TROY, N.Y. - The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) department of athletics' 2009-10 year-end awards have been announced and five student-athletes have been recognized. The Male and Female Freshmen of the Year are men's lacrosse goaltender James Manchester and women's cross country/track & field standout Marie Ferro. The Male Athlete of the Year is men's hockey forward Chase Polacek while the women's Athlete of the Year is women's basketball's Whitney Coleman. Coleman is also the Female Career Athlete, while Patrick Reardon of baseball is the Male Career Athlete.
Manchester, a native of Niskayuna, N.Y., started all 17 games for the Engineers as a freshman, posting a 14-3 record with a 6.09 goals against average and a .629 save percentage. His GAA was third best among Division III goalies and his save percentage was ninth. In addition to making 168 saves, he scooped up 38 ground balls and had five caused turnovers. Manchester backstopped RPI to both the Liberty League regular season and tournament championships en route to the program's third appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The unanimous Liberty League Rookie of the Year, the former Niskayuna High School standout was also an All-League Second Team selection and the ECAC Upstate Rookie of the Year.
Ferro, who hails from Endwell, N.Y., competed in all nine races during the cross country season finishing in the top-10 on six occasions and no lower than 18th. An All-Liberty League and All-New York State First Team selection, she helped the team to best-ever finishes at both the NYS Meet (2nd) and the Atlantic Regional (5th). The Liberty League Rookie of the Year also helped RPI to it's first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament. As a member of the track & field team, Ferro, a Maine-Endwell High School graduate, helped the Engineers capture both the indoor and outdoor Liberty League Championships and a runner-up finish at the NYS Outdoor Championships. Ferro was the conference outdoor Rookie of the Year and the NYS Outdoor Rookie of the Meet.
Polacek, a senior from Edina, Minn., led ECAC Hockey in numerous categories on his way to capturing many prestigious accolades last season, including ECAC Hockey Player of the Year, Hobey Baker Award finalist and National All-America. In 39 games, the forward had 26 goals and 26 assists for 52 points. Twenty-eight of his points (13 goals, 15 assists) came on the power play and he had two shorthanded goals with a pair of game-winners. The Academy of Holy Angels ranked first in the league in points, points per game (1.33), power play points and shorthanded points (5). He was second in goals, power play goals and shorthanded goals and was fifth in assists. Nationally Polacek was third in power play goals, sixth in points per game, eighth in goals per game (0.67) and tenth in shorthanded goals.
Coleman, a guard out of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., played all 28 basketball games as a senior. The Liberty League Player of the Year and a WBCA/State Farm All-America Honorable Mention, she led the team in scoring (17.5), rebounding (9.2), assists (110) and steals (46) while finishing second in blocks (31). A captain, Coleman became Rensselaer's all-time leader in points in a season (479) and points in a career (1,530) while leading the team to its first Liberty League Championship title and an NCAA Tournament appearance. A four-time All-League selection in her career, the Etiwanda High School graduate concluded her tenure at Rensselaer having averaged 14.7 points and 6.7 rebounds in 104 games. Coleman, who is seventh on the all-time rebounding list (693), was Rensselaer's Female Athlete of the Year in 2008-09, a multiple D3Hoops.com All-Region selection and the Liberty League Rookie of the Year in 2005-06.
A catcher from Troy, N.Y., Reardon was a four-year starter who batted .386 (227 for 588) with 59 doubles – two shy of the school record – three triples and 22 home runs during his career. He scored 171 runs, with 155 runs batted in and 20 stolen bases. He had a .609 slugging percentage with a .484 on-base percentage, aided by 105 bases on balls. Among Reardon's best seasons was 2009 when he played in 50 games and helped RPI to its 16th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and second straight Regional final. Reardon led the team in batting average (.409), runs (61), hits (79), doubles (22), home runs (10), total bases (133), walks (29), slugging percentage (.689) and on-base percentage (.491) that year. He was named the Liberty League, ECAC Upstate and Region Player of the Year, as well as a National All-America Second Team selection. In his career, the former LaSalle Institute standout consistently earned All-League and All-Region honors.
Manchester, Ferro, Polacek, Coleman and Reardon will be honored at Rensselaer's Annual Hall of Fame Banquet, which will be held during Homecoming/Reunion Weekend on October 15-17.
