Seniors: Showcased - University of New Hampshire Athletics

By Allen Lessels
UNH Insider

Together. Again.

After two often tumultuous, topsy-turvy years of testing, testing and then more testing for COVID-19, of games being postponed, rescheduled and even canceled at the last moment, the University of New Hampshire's athletes were able to get together and celebrate like it was 2019 on the night of May 10.

The seniors dressed sharply and mingled at a reception in the Service Credit Union Victory Club in Wildcat Stadium and then proceeded to Lundholm Gymnasium for the 4th Annual Senior Showcase and A Night at the WESPYs.

The Showcases in both 2020 and 2021 were pre-recorded and shown on YouTube.

Director of Athletics Marty Scarano more than once during the presentation expressed his delight in the fact that the seniors sitting on the floor of Lundholm and their teammates – in the bleachers – finally had a chance to get back together with their fellow student athletes.

Athletes and coaches were excited as well.

"It was great to have everyone together," said women's soccer player Francesca Picicci, who took home two major awards for the night. "Having them virtually the last couple of years just wasn't the same."

Picicci was named the winner of the Tina True Award for her efforts in strength and conditioning and then received the female Jim Urquhart Award presented to the most outstanding senior athlete.

Picicci's father drove her up and back that day from their home on Long Island where she has spent the last semester doing an internship and then working as she makes plans to continue her schooling with the goal of being a physician's assistant. Picicci was especially pleased to be able to connect with friends and teammates.

"It was great for me to be able to see people I hadn't seen in a couple of months," she said. "It was great to see what people are doing, Some are staying at UNH and some are leaving. It was nice to catch up and then the awards ceremony was very nice."

Steve Welham, Picicci's coach on the women's soccer team, enjoyed the event as well.

"It was a very good feeling to see everyone there," Welham said. "You can never replace the feeling/emotion of seeing live events. It was certainly an evening the athletes will all remember and a potential catalyst for younger players to see, look up to and aspire to. I think that's very important and the type of thing that gets lost with Zoom, Facetime, etc. It was very positive overall."

Senior Brian Genet, a decathlete from Merrimack, N.H. on the men's track & field team, was the male winner of the Urquhart Award and got a kick out of the event, too.

"It was definitely a cool vibe, just to be sitting there with your fellow seniors, and having the underclassmen in the back in the bleachers was cool as well," Genet said. "You'd look back at them and they'd be yelling at you. It was a real good to have everyone there, all together in the moment."

Another track athlete, hurdler Michael Monahan, won the male Tina True Award.

High jumper Kevin McGrath out of Hopkinton High School won the male Coaches Award and Kylie Kratchwell collected the female Coaches Award.

"It was the first time we got to do something like that in a while where everyone wasn't masked up and socially distancing," said assistant track & field coach Cullen Aubin. "Even as recently as a few weeks before we were masked in staff meetings. And this was not just seniors, but all the student-athletes. The whole department came together, including the administrators, and the student-athletes were dressed to the nines. It was great."

LINKS:
UNH COMMENCEMENT CENTRAL
SENIOR SHOWCASE RECAP
SENIOR SHOWCASE PHOTO GALLERY
WATCH THE WESPYS

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Recent Results

Players Mentioned

Brian Genet

Kevin McGrath

Michael Monahan

Francesca Picicci