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Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Media Relations

Awards Banquet Highlight Video

SOMERS, Wis. (May 9, 2016)-- The University of Wisconsin-Parkside athletic department hosted the 15th annual Awards Banquet on Monday evening at the Student Center Ballroom, honoring one team and nine student-athletes for their success on the field and in the classroom.
 
The awards presented were the Academic Achievement Award, Ranger Award, Newcomer of the Year, Athlete of the Year, and Career Achievement Award. Each award was presented to both a male and female student-athlete while the Provost Award was awarded to the program with the highest grade point average among the department's 15 sports.
 
The women's volleyball squad captured the Provost Award, boasting a 3.42 grade point average during the fall semester, edging women's basketball (3.33) and men's golf (3.31) for the accolade.
 
Volleyball student-athlete Meghan Conley was the lone Ranger to win two awards at the banquet, securing the Female Academic Achievement Award along with the Ranger Award.
 
The Academic Achievement Award is bestowed upon the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade point average who has completed four years of eligibility while the Ranger Award is given to the student-athlete that best exemplify the positive attributes of intercollegiate athletics while at the University.
 
Conley wins both awards after a stellar career on the court, playing in 115 of the 121 matches over the past four seasons, appearing in 420 sets. A three-time team captain, Conley has been a versatile player, starting three different positions during her career. She finished her career ranked sixth all-time in digs (1,131) while racking up 360 kills, 120 blocks, and 36 aces, helping the Rangers win 73 games over the last four years and was part of the first senior class since 1990-1991 to collect four consecutive winning seasons.
 
Off the court, Conley is a three-time Academic All-GLVC honoree and has made the Dean's and Provost list every semester. A dual major in psychology and biology, Conley has spent countless hours volunteering at various organizations in the community and will graduate in May before attending medical school.
 
Capturing the male Academic Achievement Award was cross country and track & field student-athlete Gabe Poser. Poser was an All-GLVC selection in cross country during the fall, helping the Rangers place second at the GLVC Championships before finishing eighth overall in UW-Parkside's first ever appearance at the NCAA Division II Championships. Poser landed United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic honors and will graduate with a degree in biological sciences.
 
Men's cross country and track & field student-athlete Pat Niyork secured the Ranger Award on the men's side. An RSAAC committee member and a team captain, Niyork is seen at a majority of on-campus events cheering on his fellow Rangers. The distance runner leads the team in fundraising hours and is an excellent student in the classroom. On the course he is an All-GLVC and USTFCCCA All-Academic honoree in cross country, helping the team advance to nationals while winning the 5,000-meters at the GLVC Indoor Championships in February.
 
The Career Achievement Awards were won by a pair of basketball athletes with Andy Mazurczak winning the award on the men's side and Stephanie Furr capturing the honor on the women's side.
 
Mazurczak finished his career as one of most decorated players in program history. The guard leaves Parkside as the winningest player in program history, helping the program notch 94 wins over the past four seasons along with winning four GLVC East Division titles and making four appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Mazurczak was a Second Team D2Bulletin All-American in 2016 while also securing GLVC Player of the Year accolades along with NABC All-District and D2CCA All-Region honors. A two-time All-GLVC honoree, Mazurczak was the GLVC Freshman of the Year in 2013 and was a 2016 CoSIDA Academic All-District selection. He played in more games (120) than any player in school history and ranks third all-time in assists (444) and sixth in scoring (1,531).
 
Furr captures the women's career award after a making three trips to the NCAA Tournament as a Ranger. She was a Second Team All-GLVC honoree this winter, leading the team in scoring (13.1 points per game) while ranking second on the team in both rebounds (6.0 per game) and assists (2.3 per game). Furr tallied 571 points in her career along with 274 rebounds, 94 assists, and 59 steals and finished in double figures on 26 occasions over the past five seasons. A double major (health science and psychology), Furr deferred physical therapy school for a year so she could complete her eligibility with the Rangers and will be attending the University of Illinois –Chicago in the fall.
 
Securing Athlete of the Year honors were wrestler Nick Becker and distance runner Moriah Palmer.
 
Becker claims the honor on the men's side after a dominating season with the Green and White, culminating in an undefeated record and a national title at 174-pounds. The redshirt sophomore was 41-0 on the year, winning championships at the Wisconsin Open, Midwest Classic, Concordia Open, and Wheaton Invitational during the regular season. Becker ripped through the Super Regional, helping the Rangers collect the team title for the first time in program history before sitting atop the podium at nationals as the team placed seventh overall. Becker was named the D2WCA Midwest Region Wrestler of the Year and was the GLVC and Super Region Wrestler of the Week on Dec. 22.
 
Palmer earns the award on the women's side after earning All-American honors in both cross country and indoor track & field. The junior was the top finishing Ranger in all seven cross country races this fall, including a third place showing at the GLVC Championships. Palmer collected All-GLVC and All-Region honors in the fall in addition to her All-American certificate and helped the Rangers advance to Nationals as a team for the first time since the 2007 season. On the track, Palmer placed second in the mile and distance medley relay at the GLVC Indoor Championships and fourth in the 800-meters before claiming All-American honors at the NCAA Indoor Championships in the mile.
 
Wrestler Pernevlon Sheppard and distance runner Amanda Johnson landed the Newcomer of the Year awards.
 
Sheppard earns the honor after finishing his debut season on the mat with a 27-11 record at 141-pounds. The grappler won his weight class at the NCAA Super Regional, helping the Rangers win the team championship and was an NCAA qualifier and played a role in the squad finishing seventh at the NCAA Championships.
 
Johnson lands Newcomer of the Year after a breakout season with the Green and White. The true freshman placed 10th overall at the GLVC Cross Country Championships in the fall, earning All-GLVC and GLVC Freshman of the Year honors. She was the second Ranger across the finish line at both the regional and national meets, helping UW-Parkside place 16th overall in the team's first nationals appearance since 2007. On the track, Johnson finished second at the GLVC Indoor Championships as a member of the distance medley relay team and placed fifth overall in the mile.
 
UW-Parkside experienced a banner 2015-2016 season, ranking 22nd nationally in the final winter Directors' Cup standings with men's and women's cross country, men's basketball, wrestling, and women's track & field all making appearances at the NCAA Championships.