COLCHESTER, Vt. - Saint Michael's College field hockey senior Kathleen Dean (Auburn, Maine/Saint Dominic Academy) and men's ice hockey senior Nick Wracker (Columbia, S.C./Northeast Generals) both earned the Roger F. Keleher '15 Award, the Department of Athletics' oldest annual accolade, on Thursday during a senior ceremony in Alliot Student Center. The Keleher Award has recognized outstanding scholar-athletes of the College's graduating class who maintain high scholastic averages since 1954.
 
A regular in the field hockey lineup since arriving on campus, Dean started every game on defense the last two seasons. Away from the field, the team captain is active in all facets of Saint Michael's community life. She has been a Hope Happens Here representative, Edmundite Campus Ministry liturgical minister and choir member, Office of Admission tour guide, Writing Center coach, French and philosophy peer tutor, LEAP retreat secretariat, and Mobilization of Volunteer Efforts (MOVE) volunteer. Dean has landed on the Northeast 10 Conference Academic Honor Roll every semester, earned a pair of Division 2 Athletics Directors Association (D2 ADA) Academic Achievement Awards, and was recognized four times apiece as a National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Scholar of Distinction and on the NFHCA National Academic Squad. Rounding out her academic accolades, she was named College Sports Communicators Academic All-District and NE10 Academic All-Conference as a junior, and claims membership in honor societies Chi Alpha Sigma (college athlete), Delta Epsilon Sigma (Catholic universities) and Phi Beta Kappa (liberal arts and sciences). While pursuing a double major in English and philosophy and a minor in French, Dean owns a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade-point average.
 
While serving as an assistant captain, Wracker tied career highs in goals and points as a senior, even centering a line for the first time and winning nearly 46% of his faceoffs. He seemed to find the net in some of his team's biggest games, as five of his final seven career goals came against rival Saint Anselm College. Away from the ice, his impact was felt throughout campus. Wracker was Hope Happens Here tri-chair for his final three years, also serving as a Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) executive board member during that time, as secretary of finance as a sophomore and junior and secretary of athletics as a senior. He was an Edmundite Campus Ministry liturgical minister, MOVE leader, Founders Society tour guide, Be Well ambassador, resident assistant, Office of Admission ambassador, Special Events coordinator, peer tutor, and heavily involved in numerous roles in the Office of Purposeful Learning. As a first-year, his immediate impact was recognized with the Student Government Association's (SGA) Jennifer Cernosia Exceptional Student Leader Award. Wracker landed on the NE10 Academic Honor Roll every semester and twice claimed D2 ADA Academic Achievement Awards and College Sports Communicators Academic All-District. He helped the Purple Knights secure the NE10 Championship as a junior, earning academic all-conference and winning the NE10 Elite 24 Award as the top scholar-athlete competing in the championship game. Wracker has been inducted into the Chi Alpha Sigma (college athlete), Delta Epsilon Sigma (Catholic universities) and Omicron Delta Epsilon (economics) honor societies. He is a double major in environmental science and economics with a chemistry minor, and holds a 3.99 cumulative GPA.
 
The Keleher Award was established in 1954 by the Connecticut Valley Alumni Chapter to honor Roger Keleher, a Springfield, Mass., native. A member of the Class of 1915, his dedication to both academic and athletic achievement provided the model for the scholar-athlete award that now bears his name. Keleher also received an honorary degree from the College in 1959, and is a member of the Saint Michael's College Athletic Hall of Fame.
 
Student-athletes earned three additional major awards at the annual senior brunch, including as Wracker claimed the Saint Michael's Award, presented to a member of the graduating class who has been involved for the betterment of the class and the community, signifying unselfish commitment to others. Field hockey's Joelle Cameron (West Bridgewater, Mass./West Bridgewater) and men's lacrosse's Travis Standerski (Lake Villa, Ill./Grayslake North) both won the Donald Sutton Community Service award for their heavy involvement with Saint Michael's Fire & Rescue. Additionally, Faculty Athletics Representative Paul Constantino '92, a member of the biology faculty, earned one of three Senior Class Awards.
 
A number of student-athletes are among Class of 2026 officers, with women's swimming & diving's Ashley Silveira (Seekonk, Mass./Seekonk) serving as class president, women's soccer's Bridget Shaw (Norwell, Mass./Norwell) her vice president, and women's lacrosse's Abbie Whitley (Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry) class treasurer. Among the 11 Senior Class Gift Committee members are Cameron, Whitley, Wracker, women's cross country's Erin Boyd (Islip, N.Y./Saint Anthony's), and Nordic skiing's Clara Wyatt (Bozeman, Mont./Bozeman).