SAVANNAH, Ga. -  On May 25^th, the SCAD Athletics Department celebrated the end of the 2024-25 season with a formal banquet and awards ceremony. Twelve notable awards were announced. Women's soccer player Sydney Chura and men's swimmer Kevin Keil took home the highest honor, Female and Male Athletes of the Year.
 
The ceremony began with Director of Athletics Amanda Haverstick speaking about the notable achievements throughout the department this year, including conference championships, coaches' recognitions, All-Americans, team national titles, and individual national titles.
  
For the third consecutive year, the men's bowling team won the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) Championship, earning a bid to the NAIA National Championship for the fourth year in a row. Christian Liquori was named the SSAC Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year.
 
The women's bowling team won the SSAC Championship for the second consecutive season, earning a bid to the NAIA National Championship for the fourth consecutive season. Senior Lara Kurt was named the SSAC Player of the Year.
 
The men's cross country team won the Sun Conference Championship, earning the automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship, where they finished in 28^th, the highest finish since 2016.
 
For the second consecutive season, the women's cross country team won the Sun Conference Championship with a perfect score, finishing first to fifth to earn the team's fourth consecutive SUN title. Maddy Walter-Sherretts finished in first, Talia Sullivan in second, Liz Hogan in third, Edith Manfred in fourth, and Maggie Froning in fifth. Walter-Sherretts was named the Runner of the Year, while Mila Gresh was named the Freshman of the Year. The Bees finished 10^th at the NAIA National Championship, the highest finish in program history.
 
The Overwatch team won the Sun Conference Championship for the second year in a row. Sebastian Lowe was named the Player of the Year.
 
Women's soccer won the Sun Conference Regular Season and Tournament Championship for the second consecutive year, earning a trip to the NAIA National Championship tournament. Sydney Chura was named the Offensive Player of the Year and Player of the Year. Saga Bryntesson earned the Golden Glove and Freshman of the Year.
 
For the first time in program history, the men's tennis team was named the Sun Conference Regular Season Co-Champions.
 
Six coaches earned special recognition in their respective sports this season. Rebecca Gunn was named the NAIA Women's Soccer Coach of the Year, John Haworth was named the Sun Conference Men's Soccer Coach of the Year, Chris Kamys was named the Sun Conference Women's Golf Coach of the Year, Andy Knapp was named the Sun Conference Men's and Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year, Pat Page was named the Sun Conference Men's Tennis Coach of the Year, and Katie Thornton was named the Southern States Athletic Conference Women's Bowling Coach of the Year and the NAIA Men's Bowling Coach of the Year.
 
Women's Soccer Head Coach Rebecca Gunn, along with former Associate Head Coach Sinead Byrne, led their team to a 20-1-2 overall record, winning the Sun Conference regular season as well as the Tournament title for the second consecutive year. The Bees earned the at-large bid to the NAIA National Championship, where they went on a 5-0 run to win the NAIA National Championship for the first time in program history.
 
Men's Soccer Head Coach John Haworth, along with Assistant Coach Jack Crichton, led the Bees to an 11-4-3 overall record, advancing to the Sun Conference Championship final for the first time since 2014.
 
Men's and Women's Golf Head Coach Chris Kamys, along with Assistant Coach Justin Martinson, led the women's golf team to the NAIA National Championship, where the team finished sixth. Sharon Shan placed second, shooting a 65 (-7) in the first round, setting a new school record.
 
Men's and Women's Cross Country/Track & Field Head Coach Andy Knapp, along with Assistant Coach Katy Chapman, led both the men's and women's cross country teams to first-place finishes at the Sun Conference Championships. The women's team finished 10^th at the NAIA National Championship, the best finish in program history. The men's cross country team finished 28^th at the NAIA National Championship, the best finish since 2016. The women's indoor track & field team was ranked 21^st in the NAIA for the first top-25 ranking in program history.
 
Men's and Women's Head Tennis Coach Pat Page, along with Associate Head Coach Karina Ono, led the men's team to the first-ever Sun Conference Regular Season Title as co-champions. Both the men's and women's teams earned at-large bids to the NAIA National Championships, the men's first time since 2017. The men's team earned a bye in the first round and then won the second round to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time in program history.
 
Men's and Women's Head Bowling Coach Katie Thornton, along with Assistant Coach Mike Conn, led both teams to Southern States Athletic Conference Championships, earning bids to the NAIA National Championships in the process. Both teams qualified for the Intercollegiate Team Championships as well.
 
This year, 43 athletes combined for 142 All-American awards from 13 sports: men's bowling, women's bowling, women's cross country, cycling, women's golf, women's lacrosse, men's soccer, women's soccer, men's swimming, women's swimming, men's tennis, women's tennis, and women's track & field.
 
