POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – Over the next five weeks, the Marist Athletics Department will be highlighting finalists for this year's Senior Awards.
 
The series opens with today's announcement of the women's Strength & Conditioning Award finalists, and it continues on Wednesday with the men's finalists. On Thursday and Friday, the women's and men's finalists for the Pizzani Award will be introduced. Starting on April 20, each of our nominees for Sportsperson of the Year will be featured.
 
Here are the women's finalists, with comments from Strength & Conditioning Coach Aaron Suma and head coaches:
 

FRANCESCA GUZZO - SOCCER

 
Suma: "Frankie came to her first lift as a freshman and had the intensity of an upperclasswoman and continued that effort throughout her four years. There is a saying that 'rising tide lifts all boats.' Great leaders are the ones who can lift others around them to their level. Frankie absolutely embodied that in the weight room during her time at Marist. I thank and credit Frankie for her help in turning the weight room culture around for the women's soccer team as they went through multiple coaching changes during her time and the team has become one of the best in the weight room over the past few years."
 

JESSICA LASAPONARA - LACROSSE

 
Suma: "Jessica's presence in the weight room has always been positive and upbeat. She has incredible technique with every exercise. When I would teach new exercises and progressions, you would think she had been practicing them for years even if it was completely new to her. Jessica always comes to lift with an uplifting beat and smile on her face, but definitely is focused and dialed in when doing her work in the weight room."
 
Women's lacrosse head coach Jessica Wilkinson: "Jess has always been the type of player who turns it on when she sees her opportunity and she's been passionate about her efforts in the weight room since day one. She took a liking to the weight room immediately and it's clear that her performance on the field has continued to thrive because of this. She's one of our strongest players and is why we're able to continue to play her at the midfield position, where the physical demand is highest. As a senior, she has done a great job of showcasing this focus to our younger players who I know will thrive under the same mindset."
 

SAMANTHA MEHALICK - LACROSSE

 
Suma: "Sam has been great since day one in the weight room. She is always extremely focused on the task at hand, and I can see why she is possibly the best women's lacrosse player to come through Marist. You can tell Sam has a type of tunnel vision for getting things done and accomplishing tasks, especially in the weight room where her attention is always on the day's workout. She doesn't allow any outside distractions to shift her focus."
 
Wilkinson: "Sam takes as much pride in the weight room as she does on the field. As our most targeted player, she understands that she's expected to stay on her feet while facing physical teams. Over time, she realized that her efforts in the weight room would correlate to more opportunities in her attacking position. I would attribute Sam's work in the weight room to her overall success as one of the best players to come through the program."
 

CLAIRE OBERDORF - SOFTBALL & BASKETBALL

 
Suma: "Claire is a truly unique athlete and has been a pleasure to work with since her arrival at Marist. Claire played basketball and softball so she never really had a true off-season to really hit the weight room like most athletes, yet she always found time to get in at least three days per week even during her traditional seasons with those two teams. I remember having a lot of 'deja vus' with Claire because there were multiple times where she would come in with the softball or basketball team for lift, and the other team had their own team lift later that day. Claire would be present at that team's lift as well, and pour the same amount of energy into the second lift as she did the first. She likely would have broken the school's power clean record had the spring not been cut short."
 
Softball head coach Joe Ausanio: "Claire's work ethic has always been second to none. Ever since her freshman year she has excelled in the classroom, on the court, on the field and in the weight room. Claire leads by example and it's no surprise she has been nominated for the Strength & Conditioning award." 

ELLIE PETRACCIONE - LACROSSE

 
Suma: "Ellie is one of the best human beings I've ever had the good fortune to meet. I'm sure just about everyone in the athletic department and across other parts of campus have similar sentiments toward her. Those qualities definitely made their presence known in the weight room. Every day, no matter the circumstances, Ellie would come to lift and give 100 percent with no excuses. One day as summer was coming to an end and the students were returning to campus, I was coming from Donnelly Hall back to the McCann Center and I heard a voice call out 'Hi Coach Suma' from over at Leonidoff Field. I walked over and it was Ellie with a stick and a ball practicing. After a short exchange of pleasantries, the first thing out of her mouth was, 'Do you think you can help me with my power clean technique?' I loved it! Here was a student who just got back to campus, a million things she probably had on her to do list before the fall semester started, and she still had room to focus on goals she wanted to accomplish in the weight room."
 
Wilkinson: "Ellie brings the same passion to the weight room that she does on the field. She's focused on her progress, but – in Ellie fashion – pushes her teammates to do the same. She overcame injury over the years with the help of her dedication in the weight room and constant physical therapy outside of the designated hours asked of her during practice." 
 

JADE SINSKUL - SOFTBALL

 
Suma: "Jade came into the weight room as a freshman and immediately came up and introduced herself to me, which isn't very common among freshmen. I knew right then that she was going to have a great four years in the weight room and she absolutely crushed it day in and day out. Jade was never afraid to ask questions related to strength and conditioning to further her understanding of how it would help her be a better softball player. I would always see her pushing herself and adding weight to the bar after her teammates had just done a set of their own as if to say, 'I can do better than that.' "
 
Ausanio: "Jade has always been a role model in the weight room. She has always been a leader in there and she has an incredible work ethic. Jade has been a consistent mentor to the underclassmen and as such, has earned the respect of her teammates and is very deserving of this nomination."