Sammy Dormio
Volleyball
Sammy Dormio led a young and inexperienced vollyball team to a 20-17 record this season. Dormio was third on the team in kills, with 242. She averaged 1.98 kill per set, also third on the team. Dormio was also fifth in the Little East Conference for digs with 441, averaging 3.67 per set. Dormio played in 34 matches this season.
Last season, Dormio was an outside hitter on a veteran squad that featured six seniors and three juniors. This season, Dormio made the switch to the libero position. The KSC volleyball team had one upperclassman this year, Meryl Ragaini. Searching for leadership, that’s exactly what they got from their sophomore libero.
Dormio spent a good portion of the season making plays that were undeniably breath taking. It’s no exaggeration to say that Sammy Dormio was all over the court, every game.
The Owls fell to UMass-Boston in the LEC championship. But picked fourth in the preseason poll, they certainly shocked many Little East teams to make it to the championship in the first place. Dormio had six kills in the championship game along with 13 digs. Dormio will return for her junior season next year, hoping to lead her team back to the LEC championship game.
Blake nyman
Soccer
Blake Nyman was the captain of this year’s men’s soccer team. A four-year member of the Keene State College Men’s Soccer Team, Nyman anchored the Owls’ defensive backline.
Following his senior season, Nyman was named to the All-Little East Conference first team. This was Nyman’s third time being honored as a member of the All-LEC team.
On top of his All-LEC honors, Nyman was also named the Little East Conference defensive player of the week on October 30, 2012.
Nyman made an offensive impact on the squad as well. Playing out of backline, he was fourth on the team in scoring with four goals, including one game winner.
Nyman only had four shots on goal all season, all of which found the back of the net. Nyman played in 18 games this season, starting all of them as a defensive back.
Nyman’s intense defensive effort, along with his offensive success helped the Owls achieve another winning season under head coach, Ron Butcher.
The Owls finished the season 11-7-1, falling to UMass-Dartmouth in the Little East semifinals, 3-1.
Janel haggerty
Indoor Track & Field
Janel Haggerty earned the title of Keene State College’s newest national champion following her trip to Naperville, Ill. in mid-March for indoor track and field.
Haggerty competed in the pentathlon at the National Indoor Track and Field Championships, which consist of the 55-meter hurdles, the 800 meter, long jump, high jump and shot put events. According to DirectAthletics.com, Haggerty scored 3,467 points during the indoor pentathlon.
Haggerty placed fourth in the long jump portion of the event, jumping 5.20 meters. She finished first overall in the 55m hurdles with a time of 9.04 seconds. Haggerty also placed fifteenth in the shot put portion of the event, throwing 8.38m. For the high jump, she placed third, jumping 1.60 meters. In the 800, Haggerty had a time of 2:22. Her combined efforts helped her earn the title of national champion.
Haggerty became the twenty-first NCAA champion in KSC’s history and the first ever national pentathlon champion, according to KeeneOwls.com. Haggerty was also named the 2013 Little East Women’s Indoor track and field athlete of the year.
Drew ledwith
Swimming
After winning The Equinox’s Athlete of the Year award last year, the junior swimmer is once again nominated for his success in the pool. Ledwith continued to contribute to the swimming program at Keene State College in a big way.
Ledwith made his third trip to the National Swimming and Diving Championships, this time in Shenandoah, Texas. According to the NCAA website, Ledwith finished second in the 1,650-meter race for the third year in a row. With a time of 15:24.50, Ledwith earned his third All-American honor for the 1,650m.
On top of his stellar performance in the 1,650, Ledwith also took his spot on the podium for the 500-yard freestyle, finishing fourth with a time of 4:27.29. Ledwith earned All-American honors in this race. He also raced to a seventeenth place finish for the 400 I.M. with a time of 4:02.24, according to KeeneOwls.com.
Ledwith also earned All-American honors for his performance in the 800-yard freestyle relay. The foursome raced to a fourth place finish, beating a school record with a time of 6:36.65.
All in all, Ledwith returned to Keene, N.H. with three All-American awards after competing in four races at the National Championships.
Mariah Crisp
Softball
Freshman Mariah Crisp is the only first-year player on the ballot for athlete of the year. Crisp has dominated the circle this year for Keene State College softball.
She leads the team in strikeouts with 128 and a 1.27 earned run average, according to Little East.com. Crisp is 11-3 with three shutouts and one save.
Also, in a 1-0 win over UMass-Dartmouth on April 6, 2013, Crisp tied the KSC single game strikeout record with 15 in the first game. She also pitched in relief in the second game, striking out two more batters in two innings.
Crisp has pitched 91.1 innings so far this season. Not only does she lead the team in most pitching statistics, Crisp also tops the Little East statistical columns in more ways than one, including ERA, opposing batting average, strikeouts and wins.
Crisp’s 128 strikeouts don’t just lead the LEC. But the next closest pitcher is Nora Galvin from Plymouth State University, with 67. Crisp also averages just over nine strikeouts per game.
Crisp is currently chasing the record of 193 strikeouts in a season. With twelve games left in the season, anything is possible for Mariah Crisp.