SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. -- The Mount Holyoke College Department of Athletics hosted its annual Athletic Awards Ceremony on Monday, May 1 in Chapin Auditorium. This ceremony was a great way to reflect on the 2022-23 academic year, including all of the accomplishments of the Lyons' student-athletes. (PHOTOS)
Scholar-Athletes
Leading off the evening, this year's scholar-athletes were recognized with their pins. During this portion of the ceremony, student-athletes heard from Christianna Smith Professor of Biological Sciences Craig Woodard and the elected scholar-athlete speaker from the equestrian team, Caroline Sullivan.
Honorees are those senior students who have achieved a 3.5 or better cumulative GPA through the end of their senior year fall term (or second to last semester) and who have completed at least three seasons in a single sport including their senior year. Transfer students must meet the same GPA requirements, and they must have competed for their entire MHC career. December 2023 graduates who qualify will be honored next year when we are able to determine their qualification. These student-athletes will receive a pin for their dedication and excellence in academics as well as athletics.
- Volleyball, chemistry major, Marion Abeja
- Equestrian, International Studies and Middle Eastern Studies major, Kristen Adolf
- Soccer, chemistry major, Carolina Alvarez
- Equestrian, Biological Sciences major, Rachel Banister
- Field hockey, a Neuroscience major, Kylie Brooks
- Cross country and track and field, Biological Sciences major, Eliza Butler
- Tennis, biology major, Shweta Kiran Cavale
- Volleyball, psychology and Spanish major, McKenna Crosby
- Track and field, Biological Sciences major, Emma Doyle
- Equestrian, international relations major, Acadia Ferrero-Lampron
- Equestrian, international relations major, Georgia Fish
- Soccer, Biological Sciences major, Sarah Forster
- Equestrian, anthropology major, Daniela Fraser
- Rowing, psychology major, Jocelyn Greer
- Squash, Economics and Film, Media, Theater major, Dnyaneshwari Haware
- Equestrian, history major, Marlene Healey
- Rowing, mathematics and gender studies major, Piper LaPointe
- Swimming and Diving, English and Astronomy major, Lauren Leese
- Swimming and Diving, International Relations and Mathematics major, Anais Magner
- Swimming and Diving, Biology major, Jess Mohr
- Cross country and track and field, Art History and Economics major, Devan Ravino
- Track and field, Anthropology major, Sara Robillard
- Swimming and diving, Architectural Studies major, Erin Schrama
- Track and field, a Physics and Computer Sciences major, Lucy Sternberg
- Equestrian, a Politics and Spanish major, Caroline Sullivan
- Equestrian, Environmental Studies major, Johanna Sullivan
- Equestrian, a Neuroscience and Behavior major, Azuna Sawada
- Volleyball, biological sciences major, Sierra West
- Equestrian, gender studies major, Xike Zhao
Athletic Director's Award
Each year, the Director of Athletics at Mount Holyoke College is given the chance to recognize someone within the Mount Holyoke College community that exceeded expectations and went above and beyond for the College, the Athletics Department, and everyone around them. This year, first-year Director of Athletics Jodi Canfield awarded the team from Facilities Management for their vital contributions to Mount Holyoke Athletics.
Lyons Loyalty Awards
At Mount Holyoke College, student-athletes that participate in three traditional seasons on any varsity team including their senior year will receive a stole. Student-athletes that compete in three traditional seasons in the same sport, including the traditional season in their senior year receive an afghan and multi-sport athletes who qualify twice will receive a rose in recognition of their second sport. All other senior student-athletes receive a cord.
- Cross Country and Track & Field: Eliza Butler, Emma Doyle, Devan Ravino, Sara Robillard, Lucy Sternberg
- Equestrian: Kristen Adolf, Rachel Banister, Acadia Ferrero-Lampron, Georgia Fish, Daniela Fraser, Marlene Healey, Piper Kilgore, Kelly Li, Caroline Sullivan, Johanna Sullivan, Azuna Sawada, Alexandra Taylor, Xike Zhao
- Field Hockey: Kylie Brooks, Mollee Malboeuf, Laurissa Montigny
- Rowing: Mariam Faisal, Jocelyn Greer, Piper LaPointe
- Soccer: Carolina Alvarez, Sarah Forster, Laureen Jean-Jacques, Fionna Kennedy, Posy LaBombard
- Squash: Janiqua Davis, Dnyaneshwari Haware, Elba Barra Montgomery
- Swimming & Diving: Lauren Leese, Anais Magner, Jess Mohr, Erin Schrama
- Tennis: Shweta Kiran Cavale
- Volleyball: Marion Abeja, McKenna Crosby, Mar Simon, Sierra West
All Lyons-Team
These student-athletes, who are nominated by their coach, best exemplify the missions of their respective teams and are impact team members. These student-athletes uphold the values of both the Department of Athletics and the College and we could not be more proud of them.
