Once again an athletic season did not quite live up to its expectations. The men’s lacrosse team looked like a shell of itself of the last four years, the softball team started out hot and sunk fast and missed out on the play-offs, and the baseball team suffered a second straight nine win campaign. But this season was about the women’s lacrosse team. The team is no longer a gimme’ win for teams and in her first year as coach Kelly Berger took the team to their first ever America East Conference Championship, where they lost by just one goal. There are a lot of bright spots heading into the future after this season, even with some down teams. But as for this years awards:

Top Coach

Kelly Berger, Women’s Lacrosse

It should be no surprise who the top coach award should go to this season. Once again, in just her first season Kelly Berger got the team into no only their first AEC tournament in four years, but their first ever AEC Championship. In the last few years the team was one that could not really compete in the AEC, but that all changed with the coaching change that the athletic department made last summer. This year the team beat everybody they were supposed to beat, and played some good lacrosse against some quality teams. While they were near elimination from the tournament they got a big road win to clinch a berth, upset undefeated (in conference play) University at Albany in the first round, and lost by just one to Boston University. In just one year Berger turned the team into one that never could quite get the win, into a favorite for next year’s championship.

Male Freshman of the Spring

Nick Doub, Men’s Lacrosse

It’s not very often that an unproven freshman comes in mid-season and takes over a starting spot that was held by the team’s leading scorer, but Nick Doube did just that. He replaced Bobby Stockton, who at that point led the team with 12 goals, in the starting midfield and shined. While he ended the season with four goals and two assists, what made him keep his spot was his ability on defense and his superb passing skills kept him in the lineup for not only this year, but most likely for the next three years of his career.

Female Freshman of the Spring

Jamie Fahey, Women’s Lacrosse

Jamie Fahey was a major reason the women’s lacrosse team ended where they did. Not only did she play lock-down defense, but when she got the ball she was always a threat to take it up for a goal. With exceptional speed and great ball handling, she looks like she’s going to be one of the top players on the team for years to come. After her season she was named to the All-Rookie Team, Rookie of the Year, Second Team All-AEC, and was named to the Mid-Atlantic Second team by the Women’s Lacrosse Coaches’ Association and All-Rookie team by womenslacrosse.com

Best Male Performance:

Keith Onto, Men’s Track and Field, 7,239 points in Decathlon

The decathlon was an event invented to find out who the best athlete in the world is, and when it mattered the most Keith Onto had a beyond stellar performance in as he won at the AEC Championships with 7,239 points. He won the 400-meter dash, 110-meter hurdles, long jump, high jump, Javelin, and Discus, finished second in the 100-meter dash and shot put, third in the 1,500-meter run and pole vault. The second place finished totaled just 6,662 points.

Best Female Performance

Emily Coady, Women’s Lacrosse, Eight Goals in AEC Tournament

While many players had great single game performances, nothing compared to the two game performances Emily Coady had at the AEC tournament. In an upset of UAlbany in the semi-finals Coady scored four goals in a two goal victory. Going into that game UAlbany was undefeated in conference play, but Coady’s performance lifted UMBC past the Great Danes and into their first ever AEC championship game, where once again, she shined. While the team ended up losing in the finals to heavily favored Boston U, Coady scored four goals for a second straight game as the team lost by just one goal. Her eight goals in two games nearly gave UMBC a championship, and left them as a serious contender for next year.

Best Moment

Women’s Lacrosse Upsets UAlbany, 11-9 in AEC Tournament

I’ve been mentioning the game the entire time, it was a huge upset. UAlbany was heavily favored, had a 13-2 overall record and were 6-0 in conference play, and beat UMBC in the regular season on UMBCs own turf. But when it mattered the most UMBC got their revenge with an 11-10 victory over the Great Danes to make it to their first ever AEC Championship game.

Most Improved Male Athlete

Brian Klukowicz, Baseball

Even though the Baseball team struggled for a second straight season, Brian Klukowicz gave the team hope for the future. As a freshman he appeared in just eight games and made 18 at-bats. He had just one hit. But this year Klukowicz became a very reliable hitter that the team can build around. He played in ever game, started all but three, hit .286 with four home runs, and reached base 35% of the time. He also led the team in runs with 26, and had 17 RBIs.

