BUFFALO, NY ­ Senior wrestler John Eschenfelder (North Syracuse, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) and senior women's soccer player Paula Listrani (Rochester, NY/Greece-Athena) were named Male and Female Athletes of the Year, highlighting the 2000-2001 University at Buffalo Athletics Banquet held Tuesday at Samuel's Grande Manor in Williamsville.

Eschenfelder won his second Mid-American Conference heavyweight title this year and qualified for the NCAA Division I National Championships for the second time in his career. Eschenfelder, who was ranked among the top 10 heavyweights in the nation for most of the season, compiled a 21-5 record this season and leaves Buffalo with a career mark of 83-42. His 83 wins rank sixth all-time in Buffalo wrestling history. During the season, Eschenfelder won the heavyweight title at the Bloomsburg Invitational and finished 4-1 in MAC competition.

Listrani rewrote the women's soccer scoring charts at UB in a record-breaking career. The native of Rochester, NY, was a four-year starter for the Bulls and led the team in scoring the past three seasons. This past season, Listrani became UB's all-time leader in career goals with 46, career assists with 24 and career points with 116. She scored a personal-best 14 goals on the season and added a school-record 11 assists on the year for 39 points, another school single-season record. Listrani was an All-Northeast Region selection for three straight years and was also tabbed as a first-team All-MAC performer after her sophomore, junior and senior campaigns. Listrani's play this year led UB to a 14-6-1 record and the first-ever MAC regular season championship by a Buffalo team.

Other major award winners at the banquet included the women's soccer program, which earned the Athletic Director's Award for outstanding accomplishment; men's soccer player Brian McCallion (Ballston Spa, NY/Shenendehowa), who claimed the Clifford C. Furnas Award; women's basketball player Deb Sellan (Corfu, NY/Pembroke), who earned the Skerker Scholar-Athlete Award; men's soccer player Chris Vinci (Buffalo, NY/St. Joseph's), who earned the Unsung Hero Award; and women's swimmer Kristen Zimmerman (Penfield, NY/Webster), who earned the first Blue & White Club Community Service Award. In addition, football player David Pruce (Chardon, OH/Chardon) earned the Dominic J. Grossi Award given annually to a UB football player who has displayed athletic prowess, academic excellence and sportsmanship. Grossi, a native of Lockport and a 1943 graduate of UB, lost his life in action on March 8, 1945 while serving with the U.S. Marine Corps during the assault on the island of Iwo Jima. Grossi received a Presidential Unit Citation for his extraordinary heroism while serving in the United States Navy.

The women's soccer team earned UB's first-ever Mid-American Conference title by winning the regular season crown with an 8-2 record while head coach Jean-A. Tassy earned MAC Coach of the Year honors, the first UB coach to do so.

McCallion, a first-team All-MAC selection, earned a postgraduate scholarship by winning the Clifford C. Furnas Award, given annually in the former UB President's name, to a student-athlete who is pursuing graduate work while excelling both academically and athletically throughout his or her undergraduate career.

Sellan earned the Skerker Award which goes to a student-athlete whose enthusiasm and love of the game has made a difference on his or her team. Sellan was nominated by her teammates and the award was voted on by members of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee.

Vinci, a four-year contributor to the men's soccer team, earned the Unsung Hero Award, given to an athlete who has shown exceptional leadership and character and whose contributions to his or her respective program goes well beyond accomplishments on the field.

Zimmerman, meanwhile, captured the first-ever Blue & White Club Community Service Award, given to a senior whose charitable time and efforts on behalf of UB have been exemplary.

