The National Lacrosse League today named Portland LumberJax owner Angela Batinovich as its 2006 Executive of the Year.

The selection continues Portland's sudden dominance of the end-of-season awards, following honors to head coach Derek Keenan (Coach of the Year, General Manager of the Year) and defenseman Brodie Merrill (Defensive Player of the Year).

EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR:
2005   Les Bartley
       Toronto Rock
2004   Steve Govett
       Colorado Mammoth
2003   Brad Banister
       Calgary Roughnecks
2002   Tom Mayenknecht
       Vancouver Ravens
2001   Russ Cline
       Philadelphia Wings

TOM BORELLI AWARD:
2005   Mike Koreen
       Toronto Sun

Batinovich, the youngest woman ever to own a North American professional sports team, built the LumberJax organization from the ground up after purchasing the expansion franchise last spring.

The LumberJax drew an average of over 8,300 fans per game to Rose Garden, an attendance figure bolstered by strong marketing and solid coverage from the local media.

The on-field product, an 11-5 club which won its last six games to finish first in the Western Division, wasn't too shabby, either.

"Angela Batinovich and her staff were tremendous in their marketing, public relations, ticket sales and all aspects of the franchise," NLL commissioner Jim Jennings said. "The results for the first season far exceeded everyone’s expectations."

In another award announcement made today, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle writer Sal Maiorana has been selected as the Tom Borrelli Award winner as the Writer of the Year.

Maiorana, who also covers the NFL's Buffalo Bills for the D & C, has been the paper's Knighthawks beat writer since 1995, Rochester's first season in the Major Indoor Lacrosse League.

The award is named for Buffalo News lacrosse writer Tom Borrelli, who has covered the league since the Buffalo Bandits' debut season, 1992.

In addition, NLL announced the following Team Eexecutive Awards today:

Ticket Sales: Donna Posner, Portland LumberJax
Marketing: Kim Uniat, Edmonton Rush
Operations: Mitch Redshaw, Calgary Roughnecks
Sponsorships: Lyn Maisonneuve, Calgary Roughnecks
Public Relations: Craig Rybczynski, Rochester Knighthawks
Equipment Manager: Rick Ferguson, Arizona Sting
Athletic Trainer: Dr. Sherri Lashomb, Buffalo Bandits

Tomorrow, the league will announce the Rookie of the Year and the All-Rookie Team.