Riley recognized by the RIAIAW
KINGSTON, R.I. (April 15, 2019) -- Fresh off her recognition as the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Player of the Week for softball, Salve Regina University senior Amanda Riley (Barrington, N.H.) received the 2019 Distinguished Student Athlete Award bestowed by the Rhode Island Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (RIAIAW) during a ceremony hosted by the University of Rhode Island at the Ryan Center.
From Riley's head coach, Jannelle Iaquinto: "Amanda Riley is a natural born leader – embodying a rational, motivational, confident, always-approachable leadership style. She demands a lot of out her teammates, but more of herself. She is a humble, dynamic, personable, high-achieving student-athlete. Athletically, she challenges her teammates to raise the bar while being their biggest supporter. Her passion for softball is evident through her style of play."
"Her high character makes her a true role model to others. She leads with integrity, learns from her failures and inspires others to do the same. She believes in doing the right thing and always putting others before herself. Professors, staff, students and athletes have tremendous respect for her athletic talent, her character, and her academics. Amanda is a high academic student who maintains honors status. Majoring in psychology, Riley carries a 3.678 cumulative grade point average into her final season. She is a two-year captain, has led the Seahawks to two conference championships, and earned All-Tournament Team at NCAA Regional (May 13-14, 2016 at Medford, Mass.). A second team NFCA all-region player in 2018, three-time all-conference player, she consistently leads her team in batting average, run production, and holds a reputation for 'toughest to strike out' in her conference."
The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women was founded n 1971 to govern women's athletics in the United States and to administer national championships. Rhode Island is one of the few states with an active AIAW membership. Riley joined honorees from eight other institutions in the state.
"Having the opportunity to do what I love at this level with the people I love - I really feel like the luckiest person in the world," said Riley. "As student-athletes, we all should feel that way - we should feel grateful that we are given the amazing opportunity to be able to play our sport in college and build lifelong relationships and memories with teammates who become family."
Riley continued, "Not only has the college-athlete experience enhanced my educational career, but it has had such profound effects on my personal development as well. I believe athletics can be used as a vital tool for empowerment- especially for females. It helps us build self-confidence and prepares us to compete both on and off the field. We become resilient to our hardships and know how to fight back when it seems all odds are against us."
"I am proud to be a part of this celebrated group of outstanding female athletes. We should hold our heads high and value the impact we have had on our teammates and community, and in turn, how they have impacted us."