28th Athletic Awards Banquet

DAVIE, Fla. — The Barry University Athletic Department celebrated its 28^th Annual Awards Banquet on Thursday, April 26 at the Signature Grand in Davie, Fla. Awards were presented to athletes from every sport.

Senior Mark Anderson (Men’s Soccer) was named the 2012 Male Athlete of the Year. Anderson was named Daktronics National Player of the Year and CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year to go along with First-Team All-American honors with both Daktronics and NSCAA. His accolades also included Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year, and South Region Player of the year. This fall, Anderson led the SSC in goals and points with 21 goals and 46 points. He ranked second in the country in total goals and fourth in goals per game. Anderson went on to set the Barry record for goals in a season and finished his career second on the all-time list with 58 goals.

Senior Brianna Smith was named the 2012 Female Athlete of the Year. Smith has led the Buccaneers to 37-9 mark, including a 16-5 conference record. She earned All-Conference, All-Region and Second-Team All-America in 2011, and is currently tied for fifth in the nation with 13 shutouts. This season, Smith leads the team with a 20-5 record and 1.28 ERA, and she is also second on the team with three homers, and is hitting .293 with 17 runs scored and 21 RBI. Of her 13 shutouts, five have been 1-0 victories. She currently ranks in the top 10 in strikeouts, shutouts, complete games and wins for her career.

The Professor Neill Miller Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award was given to the male and female student-athletes with the highest cumulative GPA meeting specific criteria for academic progress and athletic participation.

Daniel Stapff received the men’s award for the third consecutive year, and kept it on the men’s golf team for the fourth year. Stapff, a senior, carries a 3.918 in finance. Stapff was named SSC Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2010 and 2011 as well as Cleveland Golf/Srixon Scholar All-America and was named South Region Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2011. This season, Stapff has six top 10 finishes that includes a first place finish at the St. Edward’s Invitational.

Senior Grace Collins of the softball team earned the award on the women’s side. Collins has a 3.859 as double major in philosophy and history. This year, Collins received the prestigious President’s Award presented each year to a senior who has demonstrated outstanding service and leadership for the benefit of the Barry University Community during his or her career at Barry. Aside from her academic success, Collins has volunteered with numerous philanthropic organizations, including the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Habitat for Humanity and the Miami Children’s Museum. Collins has spent countless hours involved with Barry-organized events as well. She has taken part in Barry’s Safe Halloween, Miami Shores Community Fest, the Adopt-A-Family Thanksgiving Food Drive and the Gobble Wobble run.

The women’s soccer team wrested the CHAMPS/Lifeskills trophy away from the softball for the first time in four years. Softball finished second, while the women’s golf team placed third.

Collins also won the Sister Jeanne O’Laughlin Community Service Award for the second year in a row -- the first back-to-back winner in the history of the award. Collins shared the award with women’s soccer’s Haley Struthers last year. Collins initiated the America’s Moms for Solders Care Project at Barry, sending monthly care packages to American soldiers, Marines and airmen serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. She is president of the Phi Sigma Tau philosophy honor society, is a member of Phi Alpha Theta history honor society and two prestigious national honor societies – Delta Epsilon Sigma and Kappa Gamma Pi. She is also team captain of Barry’s Ethics Bowl Team.