2007-08 Rose-Hulman Athletic Dept. Special Award Winners: Ruel Fox Burns Blanket: Jennifer Gordon, Thomas Reives, Matt Trowbridge Varsity R Club Senior of the Year: Rachel Krasich, Michael Matsui, Matt Repking John A. Logan Award: Amanda Grantz, Thomas Reives Samuel Hulbert Award: Amelia Dasovich, Matt Trowbridge John Mutchner Award: Bryan Taylor Rosie Award: Nancy Bauer Jess Lucas Spirit Award: Rose-Hulman Pep Band

TERRE HAUTE, IND. -- The Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology athletic department presented Ruel Fox Burns Blankets to seniors Jennifer Gordon (Zionsville, Ind.), Thomas Reives (Indianapolis/Arsenal Tech) and Matt Trowbridge (Fort Collins, Colo.) to highlight the 2008 Athletic Honors and Awards Banquet on Saturday. 

The Ruel Fox Burns Blanket, presented to the department’s top senior male and female athletes as voted by the coaching staff, has been presented to outstanding Engineer student-athletes since 1968.  

Gordon was named Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Most Valuable Player this season after recording the most assists by an NCAA Division I, II or III player.  Her total of 26 assists leads all players in all divisions and ranks as the seventh most assists in the history of NCAA Division III Women's Soccer.   

The biomedical engineering and mechanical engineering double major also earned first-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American honors in 2008.  She ranks fourth in school history with 83 career points and holds the college career mark with 49 assists.  Her efforts helped Rose-Hulman achieve a 19-3 record, the HCAC championship and the team's first ever appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament this season.  

Reives has earned four individual conference championships during a track and field career that featured two NCAA Division III Provisional Qualifications.  He established one school record and one conference record during his career. 

On the football gridiron, Reives ranked second in the HCAC in receiving yards as a senior for a team that finished 7-3 for its best record since 1995.  He also scored on a 98-yard kickoff return for the first kick return score at Rose-Hulman since 1989. 

Off the field, Reives became the first student-athlete in school history to earn Academic All-American honors in two sports.  He claimed second-team honors in track and field in 2007 and second-team recognition in football in 2007.

Trowbridge became the second two-time soccer Academic All-American in school history after earning third-team honors in 2006.  Mark Schultz previously earned second and third-team recognition in 1989 and 1990. 

This season, Trowbridge earned Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference co-Most Valuable Player honors after leading the conference with 21 goals and 47 points.  His totals, which included 10 more goals than any player in the HCAC this season, rank 11th among all NCAA Division III players this season. 

The civil engineering major completed his career with 45 goals and 110 points to rank second in Rose-Hulman history in both categories.  His efforts have helped the Engineers achieve a 39-16-4 record over the past three seasons, including a pair of second-place finishes in the HCAC. 

Reives and Amanda Grantz (Rapid City, S.D.) earned the John Logan Award for compiling the highest female and male grade-point-average among four-year letter winners.   

Reives has tallied a 3.98 grade point average, while Grantz has a 4.00 grade point average.  Grantz played four years of varsity tennis with 18 career singles victories and received Rose-Hulman academic awards for the highest grade point average following both the sophomore and junior years.  

The Samuel Hulbert Award, named for the President at Rose-Hulman who retired after 28 years of service in 2004, is presented to the male and female senior athletes who contribute the most in terms of team spirit, sportsmanship and a determination to succeed.  

Women’s golfer Amelia Dasovich (St. Paul, Minn.) joined Trowbridge in claiming the award for reinforcing winning attitudes and creating a positive atmosphere for their respective teams.  Dasovich offered the original support and efforts to make golf a varsity sport, then earned a pair of all-conference honors during her playing career. 

A new award was introduced at the 2008 banquet, the Rose-Hulman Varsity R Club Outstanding Senior of the Year Award.  The award recognizes outstanding achievement by one male and one female student-athlete during their senior playing seasons.  

Rachel Krasich (Westfield) received the honor for her efforts in women’s cross country and track and field.  Krasich became the first women’s student-athlete in school history to qualify for NCAA Division III National Championship competition with her efforts during the cross country season.  She also holds eight track and field school records. 

Michael Matsui (Joliet, Ill./Plainfield South) and Matt Repking (Effingham, Ill./ Teutopolis) shared the men’s Outstanding Senior of the Year honor.  Matsui finished 10-2 on the baseball season with an HCAC leading 2.08 earned run average.  He tossed 78 innings with 56 strikeouts on the campaign and also batted .299 with 23 RBIs as a middle infielder and designated hitter.   

Repking claimed all-conference and all-region honors during the cross country season and later won the 3,000-meter steeplechase title at the HCAC track and field championships as part of the Engineer team title. 

Bryan Taylor received the John Mutchner Award, presented to the gentleman who has unselfishly given his time and support to the athletic department.  Taylor was cited for his efforts to promote intercollegiate athletics within the institution, and also for his service as the public address voice of Phil Brown Field and emcee for various athletic functions. 

The Rosie Award is awarded to the woman who has unselfishly given time and support to the athletic department.  Nancy Bauer received the 2008 honor for her efforts both in the Digital Resource Center for athletic requests and her willingness to serve as advisor and coach for the cheerleading squad.