For Immediate Release April 27, 1999
Four Receive Roanoke Athletic Awards
Wernert and Angell Named Athletes of the Year
SALEM, Va.--Senior women’s lacrosse player Lindsay Wernert (Greenwich, CT/Greenwich) has been named Roanoke College’s Female Athlete of the Year, while David Angell (Boones Mill, VA/Franklin County), of the cross country and track & field teams, has been named the school’s Male Athlete of the Year. Also on Tuesday, it was announced that senior Toree Morris (Salem, VA/Glenvar), of the women’s basketball team, has been named the winner of the 1999 Michael R. Murphy Award, and Jay Kirby (Salem, VA/Salem) has been awarded the Paul W. Rice Award. Wernert led the women’s lacrosse team to a 14-3 record this season and the 1999 Old Dominion Athletic Conference championship. She led the team in all offensive categories, setting career-highs in goals (48), assists (27), and points (75). She led the team in scoring in 10 of its 17 games this year. Just this past weekend, Wernert scored four goals and added seven assists, in two games, to help Roanoke capture its ninth all-time league title. She recorded a career-best six assists in a semifinal win over Lynchburg College. Earlier in the season, Wernert scored eight goals in a win over Goucher College. She was named the ODAC’s Player of the Week on March 29th after leading RC to two wins over ranked opponents. Wernert, the third women’s lacrosse player to be named RC’s Female Athlete of the Year in as many years, will finish her college career fifth on Roanoke’s all-time scoring list. In her Roanoke tenure, Wernert has scored 121 goals and handed out 68 assists (fourth all-time) for 189 career points.
Angell has starred for the cross country team and the track & field teams for four years at Roanoke and during his senior season has achieved some outstanding individual accomplishments, but at the same time has helped his teams to new heights. During the cross country season, Angell won four different races during the regular-season and then took first place at the conference meet. Behind the power of Angell’s first place finish, the Maroons won their first men’s cross country conference title in 11 years. Angell then went on to place 13th, out of 152 runners, at the NCAA regionals, and for his efforts garnered All-Region honors. After missing the entire indoor track season with a foot injury, Angell returned during the outdoor season and turned in some of the best performances in the conference. This past weekend, he won the conference championship in the 5,000 meters for the second consecutive year, and currently has the best time of all conference runners in the 5,000 (15:58.85).
Morris was named the Michael R. Murphy Award winner this year after having her best collegiate basketball season despite suffering through extraordinary pain. Morris suffers from arthritis throughout her body, mostly in her hands, including her shooting hand. The disease has almost completely worn away the knuckles in both of her hands. She also has a tendon problem that prevents her from fully extending the last two fingers in her shooting hand. Despite suffering from these conditions, Morris set a new team record for most three-pointers in a season (70), averaged a career-high 10.2 points per game, and did not miss a start in 26 games. After the season, while being told by a doctor that she should not have played a minute during the year, Morris was named an All-ODAC honorable mention player. The Michael R. Murphy Award is presented annually to the Roanoke student-athlete that has demonstrated perseverance in accomplishing academic and athlete goals at the school. It is named after Michael Murphy ‘92, who passed away while playing basketball just three weeks before his graduation.
Kirby has an impressive list of credentials that led to his selection as the 1999 Paul W. Rice Award winner. The Rice Award is presented to the Roanoke senior student-athlete that has made a significant contribution to campus life. Kirby, a member of the cross country and track & field teams, is a member of Delta Mu Delta, the national honor society in business administration, and served as its President during the 1998-99 academic year. He also a member of the National Economics Society and was the recipient of the 1999 William Sandridge Leadership Award for outstanding leadership within the Business department at Roanoke College. He was named the 1999 outstanding student in both the Business Administration and Marketing departments at the school, and is an eight-time member of the Dean’s List. In his spare time he volunteers at the West End Center and works as an admissions tour guide. He was named an Academic All-American in cross country in 1995 and 1996.