Four student-athletes, one staff member earn awards at annual athletics banquet

NORTON, MA- The Wheaton College Department of Athletics held its annual awards ceremony at Emerson Dining Hall on Monday night. Five major awards were presented during the evening, as seniors James Greenslit (Framingham, MA/Rivers School), Sean Kelly (Providence, RI/Wheeler School) and Teresa LeBel (Middleton, MA/Northfield Mount Hermon), junior Jennifer Harlow (East Bridgewater, MA/East Bridgewater) and staff member Janet Sebetes earned recognition for their contributions to Wheaton athletics.

Pictured left to right: Jennifer Harlow '07, James Greenslit '06, Janet Sebetes, Sean Kelly '06, Teresa LeBel '06

Kelly and LeBel each received the Senior Athletic Award, an honor presented to a male and female member of the graduating class who has made a significant contribution to the success of the Wheaton athletic program, including participating in intercollegiate athletics or intramural programs, displaying leadership ability, and providing commitment and relevant committee work.

Kelly, a men's basketball captain and the Lyons' starting point guard for four years, shattered a number of school records during his final season and led Wheaton to a 19-10 mark, culminated by the team's second straight Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Tournament crown. Last winter, Kelly broke the single-season and career marks for each assists and steals, became the 10th player in program history to score 1,000 career points, earned New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) All-Conference first team honors for the second straight season, and placed in the top 10 nationally for both steal (5th) and assist (10th) averages. Kelly has written for the [Wire] student newspaper the last two years with a weekly column highlighting other athletes on campus.

LeBel, a women's soccer co-captain, anchored the backfield of a team that yielded only 20 goals during an 18-5-2 campaign, won its seventh straight NEWMAC regular season title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 for the fourth consecutive fall. LeBel helped the Lyons extend their conference unbeaten streak to 64 games, the third-longest undefeated conference run in NCAA soccer history, regardless of division or gender. Along with garnering her first National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-America nod as a senior, LeBel was named to each the NSCAA and New England Women's Intercollegiate Soccer Association (NEWISA) All-New England teams for the third straight season and drew NEWMAC All-Conference first team honors for the second consecutive fall. LeBel also became the first Lyon to appear in 100 career matches.

After completing a standout four-year career on the soccer pitch and contributing for three seasons to the basketball team, Greenslit was voted Outstanding Male Athlete of the Year for the third straight time. A men's soccer captain, Greenslit led a defensive unit that allowed 16 goals during a 13-5-2 season. The Lyons won their fifth NEWMAC Tournament title, fifth regular season crown and advanced to their third straight NCAA Tournament. Greenslit capped his career with a third straight NSCAA All-America citation and second consecutive NEWMAC Player-of-the-Year honor, and he also earned NSCAA All-New England and NEWMAC All-Conference nods for the third straight season. On the hardwood, Greenslit helped the Lyons go 19-10 and win their second consecutive ECAC Tournament title. A modest contributor his first two years, he led the conference in three-point shooting accuracy as a senior.

Harlow earned the Debi Field Athletic Award, which is received by the school's top female athlete each year. A junior, Harlow won high jump titles at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championship in March and prestigious Penn Relays last Thursday. It was the third All-America citation for Harlow, who earned the honor during the indoor national meet as a sophomore and the outdoor championship as a freshman. Harlow has served as a captain for the women's indoor and outdoor track and field teams this year and has already automatically qualified to compete in the high jump at the NCAA Division III outdoor meet this month. At the NEWMAC Championship last Saturday, she earned five all-conference citations. The 2005 NEWMAC Athlete of the Year was an all-conference qualifier in four events as a sophomore.

Sebetes, a member of the Wheaton physical plant staff for nearly eight years, received the Claudia Friese Special Recognition Award. Her relationships with athletic staff and student-athletes alike have helped foster a positive environment, and her behind-the-scenes dedication to the maintenance of the Haas Athletic Center allows Wheaton's teams to continue utilizing an immaculate facility. Sebetes has worked out of Haas since October 2000 and been an employee at Wheaton since June 1998.