Army West Point Athletics
Abalo, White, Grant Honored With AAA Trophy
May 31, 2008 | General
WEST POINT, N.Y. All-American baseball player Cole White, national champion and All-American rifleman Chris Abalo and nine-time Patriot League track and field champion Katelin Grant were honored with Army’s highest athletic honor on Friday when they were presented with the Army Athletic Association Trophy at this afternoon’s Awards Convocation at Eisenhower Hall.
The prestigious Army Athletic Association Trophy is awarded to the male and female cadet who displays the “most valuable service to intercollegiate athletics during a career as a cadet.”
Abalo, an eight-time All-American in rifle and White, a standout on the pitcher’s mound, in the field and at the plate were the co-male winners, while Grant, who excelled in track and field, was presented with the female award.
Abalo is the first shooter to be presented with the award while White is the 12th baseball player to be honored. Last year, Milan Dinga and Nick Hill shared the recognition. Grant is the 11th female runner to be acknowledged, following last year’s winner Meghan Venable-Thomas.
This year marks the 104th anniversary of the AAA Trophy that was first awarded to football player Horatio Hackett in 1904.
In addition, football player Mike Viti was presented with the Army Athletic Association Special Award during the ceremony for “exhibiting outstanding achievement and exemplary leadership in athletic competition.” Viti is just the 26th athlete to receive the award and first since 2006 when women’s basketball players Micky Mallette, Ashley Magnani, Adrienne Payne and Megan Vrabel along with lacrosse standout John Walker were recognized.
Unlike the annual AAA Award, the Special Award is given only in years when a worthy candidate is deemed.
A native of Glendora, Calif., Abalo will graduate as the finest shooter in Academy history. He was Army’s first rifle NCAA national champion, winning the 2008 title in smallbore along with leading the Black Knights to top-3 placings in the nation in each of his four years. He led the squad to the 2005 NCAA Championship, Army’s first rifle title and runner-up honors the previous two seasons. He was a four-time first-team All-America honoree in air rifle and smallbore.
As a junior, Abalo finished third in air rifle and fourth in smallbore at the NCAA Championships with sixth- and fourth-place showings as a sophomore and freshman, respectively. Twice, he was named the Shooter of the Match by the Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association.
A national smallbore prone and NCAA smallbore record-holder, Abalo has also excelled against international competition, participating in the 2008 World Cup Championships, winning the junior Olympic smallbore prone championship and competing in the Olympic Trials.
Honors from the Great American Rifle Conference include Rookie of the Year, three-time Shooter of the Year accolades and four championships, two each in smallbore and aggregate, are also part of his resume. He guided the team to its first GARC Championship as a senior.
White has continued the recent trend of record-setting baseball players. Coming on the heels of Hill and Dinga, two players who hold numerous records and were selected in Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player Draft, White etched his name into the record books as a pitcher, hitter and fielder.
A native of Midland, Texas, White earned Freshman All-American honors and racked up accolades in all four of his seasons. He is the first player in Patriot League history to garner all-conference honors at two different positions three years in a row. Seven times, White earned all-Patriot League certificates, including first-team honors four consecutive years.
During his career, he starred on the mound, at first base, at second base and in the outfield. He was a first-team all-conference selection at each of the four positions.
Among the other honors bestowed on White: Patriot League Rookie of the Year; Patriot League “Player of the Year”; league batting champion as a junior; two-time Roger Clemens Award Watch List nominee; four-time letterwinner and team captain. More awards are expected when baseball postseason teams and honors are announced later this spring.
A preseason All-America choice by two publications, White holds school records for home runs (28), doubles (44), total bases (380) and slugging percentage (.588) while ranking record in base hits (232), tied for third in runs batted in (124), fourth in triples (10), fifth in runs scored (121) and sixth in batting average (.359).
On the mound, White was a regular in the Black Knights’ weekend rotation. He holds the Academy record for consecutive scoreless innings pitched (25.0) and graduates with a 21-14 mark and three career shutouts. He allowed just 95 earned runs in over 230 innings of work with an impressive strikeout-to-walk mark of 182-78.
