2020 Lehigh Athletics Virtual Student-Athlete Awards Convocation

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh Athletics celebrated the accomplishments of the 2019-20 academic year with its first ever virtual Student-Athlete Awards Convocation. The COVID-19 pandemic forced Lehigh to present its 20th annual year-end awards convocation digitally, with content unveiled daily from May 4-8 across Lehigh Athletics' social media channels.

This year's program once again featured the announcement of Lehigh's department awards, recognition of Lehigh student-athletes who won University awards and the winners of the student-athlete superlative awards. Videos showcased the athletic department's highlights from the 2019-20 academic year as well as the department's bloopers.

Lehigh alumni participated in the department awards announcement process, as previous award winners served as presenters.

This year's Convocation featured one change to the department awards process. The closures and cancellations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic did not allow seasons to be completed for all spring sports and several winter sports. Instead of selecting one winner from three finalists, Lehigh's awards committee decided to recognize three student-athletes as finalists for most awards with all three finalists all recognized as tops in their respective areas. For the outstanding first year male and female athlete awards a watch list, featuring spring athletes that had their seasons cut short, was presented in addition to three finalists from the fall and winter seasons.

The three finalists for the department's highest honor, the Graduating Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award, were Maura Henderson from women's cross country and track and field, wrestler Jordan Kutler and Owen Quinn from men's golf. Henderson and Kutler are both fifth year student-athletes, who have won individual conference championships and maintained GPAs over 3.0 during their undergraduate careers and own GPA's greater than 3.7 in their respective graduate programs. Quinn also owns a GPA north of 3.7 as a double major in accounting and finance and has been honored for his academic work by the Golf Coaches Association of America. He also owns a pair of individual tournament titles during his time in the brown and white.

Kutler was also a finalist for the Graduating Male Athlete Award, an honor he shares with Will Smith from men's soccer and Keith Woetzel from football. Kutler is a three-time All-American on the mats for the Mountain Hawks. Smith is a two-time All-Patriot League honoree who was the league's Goalkeeper of the Year and tournament Woetzel received All-America recognition in his senior season and was a first team All-Patriot League selection.

Finalists for the Karen A. Adams Graduating Female Athlete Award were Sondra Dickey from women's lacrosse, swimmer Payton Miles and Jordan Otto from track and field. Dickey is a two-time All-Patriot League selection and all-region honoree. Miles is a four-time All-Patriot League honoree and won a total of three individual Patriot League titles, two individual and one as part of a relay. Otto is a three-time Patriot League champion in the high jump, winning an outdoor title as a sophomore in 2018 and capturing indoor titles in each of the last two seasons.

The J. Daniel Nolan Award is presented to the top first-year male student-athlete. Finalists are Zach DeLone from track and field, Nick Highman from swimming and diving and Mikhari Sibblis from football. Five spring sport athletes were recognized on the watch list.

For the John S. Steckbeck Award, given to the top first-year female student-athlete, finalists were Maddie Kahn from field hockey, Calista Marzolino from track and field and Sophia Poeta from swimming and diving. A robust watch list featured nine spring sport first-year student-athletes.

The Mary O'Hurley Leadership Award, given to the department's top graduating female leader. This year's finalists were Amanda Boyer from field hockey, women's basketball's Hannah Hedstrom and Emily Preble from softball.

The John A. Cable Award is presented to the department's outstanding graduating male leader. Owen Quinn and Will Smith were joined as finalists for this award by Jordan Cohen from men's basketball.

The department's top service award is the Marlene "Linny" Fowler Service Award. Finalists were Kate Derrenbacker from women's lacrosse, Meagan Eripret from women's basketball and Ryan Paradise from men's cross country and track and field. Derrenbacker and Eripret both served as co-captains of Lehigh's award-winning C.O.A.C.H. community outreach program, while Paradise brought his servant leadership to Lehigh's Student-Athlete Council and won awards for his leadership in Lehigh's ROTC.

