Student Awards

The John & Mary Semanik Student Athlete
of the Year Awards

The John and Mary Semanik Awards were created to celebrate the accomplishments of upperclassmen student-athletes who demonstrate the ideals of collegiate athletics, especially academic achievement, athletic leadership, community partnerships and personal integrity.

Traditionally, these awards have been given to the all-around top male and female senior student-athletes and presented annually at the Drexel Scholar Athlete Day by Ray Daikeler '54 and Helen Callas Reiner '57, '66, and presented bi-annually at the Sports Fans of the '50s Luncheon. Sports Fans of the '50s alumnus Ray Daikeler has generously donated mantle clocks each year for the awardees in honor of John and Mary Semanik.

2008 Recipients

Ryan Hluschak
John Semanik Male Student Athlete of the Year
Men’s Wrestling / Business Major / 3.36 Cumulative GPA / Position: 157 / Class: Senior / Hometown: Slatington, PA / High School: Northern Lehigh

2006-07: Finished eighth at the NCAA Championships; became Drexel's second wrestling All-American; posted a 33-10 overall mark; the 33 victories led the team and was the third-highest total in Drexel history; went 4-0 to take first place at the Cornell Body Bar Invitational; stunned second-seeded Bryan Stith of Arizona State at the NCAA Championships with sudden-victory triumph; was ranked as high as eighth on the Amateur Wrestling News national rankings; named CAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year for wrestling.
2005-06: Led the team with 31 victories, the fourth highest single-season total in Drexel history; named Outstanding Wrestler at the 2006 Virginia Duals after posting a 5-0 record; runner-up finish at CAA Championships earned him an NCAA Championships berth; honored as the CAA's Wrestler of the Week three times; named to the NWCA All-Academic Team.
2004-05: Notched 25 victories in first season; touted as one of the top five rookies at 157 pounds by Amateur Wrestling News; named to CAA's All-Rookie Team; took first place in the Bearcat Open; named to the NWCA All-Academic Team.
Background: Wrestled and played football for four years at Northern Lehigh; selected All-State running back senior year; Pennsylvania State Champion at 152 pounds senior year; member of National Honor Society.

Sarah Gostomski
Co-Recipient, Mary Semanik Female Student Athlete of the Year
Women’s Field Hockey / Nursing Major / 3.18 Cumulative GPA / Position: Midfield / Class: Senior / Hometown: Horsham, PA / High School: Hatboro-Horsham

2006: Started every Drexel game for the third consecutive season; named NFHCA Second Team Regional All-America; scored two goals and registered one assist; handed out an assist and tallied in overtime to defeat Bucknell on the road, 2-1, for her first career game-winning goal; also scored in Drexel’s 3-2 victory over La Salle; named to the City Six All-Star Team.
2005: Started all 19 games; led the Dragons with five assists; fifth on the team in points with seven; assisted both goals in Drexel’s 2-0 win over Temple; scored one of four Drexel goals in 4-0 topping of Lehigh; assisted on lone goal in win over city-rival Saint Joseph’s.
2004: Named to the inaugural CAA All-Rookie Team; started all 19 games as a rookie; picked up her first career assist vs. Towson; selected to the NFHCA Division I National Academic Team.
Background: Four-time Suburban 1 First Team All-League honoree; was Hatboro-Horsham's leading scorer and captain senior year; two-time medal winner at Keystone State Games; two-year participant in the National Field Hockey Festival; played for Mystx indoor hockey club team that was awarded the gold medal in its division in 2002; selected for the Futures Field Hockey program and gained an alternate spot on the program's National Tournament team in 2001 and a spot for the Future's Elite Site in 2002.

Katie McCann
Co-Recipient, Mary Semanik Female Student Athlete of the Year
Women’s Swimming / Sports Management / 3.40 Cumulative GPA / Position: Free/Fly / Class: Senior / Hometown: Media, PA / High School: Penncrest

2006-07: Set a new school record in the 200 freestyle (1:52.88) at the Maryland Terrapin Cup Invitational; earned three top-eight finishes at the CAA Championships: fourth in the 1650 freestyle, seventh in the 200 freestyle and eighth in the 500 freestyle; posted the second-fastest times in Drexel history in the 500 (5:01.15) and 1650 (17:12.31) freestyle events; her fastest times of the season in the 50 (24.42) and 100 (52.99) freestyle rank her third in Drexel history; named to the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Swimming & Diving Team; on Dean’s List; named CAA Swimmer of the Week on Jan. 31.
2005-06: Redshirted due to injury.
2004-05: Swam the team’s fastest times of the season in five events: the 50- (25.14), 100- (53.76), 200- (1:54.36), 500- (5:05.12), and the 1000-yard freestyle (10:43.48); swam Drexel’s all-time second-fastest times in four events; named team MVP.
2003-04: Swam team’s fastest times in six freestyle events: 50 (24.93), 100 (53.39), 200 (1:54.01), 500 (5:03.42), 1000 (10:30.16) and 1650 (17:32.40); ranks second on Drexel’s all-time list in four events: 200 (1:54.01), 500 (5:03.42), 1000 (10:30.16) and 1650. (17:32.40); ranked fifth on Drexel’s all-time list in the 100 freestyle (53.39); named team MVP.
Background: Four-time Penncrest High School MVP; earned All-Delco honors four-consecutive years; three-time state qualifier and sectional qualifier.