Rhode Island College Announces
2001-02 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. 19 to honor those student-athletes who participate in varsity winter athletics. Each sport gave out their Most Valuable Player Award.

Men’s Basketball

Freshman forward Jason Harris (Bedford, MA) was named the men’s basketball team’s Most Valuable Player. Harris played in 25 games, starting 20 of them. He averaged a team-high 9.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and 0.8 steals per game on the season. Harris put up a team season-high of 22 points and grabbed ten rebounds in RIC’s lone win vs. Bridgewater State on Jan. 12. He scored 17 points and pulled down a career-high 12 rebounds vs. Western Connecticut on Feb. 5.

Harris is a business major and a 2001 graduate of Bedford (MA) High School.

Women’s Basketball

Sophomore guard Katie Hansen (Narragansett, RI) was named the women’s basketball team’s Most Valuable Player. Hansen played in 25 games, starting 24 of them. She averaged 8.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, a team-high 2.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game on the season. Hansen tallied a career-high 21 points and grabbed six rebounds vs. UMASS-Dartmouth on Feb. 12. She recorded a team-high 18 points and four steals vs. Pine Manor on Dec. 4. She dished out a career-high seven assists vs. Roger Williams on Nov. 29.

She is undecided about a major and a 2000 graduate of Narragansett High School.

Women’s Gymnastics

Freshman Caren Normandin (Fall River, MA) was named the women’s gymnastics team’s Most Valuable Performer. Normandin is one of three RIC gymnasts to qualify for the 2002 National Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches Association (NCGA) Championships, hosted by Ithaca College on Mar. 22-23.

At the 2002 ECAC Championships, she placed ninth on vault with a score of 9.325, 12^th on bars with a score of 8.925, 20^th on beam with a score of 8.975, 14^th on floor with a score of 9.400 and seventh in the all-around with a score of 36.625.

She is averaging scores of 9.005 on vault, 8.435 on bars, 9.025 on beam, 8.975 on floor and 35.440 in the all-around. Her season-high marks are as follows: 9.325 on vault and 36.625 in the all-around at the ECAC Championships on Mar. 9; 9.400 on floor vs. MIT/Bridgeport on Feb. 24 and at the ECAC Championships on Mar. 9; 9.100 on bars vs. SUNY-Brockport on Feb. 2 and 9.400 on beam at the Wilson Invitational on Jan. 26.

She is an elementary education major with a minor in special needs and a 2001 graduate of Durfee (MA) High School.

Wrestling

Junior Mike Riley (Lowell, MA) was named the wrestling team’s Most Valuable Performer. Riley earned All-New England honors, placing third at the NECCWA Championships at 133 pounds. Riley recorded a 28-match winning streak during the season. The co-captain was 37-6 (.860) with 163 points, 128 takedowns, ten reversals, 48 escapes, 21 near-falls and four wins by fall on the year. Riley established a new school record for wins in a season with 37. He placed first at the Citrus Invitational on Dec. 29, second at the Scranton Invitational on Dec. 1, third at the Roger Williams Invitational on Nov. 10 and fourth at the Doug Parker Invitational on Nov. 17.

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

Men’s Indoor Track and Field

Junior Tim Rudd (Warwick, RI) was named the men’s indoor track and field team’s Most Valuable Performer. Rudd placed ninth at the ECAC Championships with a time of 4:02.44 in the 1,500 meters. Rudd earned All-New England honors as part of the distance medley team, which placed sixth with a time of 10:44.84 at the N.E. Div. III Championships.

Rudd was named All-Alliance/Little East in both the 1,000 and 1,500 meters. He placed first in the 1,000 meters with a time of 2:34.43 and second in the 1,500 meters, which established a new school record with a time of 4:02.01.

At the Wheaton Invitational on Feb. 2, Rudd placed second in the 1,000 meters setting a new school record with time of 2:32.22. Rudd established a new school record in the 800 meters with a time 1:58.00 at the Harvard Invitational on Dec. 8. Rudd placed second at the Brown Invitational on Dec. 1 in the 3,000 meters with a time of 9:03.44, setting another school record. At the Southern Maine Invitational on Jan. 26, Rudd re-wrote the record books again with a school-record time of 4:27.88 in the mile, placing first overall.

He is a political science major and a 1999 graduate of Pilgrim High School.

Women’s Indoor Track and Field

Freshman Rolanda Mangum (Providence, RI) was named the women’s indoor track and field team’s Most Valuable Performer. Mangum finished the 2001-02 season ranked 15^th nationally in the weight throw. She was the highest ranked freshman in the country for that event. She narrowly missed qualifying for the NCAA Div. III National Championships (the top 12 were selected). Mangum earned All-ECAC honors in the weight throw, placing fourth with a season-best throw of 49’10.00" and a new RIC record for that event.

Mangum earned All-New England honors after placing fourth in the weight throw with a mark of 48’07.25" at that meet. She earned All-Alliance/Little East honors in the weight throw and the shot. She placed first in the weight throw with a distance of 44’04.00" and fourth in the shot with a season-best throw of 34’04.25" at the Alliance Championships. Mangum placed second in the weight throw with a distance of 44’09.00" and third in the shot with a distance of 31’03.25" at the Southern Maine Invitational on Jan. 26.

She is undecided about a major and a 2001 graduate of Hope High School.

Cheerleading

Junior Christy Stabile (Cranston, RI) was named the cheerleading team’s Most Valuable Performer.

She is a political science/history major and a 1999 graduate of Cranston High School East.