Binghamton athletes eschewed their typical jerseys in favor of more formal attire Monday night, as BU held its 69th annual Varsity Athletics Awards Banquet. More than 400 student-athletes gathered at the Events Center to recognize “academic achievement, community service, individual perseverance and athletics excellence for the 2015-2016 year.”

Roger Neel, the play-by-play announcer for the Binghamton men’s basketball team, hosted the ceremony, which included speeches by University President Harvey Stenger, Director of Athletics Patrick Elliot and two of the 84 seniors that were honored, baseball third baseman David Schanz and cross country standout Alexis Hatcher.

The athletics department named three finalists for both the men’s and women’s Athlete of the Year award. Senior soccer goalkeeper Robert Moewes, junior track and field sprinter Jon Alkins and senior wrestler Jack McKeever were named on the men’s side, while on the women’s side, the finalists include sophomore guard Imani Watkins, sophomore volleyball setter Sarah Ngo and junior sprinter/jumper Keishorea Armstrong. Additional finalists will be announced at the conclusion of the spring season, with the winners of the award to be announced in June.

Team MVPs were named at the ceremony, in addition to the 11 individuals singled out for awards, including senior men’s soccer player Pascal Trappe, who won comeback player of the year.

Two athletes were honored for having the highest GPAs among this year’s student-athletes, men’s cross country senior Jonathan Vallecorsa, who maintained a 3.90 GPA in Cell and Molecular Biology, and women’s soccer senior Alyssa Vallar, who earned a 3.89 GPA in Philosophy, Politics and Law.

The banquet also honored the career achievements of four seniors. The John Bilos Alumni Awards, presented to tennis player Sid Hazarika and softball outfielder Sydney Harbaugh, are given to two senior players for outstanding career achievements.

Hazarika was a three-time all-conference selection and guided the Bearcats to a pair of America East championships before leading the tennis team to contention in a tougher Mid-American Conference.

Harbaugh, a three-time first team all-conference outfielder, is the Binghamton softball team’s all-time hits leader. She was named the 2014 America East Player of the Year and also led the Bearcats to their first conference title in 2015.

“I just came to Binghamton to do what I love,” Harbaugh said. “To play softball and to get a great education…[It] was a blessing because not everyone gets to play Division I and I appreciated every day of it.”

The Jessie A. Godfrey Award, the highest career honor for a female athlete based on athletic achievement and leadership, was given to basketball guard Kim Albrecht, who earned third team all-conference honors after averaging 12.1 points and shooting at a 41 percent clip from beyond the arc.

Two-time all-American, sprinter Jesse Garn was given the Jake Pitler award, the highest career honor for a male athlete. Garn finished fourth in the 800-meter at last year’s NCAA Championship and is also a two-time Binghamton Athlete of the Year recipient.

“What makes it really special is the fact that all the seniors have been recognized,” Garn said. “It’s outstanding to be part of this graduating class and to be recognized for both my athletic achievements and everything else I’ve done at Binghamton University.”