Male athlete of the year: Fred Jones, track and field
In only two years of competition at the college level, sophomore Fred Jones has quickly established himself as not only one of the best Div. III athletes in New England, but in the nation as well. The superstar jumper anchors a solid track and field program and has returned from all of his appearances in NCAA Competition as an All-American.
Jones' marks in the Tufts record books should last long after he leaves Medford. This winter, Jones erased a 55-year-old Tufts record in the long jump and now holds the school records for the indoor long jump and triple jump as well as for the outdoor triple jump.
At the indoor Nationals this winter, Jones leapt to a second-place finish in the long jump competition, tying his career-best mark of 23'9" and finishing just one inch behind the winner. He also competed in the triple jump, just missing the finals. At the meet, he was recognized as the NCAA New England athlete of the year and reinforced his reputation as one of the nation's best.
Last year at indoor Nationals, Jones finished sixth in the triple jump as a freshman. He has brought home All-American status both years. The sophomore has already provisionally qualified for the 2005 outdoor Nationals in both the long jump and the triple jump. He'll get a chance to better his already sterling record on May 26-28 in Wartburg, Iowa.
Female athlete of the year: Courtney Bongiolatti, softball
Courtney Bongiolatti, the shortstop and senior co-captain of the softball team, hit the ball at a staggering rate this year, leading her team to the NESCAC finals and a successful 27-8 record (7-1 NESCAC East). She hit a school record 14 home runs, smashing the previous mark of 9, which had been held by Lis Drake. Only three players in the history of the NESCAC have hit more home runs in a single season. In addition, Bongioloatti tied Drake's career home run record when she hit her 31st and 32nd on Apr. 30th against Colby.
In addition to the homers, Bongiolatti also led the league in RBIs with 45, slugging (.869) and total bases (93). She also ranked among the league's top five in hits (40), runs scored (26) and batting average (.374).
During one two-week stretch from Apr. 14 to Apr. 30, Bongiolatti hit a staggering nine home runs in 11 games. This year she became the first Tufts softball player ever to earn first team All-American status. Not surprisingly, the New Jersey native also won NESCAC Player of the Year.
Coach of the year: Bob Sheldon, men's basketball
In the 2003-2004 season, the basketball team was woeful. It finished 8-17 with only two conference victories and just two home court victories. As a function of that finish, most fans had pretty slim hopes for this year's team, which featured basically the same roster.
Then, before you knew it, the team was winning, and winning big. Coach Bob Sheldon's young team became an offensive juggernaut, knocking down threes and dumping the ball down low to big man Reggie Stovell. The team outrebounded and outscored opponents all season long and finished with a 16-10 record (7-2 NESCAC), the best Tufts finish since the 1999-2000 season. The team's impressive turnaround from last year is even more an accomplishment for Sheldon, considering the team's youth - only Stovell and guards Drew Kaklamanos and Jesse Belodoff are graduating. Ultimately, the team lost in the semifinals of the NESCAC playoffs, bowing out to Bates, 60-54. Still, the turnaround from last year is staggering, and a lot of the credit deserves to go to Sheldon.
Rookie of the Year: Danielle Lopez, softball
Tufts featured one of the most impressive freshman classes in recent history this year. In the fall, Adam Arsenault, a linebacker on the football team, was one of the team leaders in tackles and was named NESCAC Rookie of the Year. In the winter, swimmer Bianca Spinosa was the only Jumbo to qualify for Nationals. Greg O'Connell started on the soccer team and finished second in scoring on the hockey team, and this spring, teammates Megan Cusick and Erica Bailey both earned all-NESCAC honors as a catcher and pitcher, respectively.
While their performances were remarkable, the softball team's second baseman, Danielle Lopez, led the field. Lopez was named the NESCAC Rookie of the Year, and for good reason. The Danvers, Mass. native smacked a league-best 44 hits and was second to teammate Bongiolatti with eight home runs and 76 total bases. The rookie was also third in runs scored (26), and fourth in RBIs (27). In the field, Lopez started every game for the Jumbos.
--Compiled by David Pomerantz and Jessica Genninger
