiglitz
Marvin Wood Outstanding Senior Athlete Award - Sydney Hruskoci
For a full video replay of the 2022 Senior Athlete Awards ceremony, watch the event on our YouTube channel here.
Varsity Club Appreciation Award - Sarah Miesle
The Belles Varsity Club Appreciation Award is presented to a member of the Saint Mary's College community for extraordinary contribution to the Saint Mary's Department of Athletics.
We are so blessed in the athletic department to have such hard working and dedicated staff. The value of the student-athlete experience drives them to go above and beyond what is listed in their job description. No one on our staff expects to be rewarded for what they consider "just doing their job"; however, the extraordinary contribution through the quality of work and sheer magnitude of responsibilities that Sports Information Director (SID) Sarah Miesle juggles warrants recognition and deep gratitude.
Sarah manages the traditional SID duties – statistics, announcing, game recaps, press releases, social media posts, website updates, promotions, nominations, record books, photography, and live streaming duties, .... If this is not dizzying enough, she also creates and circulates a weekly newsletter, is our liaison with Varsity Club, screens the team music playlists, has NCAA compliance responsibilities, is a certified Green Dot trainer, and during COVID served as the contact tracer for the College. This is the sheer magnitude of responsibilities that I mentioned above.
Quality. If any of you have read one of Sarah's game recaps, you know what I mean. You feel as if you were there. She walks you through the competition highlights in vivid detail. She captures the excitement through her words. Sarah has done literally thousands of post competition recaps in her career with the Belles and each one is carefully crafted to honor the student-athletes, our opponents, and the sport itself. She is an excellent writer! In fact, she has been a three-time recipient of the MIAA Robin Hartman Writing Award which is a conference award created to honor outstanding writing in a sports information capacity. Sarah has been selected to receive this honor more than any other SID in our league.
It is Sarah's job to promote Belles' Athletics. When she took over the reins in 2008, she had little more than the Observer, hometown newspapers and, if we were really lucky, a shout out on the local television stations as her means to highlight Belles Athletics. We did not have an athletic website. We had some in-house webpages on the college's site. They were not exciting, inviting, or attractive to prospective student-athletes. This was what Sarah inherited.
The transformation that has occurred under Sarah's tenure as our sports information director is truly extraordinary! We now have a Presto-sports based, legitimate athletic website. All of the popular social media platforms are utilized and managed to promote our teams; and, we have live streaming! Sarah researched equipment and streaming options. She worked with campus partners and got it up and running at all of our sport venues so that our parents and fans from afar can enjoy Belles Athletics!
Through every means possible, Sarah has shined the spotlight on our Belles. Tonight, we turn the spotlight on her to thank her for all that she does and continues to do for Saint Mary's Athletics. It is with great pride that we award our 2022 Belles Varsity Club Appreciation Award for the extraordinary contributions that she has made to athletics to our Sports Information Director, Sarah Miesle.
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Mary Fran Meekison '40 Service Award - Riley Swope
Presented for extraordinary service to Saint Mary's College and the local communities.
Saint Mary's College Athletic Hall of Fame inductee Mary Fran Shaff Meekison graduated in 1940 – well before women had even close to the competitive opportunities that we enjoy today. As a student, she was a recipient of the Helen Holland Voll Trophy for athletic ability and character. After graduation, she remained dedicated to the Saint Mary's community as she served as a faithful class reporter for over sixty years and was a member of the Alumnae Board. In 1991, President William Hickey awarded her the prestigious President's Medal for her outstanding community service and contributions to Saint Mary's.
Just like Mary Fran Meekison found a way to be involved in every area that sparked an interest in her, Riley Swope has blazed a trail unlike any other. Riley's dedication to giving of her time and talent is demonstrated in how she has intertwined her passions in every facet of her life with ways to improve the lives of all who cross her path.
Before Riley even stepped onto campus, she was the co-founder and president of the Hamilton Chargers Distance Club, which provided summer programming for more than 80 runners in grades four through eight in her hometown area. In her first year on campus, she helped bring Girls on the Run to campus by serving as a coach in the spring semester. She fostered her love for running and her overall positivity with area girls who are taught about the power of confidence and self-worth through running. That summer, Riley worked as a summer school teacher with Holy Cross Ministries – a non-profit organization in Utah that responds to the underserved community’s need for health and well-being established by our founders, the Sisters of the Holy Cross.
In the spring of her sophomore year, Riley studied abroad in Spain. Before the pandemic caused her experience to be cut short, she took her opportunity to serve as an English as a Second Language teacher while working with preschool students. Always seeing the opportunity in every experience, Riley then founded and directed With Every Stride – an online community which provided daily inspiration for runners of all abilities and ages. Her vision was to empower people within this online community during the height of the pandemic and to help alleviate the stresses of the unknown.
