Baum, Stanwick, Costabile, and Kemp Take Home USILA Awards

The USILA announed the winners of its major Division I awards today and Peter Baum -- The "Atomic Baum" (sorry) -- took home the big prize: The Lt. Raymond J. Enners Award. While the USILA's naming of Baum as its player of year theroetically bodes well for the Raider to win the Tewaaraton Trophy in just under a week, that's not necessarily the case. Since the introduction of the Tewaaraton in 2001, in only six seasons -- 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2009 -- has the Enners Award winner mirrored the eventually Tewaaraton honoree.

Baum is the first player in Colgate history to win the Enners Award and is one of just three gentlemen -- Doug Shanahan (Hofstra) in 2001 and Kevin Crowley (Stony Brook) in 2010 -- to play for a program that has never been to the NCAA lacrosse Final Four and have a player of the year honoree. That kind of tells you how much the USILA valued Baum's efforts in 2012.

The rest of the award recipients from the USILA are as follows:

• Lt. Col. Jack Turnbull Award: Steele Stanwick (Virginia). This is the first time that Stanwick has taken home the award for being the nation's top attack, losing in 2010 and 2011 to Cornell's Rob Pannell and in 2009 to Duke's Ned Crotty. It is the third time that a Virginia player has been honored with the award, having Michael Watson (1996) and Roddy Marino (1986) take home previous honors.
• Lt. Donald McLaughlin, Jr. Award: C.J. Costabile (Duke). Costabile's victory is only the third time in Duke's history that a Blue Devil has earned the honor of being named the nation's most outstanding midfielder. Kevin Cassese (2002) and Jim Gonnella (1997) are the program's previous honorees for the trophy. Costabile's choice as the nation's top midfielder follows Joel White's earning of the honor in 2010, showing a trend for do-it-all performers that make their money through the substitution box and everywhere else.
• William C. Schmeisser Award: Tucker Durkin (Johns Hopkins). Durkin, the cornerstone for the Blue Jays' defense all season, is the 16th player in Johns Hopkins' history to earn the honor of being named the nation's top defenseman. He is the first Blue Jay to win the award since 2009 when Michael Evans took home top honors.
• Ensign C. Markland Kelly, Jr. Award: John Kemp (Notre Dame). Kemp's designation as the nation's top goalie is not a surprise to anyone with eyeballs and a brain that hasn't leaked out of their nose. He is both the second Irish and second Kemp to win the award, following his brother Joey's victory in 2008.

Congratulations to the victors! May your reign being powerful and without coup!