SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. -- The Mount Holyoke College Department of Athletics hosted its annual Athletic Awards on Sunday, April 28 in Chapin Auditorium. The event was a great way to reflect on the 2023-24 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 lacrosse team, Hannah Bisson.
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 2024 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.
- Lacrosse, Economics, Hannah Bisson
- Soccer, Biology, Shannon Breen
- Swimming & Diving, International Relations, Lauren Brook
- Equestrian, Astronomy, Elliott Candela
- Basketball and Lacrosse, Biology/Geology, Isabel Cordes
- Rowing, Neuroscience & Behavior/Data Science, Meghan French
- Swimming & Diving, Computer Science, Seran Goudsouzian
- Cross Country and Track & Field, Environmental Science/Geology, Bridget Hall
- Soccer, Biochemistry/Spanish, Echo Haverkamp
- Cross Country and Track & Field, Psychology, Olivia Johnson
- Rowing, Biology/Anthropology, Celeste Keep
- Equestrian, Architectural Studies / Russian/Eurasian Studies, Anno Kostava
- Basketball, Economics/Politics, Nicole Lutalo
- Rowing, Biochemistry/Sociology, Dina Markovich-Koyfman
- Field Hockey, History, Leah Manning
- Equestrian, Chemistry, Emmalyn Mirarchi
- Basketball, Biology/Spanish, Emily Mock
- Cross Counry and Track & Field, Politics, Lily Nemirovsky
- Rowing, Anthropology/French, Caroline Odlin-Brewer
- Rowing, Biology, Arin Rinvelt
- Field Hockey, History, Amanda Thibodeau
- Lacrosse, Politics, Caroline Thompson
- Swimming & Diving, Biochemistry/German, Alexa Veliz
- Rowing, Biology/Environmental Science, Emma Waldron
- Swimming & Diving, Architectural Studies, Eliza Williams
- Rowing, Chemistry, Mack Windus
- Rowing, Biology, Zoe Wolfel
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.
- Basketball: Isabel Cordes, Teal Howle, Nicole Lutalo, Emily Mock
- Cross Country: Orion Griesmer, Bridget Hall, Olivia Johnson, Lily Nemirovsky
- Equestrian: Elliott Candela, Hayley Halloran, Catherine Kazel, Anno Kostava, Chloe McElveen, Emmalyn Mirarchi, Sunita Pearson-Siegel, Lingdang Zhang, Astrid Zhao
- Field Hockey: Cecilia Field, Leah Manning, Amanda Thibodeau
- Lacrosse: Hannah Bisson, Lily Connelly, Isabel Cordes, Caroline Thompson
- Rowing: Mariam Faisal, Jocelyn Greer, Piper LaPointe
- Soccer: Shannon Breen, Lily Connelly, Echo Haverkamp
- Squash: Kyla Core
- Swimming & Diving: Lauren Brook, Evelyn Bushway, Adji Diouf, Seran Goudsouzian, Eliana Perlman, Maddy Sewell, Alexa Veliz, Eliza Williams
- Track & Field: Evelyn Bushway, Bridget Hall, Olivia Johnson, Lily Nemirovsky
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: Nicole Lutalo
- Cross Country: Kim Beaver
- Field Hockey: Amanda Thibodeau
- Lacrosse: Jane Harmon
- Riding: Anno Kostava
- Rowing: Mack Windus
- Soccer: Anna Kennedy
- Squash: Ku Paw
- Swimming and Diving: Evelyn Bushway
- Tennis: Cal Smith
- Indoor Track and Field: Addison Heintz
- Outdoor Track and Field: Em Tetzlaff
- Volleyball: Amelia Ringor
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. The award went to Vissi Rizos, assistant soccer coach and special assistant to the director of athletics, praised for her organizational skills, cheerful attitude and playing several roles within the department.
Coach of the Year
The Coach of the Year award went to head tennis coach Aldo Santiago. Santiago's team produced a winning season, competing well against tough opponents and finishing fifth in the NEWMAC standings in spite of the preseason poll picking the Lyons seventh. Santiago was called by a nominator "an amazing colleague who will help anyone and in any situation if he can."
Rookie Athlete of the Year
Once her season got started, Ioanna Tsoni (Athens, Greece) wasted no time in making an indelible mark on Mount Holyoke track and field, breaking school records in both the 60 meter hurdles and the long jump during the indoor season, and scoring 23 of the Lyons' 56 points at their tri-meet with Smith and Wellesley. She has run only three times now this spring due to a nagging injury, but at the NEWMAC Championships, she set the team records in both the triple jump and the 100-meter hurdles, finishing third in both events. On top of all this, a coach says, "she is kind, humble, works hard, and always remembers to say thank you."
Sophomore Athlete of the Year
Taryn White (Alexandria, Va.) made a significant impact upon two Mount Holyoke teams. On the soccer field, she was called "a game changer" by a coach, who added that every time this Lyon "stepped on the field, we relied on her to control the tempo of the game and she absolutely delivered. Because she was so reliable, she earned our Coaches Award, given to the player who upholds our team standards and expectations and impacts the team positively on and off the field."
White was also a hard-working game-changer on the basketball court as one of the leading rebounders in the NEWMAC who led the Lyons in points per game.
Junior Athlete of the Year
Tessa Lancaster (Mansfield, Mass.) led the cross country team in every race of a season in which the Lyons placed in the top half at the NEWMAC Championships. Then came the indoor track and the ongoing outdoor track seasons. At the all-divisions New England Indoor Championships, Lancaster placed seventh in the 5,000 meters and also became the team's second-fastest ever in the 3,000. In outdoor track, Lancaster has broken team records in both the 3,000 meters and the 3,000-meter steeplechase, and qualified in three events this weekend at the New England Division III Championships. "She has been unstoppable this year," said a coach. "Just when you think she has peaked, she continues to get faster. She is mentally tough, so humble, and so down-to-earth. She knows how to dig at the end of a race."
Senior Athlete of the Year
Maddy Sewell (Scottsdale, Ariz.) has been a dominant performer in her sport over the past two seasons. This year, she qualified for NCAA Regionals in the first two meets she performed in, the minimum number to compete and qualify in. She proceeded to win nearly every event she competed in during the regular season, placing second the other four times. At the NEWMAC Championships, she placed fifth in 1-meter diving and fourth in 3-meter diving. And at the Northeast Diving Regionals, she placed 10th on 1-meter and 11th on 3-meter board, only missing qualifying for nationals by a few points.
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. Nine other teams at Mount Holyoke boasted team GPAs over 3.60 this year. But with a cumulative team grade-point average of 3.88 this year, Mount Holyoke Tennis captured this year's Highest Team GPA Award.
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 Andrea Ricketts-Preston awarded Louise Labrie, the business coordinator of the Department of Athletics.
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 '00 was present to honor the individual that was selected for the department's most prestigious student-athlete honor.
Hannah Bisson (South Hadley, Mass.) serves as an outstanding example to us all of the love of sport and competition and the athletic experience at Mount Holyoke. She battled back from three separate surgeries, including spiral fracture surgery, just to get back and stay on the field playing the sport she loves with the team she loves. Although she is one of the team's statistical leaders, her coach wrote, "stats and personal glory are not evident motivators" for her. She has served as a two-year captain of her team, and on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and is a Fearless First Athlete. All the while, this scholar-athlete has maintained a 3.99 grade point average, been named Academic All-District by College Sports Communicators, and won numerous academic awards in both economics and mathematics.
