LEWISTON, Maine -- The Bates College Department of Athletics announced its major awards for the 2022-23 academic year on Thursday, with Athlete of the Year honors going to women's basketball senior captain Meghan Graff and men's swimming senior captain Nathan Berry, while Senior Citations, the department's highest honor for career achievement, were bestowed upon three graduates from the Class of 2023.

ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

Graff (South Portland, Maine) wins Female Athlete of the Year for the third time in her illustrious career as a Bobcat. A D3hoops.com Fifth Team All-American, Graff finished the season with 495 points, the second-most in one season in Bates women's basketball history. She averaged 20.6 points per game this season, the second-most in the NESCAC and the 20th most in the country. Graff also dished out 55 assists on the season and tallied a team-high 29 steals. 

Some of Graff's top performances in 2022-23 included 44 points on 17-29 shooting at eventual NESCAC champion Tufts, 33 points on 12-22 shooting in a win over Colby, 28 points on 12-19 shooting in a win over Saint Joseph's, and 22 points in a win over then No. 12 nationally ranked Trinity.

She was also named a WBCA All-America honorable mention, D3hoops.com first team All-Region, first team All-NESCAC, and the Maine Women's Basketball Coaches Association Player of the Year.

Berry (Augusta, Maine) wins Male Athlete of the Year for the second straight time. He turned in the best finish ever recorded by a member of the Bates men's swimming and diving program at the 2023 NCAA Championships, taking second in the country with his finals time of 19.77 seconds in the 50-yard freestyle. That came on the heels of his morning prelims swim of 19.71 seconds, the fastest prelim swim of the day by any competitor and a new Bates record in the event. Berry made further history when he led off the 200-yard medley relay, which took sixth place in the championship final at NCAAs in 1:27.87, the first top-8 finish for a Bates men's relay team at the NCAA Championships.

Named an Academic All-America® by College Sports Communicators, Berry was the 2023 NESCAC champion in 100-yard backstroke and 100-yard freestyle. 

PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR

The department's Performance of the Year award went to field hockey captain Paige Cote (Auburn, Maine), for her overall excellence during a season that saw Cote named a National Field Hockey Coaches Association Third Team All-American. Cote is the fifth Bates field hockey player in program history to earn All-America honors, and the first since Peggy Ficks '01 in 2000. 

Cote, previously honored as a First Team All-Region selection by the NFHCA, dished out 13 assists on the season, two shy of the Bates record for assists in one season of 15, set by Sandi Korpela '77 in 1976. Her 23 career assists are the most in Bates field hockey history. Cote surpassed Julia Price '03 in the record books with one full season still remaining in Cote's collegiate career.

Cote also scored six goals this year, giving her 25 points on the season, second on the team and tied for eighth in the NESCAC. She scored three game-winning goals, including game-winning tallies against conference foes Connecticut College and Colby. Cote was also a First Team All-NESCAC selection.

SENIOR CITATIONS

The Bates staff voted by a 75 percent majority to bestow Senior Citations upon three student-athletes. Receiving the coveted plaques will be (in alphabetical order):

Nathan Berry, Men's Swimming and Diving. A 10-time All-American despite only competing in two NCAA Championships due to the pandemic, Berry finishes his career tied with men's track and field thrower David Pless '13 as the second-most decorated male athlete in Bates athletics history. He graduates as a school-record holder in eight events, four individual, and four relays.

Abigail Gibbons, Women's Swimming and Diving. A nine-time All-American despite only competing in two NCAA Championships due to the pandemic, Gibbons (Westtown, N.Y.) graduates as the school-record holder in five events, including two relays. An impact performer from day one, Gibbons fought through multiple health issues her senior year to lead Bates to yet another top-20 finish at the NCAA Championships.

Meghan Graff, Women's Basketball. The all-time leading scorer in Bates women's basketball history with 1,645 career points, Graff led Bates to the program's first NESCAC title in 2021-22. A two-time D3hoops.com All-American, Graff was the definition of a program-changer, with the Bobcats never experiencing a losing season during her time in Lewiston.