The Department of Athletics and Recreation honored the career accomplishments of six senior student-athletes with presentation of awards at the department's varsity awards banquet.
 
If there is one trait that runs through all six individuals this year, it is the fact that they helped their teams achieve tremendously on a national basis. The five sports recognized were men's soccer, women's soccer, squash, field hockey, and women's track & field.
 
The award winners were Bryce Ikeda (Louis Alexander Award) and Nik Angyal (Peter DiPasquale Award) from the men's soccer team, Christina Feller (Terrence L. Gurnett Award) from the women's soccer team, Lawrence Kuhn (John Vitone Award) of squash, Nancy Bansbach (Sylvia Fabricant Award) of field hockey, and Kylee Bartlett (Merle Spurrier Award) from women's track and field.
 
Men's soccer reached the NCAA Division III Final Four in Greensboro, NC for the first time in school history. Women's soccer, which played the strongest strength of schedule in NCAA Division III, competed in the first round of the NCAA Division III playoffs. Squash reached the semifinal round of the College Squash Association playoffs.
 
Field hockey played in its fourth consecutive NCAA tournament and reached the Elite Eight  round for the third time in four years. Women's track & field finished ninth in the NCAA Division III indoor championships, its highest national finish in 30 years.
 
These are the awards:

Merle Spurrier Award – The award originated to give recognition to the senior woman who has made the most outstanding contribution to women's sports by demonstrating such qualities as leadership, enthusiasm, and service in her four years at the University. Spurrier served in the Department of Physical Education for 30 years and rose to Director of the women's program. She oversaw activities in 10 sports.
 
Kylee Bartlett '19 – Women's Track & Field
(Hometown: Williamstown, N.Y.)
Bartlett is one of the most accomplished athletes in Rochester history. In five appearances at the NCAA Division III Track & Field Championships, she won three national championships, finished second once, and finished fourth once. She was the 2017 NCAA Division III pentathlon champion (indoors), the heptathlon champion (outdoors) in 2017 and 2018. She finished fourth in the pentathlon in 2018, then finished second in 2019. 
 
In her career, she won nine conference championships between the Liberty League and the New York State Collegiate Track Conference. She holds the Liberty League championship meet record for the 60 meter hurdles, the 100 meter hurdles and the heptathlon. She holds the NYSCTC Championship Meet Record in the heptathlon. She holds Rochester records in the pentathlon, heptathlon, 60 meter hurdles, and 100 meter hurdles. Her score of 3,698 points in the 2019 NCAA Pentathlon Championship is the fifth highest score in NCAA Division III history for that event.
 
Bartlett was elected as a Google Cloud Academic All-American in 2017 (second team) and 2018 (first team). She was a three-time All-Academic selection by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (2017, 2018, 2019) and an All-Academic team honoree by the Liberty League in 2018 and 2019.
 
Her award was presented by George VanderZwaag, the Executive Director of Athletics for the University.
 
Louis Alexander Award – Presented to the male member of the senior class who has made an outstanding contribution to the life of the College through his significant achievements in athletics and general student activities; and whose character and leadership qualities have been a wholesome influence on his fellow students. Louis Alexander coached basketball and baseball at Rochester, winning nearly 400 games. He served as Chairman of the Department of Physical Education and Director of Athletics.

 
Bryce Ikeda '19 – Men's Soccer
(Hometown: Tacoma, Washington)
Ikeda was a four year starter and letterwinner. He played in every match as a collegian – 75 in all – and started 72 of those. He captained the team in his junior and senior years. His athletic honors for the 2018 season included First Team All-UAA, First Team All-Region by the United Soccer Coaches (USC), First Team All-American by USC (just the fifth Rochester player to earn First Team All-America honors), First Team All-American by D3soccer.com, and NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team.
 
His honors included a number of academic awards. He was named to the UAA All-Academic Team for three years (sophomore through senior), named to the USC Scholar-All_Region team twice and as a USC Scholar All-American twice. He was elected as a Google Cloud Academic All-American by the College Sports Information Directors of America, and was honored as a Lysle "Spike" Garnish Scholar-Athlete. The Garnish Scholar Awards recognize the top 10 senior student athletes.
 
Richard "Dick" Rice '65 presented the Alexander Award to Ikeda. As an undergraduate, he won the Louis A. Alexander Award in the spring of his senior year. He is a member of the Board of Directors for the Friends of Rochester Athletics (FORA). That organization is a sponsor of the awards banquet each year.
 
Sylvia Fabricant Award – This award was established in 1976. It is presented annually to a female athlete for outstanding sportsmanship in the women's intercollegiate athletic program.
 
Nancy Bansbach '19 – Field Hockey

(Hometown: Fayetteville, N.Y.)
Bansbach helped field hockey reach the NCAA Division III Tournament in each of the last four seasons (2015-2018). The Yellowjackets reached the national quarterfinals – Elite Eight – three times in those four years. As a senior, she was named First Team All-Liberty League and the league's Player of the Year. She was named First Team All-North Atlantic Region by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) and First Team All-American by the same group. She played in the NFHCA's Senior All-Star Game at the Division III Final Four. Away from the field, she worked with the Meridian Society for the Office of Admissions, offering tours of campus to visitors.
 
