FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 24, 2003

Rhode Island College Announces 2002-03 Winter Sports MVPs

Providence, RI--The Rhode Island College Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, Intramurals and Recreation held its annual Winter Banquet at RIC’s Donovan Dining Center on Monday, Mar. 24 to honor those student-athletes who participate in varsity winter athletics. Each sport gave out their Most Valuable Player Award.

Men’s Basketball

Junior forward Johnafer White (Boston, MA) was named the men’s basketball team’s Most Valuable Player. White was named Second Team All-Little East Conference. White played in 24 games, starting 21 of them. He averaged 13.7 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. He recorded nine double-doubles on the season (points and rebounds). White posted season highs of 26 points vs. UMass-Dartmouth on Jan. 28, 18 rebounds vs. Southern Maine on Jan. 14 and four assists vs. Johnson & Wales on Dec. 10. He was named the LEC’s Co-Player of the Week once this season.

Harris is a management major and a 1998 graduate of West Roxbury High School.

Women’s Basketball

Junior guard Angela Sarette (Putnam, CT) was named the women’s basketball team’s Most Valuable Player. Sarette played in 24 games, starting all of them. She averaged 15.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 3.6 steals per game. She posted season-highs of 26 points vs. Wesleyan on Jan. 9, ten rebounds vs. Mount St. Vincent on Nov. 24, five assists vs. Plymouth State on Feb. 22 and seven steals vs. Pine Manor on Jan. 16.

She is a physical education major and a 2000 graduate of Putnam High School.

Women’s Gymnastics

Sophomore Ashley O’Blenis (Warren, RI) was named the women’s gymnastics team’s Most Valuable Performer. O’Blenis has qualified for the 2003 National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) Championships, which will be hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire on Friday and Saturday, Mar. 28-29, as a floor specialist. This will be O’Blenis’ first trip to the National Championships. She is averaging scores of 9.017 on vault, 8.906 on bars, 8.764 on beam, 9.431 on floor and 36.117 in the all-around.

She is a physical education/health major and a 2001 graduate of Mt. Hope High School.

Wrestling

Senior Mike Riley (Lowell, MA) was named the wrestling team’s Most Valuable Performer for the second consecutive year. Riley closed out his collegiate wrestling career at the NCAA Div. III National Championships, hosted by Ohio Northern University, on Mar. 7-8.

Riley drew a tough opponent in the first round, facing third-seeded Ozzie Saxon from Wartburg, and falling 11-3. His next match was against sixth-seeded Barry Wise from Delaware Valley, losing by fall at 3:46. Riley was leading the match 10-8 and posted a near-fall, but Wise made a quick move to gain the pin. Both Saxon and Wise went on to earn All-American status, placing second and third respectively.

Riley had an outstanding senior season in 2002-03, becoming the New England Champion at 133 lbs. at the NECCWA Championships. It was Riley’s first New England title and his third consecutive season earning All-New England honors. For his career, he posted a 79-16 record with 332 points, 294 takedowns, 20 reversals, 106 escapes, 51 near-falls and six pins.

The team captain was 31-5 at 133 lbs. with 129 points, 134 takedowns, six reversals, 36 escapes, 24 near-falls and two pins on the season. Riley had won 13 consecutive matches heading into the National Championships. During the regular season, he placed first at 133 lbs. at the Roger Williams Invitational and second at the Doug Parker Invitational.

Riley is a finance major and a 1997 graduate of Greater Lowell Technical (MA) High School.

Men’s Indoor Track and Field

Freshman Manny Karngar (Providence, RI) was named the men’s indoor track and field team’s Most Valuable Performer. He earned All-ECAC honors in the 800 meters, placing sixth with a time of 1:54.51. He placed 12th as part of the distance medley relay team with a time of 10:24.19 at the ECAC Championships, establishing a new RIC record in the process.

Karngar earned All-New England honors in the 800 meters, placing first with a time of 1:53.96 and breaking his own school record in that event. Karngar also earned All-New England honors as part of the distance medley relay team, which placed second with a time of 10:30.54.

He earned All-Alliance/Little East honors in the 400 and 800 meters. He placed first in the 400 meters with a school-record time of 50:04. He placed second in the 800 meters with a time of 1:58.08.

Karngar placed first in the 400 meters with a school-record time of 51:21 at the Southern Maine Invitational. He placed 13th in the mile with a time of 4:24.80 at the Terrier Classic, placing first among Div. III competitors and setting a new Rhode Island College record. He placed first in the 800 meters with a time of 1:54.17, finishing ahead of several Div. I competitors, at the Greater Boston Track Club Invitational. Karngar placed second in the 800 meters with a time of 1:55.2 at the Yale Invitational. He placed first in the 800 meters with a time of 1:55.69 at the Harvard Invitational. Karngar placed second in the 1,000 meters with a time of 2:35.12 at the Brown Invitational.

He is undecided about a major and a 2002 graduate of Shea High School.

Women’s Indoor Track and Field

Freshman Dana Skorupa (Cumberland, RI) was named the women’s indoor track and field team’s Most Valuable Performer. Skorupa earned All-New England honors in the 55 meters, placing seventh with a time of 7.74. She placed ninth in the 400 meters with a time of 1:01.35 at the New England Championships. Skorupa earned All-Alliance/Little East honors in the 55 meters, placing second with a time of 7.73. She also placed ninth in the 200 meters with a time of 27.67 at the same meet. Skorupa placed 15th in the 200 meters with a time of 27.77 at the Harvard Invitational. She placed eighth in the 300 meters with a time of 45.44 at the Brown Invitational, establishing a new RIC record in the process.

Skorupa placed first in the 55 meters with a time of 7.70 and second in the 200 meters with a time of 27.22 at the Southern Maine Invitational. She placed third in the 400 meters with a time of 1:02.45 and fourth in the 55 meter hurdles with a time of 9.43 at the same meet. Skorupa placed 50th in the 400 meters with a time of 1:01.28 at the Terrier Classic. She placed 28th in the preliminary of the 200 meters with a time of 27.52 at the Greater Boston Track Club Invitational. Skorupa placed 13th in the 55 meter dash with a time of 7.71 and seventh in the 400 meters with a time of 1:02.89 at the Yale Invitational.

She is an elementary education major with a concentration in special education and a 2002 graduate of Cumberland High School.

Cheerleading

Senior Kristen Ferreira (Tiverton, RI) was named the cheerleading team’s Most Valuable Performer.

She was also named team MVP for the 200-2001 season.  Ferreira completed her fourth season as a RIC cheerleader. She has served as a captain for three of these years. She helped to build the cheerleading program over the past three years into a team with 17 cheerleaders. She has a high level of enthusiasm and has high expectations of her teammates. Her teammates see her as the big sister of the team. She has choreographed routines, taught stunting sequences and motivated her peers. Ferreira has worked at the RIC Cheerleading Summer Camp and as a volunteer clinic instructor at The North Providence Boys & Girls Club. She is finishing her degree in Elementary Education in the fall of 2003 and is presently coaching The New England Christian Academy Cheerleading Squad.

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