Ithaca College

The Ithaca Journal recently announced its 2011 Kenny Van Sickle Award winners. The awards, named for the newspaper's long-time sports editor, honor the area's top coaches and athletes. Ithaca softball coach Deb Pallozzi was named 2011's Female Coach of the Year and Rachael Palladino, a junior on the women's soccer team, was selected Female Athlete of the Year.

Pallozzi is now a three-time winner of the Female Coach of the Year award (only Bomber field hockey and softball coach Doris Kostrinsky won the honor more times). She led the softball team to a 30-14 record last season (recording the program's 22nd consecutive winning season). Ithaca won the Empire 8 regular-season title and reached the NCAA playoffs for the 24th time -- the most of any school. In December Pallozzi became just the seventh Division III coach inducted into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame. She has posted a 651-271-1 record over 23 seasons.

Palladino earned first-team all-America honors after leading the Bombers to the NCAA final four for the first time since 1998. She is a three-time first-team all-region selection and a two-time all-American (earning third-team recognition last year). A three-time first-team Empire 8 all-star, she was the league's Rookie of the Year in 2009 and the Offensive Player of the Year in 2010 and 2011. She's the program's second-leading career scorer (50 goals, 19 assists, 119 points) and will enter her senior season  30 points away from Ithaca's all-time record.