Following is a complete listing of team awards by sport:

MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
Head coach: Dick Barry
·Award Winners·
· Top Newcomer: Joel Beatty
· Most Improved: Jeff Czyz
· Coach's Award: Tom Stuart
· MVP: Todd Ludden

WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
Head coach: Dick Barry
·Award Winners·
· Top Newcomer: Hollie Rhodes
· Most Improved: Melissa Burrows
· Coach's Award: Lisa Luce
· MVP: Eileen Rose

FOOTBALL
Head coach: Jim Hofher
·Award Winners·
· Top Newcomer: Marquis Dwarte
· Most Improved: Duane Williams
· Coach's Award: Chris Gray
· MVP: Brandon Shaughnessy
· Dominic J. Grossi Award Winner: David Pruce

WOMEN'S SOCCER
Head coach: Jean-A. Tassy
·Award Winners·
· Top Newcomer: Erin McGarry
· Most Improved: Cherie Rogers
· Coach's Award: Paula Listrani
· MVP: Linnaea DiNallo

MEN'S SOCCER
Head coach: John Astudillo
·Award Winners·
· Top Newcomer: Mike Peplinski
· Most Improved: Geoff Thompson
· Coach's Award: Chris Vinci
· MVP: Joe Peplinski

WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Head coach: Nadine Lilavois
·Award Winners·
· Top Newcomer: Lindsay Matikosh
· Most Improved: Heather Barfuss
· Coach's Award: Alexis Bouie
· MVP: Larissa LaCour

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Head coach: Cheryl Dozier
·Award Winners·
· Top Newcomer: Jessica Kochendorfer
· Most Improved: Rachel Martin
· Coach's Award: Sonia Ortega
· MVP: Mari McClure

MEN'S BASKETBALL
Head coach: Reggie Witherspoon
·Award Winners·
· Top Newcomer: Robert Brown
· Most Improved: Davis Lawrence
· Coach's Award: Clement Smith
· MVP: Louis Campbell

WOMEN'S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
Head coach: Dick Barry
·Award Winners·
· Top Newcomer: Faith Thompson
· Most Improved: Katie Scott
· Coach's Award: Erin Mullaney
· MVP: Sarah Fletcher

MEN'S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
Head coach: Dick Barry
·Award Winners·
· Top Newcomer: Dan Minocchi
· Most Improved: Keith Gentes
· Coach's Award: Mark Curry
· MVP: Kamau Halim

WOMEN'S SWIMMING
Head coach: Dorsi Raynolds
·Award Winners·
· Top Newcomer: Heather Rochette
· Most Improved: Kristi Reynolds
· Coach's Award: Megan Stockton
· MVP: Carrie Quinlan

MEN'S SWIMMING
Head coach: Budd Termin
·Award Winners·
· Top Newcomer: Alan Lowe
· Most Improved: Tony Lizauckas
· Coach's Award: Eric Stimson
· MVP: Jason McLachlan

WRESTLING
Head coach: Jim Beichner
·Award Winners·
· Top Newcomer: Labe Black
· Most Improved: Dave Guarino
· Coach's Award: Shawn Kegel
· The Bob Rich Outstanding Wrestler Award: John Eschenfelder

BASEBALL
Head coach: Bill Breene
·Award Winners·
· Top Newcomer: Eric Huber
· Most Improved: Rob Golemba
· Coach's Award: Kevin Brown
· MVP: Bryan Sanchez

CREW
Head coach: Meg Barnes
·Award Winners·
· Top Newcomer: Mary Conniff
· Most Improved: Karey Smollar
· Coach's Award: Tracy Torelli
· MVP: Katy Frank

SOFTBALL
Head coach: Marie Curran
·Award Winners·
· Top Newcomer: Breanne Nasti
· Most Improved: Jessica Labella
· Coach's Award: Andrea Sage
· MVP: Kim Lawrence

MEN'S TENNIS
Head coach: Russ Crispell
·Award Winners·
· Top Newcomer: No newcomers on team
· Most Improved: Sean Kelly
· MVP: Justin Brtko
· Coach's Award: Men's Tennis Team

WOMEN'S TENNIS
Head coach: Kathy Twist
·Award Winners·
· Top Newcomer: Meaghan Partelow
· Most Improved: Kendra Pyke
· Coach's Award: Shani Amarasinghe
· MVP: Karen Maynard

MEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
Head coach: Dick Barry
·Award Winners·
· Top Newcomer: Dan Simpson
· Most Improved: Bryan Lundy
· Coach's Award: Ben Moskel
· MVP: Mike Commisso

WOMEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
Head coach: Dick Barry
·Award Winners·
· Top Newcomer: Laura Olson
· Most Improved: Jenelle Callender
· Coach's Award: Katie Love
· MVP: Biaunca McFarland