Kean Honors Athletes at Annual Awards Banquet

 Kean Honors Athletes at Annual Awards Banquet

UNION, N.J. (5/5/09) - The Kean University Department of Athletics honored its winter and spring athletic teams on Tuesday, May 5, 2009.  During the evening, the department presented its annual D'Angola Awards, Scholar-Athlete Awards, Big Blue Award and Hoffman Memorial Award.  In addition, the University also awarded its athletic letters and most valuable player awards to the winter and spring athletes.

Kean honored three record breakers with the D'Angola Award, 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 Durell Dukes of the football team and junior Mike Moceri of the baseball team were each named the male D'Angola winner after earning New Jersey Athletic Conference player of the year honors, while senior Ebony Jackson of the women's basketball team earned the female D'Angola award after capping her illustrious career with three straight NCAA tournament appearances.

Dukes (Elizabeth, N.J.) set 10 program marks this year on the gridiron, as he was named the NJAC Special Teams Player of the Year and became the first player in program history to earn Eastern College Athletic Conference Southeast Player of the Year honors.  This past year, Dukes broke the single season receptions mark for the third straight season, as she caught 68 passes for a school-record 985 career yards.  A three-year starter, he holds the single game, single season and career receptions marks and the single season and career receiving yards records.

Moceri (Yardville, N.J.) headlined a Kean sweep of the NJAC major award winners, earning Player of the Year honors after batting a league-high .480 in 18 conference games.  In all, he led the NJAC in six offensive catagories in conference games.  The second baseman has already broken the single season record for both hits (76) and doubles (22).

Jackson (Newark, N.J.) closed out her career as the program's all-time leader in career assists, as her 639 career assists also rank in the top 15 in NCAA Division III career history.  A three-time NJAC all-star, she was named a State Farm Women's Basketball Coaches Association Honorable Mention all-american this season, while also earning D3hoops.com, ECAC and Met Writers Association regional honors.  A four-year starter at point guard, she finished sixth in school history with 1,250 career points.

Senior Ashley Lindaberry (Washington, N.J.) and sophomore Scott Lafontaine (Glassboro, N.J.) were honored with the Scholar-Athlete Awards.  An elementary education major, Lindaberry was a four-year starter at defender on the women's soccer team.  Lafontaine was the only men's soccer player to start all 20 games this past season and is a part of Kean's New Jersey Center for Science, Technology and Mathematics Education as a molecular biology major.

For the first time in more than a decade, the Hoffman Memorial Award was given to a men's lacrosse player, senior defender Nick Miceli (East Setauket, N.Y.).  An honor presented to the senior student-athlete whose enthusiasm for athletics and spirit on the playing field best exemplifies Kean Hall-of-Famer Andrew Hoffman, a former men's lacrosse and football player.  A two-time captain, Miceli has also been president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and has represented Kean at a pair of NCAA Leadership Conferences.

Charlie Xu, Director of Student Financial Services, and Tony Santora, Director of Computer and Information Services, both received the Big Blue Award, presented annually to a person who contributed greatly to the Department of Athletics.  Xu helps with student accounting issues on campus, while Santora has been instrumental in the live video streaming on the internet of Kean

Following is a list of the Kean University team MVP award winners for the winter and spring sports:

BASEBALL - Mike Moceri (Jr., 2B, Yardville, N.J.)
MEN'S BASKETBALL - Yasien Beatty (Sr., G, Jersey City, N.J.)
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL - Ebony Jackson (Sr., G, Newark, N.J.)
MEN'S LACROSSE - Nick Miceli (Sr., D, East Setauket, N.Y.)
WOMEN'S LACROSSE - Stephanie Cirino (Sr., M, Warminster, Pa.)
MEN'S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD - Jason Staggers (Sr., Jackson, N.J.)
MEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD - Seun Oyelaja (Sr., Lagos, Nigeria)
WOMEN'S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD - Demeka Pressley (Sr., Trenton, N.J.)
WOMEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD - Sherene Stephens (Jr., Orange, N.J.)