Last year, she began providing one-on-one tutoring and ESL activities with elementary students at the Robinson Community Learning Center. She then spent the Summer of 2021 as a virtual English teacher with a Catholic school in Ecuador through the University of Notre Dame's International Summer Service-Learning Program. In September, she began serving as a Youth Program Coordinator at La Casa de Amistad in South Bend. In that role, she has taught more than a dozen English language learners twice a week as she continues to serve others.
Riley has worked to develop the confluence of her passions of running and teaching as she has been selected for a 2022-2023 Fulbright Teaching Assistant Award to Ecuador. While in Ecuador, in addition to teaching English, she will be developing a youth program focusing on running and empowerment.
A native of Sussex, Wisconsin, Riley is the daughter of Pam and Mike Swope. She will graduate with a degree in speech language pathology as well as minors in both English as a second language and Spanish. We are proud to present the 2022 Mary Fran Meekison Service Award to Riley Swope.
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Competitive Spirit Award - Lindsey Herdsman
Presented in recognition of the senior athlete who demonstrates the passion and love for sport by work ethic, desire to succeed, and commitment to teammates.
Passion. Work ethic. Desire to succeed. Commitment. It does not matter if you are watching a soccer game or a lacrosse game, it is evident to anyone who watches that Lindsey Herdsman embodies all of those characteristics every time she steps onto the field.
We were first introduced to Lindsey on the soccer field. She started in all 18 games of the season, assisted the game-winning goal at Defiance, added two assists in a win over Rockford, and played a key role defensively in four shutout victories. Lindsey continued to be a big contributor for the soccer team in her sophomore season with 14 more appearance, a hand in two more shutout wins, and helped close out a double-overtime tie after playing all 110 minutes against Olivet.
When the pandemic took her junior soccer season away, she wanted to do whatever she could to ensure that the lacrosse team did not lose a season due to fewer-than-usual players on the squad as a result of the uncertainty of COVID guidelines. So Lindsey set up a meeting with Coach Long and expressed how much it hurt to have her season cancelled and that she would do anything to prevent her friends on the lacrosse team from having that experience again. They agreed on a one-week trial period – Lindsey would come to practice and at the end of that week, they would discuss if it makes sense for her to continue with the team or not. At the end of that week, either one of the two could decide that it was not working and there would be no hurt feelings. After two days, Coach Long knew Lindsey was adding value to the team, and her competitiveness made her want to not just play lacrosse, but to be good at lacrosse. They never did have a conversation at the end of her first week. She went on to start every game, play a big role in the team's first-ever MIAA Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance, and was named as the team's Rookie of the Year.
Last fall, she started in each of the soccer team's 17 games of her senior year. She picked up an assist and helped the team to five shutout victories as the Belles won the most games in a season since the 2013 season. Lindsey was named as the team's Defensive Player of the Year. She also remained committed to the lacrosse team as she made all the team's activities that did not overlap with her soccer commitments.
Lindsey's hard work, desire to succeed, and passion for competing have continued to keep her on an upward trajectory of her young lacrosse career. As the team was still working to find its identity early in the year, Lindsey made an absolutely electrifying play in a game at North Central – a team that the Belles had not beaten before ever. She secured a ground ball on defense and broke through into the scoring column for the first time in her career as the she out-ran several players and beat the final defender for a breakaway goal less than a minute into the contest to set the tone for her entire team. In her coach's words - Lindsey has shown our team over and over again that we can do anything.
A native of Rockford, Michigan, Lindsey is the daughter of Betsy and Stephen Herdsman. She will graduate with a degree in speech language pathology and a minor in sociology. We are proud to present the 2022 Competitive Spirit Award to Lindsey Herdsman.
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Impact Award - Rose Stackhouse
Presented to the senior athlete who elevates the intensity and focus of a game.
It did not take long for those watching the Saint Mary's soccer team to know that Rose Stackhouse would be an impact player for the Belles. Her intensity from the moment she steps on to the soccer pitch has been undeniable and impossible to ignore. And that intensity has elevated the play and success of everyone around her.
If you were to look up just about any recap from her time on the team, you would almost certainly see her name in the same line as a scoring chance in the opening minutes of any game. She delivered a two-goal performance in her second game in a Belles uniform, and Rose needed less than 31 minutes in just her sixth official game of her career to tie the program mark for most goals in a game when she scored four in a solid win over Manchester. She finished the year with 12 goals – two of them game-winners – and became the first freshman since 2005 to score more than ten goals and lead the team in scoring in a season. Rose was named team MVP, Offensive MVP, and co-Rookie of the Year while also earning All-MIAA honors.
