(Canton, N.Y.)-Senior three-sport standout Erin Tulip (Constable, N.Y.) received the Nicole E. Fleury Memorial Leadership Award highlighting the 2007 Women's Recognition and Awards Banquet on May 11 at the Best Western.

The award is given in honor of former SUNY Canton student-athlete Nicole Fleury who tragically lost her life in a car accident during her senior year. Nicole was a two-year captain for the women's basketball team and an instrumental leader both on and off the court. The award annually goes to a second-year player who has exhibited outstanding leadership, character and dedication to her team and academics.

Tulip was a captain on the women's soccer, basketball and softball teams this year. In the fall she had seven goals and nine assists helping the soccer team reach the Region III quarterfinals. In the winter she averaged 8.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.5 steals per game in guiding the basketball team to the championship game of the Region III tournament. She capped off her year by batting .371 for the softball team and driving in a team-high 19 runs. She scored 18 runs and added five doubles and four triples and she was also the team's leading pitcher with a 5.59 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 99 innings on the mound. She received a Coaches Award for basketball and was the softball team's Most Valuable and Most Improved Player.

"This award is very dear to us and one that is not given out lightly," said athletic director Diane Para in presenting the award to Tulip. "To say Erin is deserving of this award is an understatement. She has helped elevate each sport she has played to a new level with her character, maturity, dedication, work ethic and drive. She is not a rah, rah type of leader but her actions, conduct, competitiveness and how she treated her teammates spoke volumes. She never missed a game all year and not one of her coaches can remember her missing a practice and she has been faithfully committed to her acadmics."

"She is someone who her teammates look up to with high regard," said soccer coach Teresa Minckler.

"Erin exemplifies the qualities found in a true athlete and ones that make a great team player and great person," said head basketball coach Bruce Tallon.

The 2007 Women's Banquet Award Winners and their coaches

Each team handed out individual awards at the banquet.

Head volleyball coach Liz Testani was not able to attend due to the birth of her first child the night before. Para stood in for Testani and handed out three awards. The Most Valuable Offensive Player went to senior Alicia Abbey (Mayville, N.Y.) who averaged a team-best 1.8 kills per game. She also averaged 1.9 assists and 1.0 digs per game and recorded 19 service aces and a .870 serve percentage. The Most Valuable Defensive Player went to freshman outside hitter Nicole Rishe (Evans Mills, N.Y.) who registered a team-high 95 digs (1.5). She also produced 1.6 kills per game and a .893 serve percentage. The Most Improved Player was freshman setter Lindsay Bishop (St. Regis Falls, N.Y.) who led the team with 2.9 assists per game.

Minckler, who was the 2006 Mid-State Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, handed out four awards. Freshman sweeper Sam Creeley (Owego, N.Y.) and freshman goalie Brenna Sexton (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) were given co-Most Valuable Defensive Players. The two backstopped a defense that held opponents to 1.8 goals per game. Creeley finished with one goal and one assist and Sexton recorded a 1.50 goals-against average and a .828 save percentage with a pair of shutouts. The Most Valuable Offensive Player went to leading scorer Niki Perkins (Potsdam, N.Y.) who tallied 22 goals and 12 assists for 56 points, which ranked eighth in the country. The Coaches Award went to freshman midfielder Lauren Ploof (Hammond, N.Y.) who had four goals and nine assists for 17 points. Perkins and Ploof each made the all-Region III Second Team and were joined by Sexton on the all-conference team.

Next up was women's basketball and Tallon and associate coach Missy West gave out four awards. The Heart and Hustle / Most Valuable Player Award went to Ploof who led the team in scoring (13.1), assists (4.0), steals (2.6) and field goal percentage (.445). Ploof played in all 28 games at point guard and also averaged 5.6 rebounds and shot 68 percent from the free throw line. The Blue Collar Award went to Abbey for her what the coaches called her "willingness to do the dirty work". Abbey started all 28 games at forward and averaged 7.9 points and 7.1 rebounds. The Most Improved Player was freshman forward Jackie Maynard (Brasher Falls, N.Y.) who averaged 5.0 points and 5.3 rebounds off the bench. Ploof was named to the all-Region III First Team and was joined on the all-conference team by senior forward Claire Murphy (Parish, N.Y.), who also made the all-Region III Third Team. Senior guard Kristi Farrell (Ogdensburg, N.Y.) received Honorable Mention in the conference.

The final team to hand out awards was softball and Para. The Most Valuable Defensive Player went to freshman catcher Sabrina Rose (Schenectady, N.Y.) who caught every game this spring and finished with a .944 fielding percentage. At the plate Rose batted .313 with 13 RBIs and six doubles. The Most Valuable Offensive Player was Murphy who started every game in left field. Murphy led the team in batting (.403) and hits (25) and added 17 runs, 12 RBIs, three doubles and a triple. The Coaches Award went to freshman infielder Jenna Chontosh (Massena, N.Y.) who played third base, second base, and first base at different times of the year. Chontosh batted .254 with 13 runs, six RBIs and four doubles.

Seven student-athletes received Academic Recognition Awards at the banquet for earning a 3.35 or higher grade-point average. They included senior Ashley Farmer (St. Regis Falls, N.Y.)(basketball and softball), Ploof, freshman Kendra Harris (Roscoe, N.Y.)(soccer and softball), freshman Hannah Peck (Richville, N.Y.)(basketball), Rishe, Sexton, and freshmn Brittany Arcadi (St. Regis Falls, N.Y.)(soccer).

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