BROOKLYN, N.Y. --- LIU Brooklyn men's basketball senior Jerome Frink was named the Male Athlete of the Year, while track and field senior Cassandra Joneswas named the Female Athlete of the Year at LIU Brooklyn's annual athletic awards banquet Monday evening at the Steinberg Wellness Center. Seniors Jake Spearpoint of the men's golf team, Ryan Herold of the men's soccer team and Isabella Wagener of the women's tennis team earned LIU's Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors.
Frink was dominant in men's basketball this season, and awarded accordingly. He became just the eighth player in LIU Brooklyn history to be named the Northeast Conference Player of the Year, averaging 17.1 points per game and 8.9 rebounds per game. He led LIU to a benchmark 20 wins this season, and a second place finish in the Northeast Conference. He finishes his LIU career ranked seventh all-time in points scored, with over 1,500, and earned nearly every possible honor to cap his decorated career. An AP Honorable Mention All American, he was also named an ECAC All-Star, first-team All-Metropolitan, first team All-District and first team All-NEC.
Jones etched her name into the track and field record books during her time at LIU Brooklyn. Earlier this year, she shattered an LIU record that had stood for almost 20 years, running the 400m dash in 54.82 seconds. She followed that up one week later by leading the women's track and field team to a second place finish at the NEC Championship meet. There, she accounted for 28 of LIU's 109 points, scoring points in every event she entered. The senior won the 500m dash for the second straight year, and came in second in both the 60 and 200 meter dashes. She also anchored LIU's championship winning 4x400-meter relay team. She was named the Meet's Most Outstanding Sprinter, and the Meet's Most Valuable Performer.
LIU also announced award winners from each sport and the winners of the department's other major awards:
Male Athlete of the Year: Jerome Frink, R-Sr., Men's Basketball
Female Athlete of the Year: Cassandra Jones, Sr., Women's Track & Field
Male Scholar-Athletes of the Year: Ryan Herold, Sr., Men's Soccer
Jake Spearpoint, Sr., Men's Golf
Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Isabella Wagener, Sr., Women's Tennis
Michelle Hamdan Memorial Award: Tori Shinkowitz, Sr., Women's Soccer/Women's Lacrosse
Dolly King Athletic Excellence Award: Logan Keys, R-Sr., Men's Soccer
Presented to the student-athlete who exemplifies leadership, sportsmanship and achievement that the late William "Dolly" King personified as a student-athlete, administrator and coach.
Claire Isicson-Merle Athletic Excellence Award: Kayla Riley, Sr., Women's Lacrosse
Presented to the student-athlete who exemplifies leadership, sportsmanship and achievement that Claire Isicson-Merle personified as a student and an athlete.
Leonard Ching International Student-Athlete Award: Adam Walker-Khan, Sr. , Men's Track & Field
This award is in honor of Leonard Ching, a Brooklyn Campus administrator in the student activities office from 1967 until he retired in 1984. Through his efforts, the enrollment of international students increased and the student life was enhanced.
MEN'S SOCCER
Ledet Senior Leadership: Logan Keys, R-Sr.
Joe Machnik Ambassador: Ryan Herold, Sr.
WOMEN'S SOCCER
MVP: Madison Gomez, Sr.
Blackbird: Asha Mohiddin, Sr.
VOLLEYBALL
MVP: Amanda Hubbard, Fr.
Blackbird Award: Alex Larsen, Sr.
FIELD HOCKEY
Most Improved: Gillian Vallaster, Fr.
Blackbird Award: Casey Carrigan, Fr.
CROSS COUNTRY
Most Valuable Athlete: Adjovi Simpini, Jr.
Blackbird Award: Liz Burton, So.
WOMEN'S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD
Co-Most Outstanding Athlete: Cassandra Jones, Sr.
Co-Most Outstanding Athlete: Shantae McDonald, Jr.
MEN'S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD
Most Outstanding Athlete: Karl Cajuste, Sr.
Most Improved: Jahphan Lupuku, Sr.
WOMEN'S BOWLING
MVP: Lauren McKowen, Jr.
Blackbird Award: Fr. Tyler Karpinecz
WOMEN'S SWIMMING
MVP: Briana Vega, So.
Blackbird: Noemie Lacroix-Moreau, Fr.
CHEER
Coaches Award: Azaraha Haywood & Jade Muyambo
MEN'S BASKETBALL
MVP: Jerome Frink, Sr.
Blackbird: Sr. Iverson Fleming
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
MVP: Shanovia Dove, Sr.
Blackbird: Autumn Ashe, Fr.
WOMEN'S LACROSSE
MVP: Tori Shinkowitz, Sr.
Blackbird: Mackenzie Rolland, Sr.
WOMEN'S TENNIS
MVP: Anna Grigoryan, So.
Blackbird: Isabella Wagener, Sr.
SOFTBALL
SP Award: Angie Vazquez, Jr.
BASEBALL
Frank Giannone Award: Anthony Capo, Sr.
MEN'S GOLF
MVP: Kyle Maihi, Jr.
Lonnie Barton Memorial: George Helsby, So.
WOMEN'S GOLF
MVP: Carolina Ronchel, Fr.
Lonnie Barton Memorial: Aida Gonzalez, Fr.