In her sophomore season, she continued to find success on the offensive end. She had multiple goals in three of the team's first four contests and garnered MIAA Offensive Player of the Week honors. Rose added a three-assist showing in a win over Defiance and ultimately finished the year with three game-winning goals. Rose was an All-MIAA selection for the second consecutive year while eclipsing 50 career points in just 35 games.
This past fall, she opened the year with at least two points in each of the team's first four games. Rose had the game-winner in back-to-back games, and she moved into fourth place in career goals, career assists, and third in career points in program history. Rose had four-game winning goals in the 2021 season as the Belles posted the most wins in a season since the 2013 campaign, and her career total of game-winning goals is the most by a player since 2008. She was named as an MIAA Offensive Player of the Week, collected her third All-MIAA honor, and was named Most Valuable Offensive Player.
Beyond the statistics, Rose was relentless in her drive to succeed and elevate the game. Many times, her impact meant being disruptive to the opposing team's midfield and defense to create chances for her teammates to have success. That looks like making a run that does not show up on a stat sheet or in a recap, but it creates an opportunity to score. And it looks like turning right around and making another run, and another. It looks like bringing havoc to the pitch for the other team to try to figure out how to slow you down. It looks like shaking things up. Rose has been disruptive. She has been impressive. She has been impactful.
A native of St. Charles, Illinois, Rose is the daughter of Bob and Kelly Stackhouse. She will graduate with degrees in both finance and marketing. We are proud to present the 2022 Impact Player Award to Rose Stackhouse.
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Impact Award - Sarah Frick
Presented to the senior athlete who elevates the intensity and focus of a game.
The word impact can take its shape in a variety of ways. Sometimes it carries the magnitude of an earth-shattering experience, and sometimes it looks like ripples on once-still water that are felt as they grow wider and wider. When it comes to the Saint Mary’s lacrosse program, its success, and its future, the impact Sarah Frick has had will reach far beyond much like those ripples on the water.
Sarah has played in every possible game of her career, and her stats show that she has played a key role for the team's on-field success. She started her career on defense, but this year, the needs of the team called on her moving to midfield. Defenders do not always get the credit they deserve, but it is undeniable the role Sarah has played in both the team's 2019 MIAA Championship and 2021 MIAA Tournament Championship. She has stepped up to the midfield role in a big way, continues to help her team to a level of success that is expected, and has set single-game and season-high career best totals for goals, assists, points, and draw controls. In 2020, she was the team's Coaches Award recipient. Sarah was an All-MIAA Second Team honoree last spring. She picked up her first MIAA Defensive Player of the Week honor this year.
And while she has tremendous on-field success, Sarah's impact on the lacrosse program are the things that could never show up on a stat sheet or in a game recap. But they are the things that translate into the habits and efforts that yield wins, that keep the team motivated, and that largely go unseen until now.
Since day one, Sarah has been brainstorming ways to make the program better. She presented the idea of a player of the week pinnie, which has now become one of the most coveted honors and helps motivate the team week in and week out. She started a Belles for Fitness team during quarantine, and her work in the offseason – for which she has been dubbed as the Volt queen – inspires her team to put in the work.
Her commitment to Saint Mary's lacrosse has been unwavering. She has remained focused on team culture, and protects our team culture at all costs. She is not afraid to hold a teammate accountable or remind them to focus on the team and not individual stats. While Sarah is very competitive and a lot of her ideas are focused on setting our team up for success on the playing field, most of them are focused on the inclusion of all of her teammates. She makes her teammates better by pushing them and lifting them up at the same time. Sarah is a competitor, a leader, and an includer, and with these qualities at the forefront, she has made an immeasurable impact to our program – an impact that will continue to spread beyond her time on the field.
A native of Hershey, Pennsylvania, Sarah is the daughter of Kathleen Cerullo-Frick and Michael Frick. She will graduate with a degree in nursing and a minor in biology. We are proud to present the 2022 Impact Player Award to Sarah Frick.
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Composure Award - Mandi Hettinger
Presented to the person who shows unparalleled poise and self-control in the face of pressure and competition.
Every sport has the moments that can sometimes feel like they are too big or too difficult or too overwhelming. Every athlete has the opportunity to respond to those moments in an infinite number of ways, and no two athletes will likely ever react the same way. But any time you ever had the chance to see Mandi Hettinger in any situation like that, there is never any doubt that she was locked in and ready for the challenge.
