May 17, 2018
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EASTON, Pa. - The student-athletes of the Class of 2018 came to the conclusion of their collegiate athletic careers on Thursday evening at the annual PARDees award show held at Lafayette's Williams Art Center.
Over 250 senior student-athletes, administrators, coaches and family members attended the event that saw four student-athletes etch their names in Lafayette history as Dana Smith, Luke Robinson, Ellen Colbourne and Dave McGriff were named as Lafayette athletics' best.
Smith and Robinson were the recipients of the Class of 1913 Trophy. Since 1940, the endowed award is giving annually to one male and one female student athlete who have attained the greatest distinction as both an athlete and a scholar, as selected by Lafayette's head coaches and athletic administrators.
Smith added to her trophy cabinet after being named as the Maroon Club Scholar-Athlete of the Year this past November. A captain on the women's lacrosse team her senior season, the Princeton, N.J. native was a four-year starter on College Hill and a two-time member of the Academic All-Patriot League Team. In the classroom, she carries a 3.98 GPA as a Mathematics-Economics and International Affairs double major.
A two-time Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week, Smith was active on campus as part of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society, the Sigma Delta Pi Spanish Honor Society, the Pi Sigma Alpha Political Honor Society, the Sigma Iota Rho International Affairs Honor Society and the Omicron Delta Epsilon Economics Honor Society. Smith also took part in Athlete Ally and was a Marquis Scholar.
"In my 10 years at Lafayette I have never had a four-year starter and team captain achieve the level of academic excellence that Dana has," said Lafayette head women's lacrosse coach Alison Fisher '01. "She has maximized every minute of her college career here at Lafayette, becoming a stand out student, athlete and campus community member. Dana has excelled in the classroom and has made an incredible impact on the Lafayette community as a whole."
Robinson was tabbed for the Class of 1913 Trophy after being a consistent presence in Lafayette's outfield for four seasons. Robinson acted as a captain in 2018 and ended his career ranked fifth in Lafayette history in home runs. The Economics major holds a 3.84 GPA and is a two-time Academic All-Patriot League selection.
The outfielder garnered First-Team All-Patriot League honors as a senior and has been named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll three times. The St. Louis, Mo. native is a member of the Oaks Leadership Academy and was actively involved in the Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honor Society and the Omicron Delta Epsilon Economics Honor Society. Robinson founded the Principles of Economics Study Team on campus.
"Luke is the definition of a distinguished student-athlete," Lafayette head baseball coach Joe Kinney said. "He has done a tremendous job balancing the demands of academics and athletics at Lafayette. Luke has invested in the campus community through his work as a peer mentor and in founding the principles of economics study team. He is an exemplary student and a standout on the field."
Colbourne and McGriff were announced as the winners of the Charles L. Albert '08 award, which is an endowed award that is presented to the student-athletes who are viewed as the most outstanding athletes and has been handed out since 1966.
A versatile midfielder, Colbourne started every game of her career on College Hill. A captain her senior year, the New Westminster, B.C. native finished second on the team in both assists and points en route to a unanimous First-Team All-Patriot League selection after previously being named the All-Patriot League second team her sophomore and junior seasons. Colbourne is an Economics and International Affairs double major with a 3.37 GPA.
After earning NFHCA Second-Team All-Mideast Region honors earlier this year, Colbourne was named as Lafayette's outstanding athlete by the Lehigh Valley Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. The midfielder ended her career ranked third in Lafayette history in assists and seventh in assists per game. On campus, Colbourne was active in Athlete Ally as well as the Oaks Leadership Academy.
"Ellen is one of the most decorated players to come through our program in recent history," Lafayette head field hockey coach Jennifer Stone said. "She earned All-League recognition the past three seasons and was named to the first-team as a senior. As a captain, Ellen embraced the leadership role and was consistently the fastest player on the field. She was the embodiment of a Lafayette student-athlete."
McGriff will go down as one of the best throwers in Lafayette history after a record-setting career on College Hill. The Flemington, N.J. claimed his third straight Patriot League title in the discus this season. McGriff also won the hammer throw at the championships and was named as the Male Field Athlete of the Meet for his efforts.
The Government & Law major carries a 3.32 GPA and a two-time Academic All-Patriot League honoree. McGriff is a three time First-Team All-Patriot League selection in the discus and a three-time qualifier for the NCAA Championship Preliminary round. He owns the top spot in Lafayette history in both the discus and hammer throw, breaking 21-and 42-year old school records in the process. McGriff has earned All-East honors four times at the IC4A Championships, finishing second in the discus for two-straight seasons. The stalwart ranks second in school history in the 35-lb. weight throw and fourth all-time in both the indoor and outdoor shotput.
Upon graduation, McGriff will be commissioned into the U.S. Army as a 2nd Lieutenant after participating in Lafayette's ROTC program for four years.
"Dave has been a pillar of the program for the past four years," said Lafayette head track and field coach Michele Curcio. He has led by example for our entire team and has maintained a strong GPA while consistently competing at the highest levels of the Patriot League and the NCAA. Dave has rewritten the record books in both the hammer throw and discus and his impact on the program will be felt for a long time."
Director of Athletics Sherryta Freeman delivered additional remarks at the annual event leading up to Saturday's 183rd Commencement.
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