The Buffalo State Department of Intercollegiate Athletics held its annual Athletics Awards Banquet in conjunction with the Bengals Booster Club on Monday, April 28 at the Holiday Inn - Amherst.

The honored guests included the MVP's from Buffalo State's Athletics teams as well as several major and memorial award winners.

Women's hockey player Mary Keddie (Williamsville/Williamsville North) earned the moniker of "Female Athlete of the Year." The junior goaltender was named the ECAC West Player of the Year as she recorded a Buffalo State record 987 saves, the second highest total in the nation. She also posted the 11th best save percentage in the country at .928 and helped lead the Bengals to the ECAC West playoffs for the second consecutive season.

Men's basketball player Joshua Becker (Hamburg/Frontier) was named the "Male Athlete of the Year." The junior helped lead the Bengals to a SUNYAC Championship and an automatic bid in the NCAA Playoffs. A First Team All-SUNYAC selection and Second Team All-East Region performer, Becker was also named Most Valuable Player of the SUNYAC tournament. He led the Bengals is scoring averaging 18.9 points-per-game.

Women's basketball and volleyball player Monica Polka was awarded the Ruth Houston Award for outstanding career athletic accomplishments by a female. The two-time SUNYAC West Volleyball player of the year finished her four-year career owning nine Buffalo State records including most kills, aces and blocks in a career. She concluded her basketball career in 2002 in style, leading the Bengals to a SUNYAC Championship as the tournament's Most Valuable Player. She earned All-SUNYAC distinction all three seasons with the black and orange, and finished her career as the ninth leading scorer and third leading rebounder in school history.

Men's hockey player Joe Urbanik (Calumet City, IL/Mt. Carmel) earned the Hube Coyer Award for outstanding career athletic accomplishments by a male. The forward finished his career as the school's all-time leading scorer with 131 points. Urbanik owns seven additional school records and was named to the All-SUNYAC Second Team as a senior. He also represented Buffalo State in the Eastern College Senior All-Star Game in Plattsburgh and was named the Most Valuable Player of the Western Team.

Women's lacrosse player Katie Richelt (Snyder/Amherst) and volleyball player Katie Sansone (Tonawanda/Tonawanda) shared the Female Scholar Athlete honors, an award that honors the senior-athlete with the highest cumulative grade point average. Richelt, an elementary and secondary science education major, and Sansone, a exceptional education major, have each earned 3.57 cumulative grade point averages. The Male Scholar Athlete Award was presented to football player Michael Pawlikowski (West Seneca/West Seneca East). Pawlikowski will graduate with a 3.66 grade point average in secondary math education.

Three memorial awards, the Wil Gragg Men's Basketball, the Daniel Walker Cross Country and the Robert Kissinger Swimming and Diving Awards, were also presented to student-athletes from the respective sports who exemplify an outstanding work ethic and commitment to the team and college. Anthony Piccolo (Depew/Depew) received the Gragg Award, Tim Hill (Lyndonville/Barker) earned the Walker Award and Rich Gaczewski (N. Tonawanda/N. Tonawanda) claimed the Kissinger.

The final major award was the Golden Bengals Award, which recognizes the member of the college community who goes beyond his or her job description to assist the athletics department. This year's recipients were Paula Mis and Gloria Bozek from the college's accounting office.

The following is a list of the 2002-03 Buffalo State Athletics teams Most Valuable Players:

Men?s Basketball: Joshua Becker (Hamburg/Frontier)

Women?s Basketball: Dionne Turnage (Buffalo/Traditional)

Cheerleading: Lauren Main (Grand Island/Grand Island)

Men?s Cross Country: AJ Walsh (Hamburg/Frontier)

Women?s Cross Country: Natalie Snowberger (Orchard Park/Hamburg)

Football (Offense): Hans Mann (Blasdell/Orchard Park)

Football (Defense:Tyree Parker (Buffalo/Burgard)

Football (Special Teams:Curtis Hathcock (Buffalo/Bennett)

Men?s Ice Hockey: Joe Urbanik (Calumet City, IL/Mt. Carmel)

Women?s Ice Hockey: Mary Keddie (Williamsville/Wil. North)

Women's Lacrosse: Stefanie Hineman (Lancaster/Lancaster)

Men?s Soccer: Stu Hanson (Lincoln, ENGLAND)

Women?s Soccer: Lindsay Cashmore (Clarence/Clarence)

Men?s Swimming & Diving: Rich Gaczewski (N. Tonawanda/N. Tonawada)

Women?s Swimming & Diving: Ashley Myers (E. Berlin, PA/Bermudian Springs)

Women?s Tennis: Molly Macpherson (Clarence/Clarence)

Men?s Indoor Track & Field: Justin Muise (Kenmore/Kenmore West)

Women?s Indoor Track & Field: Celestine Coney (Lyons/Lyons)

Women?s Volleyball: Lisa Herrscher (Clarence/Clarence)