White was stellar against Navy on the mound and at the plate. He was 3-0 with a microscopic 1.01 earned run average against the Mid. He allowed just 17 hits in 26.2 innings of work with 26 strikeouts and eight walks. He also had 19 hits in 57 at bats and knocked in nine runs.
Grant, a team captain as a senior, has amassed nine Patriot League titles during her outstanding four-year career. She has won six league titles outdoors along with three indoor championships.
A native of Lodi, Calif., Grant is a three-time outdoor champion in the 400-meter hurdles and holds the school record with a time of 1:00.42. As a senior, she ran a leg on the conference-winning 4x400 meter relay during the outdoor season. That relay team helped the Black Knights to their first team conference championship since 1998. She was also a part of championship 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams.
During indoor competition, she won the 400 meters championship and twice anchored the 4x400 meter relay team, including the school record-setting relay squad this winter.
Against service academy rival Navy, Grant won nine events during the indoor and outdoor seasons. She holds the fourth-best time in Academy history in the 500 meters (1:16.49) and the eighth-fastest time in the 400 (57.04) as well.
Viti, who was signed to a free agent contract by the Buffalo Bills, served as the football team captain and Third Regimental Commander within the Corps of Cadets. One of the strongest players on the roster, Viti left his mark as a fullback. Known for his bruising blocking style, Viti played in 45 games with 28 starts while overcoming a host of injuries. He scored three touchdowns and rushed for a career-best 57 yards against Navy.
In addition to being one of the top blocking fullbacks to wear the Gold, Black and Grey, Viti will be remembered for his leadership skills, willingness to play through injuries and team-first attitude. As a junior, he was presented with the prestigious Black Lion Award, an honor given annually in memory of former Army football great Don Holleder and battled through several significant injuries to help his team.
Abalo, a Geospatial Information Science major, White, a Systems Management major, Grant, an Environmental Science major and Viti, an American Law and Legal Studies major, will accept their West Point diplomas during Commencement Exercises at Michie Stadium on Saturday, May 31.
AAA Winners
Year Name (Sport)
1904 Horatio Hackett (Football)
1905 Ernest Graves (Football)
1906 Charles Rockwell (Football)
1907 Lewis Watkins (Football)
1908 George Beavers (Football)
1909 Frank Besson (Football)
1910 Edgar Burr (Football)
1911 Alexander Surles (Football)
1912 Archibald Arnold (Football)
1913 Charles Lyman (Football)
1914 Frank Milburn (Football)
1915 Leland Hobbs (Football)
1916 William Britton (Football)
Robert Neyland^ (Baseball, Football)
Apr. 1917 Charles Gerhardt, (Football)
Aug. 1917 Edwin House, (Football)
June 1918 Elmer Oliphant% (Football, Baseball, Basketball, Track & Field)
Nov. 1918 Eugene Vidal, (Football)
1920 Earl “Red” Blaik (Football)
1922 Francis Greene (Football)
1923 Walter White (Football)
1924 George Smythe (Football)
1925 William Wood (Football)
1926 John Roosma (Basketball)
1927 Maurice Daly (Football, Hockey)
1928 Harry Wilson (Football, Lacrosse)
1929 Louis Hammack (Football)
1930 Richard Hutchinson (Football)
1931 John Malloy (Football)
1932 Ray Stecker (Football)
1933 Lawrence Lincoln (Football)
1934 Harvey Jablonsky (Football)
1935 Joseph Stancook (Football)
1936 William Grohs (Football, Hockey)
