Rookie of the Year awards are always a mixed bag. For every Derek Jeter there is a Marty Cordova, for every Chris Paul, a Mike Miller. Pipe Dream’s award is no different. While last year’s winner, Josh Patterson, qualified for a second consecutive NCAA Championship, 2005 winner Kaan Tayla’s impact on Binghamton University was negligible, considering he was swimming for Virginia Tech. This year’s crop was as talented as ever, and after vigorous debate Pipe Dream’s staff settled on the following five finalists:

Cazal Arnett, track and field: The sprinter from Jamaica, Queens, was breaking records all season and had his efforts rewarded at the America East Indoor Track and Field Championships, where he was named Rookie of the Meet. Arnett literally ran away with the reward, breaking school records in the 200 and the 400, while winning both events. Most recently, Arnett was BU’s top finisher at the Bucknell Challenge, placing second in the 400.

Pete Bregartner, baseball: When Bregartner went zero-for-four during a non-conference game last week, he snapped a 14-game hitting streak — that already tied former star Brendan Hitchcock for the longest in Division I history. The right fielder from East Islip, N.Y., has emerged as a steadying presence for a young Bearcat team at the top of the order. He has started every game, and his .320 batting average is second on the team. He also ranks third on the team with 26 runs and seven steals.

Anwar Goeres, wrestling: The Pheonix, N.Y. native burst onto our radar early in the season when the 141-pounder pinned No. 2 Iowa State’s Nick Gallick, then ranked 14th in the country. He never let down, compiling an 11-7 dual match record and a 17-13 overall record. Goeres capped off his season by being one of four Binghamton place winners at the Colonial Athletic Association Championships, riding a 2-2 record to a fourth place finish.

Brian Ivan, baseball: The third baseman from Toronto has continued BU baseball’s warm relationship with Canada, most recently drilling a pair of home runs to lead the Bearcats to victory against Le Moyne on Wednesday, but he’s been making a name for himself all season. Ivan’s .350 batting average and .429 on base percentage lead the Bearcats and his average ranks 10th in the America East. The baseball team lost seven impact seniors last season, but the play of freshmen like Ivan and Pete Bregartner has kept Bearcats around as legitimate contenders.

Chretien Lukusa, basketball: The Bearcats “Glue Guy,” Lukusa averaged 4.2 points and two rebounds per game, but his impact went far beyond numbers. After being inserted into the starting lineup before BU’s upset win of George Washington, the Bearcats, 1-7 before the GW win, went on to win nine of their next 12 games, and briefly took first place in the America East. Lukusa was a coach’s dream: Setting picks, making hustle plays and picking up his teammates. A former all-star high school player in Toronto, Lukusa has seemingly bought into what Bearcat head coach Kevin Broadus wants, and should be one of the most important BU players in the coming seasons.