In just her second conference doubleheader of her career, Mandi was called upon to pitch against then-ranked No. 11 Trine on the Thunder's home field. Mandi quickly retired the first three batters of the game and got a hit before scoring in the bottom of the first. The Belles built a 4-0 lead in that first inning, and that proved to be more than enough run support. The big moment did not get to big. Mandi stayed poised. She had a three-up, three-down inning in both the fifth and the sixth inning, and even after Trine put their lead-off on base in the seventh, she recorded the next three outs to give the softball team their first win AT Trine in regular-season conference history. No walks. Six strikeouts. One big win.
Less than a month later, the Belles returned to Trine for the MIAA Tournament, and AGAIN, Mandi demonstrated the poise and composure needed for a win against the No. 7 team in the country. With the potential tying run on second and winning run on first, she induced a fly out as the Belles took their second win over the nationally-ranked Thunder behind a stellar effort from Mandi.
And those are just two examples of the many times Mandi put her composure on display for a big audience to see. To understand the true magnitude of how composed she has been over her career, this will help paint a broader picture. Mandi has pitched 280.0 innings over her career. She has faced 1,271 batters over that span. She has walked only 33 batters. That is an average of 0.825 walks per seven innings. That is one for every 38.5 batters faced. Her poise, control, and efficiency did not go unnoticed by the conference either. Mandi was a three-time MIAA Pitcher of the Week and earned All-MIAA Second Team honors in 2021.
A pitcher – just like any other athlete – can ever only control the controllables. No one else can throw the pitch. No one can predict the umpire's strike zone – even from batter to batter. But, a pitcher IS in control. Hold the ball, throw the pitch, dictate what happens, and stay in control. And no matter what the situation was, Mandi never looked rattled or deterred – just determined. Determined to throw a strike when she needed to throw one. Determined to get an out when the game was on the line. Determined to face the challenge every time.
A native of Winamac, Indiana, Mandi is the daughter of Michelle and Paul Hettinger. She will graduate with a degree in computing and applied mathematics. We are proud to present the 2022 Composure Award to Mandi Hettinger.
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Mary Ellen Smith Academic and Athletic Achievement Award - Bridget Kane
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.
The importance of both academics and athletics is not something anyone needs to explain to Bridget Kane. In the fall of her freshman year, she opted not to join the lacrosse team immediately in order to get a grasp on the demands of college academics. And when the spring semester came around, she will likely tell you that the pendulum of academic and athletic balance was one she still worked to equalize. But Bridget DID the work – both on the field and in the classroom – year after year.
In her first year, she started every game, was in the top four on the team in every major stat category, scored the game-winning goal in a 14-12 win over Albion to clinch to program's first MIAA regular season title, and was named Second Team All-MIAA. At the conclusion of her first year, she was named as the team's Rookie of the Year and earned MIAA Academic Honor roll honors. Sophomore year, despite a shortened season, she was named as the team's Defensive MVP, and she repeated on the MIAA Academic Honor Roll
Last year, Bridget picked up her 100th career ground ball in just her 32nd game in a Belles uniform. In the very next game, she won her 100th career draw control. Two games later, she earned her 100th career point in the team's MIAA Tournament Semifinal comeback win over Albion. She was the recipient of the team's Coaches Award and was a Second Team All-MIAA honoree.
This year, she continued her knack for clutch goals and key plays. She capped off a strong all-around performance with the game-winning goal in the final minute of play at Hope. A week later, she put up another strong game by contributing to nearly half of the team's goals in a win over Calvin. She added her 100th career goal just last week, and we have no doubt she will be an All-MIAA selection again this year. You can find her name in the top ten of our record book for single-season goals, assists, and points. She is third all-time in career points, career assists, and career draw controls while standing fifth in career goals and career ground balls.
Amid all of her athletic success, Bridget will graduate with nearly a 3.9 cumulative grade point average. She will be a four-time honoree on the MIAA Academic Honor Roll, and she is on track to earn IWLCA Academic Honor Roll accolades for a second time.
Bridget Kane epitomizes all that we stand for as a Division III member. She has worked through the challenges. She has found her path. She has demonstrated excellence in the classroom and on the field time and time again, and she has left the Department and her lacrosse program better than she found it.
A native of Binghamton, New York, Bridget is the daughter of Tom and Molly Kane. She will graduate with a degree in elementary education with minors in social work and reading. We are proud to present the 2022 Mary Ellen Smith Academic and Athletic Achievement Award to Bridget Kane.
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Donald Miller Belles Spirit Award - Claudia Stiglitz
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.
While she might not always be the loudest voice in the room, Claudia Stiglitz's presence and passion for Saint Mary's athletics and the success of all student-athletes is evident to all who have crossed her path.
