(Canton, N.Y.)- Junior Heather Lottie (Canton, N.Y.) and senior Rob Liggio (Canton, N.Y.) were named Student-Athletes of the Year highlighting the year-end athletic picnic on May 11.

The athletic department handed out the awards following a barbeque outside the college's new athletic facility.  Lottie played both volleyball and softball and Liggio played hockey and lacrosse.

On the diamond Lottie served as a co-captain and an integral member of the team's success.  She batted .282 with seven doubles, six home runs, five triples and 21 RBIs.  She notched the 100th hit of her career with a home run at the University of Maine at Presque Isle on April 28.  She was asked to take on a majority of the pitching duties and did it without complaint finishing with 36 strikeouts in 61 innings.  In volleyball she had 81 kills, 29 assists and 11 digs in 60 sets.  According head softball coach Bryan Ingalls, “the team fed off Heather's emotions and when you see a team react like that to one player you know what she means to your team.  She kept the team together and kept everyone loose.  I know I could have put her at any position on the field and she would have been successful.  She was our true MVP.”

Liggio was a four-year standout on the ice and a two-time all-Eastern Collegiate Hockey League 1st Team selection.  He served as a captain during his senior year and this past season the forward joined the 100-point club and he finishes his illustrious career with 69 goals and 75 assists for 144 career points.  In the spring he joined the men's lacrosse team and started nine of the team's 10 games on defense and was a key part of the Roos success in their first year.  Off the ice and field he has participated in numerous clinics and is a regular in the Reading Roos program at St. Mary's school.  “Rob is the epitome of a team leader and he always put the team ahead of himself,” said head hockey coach Eric McCambly.  “His dedication and commitment to the school cannot be matched.  You cannot replace a player like Rob or his personality, his ability to make those around him better, his heart and his drive to continuously improve.”

Freshmen Megan Mydosh (Warwick, N.Y.) and Mackenzie Mynter (Churchville, N.Y.) were named female co-Rookies of the Year. 

Mydosh ran for the women's cross country team and was the team's top finisher in every meet last fall.  She posted four top 10 finishes including 5th-place finishes at the SUNYIT Invitational and the Southern Vermont College Invitational.  She also finished 10th at the North Country Invitational hosted by SUNY Canton and a 10th-place finish at the CCOC Championship at Hobart William Smith which earned her USCAA Female Runner of the Week honors.  She capped off her freshman campaign at the USCAA national championships where she came in 19th place out of 111 total runners in Lake Placid.  Mydosh also played for the women's lacrosse team in the spring and finished with eight ground balls and three draw controls. 

Mynter played a vital role in the re-building effort of the women's volleyball program.  She played in all 33 matches this year and led the team with 6.6 assists per game, 64 service aces and 20 solo blocks.  She also averaged 1.7 kills and 1.6 digs and was named the USCAA Setter of the Week twice.

Freshman Matthew Wong (Coventry, England) of the men's soccer team was named the male Rookie of the Year.  The defenseman played in 20 of 21 games, the first three at midfield before being moved to the back line where he helped hold opposing teams to just one goal per game. 

Juniors Abbey Shoen (Waddington, N.Y.) and Justin Richardson (Pavilion, N.Y.) were given Make-A-Difference Awards. 

Shoen was elected captain of the women's volleyball team this year and her contributions were paramount to the team's success as her leadership as a seasoned SUNY Canton athlete proved invaluable to a young first year program. She averaged 1.5 kills and 1.2 digs per set and had 11 blocks.  Off the court she was actively involved with the Canton community. She is the SAAC president and participated in Roo Hop to Help Day, Cinco de Bowlo, volleyball fundraisers, local volleyball clinics, and other department fundraisers.

This past fall Richardson came in first place helping the Roos win the Southern Vermont Invitational and he also came in third place out of 134 runners guiding the Roos to the SUNYIT Invitational championship.  He has been an active and productive member of SAAC, a constant volunteer for Hop to Help Day and the Roos Lake to Lake Relay, a tremendous student and someone that always has a smile on his face. 

The Student Athlete Advisory Committee handed out two awards.  Men's soccer coach and assistant women's lacrosse coach Mark Howlett was named Coach of the Year and athletic director Randy Sieminski was given an appreciation award for his guidance and leadership.

Three student-athletes were recognized at the picnic for winning Chancellor Scholar-Athlete Awards.  Those student-athletes were Lottie, junior Kaitlin Myers (Dannemora, N.Y.) of women's basketball and junior John Payne (Port Moody, B.C.) of men's ice hockey.  Myers was named a USCAA Honorable Mention All-American after leading her team in scoring, rebounding, assists, blocks, steals, minutes played, and free throw shooting.  She averaged 16.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.9 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game.  She shot 46 percent from the floor and 78 percent from the free throw line while playing nearly 34 minutes a game.  Payne scored 14 goals with 19 assists for 33 points in 33 games and was named an Eastern Collegiate Hockey League academic all-star.

The athletic department also announced the academic achievement award winners and this year 59 student-athletes earned the award for maintaining a grade-point average of 3.35 or higher.

Click here for the list of winners.