Men's Awards / Women's Awards

TROY, N.Y. – The Liberty League has announced its year-end awards in men's and women's outdoor track & field and three Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) student-athletes along with head coach Colin Tory and his staff have been honored. Erik Whiting was named the conference's men's Field Performer of the Year, while David Kastner and Marie Ferro were the men's and women's Rookies of the Year, respectively. The Engineers coaching staff earned Coaching Staff of the Year on both the men's and women's sides for the second straight season.

Whiting, a senior out of Fultonville, N.Y., had a dominant season in the hammer throw, concluding his career as a National All-American (8th) with a personal-best throw of 56.77m. The Liberty League and New York State Champion in both the hammer throw and discus, he also finished third in the hammer throw at the ECAC Championships. In addition to leading RPI to its second straight Liberty League outdoor title and second overall at the State Meet, Whiting was an All-League honoree, the New York State Outstanding Field Performer of the Year and a six-time Liberty League Field Performer of the Week selection. He is a graduate of Fonda-Fultonville High School.

A freshman out of West Islip, N.Y., Kastner carried his solid start from indoor into the outdoor portion of the season, helping RPI to its second straight outdoor title at the Liberty League Meet. He finished fifth or higher in the two events he competed in at the conference meet and then placed sixth in his first Decathlon at the State Meet. Kastner, who also posted fifth and ninth place finishes in two other events at States, was the 2010 Liberty League Indoor Rookie of the Year and is a former standout at West Islip High School.

Ferro, a rookie from Endwell, N.Y., was one of the Engineers most dominant distance runners this season. Among her top efforts in 2010 was at the NYSCTC Outdoor Championships, where she won the 10,000 meter run in an NCAA Provisional time, and placed second in the 5,000 meter race to garner State Rookie of the Meet honors. She also finished second in the 5,000 meters at the Liberty League Championships to garner All-League and was fifth in the 10,000m at ECAC's. A two-time Liberty League Rookie of the Week, Ferro, who is a former standout at Maine-Endwell High School, was also the conference's Rookie of the Year in cross country.

The Rensselaer coaching staff, which is led by 10th-year head coach Colin Tory, garnered Coaching Staff of the Year after guiding both squads to their second straight titles at the Liberty League Outdoor Championships. Both squads also finished second at this year's State Meet and first among league schools. In addition to Whiting's National All-America honor, 69 student-athletes earned All-League recognition, while a combined 29 Liberty League weekly honors were handed out to 14 different individuals. Additionally, 35 student-athletes were named to the Liberty League All-Academic team.

The staff, which includes Camille Ross, Jen Adams, #John (Doc) Hudson#, Warren Lutes, Chris Donais, Allison Benson, and James Kennedy, has now garnered Coaching Staff of the Year honors in each of the last two seasons, including both indoor and outdoor in 2009 and 2010.