1937 Charles Meyer (Football)
1938 Harris Rogner (Football)
1939 Henry Sullivan (Football)
1940 Harry Stella (Football)
1941 William Gillis (Track & Field, Football)
1942 Raymond Murphy (Football)
1943 Jan. Vasco Fenili, (Football)
1943 June Ralph Hill, (Football)
1944 John Hennessey (Football)
1945 Dale Hall (Football, M/Basketball)
1946 Max Minor (Football)
1947 Glenn Davis (Football, Track & Field)
1948 Charles Nash (Track & Field)
1949 James Rawers (Football)
1950 Arnold Galiffa (Football)
1951 Harold Shultz (Football)
1952 Dick Shea (Track & Field)
1953 Donald Fuqua (Football)
1954 Lowell Sisson (Football)
1955 Godwin Ordway (Football)
1956 Ralph Chesnauskas (Football, Hockey)
1957 Robert Kyasky (Football)
1958 Thomas Harvey (Hockey)
1959 Pete Dawkins (Football, Hockey)
1960 Robert Anderson (Football)
1961 Harold Hannon (Basketball)
1962 Al Rushatz (Football, Wrestling)
1963 Mike Natvig (Wrestling)
1964 Bill Straub (Track & Field)
1965 Ronald Butterfield (Football)
1966 Mike Silliman (M/Basketball, Baseball)
1967 John Boretti (Baseball/MSoccer/Hockey)
1968 Mike F. Palone (Hockey, M/Soccer)
1969 Charlie Jarvis (Football, Lacrosse)
1970 Lynn D. Moore (Football, Lacrosse)
1971 Dan Scioletti (Hockey, M/Soccer)
1972 Ray Ritacco (Football, Wrestling)
1973 Leslie Alm (Track & Field)
1974 Jerry Johnson* (Baseball)
1975 Dorian Anderson (Sprint FB, Wrestling)
1976 Dennis Trujillo (Track & Field)
1977 Ted Kanamine (M/Swimming)
1978 Gary Winton (M/Basketball)
1979 Clennie Brundidge (Football)
1980 George Mayes (Football)
Terry Tepper (Track & Field)
1981 Michael Fahnestock (Football, Track)
Kim Hall (W/Basketball, Softball)
1982 Mark Palzer (Wrestling)
Kevin Kullander (Football)
Harlene Nelson (Track & Field)
1983 Mike Williams (Football)
Eileen Mulholland (W/Basketball, Softball)
1984 George Slabowski (Lacrosse)
Tracy Hanlon (W/Basketball, Track & Field)
1985 Nate Sassaman (Football)
Randy Cozzens (M/Basketball)
Lelia True (W/Tennis)
1986 Don Smith (Football)
Julie DelGiorno (W/Basketball)
1987 Kevin Houston (M/Basketball)
Laurie Goetz (W/Basketball)
1988 Tory Crawford (Football)
Linda Schimminger (W/Basketball)
1989 Tyno Carter (Track & Field)
Ann Wycoff (Swimming)
1990 Benjamin Barnett (Football)
Diana Wills (Track & Field)
1991 Mike Mayweather (Football)
Colleen McCabe (Softball)
1992 Myreon Williams (Football)
Jacob Garcia (Wrestling)
Kim Kawamoto (W/Basketball)
1993 Mike McElrath (Football)
Gina Scarsella (W/Basketball)
1994 Jason Stewart (Track & Field)
Tara Williams (W/Soccer)
1995 Mark Houston (Football, Baseball)
Mikell Harper (Sprint FB)
Catherine Gaffigan (Cross Country)
1996 Steve Marshall (Gymnastics)
Alexis Albano (W/Soccer, Track & Field)
1997 Brad Fenske (Wrestling)
Ron Leshinski (Football)
Susie Corlett (Softball)
1998 Jarret Mathews (Wrestling)
Mike Scioletti (Baseball)
Holly Pedley (W/Soccer)
1999 Andy Lundbohm (Hockey)
Joe Novak (Swimming)
Heather Lawson (Track & Field)
2000 Brian Gebhardt (Track & Field)
Shaun Salmon (Baseball)
Sarah Hatton (Softball)
2001 Marshall Clay (M/Tennis)
Heidi Borden (W/Swimming)
2002 Omari Thompson (Football, Track)
Nicki Robbins (Softball)
2003 Dustin Greenhill (Gymnastics)
Lauren Rowe (W/Soccer, Track & Field)
2004 Jeff Weaver (Track & Field)
Katie Macfarlane (W/Basketball)
2005 Phillip Simpson (Wrestling)
Marissa Limsiaco (Tennis)
Tiffany Martin (Track & Field)
2006 Carlton Jones (Football)
Brad Roberts (Hockey)
Chelsea Haviland (Swimming)
2007 Milan Dinga (Baseball)
Nick Hill (Baseball)
Meghan Venable-Thomas (Track & Field)
2008 Chris Abalo (Rifle)
Cole White (Baseball)
Katelin Grant (Track & Field)
