Royals Freshman Athlete of the Year

This award is given to first-year student-athletes with the most outstanding athletic achievement in the past academic year. Student-athletes who maintained a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 were eligible.

Male Freshman Athlete of the Year: Ezekiel Awkward (Men鈥檚 Volleyball)

made an immediate impact as an outside hitter on the volleyball squad. The Bloomfield, New Jersey, native ranked second on the team and ninth in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) in total kills with 227. He was also a significant contributor in the service game for the Royals, placing second on the team and fifth in the ODAC in service aces with 30. His efforts helped lift 91短视频 to a 15-16 record, a third-place finish in the ODAC, and a spot in the conference鈥檚 inaugural men鈥檚 volleyball tournament.

鈥淓zekiel is a man of few words who leads by example, works hard, is dedicated and responsible, always pushes hard to get better, and is an excellent teammate,鈥� said Omar Hoyos Aliff, head men鈥檚 volleyball coach.

Female Freshman Athlete of the Year: Ava Walker (Lacrosse)

proved to be a prolific goal scorer for the lacrosse team. The Glen Allen, Virginia, native set the single-season school record for goals with 46. She also set 91短视频鈥檚 single-game goals record, scoring nine times in a victory over Averett on April 5. Among ODAC players, she ranked seventh in goals per game (2.71), eighth in shots per game (5.53), and 12th in total points (58). With her help, 91短视频 Lacrosse experienced its winningest season in program history, going 6-11 overall and 4-6 in ODAC play.

鈥淔rom the first day that Ava stepped onto the lacrosse field, it was clear she was someone special,鈥� said head coach Mikaela Brooks-Fauver. 鈥淏eyond the stats and highlight plays, what makes Ava stand out is her mindset. She shows up early, puts in the extra reps, and leads with quiet confidence and heart.鈥�

Royals Athlete of the Year

This award is given to student-athletes with the most outstanding athletic achievement in the past academic year. Student-athletes who maintained a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 were eligible.

Male Athlete of the Year: Andre Mills (Men鈥檚 Volleyball)

, a sophomore from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, had one of the best offensive seasons in the ODAC. The opposite hitter ranked first in the conference with 370 kills and 3.43 kills per set, which was 49th most among all Division III players. He eclipsed at least 20 kills in a match three times this season, including an ODAC-high 28 kills in a five-set win over Marymount on March 22. He ranked first in the conference with 448.5 points, which was 53 points higher than the next closest player. He also led the ODAC with 4.15 points per set and finished fourth in the conference with 0.32 service aces per set. Defensively, he was second on the team and 11th in the ODAC with 0.73 blocks per set.听

鈥淗e鈥檚 very competitive and leads by working hard, pushing everyone to do their best,鈥� Hoyos said. 鈥淗e brings a lot of energy and competitive spirit.鈥�

Female Athlete of the Year: Meaghan Dean (Softball)

A sophomore transfer from Madison, Virginia, finished the season ranked near the top of the ODAC in most major statistical categories. Her .437 average led the Royals and was fourth highest in the conference. She led the ODAC in home runs with six, and was third in hits with 55. Dean, who batted third, drove in 55 runs, which was 10th most in the conference. Among ODAC players, she ranked second in total bases (82), second in on-base plus slugging percentage (1.122), and third in slugging percentage (.651). She had nine doubles and struck out just four times in 126 at-bats. As an infielder, she was seventh in the ODAC with 167 put-outs and made just two errors with a .988 fielding percentage from her spot at first base.

鈥淢eaghan is a softball player who leads by example,鈥� said Head Softball Coach JD McCurdy. 鈥淪he always has a great attitude. She鈥檚 humble, competitive, accountable, and a great teammate.鈥�

President鈥檚 Award

This award is given to student-athletes who exemplify the values of the athletic department through academic achievement, athletic contribution, faith commitment, leadership, campus involvement, and service.

Male President鈥檚 Award: Jason Dwyer 鈥�25 (Baseball)

, of Fairfax, Virginia, majored in political science and history with minors in pre-law and criminology and achieved a 3.94 GPA. He plans to attend graduate school at either George Washington University or George Mason University and enlist in the Virginia National Guard.听

A four-year member of the Royals baseball team, Dwyer was named the team鈥檚 鈥済lue guy鈥� and served on the Baseball Leadership Council. He played in 36 games with 22 starts, notching 19 hits and driving in 10 runs. 

