EAST STROUDSBURG - Football punter Adam Hostetter and swimmer Heather Clouser were selected as the East Stroudsburg University Senior Athletes of the Year Sunday night at the annual ESU Athletic Awards Banquet.

The voting was done by athletes and coaches among the sellout crowd of 302 persons attending the annual event in the Keystone Room. Dr. Joy Richman, athletic director, and Dr. Carey Snyder, associate athletic director, presented the awards.

Hostetter led the NCAA Division II statistics in punting with a 44.4-yard average. He made the Daktronics Division II and d2Football.com All-America first team. He was chosen on the Associated Press Little-America third team.

The Red Lion High School graduate was a three-time All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and All-Eastern College Athletic Conference first team choice. He played in the Cactus Bowl All-Star Game. He helped the 2001 ESU football team to a 7-3 record, best in eight years at the school.

Clouser placed sixth in 200-yard backstroke for Warriors' highest finish in this year's PSAC Swimming Championships. She was a four-year PSAC place-winner in backstroke .

The Wyomissing Area High School graduate held school records in all three backstroke events. She also was a member of school record-breaking 400 medley and 800 freestyle relay teams. The ESU swimming team finished with a 7-2 record.

Baseball player Matt DelGiudice and track and field jumper Kelli Strickler received the ESU Alumni Association Senior Scholar-Athlete Awards from master of ceremonies Bryan Hill, president of the Alumni Association and 'The Voice of the Warriors' for 34 years.

DelGiudice, a Pocono Mountain High School graduate, is the starting shortstop on the baseball team and a Sociology major. Stricker, who graduate from Pottsgrove High School., is a four-time All-PSAC track and field place-winner, and is majoring in Nursing.

Also honored was Pete Nevins, who is retiring as ESU sports information director after 33 years. He received plaques from the athletic department and from his sports information office staff.

Former ESU wrestler Gary Kessel `77 served as guest speaker on behalf of the ESU Alumni Association. He is now one of the nation's top wrestling officials and worked the NCAA Wrestling Championships in Albany in March.

Clouser, who represented the school at the NCAA Leadership Conference last summer, spoke on behalf of the Warriors' 450 student-athletes.

Outstanding athlete awards were presented in each of the Warriors’ 19 sports by Dr. Robert Dillman, president, and Dr. Richman.

Volleyball player April Mellott, a three-time All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference first team player, was honored for the third straight year. Repeat winners were All-America field hockey player Rachel Miller, basketball player Juwan Justice, who scored 2,248 career points, and cross country runner Christel Hibbard.

There was a tie for the football outstanding athlete award as the more than 80 players voted and split their ballots between tailback Andre Castiglioni, who rushed for a career total of 2,529 yards with a school-record 14 100-yard games, and defensive back Jeremy Brown, who made eight interceptions this past season, returning two for touchdowns. It was the first tie for the award since 1968.

Justina Woolf, the PSAC Soccer Player of the Year, was honored in her sport after scoring 59 career goals with 14 game-winners. There was three freshman recognized in swimmer Natalie Weingartner, who broke five school records in her first collegiate season, and tennis players Kristin Brown from Pen Argyl and Mark Farnsworth.

Also recognized were All-America high jumper Mike Newhard, the PSAC champion both indoors and outdoors, and sprinter Natasha Jarrett, considered a leading contender for the PSAC Track and Field Championships starting Thursday,

All-Conference forward Tom Mustac was chosen as the top player on the PSAC championship men's soccer team. He scored a team-high 14 goals and added eight assists.

Coaches’ awards also were presented in all sports. One of the winners were East Stroudsburg High School graduate, Kristin Mullin, a track and field middle distance runner.

Varsity 'S' jacket awards were presented to Dr. Dillman, for his support of the athletic program, and two ten-year coaches Derek Arneaud, women's soccer, and Roger Barren, baseball. A total of 54 ESU senior athletes received Warrior blankets.

The 15th annual Dave Carlyon Athletic Training Award for achievement in athletic training and sports medicine went to senior Colette Cancellieri.

The outstanding athlete awards: Men's Sports - Football - Jeremy Brown, Andre Castiglioni; Soccer - Tom Mustac; Cross Country - Mark Donio; Basketball - Juwan Justice; Wrestling - Dan Roy; Volleyball - Chris James; Baseball - Bryan Yagel; Track and Field, Mike Newhard; Tennis - Mark Farnsworth;

Women's Sports - Field Hockey, Rachel Miller; Soccer, Justina Woolf; Cross Country, Christel Hibbard; Volleyball, April Mellott; Tennis, Kristin Brown; Basketball, Tiffany Barnes; Swimming, Natalie Weingartner; Softball, Tara Buckley; Track and Field, Natasha Jarrett; Lacrosse, Meghan Laube; Cheerleading, Danielle Nugent.

The coaches' awards: Men's Sports - Football - Andre Castiglioni; Soccer, Kurt Nusshag; Cross Country, Mike Badway; Basketball, Nick Miskar; Wrestling, Anthony Petrock; Volleyball, Ryan Peters; Baseball, Steve Harris; Track and Field, Mark Stinson; Tennis, Derek Tomasino;

Women's Sports - Field Hockey, Shannon McCracken; Soccer, Gwen Gemberling; Cross Country, Nova Tindall; Volleyball, Andrea Myers; Tennis, Angie Casertano; Basketball, Michele Pilenza; Swimming, Mikeala Thorne; Softball, Monica Sobolesky; Track and Field, Kristin Mullin; Lacrosse, Nicole Kocis; Cheerleading, Denise Pisciotta

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