Most Improved Female Athlete

Erika Braerman, Women’s Lacrosse

It’s hard to say she improved because she was very good last year, but was just in a different role. Last season Erika Braerman just had to be a solid passer who could help set up the offense, this year, she was the offense. Braerman went from scoring nine goals with 11 assists last year to leading the team with 54 points off 32 goals and a team high 22 points. It did not take long for Braerman to grow into her new role, and with her return next season, the team has a lot of hope for a championship.

Unsung Male Athlete

Mike Camardo, Men’s Lacrosse

How much more unsung can you get than Mike Camardo. The man very well may be the best player the team has ever had and he’s never even made it to the first team All-AEC. He may not have the sexiest position, long stick midfielder, but he is great at what he does. He’s not a guy who is going to score a lot, just one goal and two assists this year, but defensively he is phenomenal. He once again led the team with 54 ground balls and 36 caused turnovers. Camardo’s job was to shut down the opposing offense, and make chances for his offense, and that is just what he did.

Unsung Female Athlete

Kate Quick, Women’s Lacrosse

This year was about the high powered offense the women’s lacrosse team had the outscored their opponents 223-160, but lost in all that was a great play of former first team All-AEC goalie Kate Quick. In 10032:08 minutes she saved 126 goals and helped make all of that offense happen. While she did not have nearly as much success as last year, she was still a staple in goal, starting all 18 games the Retrievers played, and did her part to not only save shots, but set up the defense however the team needed.

Fan’s Choice Male Athlete of the Spring

Victor Gilreath, Men’s Track and Field

Coming off an incredibly impressive winter season, Gilreath absolutely dominated in the fall season, totaling seven medals in six events, including four gold medals in the triple jump and one silver medal in the high jump.

Fan’s Choice Female Athlete of the Spring

Amanda Fefel, Softball

While the softball team sputtered in conference play and missed making the AEC tournament, Amanda Fefel capped of a phenomenal career with a great season. This season she led the team in nearly every offensive category, totaling 53 hits, 13 home runs, 35 RBIs, 101 total bases, a .631 slugging percentage, and reaching base 40 percent of the time. She was also second on the team with a .331 batting percentage and 33 runs. But she also dominated on the mound, leading the team with a 2.64 ERA and four saves. This year she also broke the all-time UMBC softball home run record, hitter her 41st career home run, became the only retriever named to four straight first-team all-conference teams, and earned an ECAC all-star selection.

Male Athlete of the Spring

Victor Gilreath, Men’s Track and Field

Once again, Gilreath was just absolutely dominant in his second season since transferring from University of Maryland and when it mattered the most he did great. Gilreath won gold at the America East Conference Championship with a leap of 15.45 meters, breaking a 19-year-old championship record. He also started the season with three straight gold medals, a third place finish at the IC4A Championships and a 43rd place finish at the NCAA Regional Championships.

Female Athlete of the Spring

Emily Coady, Women’s Lacrosse

She may be just a sophomore, but Emily Coady has proven to be the future of the women’s lacrosse team. This year she led the team with 35 goals and added eight assists to finish second on the team with 43 total points. She also finished fourth on the team with 20 ground balls. Emily Coady proved right away in her freshman season that she was going to be a very reliable player for the women’s lacrosse team, but this year she took her game to an all-new level. Even though she missed being named to an All-Conference team she ran the high powered offense from behind the net, opened up everybody else for good opportunities, and created her own. In the AEC tournament she scored four goals in both games as the fourth-seeded Retrievers upset UAlbany and came up just one goal shy against Boston U in the conference finals.

**Photos of Kelly Berger, track and field athletes, and Brian Klukowicz courtesy of UMBC athletics.

These polls will be open until 11:59 on May 31, 2010.

After leading UMBC in mostly every offensive category Amanda Fefel was a unanimous first-team selectiion. This season she hit .331 and had 53 hits, 13 home runs, 35 RBIs, and 101 total-bases. She also added nine doubles, 33 runs, and slugged .631 while reaching bases .401 of the time.