Coaches who nominate candidate for one of the two sportsmanship awards must write a letter of support, explaining why the nominee fits. Head coach Wendy Andreatta had this to share about Bansbach:
 
"It's no coincidence that the past four seasons that she has been with our team have been the best four years in program history…. Great teams always share one common bond. They all have exceptional leadership. As a two-year captain, she was our leader on and off the field. Her relentless efforts on the field inspired everyone to raise their own level of play. Our practices were always intense and focused, which was a direct reflection of her leadership."
 
The award was presented by Jane Possee, an associate director of athletics for the University.
 
John Vitone Award – This award was inaugurated in 1995 and named for John Vitone in 1998. It is presented to a male athlete for outstanding sportsmanship in the men's intercollegiate sports program. John Vitone was an assistant coach at the University of Rochester for 25 years, 17 as the defensive coordinator.

 
Lawrence Kuhn '19 – Squash
(Hometown: George, South Africa)
Kuhn was a four-year letterwinner for the squash program, repeatedly ranked among the nation's top intercollegiate squash programs. In his freshman year, he helped squash finish second in the nation, its best finish in school history. He earned All-America honors as a sophomore. He was named to the College Squash Association Scholar-Athlete team and to the Liberty League All-Academic Team.
 
Head squash coach Martin Heath described Kuhn this way: "He tore his Achilles tendon while playing back home in South Africa during the summer break before sophomore year. The following February, he beat the Yale No. 1 to cement his All-America status. This extraordinary achievement is understandable if you know him, Never complains gets his head down, does the work, and competes hard and fair. He is a student-athlete in all that it embodies… He is an extraordinary character who embodies the traditional values of hard work, discipline, focus, fairness, friendliness, scholarship, and leading by example."
 
Kuhn's award was presented by Kristine Shanley, an associate director of athletics for the University.
 
Terrence L. Gurnett Award – This award was inaugurated in 1995. It is presented annually to the female member of the senior class who has shown excellence in the classroom and serves as a role model for their fellow students. Terry Gurnett, a member of the UR Class of 1977, is a former student athlete, head coach, and now associate director of athletics for advancement. He played for the men's soccer team as an undergraduate, then served as head coach of the women's team following graduation. He led the Yellowjackets from 1978 to 2010 and accumulated over 400 victories in that time, including the 1986 and 1987 NCAA Division III National Championships.
 
Christina Feller '19 – Women's Soccer

(Hometown: Elm Grove, WI)
Feller won four letters for the women's soccer team and was a three-year starter. The teams during her career played one of the toughest schedules in Division III – the toughest in the nation in 2018 – when the Yellowjackets returned to the NCAA Division III playoffs. She was selected as a Provost's Scholar in her junior year (2017-18) and a Lysle "Spike" Garnish Scholar in her senior year (2018-19). She earned multiple All-Academic honors from the UAA.
 
She worked with Dr. Jeffrey Bazarian in the University of Rochester Medical Center on his concussion project. Feller as an analyst in bioinformatics. She did clinical research in the Emergency Division at Strong Memorial Hospital and shadowed four doctors as part of her educational experience. Away from the University, she worked as a Grassroots Soccer Coach and Heath Curriculum Educator. She assisted at the Penfield Children's Center and is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Feller is a double major of neuroscience and psychology with a minor in Spanish. She was elected to Phi Beta Kappa as a senior.
 
The award was presented by Terry Gurnett.
 
Peter DiPasquale Award – This award was inaugurated in 1995. It is presented annually to a male member of the senior class who has shown excellence in the classroom and serves as a role model for their fellow students. Peter DiPasquale was a three-year letterman for the football team who served as captain and team MVP in his senior year. He was a member of the sophomore and junior honor societies, Tau Beta Pi for engineering, and president of the senior class. In 1997, he received the Lysle "Spike" Garnish Citation from the Department of Athletics & Recreation. He was inducted into the University's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999.
 
Nikolas Angyal '19 – Men's Soccer
(Hometown: Stormville, N.Y.)

Angyal (pronounced ANGEL) earned three letters for men's soccer and was a two-year starter on defense. As a senior, he led a Rochester defense that produced 11 shutouts, the third highest total in single-season history. He was second in assists on the team, recording six. He earned All-UAA honors as well as All-Region honors from the United Soccer Coaches.
 
He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in his junior year. He is a member of Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society. He was a research intern in the Department of Chemical Engineering, a teaching assistant for fluid dynamics, a workshop leader for organic chemistry, and a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.
 
At the NCAA Division III Final Four in Greensboro, NC, Angyal was named as the winner of the NCAA Elite 90 Award – an honor that goes to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA among all the players on site. He was elected to the Google Cloud Academic All-America Team for two years – second team as a junior, first team as a senior. He was chosen as the Google Cloud Academic All-American of the Year in Division III Men's Soccer, just the third Rochester player in any sport to achieve that honor. Angyal is majoring in chemical engineering.
 
His award was presented by Professor Gerald Gamm, the NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative for the University.