FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 27, 2007

Rhode Island College Announces
2007 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 Tuesday, Mar. 27 to honor those student-athletes who participate in varsity fall athletics. Each sport gave out their Most Valuable Player Award.

Women’s Basketball

Junior forward Josalee Danieli (New Gloucester, ME) was named the women’s basketball team’s MVP. She was named Second Team All-Little East Conference. Danieli played in 27 games, starting 25 of them. She averaged 13.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game. She was tied for the team lead in scoring and was second in both rebounds and assists. Danieli owned the team’s highest field goal percentage with a mark of .492 (153-for-311).

She is a nursing major and a 2004 graduate of Gray-New Gloucester High School.

Women’s Gymnastics

Freshman Elizabeth Ann Glunt (Altoona, PA) was named the women’s gymnastics team’s MVP. Glunt was the only gymnast on the team to compete on every event at every meet. She averaged scores of 8.869 on vault, 7.586 on bars, 8.758 on beam, 8.606 on floor and 33.931 in the all-around for the season. She led the team on beam, was second in the all-around and third on both vault and floor. Glunt, currently competing for RIC’s outdoor track and field team, was the women’s cross country team’s MVP this past fall.

She is a nursing major and a 2006 graduate of Bishop Guilfoyle High School.

Men’s Indoor Track and Field

Senior Dan Newman (Smithfield, RI) was named the men’s indoor track and field team’s MVP. He earned All-New England honors in the high jump, placing fifth with a leap of 1.87 meters at the N.E. Div. III Championships on Feb. 17. Newman earned All-Alliance/Little East honors in three events. He placed first in the high jump with a leap of 1.88 meters, eighth in the 55 meter hurdles with a time of 9.26 and was seventh as part of the 4x400 meter relay team with a time of 3:49.66 at the Little East Conference/MASCAC Alliance Championships on Feb. 10.

He is a physical education/health major and a 2003 graduate of Smithfield High School.

Women’s Indoor Track and Field

Sophomore Kayla Fleming (Pawtucket, RI) was named the women’s track and field team’s MVP. She placed 13th in the 1,000 meters with a time of 3:06.61 and 11th in the high jump with a leap of 1.48 meters at the N.E. Div. III Championships on Feb. 17. Fleming earned All-Alliance/Little East honors in two events at the Little East/MASCAC Alliance Championships on Feb. 10. She placed first the 1,000 meters with a time of 3:12.58 and fourth in the high jump with a leap of 1.54 meters. She also competed at the ECAC Div. III Championships.

She is an elementary education major with a concentration in special education and a 2005 graduate of Tolman High School.

Wrestling

Junior Mike Bonora (Nutley, NJ) was named RIC’s Most Outstanding Wrestler. Bonora was named an NCAA Div. III Academic All-American for the second consecutive season. He owns a 3.68 cumulative GPA and is majoring in psychology.

Bonora earned All-American honors, placing sixth at 141 lbs., at the 2007 NCAA Div. III Wrestling Championships on Mar. 2-3. He was also named the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the 2007 New England College Conference Wrestling Association (NECCWA) Championships, winning the 141 lbs. crown on Feb. 18. He was named the Pilgrim Wrestling League’s Wrestler of the Year. He was also named a Pilgrim League First Team All-Star and to the Scholar-Athlete All-Star Team. Bonora finished the season with a 48-6 record to go along with 170 takedowns, 11 reversals, 17 near-falls and seven pins. He was Rhode Island College’s first All-American in 13 years and broke the school record for wins in a season.

Rhode Island College honored its Winter Sport  MVP's this evening at the annual banquet. Pictured (left to right)  Mike Bonora, Liz Glunt, Dan Newman, and Josalee Danieli

-end-