Athletic Department Holds Senior Student Athlete Appreciation Night

The Athletic Department wrapped up a successful 2011-12 campaign with its annual Senior Athlete Appreciation Night and Hall of Fame Induction ceremony at the Johnson & Wales Inn in Seekonk, Mass.

The school also honored senior women’s soccer player Caitlyn Albert (Merrimack, N.H.) and senior hockey player Domenic Recchia (Sterling Heights, Mich.) with the Ron Bachman Award while fellow senior Dana Trimborn (North Wales, Pa.) from the women’s tennis squad was named the recipient of the Tom Carmody Award.  Hockey standout, senior Jeremiah Ketts (Foristell, Mo.) and men’s basketball senior Lamonte Thomas (Providence, R.I.) were named the Male Co-Athletes of the Year while junior Laura Furfaro (North Warren, N.J.) was honored as the Female Athlete of the Year.

Recchia anchored the Wildcats defense this season and was second in the nation in scoring amongst defenseman with four goals and 30 assists for 34 points.  For his career Recchia appeared in 106 games scoring 12 goals with 85 assists for 97 points.  After the season Recchia signed a professional contract with the Trenton Titans.  A two-year captain and a two-time First-Team ECAC Northeast selection, He was named a USCHO.Com All-American in 2012.  Recchia was also a standout in the classroom, earning Dean’s List accolades every trimester while making three straight appearances on the ECAC Northeast All-Academic squad.  Recchia has been a driving force of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and is an active member of the campus community.

Albert anchored the Wildcats defense for her four year-career, playing nearly every minute of every game for the Wildcats.  This past season she tallied one goal and two assists.  She was a key component to a defensive unit that allowed just 26 goals in 20 games and led the Wildcats to a second-place finish in the league standings with a 10-8-2 overall record and an 8-2-2 mark in league play.  A fixture in the athletic department during her career, she served on the Student Athlete Advisory committee and often lends her talents as a graphic designer to the department, designing posters and t-shirts while participating in numerous community service projects.  She is also a standout in the classroom, earning Dean’s List honors every tri-mester and is a three-time member of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference All-Academic team. 

A four-year standout on the women’s tennis team, Trimborn embodied the Carmody principle of Loyalty, Effort and Enthusiasm.  The teams captain, she has recorded over 75 victories in doubles and singles play over the last four years, including a remarkable 23-3 record in doubles action during her junior and senior seasons.  A member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, she is a vocal supporter of all of the Wildcats programs and is an active member of the campus community.

Thomas, the defending GNAC Player of the Year, led the nation in scoring with 34.1 points per game.  He also added a team-best 4.8 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game for the Wildcats.  For the season he connected on 48.5% of his shots from the field and 83.5% from the free throw line.  Thomas scored at least 30 points on 15 occasions, including five games with 40 or more.  Thomas was named a first-team All-Great Northeast Athletic Conference performer and earned All-New England honors from the National Basketball Coaches Association.  He finished his career ranked fourth all-time in the NCAA record books in career points scored and his 34.1 points per game this season was eight-best all time in Division III.

Ketts, a two-time All-American was named the winner of the Concannon Award and earned All-American honors by the American Hockey Coaches Association.  The two-time ECAC Northeast Player of the Year and an All-American by both the USCHO.Com and ACHA in 2011, Ketts led the nation in points per game with 2.12 on 20 goals and 33 assists for 53 points this year.   His 33 assists were tops in the country and he ranked fourth in goals per game.  For his career he appeared in 104 games, scoring 64 goals with 101 assists for 165 career points.  He also signed a professional contract with the Reading Royals.

Furfaro paced the Wildcats all season, placing first on the team in all seven of their races.  She guided JWU to their second straight Great Northeast Athletic Conference Championship, finishing in second place overall in a time of 20:24 to earn All-Conference accolades.  She notched a third-place finish at the St. Joseph’s Running Monks Invitational with a time  of 21:13 while her time of 20:44 placed her fourth at the Emmanuel Running Saints Invitational.  Furfaro is also a standout in the classroom, posting a 3.36 cumulative G.P.A. in the school’s rigorous College of Culinary Arts.

The school also presented 46 outstanding senior student-athletes with blankets as a token of their appreciation for four years of hard work and dedication to the continued success of the program.