Kean Athletic News
Kean Presents Athletic Awards at Annual Spring Banquet
UNION, N.J. (4/25/07) - The Kean University Department of Athletics celebrated one of the most successful years in recent history at its annual Spring Sports Awards Banquet on Wednesday, April 25. During the evening, the department presented its annual D'Angola Award, Scholar-Athlete Award, Big Blue Award and Hoffman Memorial Award, while also honoring the Kean Head Coaches and Assistant Coaches of the Year. In addition, the University also awarded its athletic letters and most valuable player awards to the winter and spring athletes.
For the first time in history, the department had two winners for the Male and Female D'Angola Awards, the highest honor presented as recognition of outstanding individual performance within the team concept that contributes to the enhancement of the team, the department of athletics and Kean University.
Senior Heather Anzivino and sophomore
Melissa Beyruti were the female D'Angola award
winners after leading the women's soccer and women's basketball
teams, respectively, back to the NCAA Tournament, while senior
Dan Zeffiro and junior AJ Roque
of the baseball and football teams, respectively, have both had
record-breaking years in earning male D'Angola honors.
A four-year starter on the women's soccer team, Anzivino (Belford, N.J.) closed out her illustrious career ranked among the program's finest. This past season, she led the Cougars back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1996 after leading the team and the New Jersey Athletic Conference with 19 goals and 43 points. A four-time NJAC all-star, she was named NJAC Offensive Player of the Year and earned D3kicks.com Third-Team All-American honors. She leaves the program ranked second in program history in career points (130), third in career goals (54) and fifth in career assists (22).
The most prolific three-point shooter in school history, Beyruti (Union City, N.J.) helped the women's basketball team reach new heights this year in leading the Cougars to the NJAC Championship and to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division III Tournament. A Kodak/WBCA Honorable Mention All-American, she led the NCAA in three-pointers per game (3.5) and became the first player in school history to eclipse 100 three-pointers in a season, as her 110 treys is tied for fifth all-time in NCAA Division III single-season history. She hit the biggest three-pointer in program history when she drained the game-winner in the NJAC Championship game as time expired, giving the Cougars a 62-59 victory over host William Paterson University.
A three-year starter on the football team, Roque (Matawan, N.J.) holds virtually every passing record in school history and has helped resurrect the football program in helping lead the team to their most wins in a decade (7-4) and the 2006 ECAC Southeast Bowl Championship. The NJAC Offensive Player of the year, Roque became the first player in program history to eclipse 5,000 passing yards in a career and 2,000 passing yards in a season. A Don Hanson Football Gazette Honorable Mention All-American, he finished with 2,320 yards passing and 19 touchdowns to break his own school record in both categories.
In the midst of one of the finest baseball seasons in school history, Zeffiro (Old Bridge, N.J.) has been one of the most consistent starters throughout his career. Off to a 6-1 start this season, he currently leads the NJAC in wins. A four-year starter, he recently broke the program's all-time win record and he is still adding to his 25 career wins. During his career, Zeffiro has also been named an ABCA Second-Team All-American and was the NCAA leader in earned run average in 2005.
Senior Stephen Horsch (Freehold, N.J.) and junior
Johanna Hedler (South Plainfield, N.J.) were
honored with the Scholar-Athlete Awards. A management science
major, Horsch is a three-year letterwinner of the men's lacrosse
team. He has been a key member of the defensive unit and has
helped the Cougars post back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first
time since the early nineties. Hedler is a three-year starter
on the softball team and currently leads the team in doubles and
runs scored, while ranking second on the squad in hits, batting
average and homeruns. An early elementary education major,
Hedler is also a two-time NJAC all-star.
Senior Steve Koenigstein (Toms River, N.J.) of
the men's basketball team received the Hoffman Memorial Award, an
honor presented to the senior student-athelte whose enthusiasm for
athletics and spirit on the playing field best exemplifies Kean
University Hall-of-Famer Andrew Hoffman's love of sport. A
four-year letterwinner, Koenigstein has been actively involved on
campus and in the department since his arrival in Fall 2004.
A resident-assistant, he has been a member of the Student-Athlete
Advisory Committee, most recently serving as co-president of both
the Kean SAAC and NJAC SAAC.
John Maso, Director of Facilities, and
Kathy Montiero, Director of Campus Planning, both
received the Big Blue Award, presented annually to a person who
contributed greatly to the 
Department of Athletics. Maso and Montiero have both been
instrumental in the upgrades and maintenance of the athletic
facilities, including Harwood Arena, newly renovated D'Angola and
Alumni Stadium.
After guiding their teams to championships, Head Football Coach Dan Garrett and Head Women's Basketball Coach Michele Sharp were honored as Kean's Head Coaches of the Year, while their assistants Keith Migliorino (Football) and Tim Gardner (Women's Basketball) received the inaugural Assistant Coaches of the Year awards. Presented by Vice President of University Relations Robert Cole, the awards are bestowed upon the coaches who have brought great honor and distinction to the institution.
Under the guidance of Garrett and Migliorino, the football
team captured the ECAC Southeast Bowl Championship and posted the
program's first winning season since 1994. In his first
season at the helm, Garrett was also named the NJAC Football Coach
of the Year.
Sharp and Gardner guided the women's basketball team to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division III Tournament and a NJAC-record 11th conference title, while tying the school record with 27 wins.
Following is a list of the Kean University team MVP award winners for the winter and spring sports:
STANDING (left to right)
MEN'S LACROSSE - Steve Gill
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL - Sophomore Melissa Beyruti
WOMEN'S LACROSSE - Senior Giovanna Buono
WOMEN'S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD - Sophomore
Demeka Pressley
WOMEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD - Sophomore Erin
Jones
KNEELING (left to right)
MEN'S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD - Freshman Reggie
James
MEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD - Sophomore Jason
Staggers
NOT PICTURED - BASEBALL - Senior Perry Schatzow