- Basketball: Marley Berano
- Cross Country: Tessa Lancaster
- Field Hockey: Mollee Malboeuf
- Lacrosse: Langley Berat
- Riding: Caroline Sullivan
- Rowing: Piper LaPointe
- Soccer: Dana Chateauneuf
- Squash: Elba Barra Montgomery
- Swimming and Diving: Megan Schneider
- Tennis: Annika Chai
- Indoor Track and Field: Emma Doyle
- Outdoor Track and Field: Aria Mallare
- Volleyball: Lucie Berclaz
Department Lyon of the Year
Each year, the Department of Athletics at Mount Holyoke College nominates and votes upon an individual that went above and beyond for the department and its student-athletes and coaches. This year, there was a tie in the voting: the Co-Department Lyons of the Year are department business coordinator Louise Labrie and Lisa Ritchie, assistant track and field and cross country coach in addition to department meals and transportation coordinator.
Coach of the Year
After this academic year, the athletics faculty and staff nominated and voted on a head coach that went above and beyond for the student-athletes, department and College.
The Mount Holyoke College volleyball team continued to improve from a 4-17 record in 2021 to a 13-12 mark in 2022, the Lyons' first winning season since 1992, including exciting home wins against Wellesley and Connecticut College. After an exciting and much-improved volleyball campaign, as well as her contributions to the department and college, Iris Carpio was named Coach of the Year.
Rookie Athlete of the Year
Elle Rimando (Mililani, Hawaii) made a significant impact on two programs at Mount Holyoke, in both volleyball and track and field. As a middle hitter on the volleyball team, this individual was one of two players who played in every set of the season, and she led the team in attack percentage, ranking sixth in the NEWMAC in that category. In track and field this individual's impact was immediate, and by the end of the indoor season she ranked second in team history in the 60-meter dash, third in the triple jump, fifth in the long jump, and seventh in the 200-meter dash, before a hamstring injury unfortunately cut her year short.
Sophomore Athlete of the Year
Lucie Berclaz (Hull, Mass.) played in all but three sets in the fall for the Mount Holyoke volleyball team, finishing third in the NEWMAC in digs per set with 4.80, which is the second-highest average in team history. Berclaz was an integral part of the program's first winning season in more than 30 years, playing libero, a position that is all grit and little glory.
Junior Athlete of the Year
Maddy Sewell (Scottsdale, Ariz.) had a breakthrough year in her first full competitive season of diving at the collegiate level for Mount Holyoke. Sewell went undefeated through the dual-meet swimming and diving season in both 1-meter and 3-meter diving, and was twice named NEWMAC Women's Diver of the Week. She continued to outperform her competitors with a pair of second-place finishes in the NEWMAC Championships, earning all-conference honors in both events. The following week, Sewell excelled at NCAA Regionals with an eighth-place finish, earning alternate status for the NCAA Championships.
Senior Athlete of the Year
Jocelyn Greer (Athens, N.Y.) has served the rowing team as captain since their sophomore year, and respectfully asked not to be named as captain during their COVID super-senior year, yet has continued to be one of the most impactful leaders on the team. The team's cultural transformation owes much to the example Greer sets in terms of athletic maturity and the way they interact with everyone from first-years to bus drivers to opposing coaches. They walked onto the team with no experience in the sport, and quickly moved into the first varsity boat, where they remained ever since. This winter, Greer set the team's 500-meter ergometer record, a mark that had stood since 1998. This individual was also the driving force behind organizing the rowing team's DEI mission.
Highest Team GPA Award
Each year the Department of Athletics at Mount Holyoke College recognizes the team that produces the top cumulative grade-point average during the academic year. This year's winner had the 11th-highest team GPA in all of Division III in its sport, and the highest of any D3 team in New England. Seven other teams at Mount Holyoke boasted team GPAs over 3.6 this year, but with a cumulative team grade-point average of 3.84 this year, congratulations go to Mount Holyoke Cross Country for earning this year's Highest Team GPA Award.
Laurie Priest Scholar-Athlete Award
This award is annually given to an exceptional athlete who displays great character and leadership, exemplary scholarship and is an outstanding representative of our school and athletic department. Alumnae Association Executive Director Trisha Tanner was present to honor the individual that was selected for the department's most prestigious student-athlete honor.
Marion Abeja (Kumi, Uganda) has been called one of the best athletes to walk through the doors of Mildred S. Howard Gymnasium. If it were not for the volleyball team needing her to play three different positions in the three years she played for the Lyons, she would have been a more recognized force in our conference and Division III. Still, this year's award recipient ranked among the national leaders in aces per set, and was also among the top five members of the team in four other major statistical categories (kills, assists, blocks and digs), a rare feat in the sport of volleyball.
A true team player, humble and competitive, this year's award recipient maintained a 3.9 grade point average, earned an award for her academic research in chemistry, and won Second Team Academic All-America honors for her prowess on the court and in the classroom.
Video
View the video below to reflect on some of the top moments for the Mount Holyoke College Department of Athletics during the 2022-23 academic year.
