University of Connecticut Athletics
Two Huskies receive honors
4/17/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
STORRS, CT — Two University of Connecticut women’s soccer players earned honors last week at the University of Connecticut’s National Student-Athletes Day Banquet. Junior Maria Yatrakis (Brooklyn, NY) took home the Kinsman Award while senior Kristin Gardiner (Storrs, CT) was the academic honoree for women’s soccer.
Yatrakis, a two-year tri-captain for the Huskies, became the seventh women’s soccer player in 11 years to win the award, the highest honor the UConn Counseling Program for Intercollegiate Athletics (CPIA) gives out each year to one male and one female athlete from among the University’s 24 intercollegiate programs. The award recognizes the academic and athletic achievement of a student-athlete, improvement, leadership, service, character and ability to overcome adversity.
Though she played in only four games this past season as a back-up goalkeeper, Yatrakis started every game of the 2000 season and helped the team to a 17-7-2 record and the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. In the process, she notched the 13th-best goals against average (0.70) in the country and was named SoccerTimes.com’s National Player of the Week after UConn’s 1-0, upset win over Nebraska in the NCAA Tournament. A three-time BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week honoree in 2000, she has also played for the Greek national team for its last three international matches.
In addition to her athletic success, Yatrakis holds a 3.0 grade point average in her major–art history–and is a women’s soccer representative for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. She is also in her third year as a mentor for the E.O. Smith Mentor Program, a member of Campus Safe and a member of the Daily Campus staff, UConn’s student newspaper.
Gardiner, a four-year starter in the UConn defensive backfield, added to her long list of academic accomplishments. The senior Chemical Engineering major was UConn’s female recipient of the 2001-02 BIG EAST/Aéropostale Scholar-Athlete Award and is three-time member of the BIG EAST Academic All-Star Team. Gardiner, who holds a 3.5 grade point average in her major, is also a three-time winner of the Gelfenbien Family Academic Achievement Award and member of the Dean’s List.
On the playing field, Gardiner missed only two games her entire career and stands tied for sixth on UConn’s career games played list with 98 appearances. She recorded one goal and two assists for four points in her career while making 60 starts. Gardiner has accepted a position with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals in Tarrytown, NY, and will be starting evening course work toward her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering this fall.
