Sparano, Dabrowiecki win top senior awards
April 17, 2008
Boston, MA

Meredith Sparano of the Northeastern University women’s crew and Kris Dabrowiecki of the NU baseball team have received Northeastern’s top athletic honors for the 2007-08 season. Sparano received the Jeanne Rowlands Award as Northeastern’s top female senior scholar-athlete, and Dabrowiecki received the Herbert Gallagher Award as Northeastern’s top male senior scholar-athlete. The awards are for combined excellence in academics and athletics.

Sparano and Dabrowiecki were honored at Northeastern’s annual Senior Awards Celebration Thursday night at Matthews Arena.

Sparano hails from Paoli, Penn. and is currently majoring in Criminal Justice at Northeastern, holding a 3.9 grade-point average. She is currently rowing the bow seat on the varsity eight boat for the Huskies, a spot she has held since her sophomore season. Her efforts have helped the Huskies to a 5-0 start to the 2008 season. Last season, NU was 10-3 and the varsity boat placed sixth at the Eastern Sprints. Sparano has been the recipient of the Jeanne Rowlands Inspirational Award in each of the last three seasons, twice as a varsity rower and once as a novice rower.

Dabrowiecki, who is a tri-captain for the baseball team, is from Toronto, Ontario and carries a 3.3 GPA in Business Finance. As a pitcher for the Huskies, he is tied for fourth in NU history in wins with 20, just four away from the school record of 24, held by Jordan Thomson (2001-04) and Donald Eason (1952-55). He is also eighth all-time at NU in strikeouts with 206. In 2005, he was named to the America East All-Rookie team. In 2004, he was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 34th round of the MLB Amateur Draft.

Both Sparano and Dabrowiecki will be in action at home this weekend. Sparano and the women’s crew will row in the Charles River Challenge vs. Notre Dame, Gonzaga and Syracuse on Saturday and vs. Texas on Sunday. Dabrowiecki and the baseball team host Towson in a doubleheader on Saturday at 11 a.m. and in a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Friedman Diamond.

From left to right: baseball head coach Neil McPhee, Gallagher Award winner Kris Dabrowiecki, Rowlands Award winner Meredith Sparano, women's crew head coach Joe Wilhelm, athletics director Peter Roby.

Faculty, coaches, staff and students gathered at Matthews Arena to celebrate Northeastern's senior student-athletes.