Bridgeport, Conn. - Jenna Erickson (Melrose, N.Y.) of the St. Thomas Aquinas women's basketball team, Liam Haycock (Stafford, England) of the Dist. Columbia men's soccer team, and Katie McKrell (Webster, N.Y.) of the Daemen volleyball team, received the East Coast Conference Excellence in Community and Character Award at the ECC Awards Dinner on June 4.
The most prestigious award presented of the night, Excellence in Community and Character Award recipients are student-athletes who have distinguished themselves through positive actions and behaviors that are consistent with the NCAA Division II attributes of learning, service, passion, sportsmanship, balance and resourcefulness.
“This award is not just for the best student, best athlete, the best sportsman or woman,” said ECC Commissioner, Dr. Robert Dranoff. “This is an award for all around excellence.”
Jenna Erickson
Erickson was a standout on and off the court for the St. Thomas Aquinas College women's basketball team. On the court, she wrapped up an outstanding career by winning ECC Player of the Year honors after averaging 16.9 points per game. She also finished ranked second in conference history with 331 three pointers made and in the top-10 with 1,826 points. In addition, she lifted the Lady Spartans to their first-ever ECC Championship and NCAA Tournament victory.
She was just as much of a standout in her off the court endeavors. In the classroom, Erickson compiled a 3.5 GPA as a therapeutic recreation major and was the secretary of the school's therapeutic recreation club. She also was a mainstay in the athletic department and women's basketball community service events including free youth clinics, fitness events with local elementary schools, charity walks and events for breast cancer, the Rockland Women's Shelter, and sudden infant death syndrome.
During STAC's deep postseason run this spring semester, Erickson juggled a full-time internship at the Andrus of Hudson nursing facility. At her internship she was responsible for cares plans and specific program designs for people with Alzheimers, dementia, behavior disabilities and people in rehab.
Liam Haycock
Haycock was a standout on and off the soccer pitch for University of the District of Columbia. On the field, he played in 16 games with 12 starts in the defensive backfield and helped lead the Firebirds to their first-ever ECC Championship and NCAA Championship berths. A former John Smillie Jr. Award winner after double hip surgeries, also stayed healthy throughout the season.
Haycock's off the field resume is even more impressive. He served as the president of UDC's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and was instrumental in coordinating community outreach programs such as serving the homeless at DC Central Kitchen and organizing a Make-A-Wish initiative in partnership with Chipotle. He also spent time working in the university's Office of International Student Affairs and this spring, he took on the responsibilities of the Director of Athletic Communications with the current director out on a military leave of absence. He helped with the usual day-to-day duties in the office and was instrumental in assisting with the department's Hall of Fame ceremony and dinner.
In addition, Haycock was selected to participate in a United States Department of Education webinar discussing NCAA participation and attending college in the U.S. for international students.
On top of all that, he excelled in the classroom as an English major with a 3.84 GPA. All of this led to him being honored with the UDC athletic department's highest honor, the Reslyn W. Henley award for athletic excellence and great character and leadership.
Katie McKrell
McKrell was a member of the volleyball team at Daemen. She was a three year starter at setter and became just the fourth player in program history to compile over 2,000 assists in a career.
Her off the court exploits earned her recognition as one of 25 nation-wide semifinalists for the prestigious Coach Wooden Citizens Cup award that is bestowed to a student-athlete who best exemplifies character, teamwork, and citizenship. Part of the reason for her recognition is the numerous hours she has spent volunteering. She has volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, Flower City Work Camp, as an EMT and in the dispatch center at Penfield Ambulance, as a child care provider and Sunday school teacher at her church, and with a local youth baseball team.
McKrell also founded the Athletes in Action club at Daemen. AIA is a ministry for student-athletes that uses sports as a platform to help people answer questions of faith and serving God. After a slow start to the club, she invested her time and energy into spreading information about why the club could be beneficial and now meetings are regularly attended by more than 15 student-athletes. She expanded the reach of the club by hosting special events which included hosting Buffalo Bills player Lorenzo Alexander and former WWE wrestler, Lex Luger, and also spent a 10 day trip to Central Asia with Athletes in Action.
McKrell managed to do all of this while compiling a 3.62 GPA in the rigorous physician assistant program. She became the first volleyball player to compete all four years while being in the program. To understand how difficult this was, historically many student-athletes who are in this program at Daemen, walk away from competing in athletics at the end of their sophomore year due to time constraints and absences for athletics not an excuse to miss labs, fieldwork assignments, or supervised clinical practice experiences.