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Fairfield University honored its Stags past and present on Friday, April 26 at the annual Athletics Award Banquet at the Bridgeport Holiday Inn. Senior goalkeeper Michael O'Keeffe and junior setter Rachel Romansky were named the Fairfield University Male and Female Athletes of the Year to highlight the awards ceremony. In addition, women's basketball player Kristin Schatzlein and baseball player Mike Wallace were named the Fairfield Freshmen of the Year.

O'Keeffe, who garnered the award for the second consecutive year, was also named the Alumni Association Male Scholar Athlete of the Year to cap-off his stellar career at Fairfield. As the men's soccer starting goalkeeper for the last four seasons, O'Keeffe finished his career as one of the top players in program history. The four-time All-MAAC selection tied the record for most career shutouts and is among the career leaders in games played, games started, and goals against average (GAA). Prior to his senior season, O'Keeffe spent the summer in London as the starting goalie for his native New Zealand in the 2012 Olympic Games. He then returned to Fairfield in the fall where he posted a 1.09 GAA with 76 saves and five shutouts en route to National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-North Atlantic Region First Team honors. In the classroom, O'Keeffe, who also received a Fairfield Student Achievement Award, is a MAAC All-Academic and Dean's List selection with a 3.50 GPA and will graduate with a degree in new media/television in May.

Romansky was named the MAAC Setter of the Year for the second consecutive season and guided the volleyball team to the 2012 MAAC Championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. She finished the season with 1,192 assists, which ranked her nationally in the assists per set, led the team with 30 aces, was second in digs (319), and posted 16 double-doubles en route to All-MAAC First Team honors. She hasn't missed a match in three seasons and has played in 344 of a possible 345 sets. Romansky became only the third setter in program history to record 3,000 assists and currently ranks second all-time with 3,524.

Schatzlein played a key role in helping the women's basketball team earn another postseason berth and victory. She appeared in all 32 games off the bench, averaging 14.3 minutes per game. She averaged 4.4 points and 2.2 rebounds per game with 31 assists, 10 blocks and 16 steals en route to MAAC All-Rookie Team honors. She had a career night in WBI first round victory against Saint Francis, recording 16 points on 6-for-10 shooting, including a 4-for-6 effort from long range, while grabbing five rebounds.

Wallace is currently one of the top freshman pitchers in the MAAC. He has picked up three victories as the Stags' number one starter with a 3.35 ERA in 40.1 innings of work. His strikeout-to-walk ratio is also best on the squad with 25 strikeouts to 10 walks. He recorded a season-high seven strikeouts against Rider University and tossed a five-hitter in the win against Saint Peter's.

Senior softball player Emily Orr was given the William Wallin Award, presented to the student-athlete who best demonstrates the highest levels of sportsmanship, character, and leadership on and off the field. Orr has played an integral part in the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) over the last four years. She served as the co-president this year and was the driving force behind the Special Olympics Dodgeball Tournament. On the diamond, she's been an important member of the Stags pitching staff.

The Alumni Association Female Scholar Athlete of the Year was junior softball player Lauren Liseth. In the classroom, Liseth is a member of the Alpha Sigma Nu honor society and has earned Dean's List honors five times. She owns a 3.93 GPA as a double major in communications and history. Liseth is equally accomplished on the field as one of the nation's top hitters, ranking in the top-five for on-base percentage and walks in the NCAA Division I rankings. She's batting better than .400 this season with more than 20 extra base hits, including six homers. Liseth has also been named MAAC Player of the Week twice.

There were two recipients of the ECAC Certificate of Appreciation which were presented to Fausto Lopez and Fr. George Gallarelli, both cherished members of the Fairfield University Athletics family.

Three Stags legends were officially inducted into the Fairfield University Alumni Association Athletic Hall of Fame. The 2012-13 induction class consisted of men's lacrosse player Greg Downing '07, cross country runner Erin Heslin Lopez '03, and rugby player William Connolly '69. Read all about the newest Hall of Fame members here.