May 13, 2005

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Santa Clara University baseball student-athlete Ryan Chiarelli was honored recently as the May recipient of the Comcast Community All-Star Award.

The award, which is presented monthly during the academic year by Comcast, was introduced in January to spotlight the positive contributions that SCU student-athletes make in the local community. The Bronco women's basketball and women's golf teams, softball player Lacey Smale and men's tennis standout Eric Kochanski each earned the honor earlier in the year.

Comcast representatives Kesh Vallot and Michael Amico presented Chiarelli with a plaque at the Stanford at Santa Clara baseball game on May 10, at Stephen Schott Stadium. The Broncos, led by Chiarelli, went on to defeat the Cardinal 6-5 in 12 innings.

Chiarelli, a senior from San Ramon, Calif., regularly participates in a number of community-related activities, most notably serving as a the president of SCU's Student-Athlete Advisory Council. He actively leads a number of programs to enhance the image of college student-athletes among the local and, in particular, campus communities. As a junior, Chiarelli traveled to Sacramento to educate legislators on the importance of amateurism as it relates to college athletics and to lobby against proposed state legislation that would have had a negative impact on colleges in California.

"Besides being a solid four-year performer for us, Ryan is just an awesome person," said SCU head coach Mark O'Brien. "He's a real leader on our team and he gives selflessly of himself for a number of important causes. There are many people out there more deserving of this recognition from Comcast."

Chiarelli, a management major, has started 38 of SCU's 48 games this season in the left and center field positions. Heis a perfect 7-for-7 in stolen base attempts and has struck out just 22 times in 143 at-bats. He was a first-team all-West Coast conference selection as a junior after leading the team with a .361 batting average.