Tech's Major Award Winners for 2014-15 Named

HOUGHTON, Mich. — Michigan Tech Athletics today announced its major award winners from the 2014-15 season. 

The Raymond L. Smith Award winners as the top senior student-athletes were Deedra Irwin, Tanner Kero and Ben Stelzer. The Terry Wilson Awards as the top freshmen student-athletes went to Kat Farkas and Dylan Steman. Riley Sweeney and Josh Wood were named Rick Webster SISU Award recipients.

Irwin starred in three sports during her time at Tech, which concluded this past spring. The Pulaski, Wis., native skied for Team USA at the World Junior Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan, last February. She was the top classic skier in the Central Region all season and participated at the NCAA Championships. In track, Irwin broke school records in the 800, 1,500, 5,000 and 10,000 meters. She was also the top runner for the Huskies’ cross country team while boasting a 3.84 grade point average in exercise science.

Kero was a Hobey Baker Award finalist and a unanimous All-American in addition to being the WCHA’s Player of the Year, Scoring Champion and Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The Hancock, Mich., native captained Tech to a 29-10-2 record and the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in 34 years. Kero posted 46 points on 20 goals and 26 assists in 2014-15, while turning in 111 career points with 55 goals and 56 assists. A mathematics major with a concentration in actuarial science, Kero posted a 3.74 GPA in the classroom.

Stelzer gained both All-America and Academic All-America honors during his final season in a Huskies basketball uniform. The guard led the GLIAC and Midwest Region in scoring with a 22.1 points per game average. He was named GLIAC Player of the Year and Midwest Region Player of the Year while helping Tech to its third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. The 6-1 guard totaled 618 points last season and 1,755 points for his career—seventh most in Michigan Tech history. Stelzer held a 3.69 GPA in finance.

Farkas helped the Tech soccer team to an 11-5-2 record and its second straight NCAA Tournament appearance in 2014. The defender from Brighton, Mich., was part of a unit that ranked among the GLIAC leaders in goals allowed per game (0.97). She posted two assists while playing in all 18 games on the year. Farkas owns a 4.0 GPA in biomedical engineering.

Steman was a 20-point getter in his first collegiate hockey season. The Hanover, Minn., native posted eight goals and 12 assists while finishing tied for fifth in the WCHA in scoring among rookies. Steman turned in the second-best plus/minus rating (+19) of any freshman forward in the nation (best in the WCHA). He earned the Norbert Matovich Memorial Award for the being team’s outstanding freshman. He owns a 4.0 GPA in engineering.

The Rick Webster SISU Award is bestowed upon an individual associated with athletics at Michigan Tech, who has overcome adversity, exhibited courage through difficult situations, performed with pain/injury, or performed admirably after recovering from a severe injury or adverse situation. This year’s recipients are hockey defenseman Riley Sweeney and Josh Wood, defensive backs coach for the football team. Both individuals had parents pass away unexpectedly during their seasons. They both returned to action and helped their teams get to the NCAA Playoffs.

In addition to student-athlete and SISU awards, Tech Athletics handed out several other awards.

The Ken Hamar Award, which is given by the Huskies Club annually to a “true supporter” of Michigan Tech Athletics, was given to Kim and Brian Demos, who have been ardent supporters of the Huskies’ volleyball program.

Tech Athletics Director Suzanne Sanregret awarded an honorary letter to Ted Ricci, who serves as timekeeper for hockey games. She also awarded honorary blankets to Bill Sproule, Tech’s Faculty Athletics Representative and Suzanne Berkovitz, Michigan Tech Alumni Association Fox Valley Chapter President.