Central Michigan University Athletics
Ricchio Named Boyden Award Winner
8/23/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
MOUNT PLEASANT — The Bill Boyden Leadership Award Selection Committee and Central Michigan University are proud to announce that James Ricchio is the 2006 Boyden Award Winner.
“I was stunned, to be honest, to learn that I had won,” Ricchio said. “I feel like this is such a great honor and I’m proud to be able to represent the baseball program.”
A native of Racine, Wisconsin, Ricchio is a three-year letterman as a relief pitcher for the Chippewas’ baseball program. He has developed into a dominant pitcher late in games, recording a team-high nine saves and striking out 20 hitters in 25-1/3 innings in 2006. His nine saves tied the second-highest single-season total in CMU history.
Ricchio earned MAC West Division Pitcher of the Week honors after earning saves in all three CMU wins during the final week of the 2006 regular season, including a 19-16 victory over Ball State in the finale that clinched the division title.
The left-hander is 3-3 with 13 saves and a 2.63 earned run average. As a redshirt freshman, he earned one save and fanned 20 hitters in 14-1/3 innings for the 2004 Mid-American Conference championship team.
He is the first Chippewa baseball player to win the award since Greg Jones in 1997.
“I think this is definitely something great for our team,” Ricchio said. “It gives the younger guys something to look up to and lets them know there is something more to being involved in a college sport than just playing ball.”
Ricchio maintains a 3.05 grade point average with a physical education major and English minor. He is a Dean’s List student.
“Having been around the Boyden Award, I know how prestigious of an honor it is,” said CMU head baseball coach Steve Jaksa. “I think it is telling of the quality of young man James is that he was selected. A lot of the student-athletes we have on this campus are of the quality to deserve this award, and I think it says a lot about his leadership and the things he does on and off the field.”
Accomplished both in the classroom and on the pitching mound, Ricchio has used his athletic ability to help give back to the community. Beginning in high school, he has volunteered at several youth baseball camps each summer and, the last two years, has served as the assistant coach for a youth tee-ball team. In the fall of 2005, Ricchio spent time working with children with disabilities.
“I’ve got a 7-year-old brother, so I think I know how to relate to younger kids,” Ricchio said. “It’s great to be able to get something across to them when they’re young because it sticks with them longer. I feel that is important. And, you never know what kids are going to do and that just makes it fun to watch them play baseball.”
The Boyden Award recipient is selected each spring from among those applicants who are varsity letterwinners and will be in their final year of eligibility the following fall. The award is not primarily an academic one. Instead, it singles out that senior to be of satisfactory academic standing whose record best combines participation in a varsity intercollegiate sport with leadership ability in campus affairs and activities, interests or accomplishments in the arts, and community involvement.
The Boyden Award is designed to honor the athlete who is and will be an exemplary representative of CMU.
The winning applicant will be provided a cash award to be applied to their institutional financial aid account. If the recipient is on athletic scholarship, NCAA regulations restrict the total amount of financial aid that a student-athlete can receive. The student-athlete may then direct the value of the award to any department or project in the university if they have reached their maximum financial aid limit. The award winner’s name is inscribed on the permanent plaque located prominently in Rose Arena. The honoree also is presented with an individual plaque and special gold “C” Boyden Award lapel pin.
Nominations for the Boyden Award may be made directly by the nominee or by a coach, teacher, or fellow student. Applications for the award are available at the athletics office and must be submitted between January 1 and April 1 of each year.
The Bill Boyden Leadership Award was established in memory of W.B. (“Bill”) Boyden, a 1935 CMU graduate. His life and accomplishments demonstrated a unique blend of athletic ability, leadership, business acumen, participation in the arts, and an extraordinary involvement in community activities.
Bill was a football and track star who earned recognition as most valuable backfield man in his senior year at CMU and set a school record for the 100-yard dash in track that stood for many years. Active on campus, Bill was elected President of CMU’s Student Council and acted in several campus dramatic productions.
Boyden volunteered countless hours and endless energy to CMU, reflecting his pride in and affection for his alma mater. He was a long-time member of the University Development Board, serving twice as its chairman, until his untimely death in 1980. As a member of that board, Bill is acknowledged as the initial motivating force behind the construction of Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
Bill Boyden honored Central Michigan University during his life and the Boyden Award seeks to honor and continue promotion of his ideals and his university.
Boyden Award Recipients
1981—Cary Kipke, Baseball
1982—Terri McFarland, Basketball/SB
1983—Paul Salyers, Wrestling
1984—Kevin Egnatuk, Football
1985—Ken McDonald, Soccer
1986—Kathy Moody, Softball
1987—Dan Majerle, Basketball
1988—Rodney Lackey, Track
1989—Mark Hopkins, Football
1990—Sue Nissen, Basketball
1991—Paul Benford, Soccer
1992—Jason Wilkie, Football
1993—Renee Olsen, Volleyball
1994—Chad Cutshall, Track
1995—Vicki Epple, Gymnastics
1996—Kary Tomaw, Track
1997—Greg Jones, Baseball
1998—C.J. Remmo, Football
1999—Chris Vike, Wrestling
2000—Jon Borovich, Basketball
2001—David Webber, Basketball
2002—Marvin Smith, Football
2003—Katie Conway, Soccer
2004—Kara Reighard, Gymnastics
2005—Tamera Thomas, Track
2006—James Ricchio, Baseball
