Seniors honored: Men's basketball player Mat Burridge '07, left, and women's swimmer Shelly Dann '07, right, earned the highest academic awards given to Laker student-athletes in 2007. Burridge received the Donald Snygg Award and Dann earned the Oswego Woman Scholar Athlete Award. Burridge and Dann are pictured with Oswego State Athletic Director Timothy G. Hale.

Oswego State student-athletes were a prominent part of the 2007 Oswego State Honors Convocation. Mat Burridge '07 of the men's basketball team and Shelly Dann '07 of the women's swimming and diving team received the top academic awards presented to Laker student-athletes.

Burridge received the Donald Snygg Award and Dann earned the Oswego Woman Scholar-Athlete Award. Both awards are presented to student-athletes who have completed at least two years in a varsity athletic program, maintained a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.3, and demonstrated athletic success.

Burridge was an All-SUNYAC player for the men's basketball team and majored in childhood education and social studies. He graduated from Hannibal High School prior to enrolling at Oswego State.

"Mat is one of the great competitors and leaders we've ever had in our program. He worked his way up from being a part-time player early in his career to an All-SUNYAC honoree his last two seasons," Laker men's basketball Coach Kevin Broderick M '92 said. "He has proven that a great academic and athletic career is possible at Oswego State. It takes tremendous commitment and dedication in both areas, and those are qualities that Mat has demonstrated throughout his four years."

Dann was a SUNYAC champion in the pool and holds a conference record as a member of a relay team, and graduated with degrees in psychology and public justice. She was also a recipient of the prestigious SUNY Chancellor's Award for Academic Excellence and was a member of two honor societies. Dann is a graduate of Mexico Academy.

"Shelly really committed herself to swimming at Oswego State and proved that you can have a tremendous academic career while performing at a high level against excellent competition," former Oswego State swimming and diving coach Kami Gardner said.

Four other varsity team members were recognized with significant academic awards and scholarships at the convocation after effectively demonstrating a strong commitment to academics and varsity athletics. They included Kelly Bootier '07 (women's lacrosse), Kaitlin Daniels '07 (field hockey), Paul MacMahon '09 (men's swimming and diving) and Joseph Turk '09 (men's swimming and diving).

A total of 168 Oswego State student-athletes earned the athletic department's Award for Academic Excellence in the 2006-07 school year. Many of them were honored by the SUNYAC office, as 151 were members of the SUNYAC All-Academic teams and 53 were named to the prestigious Commissioner's List.

For more information on the academic achievements of Laker student-athletes, visit the Lakers in the Classroom section of the Oswego State athletics Web site at www.oswego.edu/athletics/classroom.

—Joe Gladziszewski