Since joining the Saint Mary's cross country team, Claudia has always expressed that it has been a goal to connect the department and form deeper relationships across all teams that make up our Department. And at every chance she has gotten to foster that growth and connection, she has run with the opportunity. She became a team representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee starting in the fall of her sophomore year. She helped plan a Fall Festival and Spring Fest as social events to bring together all of the student-athletes from every team together to get to know each other and bond. Having served as SAAC secretary and vice president, Claudia and president Sydney Hruskoci helped lead SAAC through the pandemic and worked toward providing a healing space for our athletes after immense uncertainty and disappointment of lost seasons and opportunities to compete.
From sister teams and planning events for our student-athletes, SAAC was just the first creative outlet for Claudia to demonstrate her love of this Department and her appreciation of her fellow student-athletes. If you have been at very many athletic events, chances are high you have seen Claudia supporting her Belles. She has made it to an athletic event for each team as she continues to embody a winning spirit through her actions and her presence. She has always known how every team has been doing in their season and would know who had what big game or competition coming up next. When there has been a need, she has stepped up to volunteer to work games simply because she wants other Belles to be supported and have a good game day experience.
Her commitment to the Athletic Department extends to her time fulfilling a psychology internship. Claudia collaborated and interviewed coaches, created surveys for feedback from both student-athletes and coaches, and took an active role in helping lead the Wellness Program. She spent time shadowing Ashley and her role as head athletic trainer in both practice and game situations. The focus of that internship from start to finish was always about how to make the department better for our student-athletes. Claudia has been and continues to be an advocate and supporter of ALL. And it is her passion to build community and develop a winning spirit for ALL Saint Mary's student-athletes that we honor her today.
A native of Orange, California, Claudia is the daughter of John and Laurie Stiglitz. She will graduate with a degree in elementary education with a minor in psychology. We are proud to present the 2022 Don Miller Belles Spirit Award to Claudia Stiglitz.
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Note about the Marvin Wood Outstanding Senior Award
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 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.
Marvin Wood Outstanding Senior Athlete Award - Sydney Hruskoci
Presented to the outstanding senior athlete.
It almost goes without saying that the golf program is the most decorated team in Saint Mary's history. It is a program that has built and maintained a high level of success to the point that winning titles is always within grasp. To lead a team of that caliber, a student-athlete almost certainly must be outstanding, and Sydney Hruskoci truly has been outstanding.
Syd has quietly put together one of the most consistent careers of any player in Saint Mary's College golf history. She made an immediate impact on the team from day one as she came out figuratively and literally swinging. She helped the Belles to the team title in her first collegiate tournament while finishing in the top ten of the field. A month later, she tied for second place overall with an even-par 72 in just her seventh collegiate round as the golf program shattered the school record and MIAA record for an 18-hole score with a 293. That 72 still holds as one of the top 14 scores in conference history. She finished the conference season with a 79.6 scoring average and earned All-MIAA First Team accolades as the Belles won the MIAA title by more than 130 strokes.
Fall of her sophomore year, she posted a conference scoring average of 81, had a season scoring average of an 80.83, did not shoot a score above an 84, and earned her second consecutive All-MIAA First Team honor. In her junior season, Syd finished tied for second in the conference with a 79.6 average to capture her third All-MIAA First Team recognition. This season, she sparked the team to a huge late-season run in the fall to move from sixth to second as she earned All-MIAA Second Team honors. And when it came to win-or-go-home, Syd won. She spurred the team's 56-stroke win over the field by shooting an average score of 79 as the Belles captured the MIAA automatic bid to the 2022 NCAA Division III Championships.
Over her career, Syd has been the model of consistency. Her accolades are impressive enough on their own, but when put in comparison to the legacies left by those who competed before her, there is no doubt that she is deserving of this recognition. She has never had a season scoring average above an 83.3, and she has turned in round scores in the 70s on 15 occasions. In 64 rounds of play in her career to-date, her scoring average is 81.546. If you look at just the body of work she has put together in conference rounds of competition, that number gets even better. Syd boasts an 80.379 scoring average against MIAA opponents. She has never had a score above an 85 in any MIAA round ever. There is only one other player who has done better in conference rounds in the more than 20 years of Saint Mary's golf program history in the MIAA, and that person is two-time All-American Hunter Kehoe. Yes – not even a former NCAA Champion can lay claim to that accomplishment.
And she is not done yet with another NCAA Championship appearance on the horizon.
A native of Fishers, Indiana, Sydney is the daughter of Amy and Rob Hruskoci. She will graduate with a degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing. We are proud to present the 2022 Marvin Wood Outstanding Senior Athlete Award to Sydney Hruskoci.
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