Off the field, he was a recipient of the 91短视频 Honors Scholarship, was named to the Dean鈥檚 List all four years, and was selected to the All-ODAC Academic Team the past three seasons. He was a project co-leader for an Inclusive Excellence Grant, interned for a U.S. senator during a semester at the Washington Community Scholars鈥� Center, and served as president of the 91短视频 College Republicans. He also was a Community Advisor, a student representative for Reimagining 91短视频, and a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Student Government Association.

鈥淩elationships and perseverance define my 91短视频 athletics experience,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he relationships have been invaluable, but perseverance has been the greatest lesson. This experience has helped mold me, and I am forever grateful for what it has taught me and the people it has brought into my life.鈥�

Female President鈥檚 Award: Jenna Weaver 鈥�25 (Women鈥檚 Cross Country, Track & Field, Triathlon)

, of Harrisonburg, Virginia, majored in nursing with a minor in sociology and achieved a 3.99 GPA. She plans to take her nursing boards, move to Alaska with her fianc茅, and work as a nurse on an intermediate care unit.

She was a four-year member of the cross country, triathlon, and track & field teams. In triathlon, she was a two-time runner-up and a third-place finisher at the NCAA East Regional National Qualifier. She was named Second-Team All-American at the NCAA Triathlon National Championship in 2022, and was named First-Team All-American in 2023. During her four years with  91短视频 Track & Field, she etched her name in the record books in the 1,500-meter, the mile, the 3K, 5K, and the 10K. She is also the 91短视频 record holder in the triathlon.

Weaver was named to the Dean鈥檚 List and the ODAC All-Academic Team for cross country and track & field all four years, the NCAA All-Region Academic Team, and is a three-time NCAA Triathlon Academic All-American. She was a member of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, the Nursing Student Association, and the Peace Fellowship Club.

鈥�91短视频 Athletics has been one of the most positive experiences of my college career, and for it I am extremely grateful,鈥� Weaver said. 鈥淭he last four years have helped me grow to believe in myself, be confident in my abilities, how to encourage and lead teammates, and how to strive together.鈥�

Profiles were written by 91短视频 Athletics

Royals Freshman Athlete of the Year

Male Freshman Athlete of the Year:听听(Track & Field)

A first-year athlete from Broadway, Virginia, Gonzalez-Santiago achieved not only 91短视频 all-time marks, but also garnered regional and national recognition.

Most notably, Gonzalez-Santiago broke the school record in the 500m with a blazing-fast time of 1:04.86, which is also the 20th-fastest indoor 500m in NCAA Division III history. Gonzalez-Santiago had the following 91短视频 All-Time Top 10 performances during the indoor season: third in 200m, third in 400m, and ninth in long jump. Gonzalez-Santiago’s 400m time of 49.06 was the fastest in the ODAC during indoor season, and he was named USTFCCCA (U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association) All-South Region indoors for the 400m.

Female Freshman Athlete of the Year:听听(Track & Field)

David, a first-year athlete from Richmond, Virginia, made an instant impact on the 91短视频 Women’s Track & Field program.

Her name is on the 91短视频 All-Time Top 10 lists for four indoor events and three outdoor events. She is second in school history in the indoor 300m, sixth in the indoor long jump, and fifth in the indoor triple jump. At the ODAC Indoor Track & Field Championships in February, David finished fourth overall in the triple jump, just one spot shy of an All-ODAC recognition as a first-year.

David’s indoor success carried over to the spring outdoor season, during which she rose to fourth in 91短视频 history in the outdoor triple jump, sixth in the 400m hurdles, seventh in the outdoor long jump, and ninth in the outdoor 200m. At the ODAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships in April, David scored points for the Royals in two events, placing seventh in the 400m hurdles and eighth in the triple jump.

Royals Athlete of the Year

Male Athlete of the Year:听听(Cross Country/Track & Field)

Immanuel had a breakthrough 2023-24 campaign on the cross country trails as well as on the track.

