Men’s track and field athlete Jason Foster (Waterbury, Vt.) was honored with the Donald P. Lake Award, and women’s soccer player/outdoor track and field athlete Kara McCabe (Watertown, Conn.) earned the Marjorie D. Bither Award. Both awards are presented to athletes with outstanding athletic ability, leadership, and academic accomplishment.

Cliff White (New York, N.Y.), who worked in the Colby Sports Information Office, was honored with the Warren J. Finegan Award for significant behind-the-scenes contributions to the success of Colby athletics. Men’s tennis player Ben Crane (Edina, Minn.) was given the Norman White Award, and volleyball player Kaitlin Adams (Athol, Mass.) earned the Pamela Hoyt-Sanborn Award for inspirational leadership and sportsmanship.

Lathrop went from being a runner-up in the giant slalom at the NCAA Skiing Championships in her junior season to being a national champion and the first Colby athlete to win a national title competing against Division I schools. A captain of the alpine team this past season, Lathrop followed up her championship by taking two top-10 finishes, in the giant slalom and slalom, at the 2006 U.S. Alpine Ski Championships. She earned All-America honors all four years at Colby and had six top-10 finishes in eight races at the NCAA meet.

Cleaver led the volleyball team to a 104-33 record over the past four seasons. She started her career as NESCAC Rookie of the Year in 2002 and closed things out in 2005 as NESCAC Player of the Year. Cleaver earned third-team All-America honors and was the first Colby volleyball All-American. She earned honorable mention All-America honors as a sophomore, was a three-time Regional All-American, and earned All-NESCAC honors all four years. Cleaver is Colby’s all-time leader in career kills (1,562) and defensive digs (1,648). She also had solid career totals of 265 blocks and 197 service aces. She helped the Mules (37-4) make the NCAA tourney for the first time and helped Colby finish 19th in the final national poll.

Oliphant, at 6’5” and more than 300 pounds, was a force on the football team’s offensive line as a starter for the past three years and as a co-captain last fall. The Mules went 18-6 during those three years, finished second in New England in 2005, and were Colby-Bates-Bowdoin (CBB) champions all three seasons. Oliphant earned All-NESCAC first-team honors in his junior and senior seasons and was arguably the best offensive lineman in the conference. He was one of 46 seniors in Division III football to be invited to play in the Aztec Bowl in Mexico in a game put on by the American Football Coaches Association. He also earned All-ECAC honors for his play in 2004.

Minty earned All-America honors in cross country and indoor track and field. Despite breaking school records in the 800 and 1,500 meters during her career, she ran in the 10,000-meter run at the NESCAC Championships (because that event did not conflict with graduation) and earned the title. Minty finished second in the 800 meters at the indoor national meet in 2005 and earned numerous All-New England, All-NESCAC, and All- Maine honors. She was the MVP of the cross country team in 2005 and helped the Mules to two straight fifth-place finishes at the NCAA meet in her junior and senior seasons. Minty is a seven-time NESCAC All-Academic selection and earned Cosida District One All-Academic honors.

Foster finished his final indoor season by earning All-America honors and setting a school record with a throw of 61 feet in the 35-pound weight throw. He was the 2005 NESCAC champion in the hammer throw and was second in the event this year. His best throw in the hammer (191 feet 2 inches) ranks second all-time at Colby to three-time national champion Jamie Brewster ’00. Foster also qualified in the hammer throw for the NCAA national meet. During the spring outdoor track season, Foster won the Maine State title in the hammer throw and took second in the event at the New England Division III Championships. He is a five-time NESCAC All-Academic selection for the winter and spring seasons.

McCabe was a captain on the women’s soccer team and earned All-New England and All-NESCAC honors. She also participated in outdoor track and field and competed in the grueling heptathlon at the New England Division III Championships. McCabe was the backbone for Colby’s stingy women’s soccer defense, which allowed just 14 goals in 15 games while posting seven shutouts in a 7-3-5 season in 2005. She helped out offensively as well with three goals and ended her career with seven goals and seven assists for 21 points. McCabe is a five-time NESCAC All-Academic selection.

Adams went from being a role player in her first year at Colby to earning honorable mention All-America honors during her senior season. A two-year volleyball captain, she led NESCAC in total blocks (135) and hitting percentage (.378) and finished as Colby’s all-time hitting percentage leader in single-season (.378) and career (.333). She finished Colby’s 2005 season ranked first on the team in blocks (135), second in kills (425), and third in service aces (59). Adams had fine career totals of 888 kills, 243 blocks, and 160 aces. She also earned a District I All-Academic honor and was named to the NESCAC Fall All-Academic Team after her junior and senior years.

Crane was a two-year captain for the men’s tennis team, and his leadership during his final year was one reason for the success the Mules had this season. He was the lone senior on the squad, with no juniors, two sophomores, and nine first-year players. Crane had 76 victories in singles and doubles play in four years. He tied for the team lead in total wins this year with 23 and had 20 victories last year.

White was a valuable member of the Colby Sports Information Office and with his hard work earned the respect of the head coaches and administrators.

The Colby volleyball team, women’s cross country team, and women’s swimmer Kelly Norsworthy earned special recognition honors at the senior awards ceremony.