May 5, 2008

Chestnut Hill, Mass. - Kasey Hill, the track star who became BC's first ever individual champion, and Matt Ryan, the former quarterback who goes down in BC record books as the highest draft pick (No. 3 to the Atlanta Falcons), earned Eagle of the Year Awards at Boston College's All-Sports Banquet on May 2.

The Nathaniel J. Hasenfus '22 Eagle of the Year Award is given annually to one male and one female senior student-athlete who are outstanding citizens, leaders, scholars and athletes. It is the most prestigious honor that the athletics department bestows upon a student-athlete.

Hill, a Montgomery Center, Vt., native, won the pentathlon at the 2008 ACC Indoor Track and Field Championships to become the school's first individual conference champion. She compiled a ACC season-high 3,895 points on the day. She went on to capture the heptathlon title at the league's outdoor championships with a BC-record 5,521 points. She automatically qualified for the NCAA Championships and the Olympic trials.

The two-time All-American established all-time bests in the pentathalon, heptathalon and 100-meter hurdles while maintaining academic high honors. She is a three-time Big East All-Star, All-ACC recipient and All-ECAC athlete. Head Coach Randy Thomas named Hill team MVP after the 2006-07 season and claimed she was "the most focused student-athlete I have ever been associated with." She served as a positive role model for her teammates, volunteering at the Franciscan Hospital, Haley House and Bigelow Middle School in Newton, Mass.

Ryan, who hails from Exton, Pa., left his mark in Boston College history, filling the record books and stunning the fans. He earned ACC Player of the Year, two All-ACC first-team selections, first-team All-America honors from the American Football Coaches' Association, the Bulger Lowe Award as the top player in New England, the Harry Agganis Award as the top senior player in the region, the Johnny Unitas Gold Arm Award for his athletic performance, character, leadership and academic success, and the Manning Award as the nation's top quarterback.

He topped BC's record books for single-season passing yards (4,507) and pass completions (807). He threw for at least 300 yards 12 times, including five games over 400 yards, and finished his career with a 25-7 record in 32 starts. He will go down in BC history for throwing two touchdowns in the final 2:11 to come back to beat Virginia Tech, 14-10, on Oct. 25, 2007.

Ryan's leadership resonated with his teammates, as he was elected team captain in 2006 and 2007. Last November, he was asked to talk at the Boston College Multi-Cultural Thanksgiving celebration where he spoke of family, integrity and devotion.

The Outstanding Scholar-Athlete Awards were also presented at the banquet. These awards are given to a male and female student-athlete from each class for excellence in both the classroom and on the playing field. The winners were Carolyn Swords of women's basketball and John Maloy of men's swimming from the freshmen class; Molly Schaus of women's ice hockey and Mark Herzlich of football from the sophomore class; Bob Dirks of field hockey and Stephen Hepburn of men's soccer from the junior class; and Kia McNeill of women's soccer and Mike Brennan of men's ice hockey from the senior class.

Also honored were 387 BC student-athletes, who earned the Athletics Director's Award or Academic Achievement. They must have an overall grade-point average of 3.0 to garner the honor.