Quinn and Henderson were two of the three finalists for the Lehigh Athletics Sportsmanship Award, which recognizes the top graduating student-athlete in the Department of Athletics who demonstrates consistently ethical conduct, fair play and good sporting behavior in his/her daily participatin in intercollegiate athletics and demonstrated good citizenship outside of the competitive sports setting. Jess Donaldson from volleyball is the third finalist for the Sportsmanship Award.

Ten student-athletes were recipients of the Distinguished Achievement Award. These recipients are senior student-athletes who have displayed a high level of scholarship, significant athletic achievement at the league level (and beyond) and demonstrated service to the institution. Winners included Henderson, Kutler, Miles, Quinn and Smith, plus Kayla Arestivo from women's soccer, Jeff Kirshenbaum and Kip Yegon from men's cross country and track and field, Ashleigh Crawford from women's cross country and track and field, and Brooke Schaeffer from women's track and field.

There were two recipients of the Phillip J. Sclar Award, which recognizes an underclass student worker or manager who exemplifies the spirit and character of the late Phil Sclar: softball manager Michael Chavez and men's basketball manager Luis Morales.

2019-20 Lehigh Athletics Department Awards

Phillip J. Sclar Award – Michael Chavez '23 (Softball Manager) and Luis Morales '22 (Men's Basketball Manager)
John Steckbeck Award – Maddie Kahn (Field Hockey), Calista Marzolino (Track and Field), Sophia Poeta (Swimming and Diving)
Watch List: Katia Carnevale (Lacrosse), Emily Cimino (Softball), Emma Eberhardt (Lacrosse), Hannah Foster (Golf), Junmoke James (Tennis), Elke Knecht (Track and Field), Cameron Laukaitis (Rowing), Allison Lee (Rowing), Gabby Schneider (Lacrosse)
J. Daniel Nolan Award – Zach DeLone (Track and Field), Nick Highman (Swimming and Diving), Mikhari Sibblis (Football)
Watch List: Ryan Deom (Baseball), Brandtson Duffie (Cross Country/Track and Field), Christian Mulè (Lacrosse), Adam Retzbach (Baseball), Ian Scott (Track and Field)
Karen A. Adams Graduating Female Athlete Award – Sondra Dickey (Lacrosse), Payton Miles (Swimming and Diving), Jordan Otto (Track and Field)
Graduating Male Athlete Award – Jordan Kutler (Wrestling), Will Smith (Soccer), Keith Woetzel (Football)
Sportsmanship Award – Jess Donaldson (Volleyball), Maura Henderson (Cross Country/Track and Field), Owen Quinn (Golf)
Marlene "Linny" Fowler Service Award – Kate Derrenbacker (Lacrosse), Meagan Eripret (Basketball), Ryan Paradise (Cross Country/Track and Field)
Mary O'Hurley Leadership Award – Amanda Boyer (Field Hockey), Hannah Hedstrom (Basketball), Emily Preble (Softball)
John A. Cable Leadership Award – Jordan Cohen (Basketball), Owen Quinn (Golf), Will Smith (Soccer)
Distinguished Achievement Awards – Kayla Arestivo (Soccer), Ashleigh Crawford (Cross Country/Track and Field), Maura Henderson (Cross Country/Track and Field), Jeff Kirshenbaum (Cross Country/Track and Field), Jordan Kutler (Wrestling), Payton Miles (Swimming and Diving), Owen Quinn (Golf), Brooke Schaeffer (Track and Field), Will Smith (Soccer), Kip Yegon (Cross Country/Track and Field)
Graduating Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award – Maura Henderson (Cross Country/Track and Field), Jordan Kutler (Wrestling), Owen Quinn (Golf)

Videos:
Student-Athlete Superlatives
Bloopers
University Awards
Department Highlights

Lehigh University Athletics

2020 Lehigh Athletics Virtual Student-Athlete Awards Convocation

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