Sage honors 2010-2011 Women's Basketball Players with annual awards
The Sage Colleges athletic department gathered last month at Carmela’s Banquet House to bestow the program’s top awards for the 2010-2011 academic year. Sage, which now boasts 12 varsity athletic teams that compete as an NCAA Division III member and a full-member of the Skyline Athletic Conference, handed out a Gator of the Year award as the team’s Most Valuable Player Award in each sport as well as other honors at the banquet as athletic department staff, the college’s dignitaries, families and friends gathered to salute the excellence that occurred in 2010-2011 at Sage.
2010-2011 ECAC Merit Award: Elizabeth Donk (Sr., Phelps, NY/Midlakes) Women’s Basketball and Lacrosse
A three-year letterwinner in women’s basketball at Sage, this two-time basketball team captain provided the spark and leadership necessary to help the team to the program’s first Skyline Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament appearance. Her leadership and skills did not go unnoticed as she started all 24 games this season and leads the team with her 97 assists. She finishes her Sage career ranked second all-time with 297 assists, while her 145 career free throws is No. 9 on the Gator career list. She also played in 70 career games, which stands 11th best at Sage and added 491 career points with 312 rebounds. A leader on campus, Donk served as the vice president of Sage’s SAAC, Student-Athlete Advisory Council and was an officer for two years. She was very instrumental in the women’s basketball team’s involvement this past season with Jumper for Jacob, a fund raising contest to benefit Jacob’s Angels.
She capped her Sage career adding women’s lacrosse to her resume, a new sport for the student-athlete. Donk capped her athletic career with a hat trick in her new sport and earned acclaim from the Skyline Conference, earning a spot on the Skyline Conference Women’s Lacrosse Weekly Honor Roll. She finished the 2011 women’s lacrosse season as the second leading scorer with five goals, and a team-best 23 ground ball pickups.
2010-2011 Sage Athletic Honor Society:
(The Sage College’s Intercollegiate Athletic Honor Society recognizes junior, senior, or graduate level student-athletes, who have maintained a cumulative grade-point-average of 3.2 or better and have participated as a member of a varsity team for at least two seasons.)
Elizabeth Donk (Sr., Phelps, NY/Midlakes), Women’s Basketball and Women’s Lacrosse
*Indicates Previous Inductee
Gator of the Year: Chelsea Martin (Fr., Davenport, NY/Jefferson Central)
Sage’s rookie forward Chelsea Martin led the team and was saluted for her outstanding play as she was named to the All-Star Second Team for her efforts. She finished her campaign with a team-leading 11.2 ppg average. A starter in all 24 games, she led Sage with 268 points and ranks 12th in the league in scoring. She shot 78.7% from the line and added a 6.8 rpg average with 15 blocks. She ranks 13th in rebounding and 14th in blocked shots with a 0.63 per game average. Her single-season free throw percentage is among the single-season leaders at the No. 7 spot.
Over the course of her rookie season, Martin earned a spot on the Betty Abgott Invitational All-Tournament Team on opening weekend at Buffalo State College, while also earning three selections to the Skyline Conference Honor Roll as well as one selection as the Skyline Conference Rookie of the Week on December 13.
Game Changer: Kara Hackett (So., Peru, NY/Peru Central)
Sophomore Kara Hackett finished her second season at Sage with a 9.5 ppg and 7.8 rpg average in 20 games played with 19 starts. She provided the spark when needed in game to help Sage earn the program’s first Skyline Conference Tournament bid. In her two seasons with the squad, she has racked up 463 points, 345 rebounds, and 39 career blocks. She ranks fifth on the career block list and owns a 10.5 ppg career average. Hackett also ranked 17th in scoring in the Skyline Conference, while also ranking eighth in the league in rebounding. She was ninth with her 1.95 steals per game and an 0.85 blocks per game average.
Leadership Award: Elizabeth “Liz” Donk, (Sr., Phelps, NY/Midlakes)
Liz Donk finished her career in the No. 2 spot on Sage’s assist list with 297, including a team-best 97 this season. Her resume also includes ranking 11th in career games played (70), 9th in career free throws (145), and No. 13th in three-point baskets (24). On the 2010-11 season, she added a 4.3 ppg average in 24 starts. She ranks first in the league with her 1.54 assist to turnover ratio, while ranking sixth with her 4.04 assists per game average. Her 97 assists in a season tied her own mark for assists last season and stand fifth best for a season at Sage. She served the team as a floor general as the captain and provided leadership for the squad in her three seasons at Sage.
