At the annual Block H Dinner on Monday, April 23, the William J. Napier Memorial Award for loyalty and service to the College was given to football senior Brandon Shed. The Coach Bill Maxwell Memorial Award was presented to soccer senior Adrian Colmenares for contributions to Hobart College that reflect the values of the former football coach, and the Dorinne Maxwell Memorial Citizenship Award was presented to football senior Rio Schmidt.
 
In addition, the inaugural RFK Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year Award was given to basketball senior Luke Ruddy. The Joseph N. Abraham Memorial Training Award was given to lacrosse senior Mason Burr, and the Joe Abraham Prize was presented to sports medicine student aid senior Chase Stewart.
 
One of the greatest receivers in Hobart history, Shed played in 42 career games, catching 168 passes for 2,954 yards and 32 touchdowns. He set the program career standards for receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, the latter mark fell before the end of his junior season. Shed averaged 17.58 yards per catch over the past four seasons, a mark exceeded by only two Statesmen.
 
This season, Shed earned first team All-Liberty League honors after leading the conference in yards per catch (15.71) and ranking second in receiving yards. He finished his career with at least one reception in 31 consecutive games, the second longest streak in Hobart history.
 
A two-year captain, Colmenares played in 59 career matches. He produced 10 goals and two assists for 22 career points. Colmenares notched six career game-winning goals. He was a two-time United Soccer Coaches All-Region selection, earning a spot on the first team this fall. Colmenares collected All-Liberty League honors three years in a row, garnering a spot on the first team as a junior and as a senior.
 
In his senior year, Colmenares was the only Statesman to start all 20 games. He logged two game-winning goals this fall. The first came in a 3-1 victory over Union and the second was on a penalty kick 4:26 into overtime to secure a 2-1 win over St. Lawrence in Hobart's regular season finale. The win clinched the Statesmen's second straight Liberty League regular season title. Colmenares was named to the 2017 Liberty League All-Tournament Team.
 
The Dorinne Maxwell Memorial Citizenship award is presented annually to a student, member of the staff or faculty, or to a friend of the Colleges whose service mirrors the ideals of Dorinne Maxwell and whose helping hand has enriched the lives of others. A punter, Schmidt was the 2016 Liberty League Co-Special Teams Player of the Year. The two-time all-region pick tied the Hobart record for longest punt with a 68-yarder against Springfield that season. Schmidt also holds the Statesmen career record for punting average (39.2). He was a three-time All-Liberty League pick. Schmidt averaged a Hobart season record 41.6 yards per punt in his senior season.
 
Schmidt is majoring in studio art and economics. A dean's list student, he is a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District pick and a two-time Liberty League All-Academic Team member Schmidt also served as a club leader of the Christian Fellowship at Hobart. He volunteered with Salvation Army and worked as a football camp coach and speaker in Colorado.
 
The RFK Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year Award was presented for the first time on Monday night. It will be given each year to the student-athlete who has demonstrated unrelenting dedication to the strength and conditioning training process. Hobart's recipient was senior captain of the basketball team Luke Ruddy. A geoscience major with minors in biology and mathematics, he played in 25 games and averaged 11.7 minutes, 2.7 points and 1.7 rebounds. He's a three-time Liberty League All-Academic selection, a two-time Arnold Scholar-Athlete and was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches Honors Court last year. Ruddy is a recipient of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's prestigious Hollings Scholarship.
 
The Joseph N. Abraham Memorial Training Award is presented annually to a student-athlete who has participated through the season and had to persevere through injury. Burr was this year's recipient. A midfielder, he battled through a number of injuries and surgeries to continue his lacrosse career. This season he has played in all 13 games, starting 12. Burr has logged seven goals and four assists for 11 points and added 16 ground balls and a caused turnover. He has played in 46 career games, registering 16 goals and five assists for 21 points as well as 28 ground balls and seven caused turnovers.
 
The Joe Abraham Prize has been established and endowed through the generous loyalty of Edward A. Froelich '55 in appreciation of the valuable lessons for life taught to so many by long-time Hobart athletic trainer Joe Abraham. This prize is presented to an HWS student in recognition for his or her outstanding service to the athletics program of Hobart College. Stewart has been a four-year student aid for the athletic trainers. She has spent countless hours at practices and games working with Hobart and William Smith teams.
 
More than 60 individual and department-wide awards were presented at the Block H. Additional award winners will be announced on HWSAthletics.com in the coming days.