But her talent showed in more places than just the batters box. Fefel was also the team’s top pitcher, going 4-5 with a 2.64 ERA with 70 strikeouts in 21 appearances.

Her four straight first-team selections matched Deanna Vecchio (1999-2002) as the only other softball player to do that.

Joining Fefel on the first team was Thompson, the senior outfielder for UMBC. In her final year, Thompson had her best, leading the team with a .333 batting average. She also slugged .558 with 52 hits, 7 doubles, 8 home runs, and 20 RBIs.

O’Malley earned second team honors as she batted .302 with 35 hits, 7 doubles, and 10 RBIs. Six of her RBIs came in conference play off doubles.

Fianlly, Heather Brown was named to the AEC all-freshman team. The pitcher added a third option on the mound this year. She went 9-7 on the mound with a 4.31 ERA and 40 in 99 innings of work. He first career hit was a home run as well.

Amanda Fefel was named first-team All-AEC four years in a row

Brown improved to 9-6 on the mound this season after allowing just two runs off four hits in 6.1 innings. To close out the game and get the save Stephie Weigman pitched the final two outs, allowing just one hit, but getting two strikeouts.

Emily Thompson and Weller led the team with two hits each.

Game 1: Hartford 5, UMBC 3

In the first inning Amanda Fefel hit a home run to center field, giving her 41 in her career, breaking the previous career record. UMBC went up 3-1 after two more runs in the third but the Retrievers cold not hold the lead.

Game 2: UMBC 7, Hartford 5

Stephanie Weigman struggled on the mound, giving up five runs off eight hits in 5.1 innings, but the bats lit up as Emily Thompson led UMBC with four hits and three runs.

The win counted for Joe French’s 300th win while at UMBC.

It did not take long for Amanda Fefel to get her 40th career home run as she blasted a two-run shot in the first inning to give UMBC a quick 2-0 lead. The home run tied UMBC’s career record while she has six more chances to break it.

UMBC would get out to a 6-0 lead but Stephanie Weigman fell apart again as she gave up six runs in the fourth inning to give up the lead.

Fefel would come in for 4.2 innings of relief and close out the inning.

UMBC would score one final run in the fifth inning but University of Maine would score two more runs, including one in the ninth inning to hand UMBC another loss, dropping them to 3-9 in America East Conference play.

Game 1: Maine 3, UMBC 2

Amanda Fefel pitched a gem giving up just two runs (one earned) off four hits in six innings, but with the game tied Stephanie Weigman gave up the walk-off hit in the bottom of the seventh inning to drop her record to 10-11.

While the defense recorded three errors the team did enough to get a win as Lauren Brummell and Fefel scored runs. But another bad outing by Weigman cost UMBC the win.

Game 2: UMBC 4, Maine 1

Stephanie Weigman was able to bounce back by allowing just one run in her start while giving up just five hits as the softball team got a much needed win.

UMBC struck early as Keala Mason hit a three run home run in the first inning to score Emily Thompson and Amanda Fefel while Fefel scored again in the seventh inning.

The pitching managed to fair well, allowing just five runs off 11 hits. Amanda Fefel gave up all five in 2.1 innings as the starter by Stephanie Weigman allowed just four hits in 4.2 innings.

Game 1: UMBC 3, Boston U 1

With a full count and one out in a tied game Amanda Page hit a two-run home run as the softball team got a victory in game one of their double-header. Page went 0-2 prior to the home run while the only other run game from Amanda Fefel, who hit a home run in the fourth inning to tie the game.

Hitting her 38th career home run was not all Fefel did however. She pitched seven innings and gave up just one one off just five hits while striking out seven as the team got a much needed conference victory.

Game 2: Boston U 11, UMBC 3

Stephanie Weigman is looking like just a shell of her former self this year as she gave up seven runs off eight hits in just three innings for UMBC in the five inning game.

She was eventually replaced by freshman pitcher Heather Brown but she did not have much success either, giving up four runs off five hits in two innings.

Malorie Weller and Keala Mason each hit home runs in the game while Lauren Brummell also came in for a score.