BURNS AND WILLIAMS NAMED ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
2006 BRYANT UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS AWARDS DINNER

John Williams

Maureen Burns

SMITHFIELD, RI - The Bryant University Department of Athletics and Recreation held its annual Athletics Award Dinner Thursday evening before a full house at the Chace Athletic Center.  Senior men's basketball standout John Williams (Springfield, Mass.) and field hockey/lacrosse standout Maureen Burns (Derry, N.H.) walked away as the 2005-06 Male and Female Athletes of the Year respectively. 

Williams was named Third Team All-America by Daktronics after leading the men's basketball team to its third-straight NCAA tournament with a scoring average of 20.3 ppg. 

He finished his career as Bryant's all-time career three-point field goals leader with 323 and was the co-Player of the Year in the Northeast-10 Conference this year.  Williams scored 1,754 career points, fourth-best in school history.  His 3.7 three-point field goals per game was the fifth-best in school history.

Burns, a  two-sport standout for the Bulldogs in both field hockey and lacrosse,  is the first dual all-American Bryant has ever had.  She has started in every game for both sports all four years at Bryant.  In lacrosse, Burns is currently ranked fourth all-time in school history with 85 career goals and is the all-time career leader with 216 career ground balls. 

Other award winners this evening include:

William T. O'Hara Award for leadership 
Jordan Dargon (Trumbull, Conn), softball
Lauren Glenney (Lisbon, Conn.), women's basketball
Greg Daniel (Providence, RI), football

Omar Shareef Spirit Award (selected by student-athletes)
Pamela Malcolm (Colchester, Conn.), women's basketball

Community Service Award
Saddi Williams (Washington, D.C.), football

NCAA Woman of the Year
Maureen Burns (Derry, NH), field hockey / lacrosse

Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Stephen Carr (Wolcott, Conn.), cross country / track
Terri Gidius (Coventry, Conn.), women's soccer

12th Man Award
John Ruppert, Associate Athletics Director