Per the nearly decade-long athletic department tradition, seven Tufts students will be honored for their accomplishments in athletics on and off the field as part of the Homecoming weekend's celebrations.
The Athletics Department announced the winners of the Distinguished Achievements Awards yesterday. The award ceremony will take place on Friday, Sept. 29, at 7:30 p.m. in Cohen Auditorium.
Senior Fred Jones was announced as the Clarence "Pop" Houston Award recipient for best male athlete. Jones was the triple-jump champion at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the spring, breaking his own school record with a jump of 49 feet, seven inches and finally adding a win to his second- and third-place finishes during his freshman and sophomore years.
Ariel Samuelson (LA '06) was awarded the Hester L. Sargent Award, given to the best female athlete. Leading her team to the National Semifinal, Samuelson was the NESCAC Player of the Year and a First-Team All-American.
Senior Bryan McDavitt, of the baseball and football teams, and well as track and cross country star Catherine Beck, will be given the Rudolph J. Fobert Awards for the best multi-sport athletes. McDavitt was rewarded for his dual role as a defensive back, punter and kicker on the football team and first baseman on the baseball team. Hitting .420 during his junior year, McDavitt was named to the All-NESCAC and All-New England teams. Beck posted a school record in the 1,500 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Additionally, the W. Murray Kenney Awards for positive attitude and persistence will be given to recent graduates Marc Katz of the swim team and Becky Bram of the tennis team.
In a slightly different vein, junior Liz Hoffman will be presented with the Timothy J. Horgan Award for the best sportswriter on campus.
After coaches submitted nominations for the awards, a committee of six, headed by Director of Sports Information Paul Sweeney, convened over several weeks in early June to discuss and ultimately vote on the 2006 recipients.
"[The awards are] solely based on nominations," Sweeney said. "We encourage coaches to nominate their athletes because if they don't make nominations, then they're hurting their own program."
- Rachel Dolin
