Editor's Note: From May 18-22, the Marist Athletics Department will announce the winners of this year's Senior Awards. For more information about Marist's Senior Awards, please click here.
 
Schedule: Athletic Director's Award (May 18) | President's Academic Achievement Award (May 18) | Team Strength & Conditioning Award (May 19) | Individual Strength & Conditioning Award (May 19) | Pizzani Award (May 20) | Female Sportsperson of the Year (May 21) | Male Sportsperson of the Year (May 22)
 
POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – Claire Oberdorf (softball/women's basketball), Grant Dixon (football), and Chris Schlappich (men's lacrosse) are this year's winners of the Advantage Individual Strength & Conditioning Awards.
 
The award was established in 2002, and is presented to the male and female senior student-athletes who have shown the most commitment, dedication, and leadership while exhibiting an exemplary attitude in the weight room. They are considered the heart and soul of their teams during strength and conditioning work.
 
Here are some facts on our winners:
 

CLAIRE OBERDORF - SOFTBALL/WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

• For the softball program, this is a program-record seventh time a student-athlete from the team has won the award. The last time was Colleen McWilliams in 2016
• Second straight year women's basketball has been represented, following Maura Fitzpatrick in 2019.
• Appeared in 264 total games between basketball and softball throughout her career.
• After missing 10 games her freshman season due to basketball commitments, she was still named a National Fastpitch Coaches Association Top 10 Freshman, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year, and First Team All-MAAC as softball set a program record with 45 wins and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
• In softball, she ranks in the top 10 in program history in batting average, runs scored, runs batted in, stolen bases, and triples. She was also named to the MAAC All-Tournament Team in all three championships she participated in (2016, 2018, 2019).
• In her sophomore season, she ranked in the top 25 in the NCAA in minutes played for basketball. She appeared in 97 career basketball games, with 53 starts.
• Is also a finalist for Female Sportsperson of the Year.

"Claire Oberdorf is one of the most unique athletes that has ever come through Marist." - Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Aaron Suma
Congratulations to @MaristSoftball and @MaristWBB's Claire Oberdorf, 2020 Female Advantage Strength and Conditioning Award Winner! pic.twitter.com/TGzy0hRbhg

— Marist Athletics (@MaristAthletics) May 19, 2020

 

GRANT DIXON - FOOTBALL

• This is a program-record 11^th time a member of the football team has won this award.
• The last football player to win the award was Wesley Beans in 2018. Football has now captured this award six times in the last eight years.
• Was named Honorable Mention All-Pioneer Football League in 2018, and then went on to make First Team All-PFL in 2019.
• Has totaled 183 tackles, 8.5 sacks, 20 tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles throughout his career.
• Is also a finalist for Male Sportsperson of the Year.

 

"He's had some of the greatest progressions I've ever seen in the weight room." - Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Aaron Suma
Congratulations to Marist College Football's Grant Dixon, 2020 Male Advantage Strength and Conditioning Award Co-Winner! pic.twitter.com/Nh2IBua36e

— Marist Athletics (@MaristAthletics) May 19, 2020

 

CHRIS SCHLAPPICH - MEN'S LACROSSE

• This is the fourth straight year a men's lacrosse player has won the award. Kevin McKendry last won the award for men's lacrosse in 2019. Nick Nye won in 2018, and Frankie Brier won in 2017.
• It is the eighth time a men's lacrosse player has earned the award overall.
• A senior captain in 2020, Schlappich finished his final season with five goals and an assist. This included a two-goal game against Hartford.
• For his career, he totaled 25 goals and nine assists, along with 12 ground balls.
• Is also a finalist for the Male Pizzani Award.

"Chris is not just concerned about getting better in the weight room but also how he can help the whole team get better." - Head Strength & Conditioning Coach Aaron Suma
Congrats to @Marist_MensLax's Chris Schlappich, 2020 Male Advantage Strength & Conditioning Award Co-Winner! pic.twitter.com/GEziDjVUIw

— Marist Athletics (@MaristAthletics) May 19, 2020

 

UP NEXT

The Pizzani Award winners will be announced at 1 p.m. Wednesday.