In cross country, Immanuel, a junior from Allentown, Pennsylvania, ran the third-fastest 8K in 91短视频 history, clocking in at 25:11.7. Immanuel continued to race at a high level into the postseason, placing seventh at the ODAC Championships to achieve First Team All-ODAC status, followed by a 17th-place showing at the NCAA DIII South Region Championships. The latter performance by Immanuel earned him a spot at the NCAA DIII Cross Country Championships.

In track & field, Immanuel set the school record for the indoor 5000m, completing 25 laps of the 200m indoor track in a time of 15:09.89. Moving outdoors for the spring season, Immanuel ran the second-fastest times in 91短视频 history for both the 3000m steeplechase and the 5000m. Immanuel’s 3000m steeplechase time came in a runner-up showing at the ODAC Championships in April. 听Immanuel also became just the seventh runner in 91短视频 history to break the sub-four-minute barrier in the 1500m, running a personal best of 3:57.64 at the ODAC Championships.听

Female Athlete of the Year:听听(Track & Field)

Taylor followed up an All-American performance in 2023 by continuing to rewrite the 91短视频 record books and make noise at the ODAC and NCAA Division III levels in 2024.

Taylor, a master’s graduate from Pottstown, Pennsylvania, won both the long jump and shot put at the ODAC Championships. In the long jump, Taylor reset her own school record with an impressive leap of 5.82m. Currently, Taylor is ranked in the top 10 in the ODAC in nine different events: heptathlon (first), long jump (first), shot put (second), javelin (second), triple jump (fourth), 400m (sixth), 100m hurdles (seventh), high jump (eighth), and the 200m (10th).

Taylor’s performances this spring have also garnered national attention and rankings. In all of NCAA Division III, she is ranked seventh in both the heptathlon and the long jump. With those marks, Taylor is in line to qualify for the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships for the second year in a row.

“In two short years, she has already become one of the greatest overall athletes to come through 91短视频,” Head Track & Field Coach听Kyle Dickinson听蝉补颈诲.

President’s Award

This award is given to student-athletes who exemplify the values of the athletic department through academic achievement, athletic contribution, faith commitment, leadership, campus involvement and service.

Male President’s Award:听听(Men’s Soccer)

Bonilla, a Richmond, Virginia, native, double-majored in political science and history, minored in Spanish and achieved a 3.87 GPA. He graduated in May and plans to attend grad school.
听
He was a member of the men’s soccer team for four years while at 91短视频. In 2023, he led the team and was second in the ODAC in assists with seven, while also helping the team reach the ODAC Tournament for the first time since 2018.
听
He has been named to the Dean’s List all four years, was named CSC Academic All-District in 2022 and 2023, is a three-time All-ODAC Academic Team member, and presented at the intercollegiate historical Erasmus Symposium. He was also a member of the Latino Student Alliance (LSA), served as historian in 2021-2022, and as president for 2022-2023. He was vice president of the Student Government Association, was a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, the International Student Organization and was the SGA representative for the Union of Student Organization.

Female President’s Award:听听(Women’s Volleyball)

Miller, of Millersburg, Ohio,听double-majored in biology and psychology and achieved a 3.98 GPA. After graduating in May, she plans to attend Walsh University in Ohio to get her master’s degree in occupational therapy.听

She was a four-year member of the women’s volleyball team. During her time on the court, she etched her name in the record books, sitting third in career assists with 1,789 and fifth all-time in assists per set with 6.65. 

She has been named to the Dean’s List all four years, was a biology honors student in 2022, was named CSC Academic All-District from 2022 to 2024, is a three-time All-ODAC Academic Team member, was named to the VaSID All-State Academic Team in 2023 and was the recipient of the Women’s Volleyball Academic Award in 2023.听

On campus, she was a Student Athlete Advisory Committee representative from 2020 to 2023, before becoming the president in the fall of 2023. She was a leader for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, a Common Grounds barista, co-president of the senior class, a peer tutor, part of the University Women’s Empowerment Network leadership team and was a Celebration Team Leader.听

Profiles were written by 91短视频 Athletics. They have been edited for conciseness.