PLATTSBURGH -- The Plattsburgh State athletic department no doubt didn't have to deliberate long on its selections for athletes of the year for 2007-08. Indeed, the case for hockey standout Danielle Blanchard and basketball star Anthony Williams Tuesday was even more compelling than a year ago when the two first earned the distinction as the Cardinals' premier athletes.

Blanchard, the only three-time All-America choice in the program's history, led Plattsburgh State to its second consecutive NCAA Div. III championship in women's hockey while Williams, the school's only two-time All-America in basketball, spurred the men's basketball team to a third straight SUNYAC championship and an NCAA Div. III Sweet 16 appearance.

The selections were announced Tuesday, along with the Senior Achievement awards, at the Senior Recognition and Awards Ceremony in the Warren Ballroom of the Angell College Center.

Blanchard, co-captain of the women's hockey team the past two years, won the Laura Hurd National Player of the Year after scoring a career-high 28 goals and leading the team with 48 points. She also was named the ECAC Player of the Year as a first-team member. She already ranks as one of the Cardinals' top all-time scorers; she is third with 73 goals, fourth with 67 assists and third with 140 points -- in 86 career games.

Blanchard, a communications major from Newmarket, Ont., is only a junior.

Williams was a consensus All-America selection by four different organizations and is the only two-year All-American in Plattsburgh basketball history. He was a finalist for the Josten's Player of the Year and the V-Foundation Jim Valano Comeback Person of the Year. He was also named the Player of the Year in the East Region by D3hoops.com, National Association of Basketball Coaches and ECAC Upstate, as well as being the SUNYAC Player of the Year the last two seasons.The senior guard set several school records in 2008, including 1,734 career points and 727 points in a season.

Williams is a history major from Brooklyn.

Wiszowaty

Welch honored

Toni Wiszowaty and Zack Welch were the recipients of the Senior Achievement Awards.

Wisozowaty, a six-time All-American in cross country and track & field, has won four SUNYAC championships -- three in track and the 2006 conference cross country title -- and captained the 2007 Cardinals to a runner-up finish at the NCAA Div. III Cross-Country Championships. She holds more than 10 school and conference records as well as top marks at facilities around the Northeast.

At the presitigious Penn Relays last month, she bested a Division I-dominated field to win the College Division 10,000-meter run with a time of 33 minutes and 57 seconds, setting an Olympic Trials "B" standard, NCAA Championships automatic-qualifying and a State University of New York Athletic Conference record while ranking first in Division III this season and in the Top 10 all-time.

Wiszowaty is an education major and English minor from Shirley.

Welch's superb baseball career is well documented in the Plattsburgh State baseball record books. He holds almost 20 game, season and career benchmarks -- including the first Cardinal player to reach 200 hits and 83 steals. He has earned Preseason All-America accolades three times, was an all-conference selection three times and all-region choice from two different organizations.

A two-year captain, Welch demonstrated his versatility by playing every position during his collegiate career. He is active in community service and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.