Three members of the William Smith rowing team were honored at the annual William Smith Athletics Awards Banquet on April 27. Senior Alaria Pizzo and sophomore Liz Hafer shared the Weiskittel Most Valuable Oarswoman Award, while first-year Lauren Blake-Whitney took home the Coach's Award.

A team captain, Pizzo competed in the varsity eight or the second varsity eight throughout her collegiate career. This season she spent time in both boats, earning a Liberty League Boat of the Week award after finishing fourth in the varsity eight at the Head of the Fish. Pizzo was the five seat in the second varsity eight at the 2011 NCAA Division III Rowing Championship, where the Herons finished fifth as a team. An exceptional student, she is a two-time Liberty League All-Academic selection and was tabbed a 2011 CRCA Scholar Athlete.

Pizzo was also presented with the Cynthia Oyler '93 Award at the Heron banquet. The award recognizes a senior student-athlete who plans to continue her education at the postgraduate level. After earning a bachelor's degree in English, Pizzo will return to William Smith in the fall to pursue a master of arts in teaching degree.

Hafer stroked the varsity eight this season. She earned a spot on the ECAC NIRC All-Conference team and was a member of the Liberty League Crew of the Year. This spring, Hafer helped pull the Herons past ranked crews from Ithaca (then No. 2), WPI (then No. 8), and St. Lawrence (then No. 9). The victory over the Saints gave William Smith the program's fourth Liberty League Championship. Hafer also guided William Smith to the grand final at the ECAC and NCAA Division III championships.

Despite not having any previous rowing experience before she arrived on campus, Blake-Whitney used a combination of athleticism, dedication, and determination to move from the novice eight in the fall to the varsity eight in the spring. During the first semester, she earned a silver medal at the Head of the Genesee and a bronze at the Head of the Fish. In her first race with the varsity in the spring the then seventh-ranked Herons upended No. 2 Ithaca. Blake-Whitney kept her seat in William Smith's top boat throughout the spring, earning five Liberty League Boat of the Week awards in the second semester.