Jette Aelken
Ida Akesson
Ellie Alexander
Ellen Benintendi
McKinsey Brown
Saga Bryntesson
Sam Carlson
Romane Cayla
Sydney Chura
Isabela Cuisana
Rachel Dawson
Maggie Froning
Aidan Furkukawa
Jan Gastal
Leah Givens
Mario Goic
Mila Gresh
Nikki Hahn
Adam Jaupart
Bo Kasten
Kevin Keil
Lara Kurt
Christian Liquori
Jake Litchfield
Yunyi Luo
Sky Marjamaa
Roccio Monge
Addy Nelson
Marie Oulie
Danil Ozernoy
Dario Rukavina
Andy Scarano
Nazar Sementsov
Sharon Shan
Abigail Siddall
Ines Sommer
Talia Sullivan
Zoltan Tompos
Clara Wallace
Maddy Walter-Sherretts
Ava Wilson
Yue Yu
Yumi Yuzuriha
 
This year, history was made as equestrian won three national titles, while women's soccer won its first-ever NAIA National Championship.
 
Equestrian started the season winning the Tournament of Champions Overall Series National Title for the 12^th consecutive year after being named the Champion at the Holiday Tournament of Champions and the Winter Tournament of Champions, along with being named Reserve National Champion at the Preseason Tournament of Champions. The Bees went on to win the American National Riding Commission (ANRC) National and Novice Division National Titles and the Reserve National Titles to claim three team national titles. Alex Alston was named Champion in the National Division, and Ella Luhn was named the Champion in the Novice Division. At the same time, Celia Cram was the National Division Reserve Champion, and Addie Keyworth was the Novice Division Reserve Champion.
 
The women's soccer team made history, going 5-0 in the NAIA National Championship tournament to clinch its first NAIA National Title. Sydney Chura was named the NAIA Player of the Tournament as well as the Offensive Player of the Tournament. Lois Beer was named the Defensive Player of the Tournament, while Beer, Chura, and Ines Sommer were named to the All-Tournament Team.
 
Seven artist-athletes reached the pinnacle of their respective sports this season by earning Individual National Titles: Jette Aelken (cycling), Alex Alston (equestrian), Peter Cavagnac (equestrian), Celia Cram (equestrian), Kevin Keil (men's swimming), Ella Luhn (equestrian), and Sky Marjamaa (women's swimming).
 
The first major award of the night was the Athletic Director Scholar-Athlete of the Year. This award is given to the graduating senior who has the highest grade point average (GPA) at the conclusion of the Winter quarter. This year, six artist-athletes had a 4.00 GPA to tie: Leoj Chin (men's bowling), Lillie England (women's swimming), Lara Kurt (women's bowling), Marie Oulie (women's golf), Alessia Piccoliori (women's tennis), and Ines Sommer (women's soccer).
 
Jessy Scarpone was a former SCAD cross country/track & field runner who graduated in 2015 with a degree in Illustration. She returned for the 2018-19 school year as a graduate student. After finishing her time here at SCAD, Jessy tragically lost her life due to an undiagnosed heart disease. As an artist-athlete, Jessy truly encompassed what it meant to be a Champion of Character. Because of this, the Champion of Character Award was renamed in 2023 to the Jessy Scarpone Champion of Character Award.
 
This year, there was a tie, in alphabetical order, the Jessy Scarpone Champion of Character Award winners were women's lacrosse Senior Emma Roch and men's swimming Junior Finlay Saunders.
 
Emma exemplifies the five core values of a Champion of Character: integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, and servant leadership.
 
As a senior captain this season, Emma held herself and her teammates to a high standard in both achievement and accountability. She pushed the team never to settle, treating every member with respect in the process. The younger players view her as a mentor and are not afraid to approach her when they have questions or concerns. Emma also organized team carpools and compiled schedules to find the best time for us to practice as a team.
 
Throughout the year, Emma organized many functions for the team to be present and give back to Savannah, including: free youth lacrosse clinics, Light the Night walk to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Ronald McDonald House donation bins around campus and community service events, Morgan's Message, Military Appreciation Game, Go 4 The Goal, and writing messages for the men's lacrosse seniors on Senior Day.
 
Our philosophy for the women's lacrosse team is to grow the game with good sportsmanship. When we traveled to play the newest Sun Conference team, the New College of Florida, their team was invited to join us in warm-ups. We then wrote letters of inspiration for their lacrosse careers, which were handed out.
 
"Emma is always the hardest worker in the room or on the field. You will never hear her, but you will see her actions," states Coach Shotwell. "Emma has been the passion behind this team for a long time, and the team will miss her strength and resilience tremendously. However, she is ready to soar in the real world with this amazing character that she carries."
 
Finlay is completing his junior year here at SCAD, and what a year it has been. Back in September, when the team first started training, Finlay developed a blood issue where his right arm would swell to twice its normal size during practice. After multiple doctor visits, it was determined that he would undergo surgery to remove a rib to open blood flow back to his arm. Due to the months of rehab, it was decided that Finlay would redshirt this season to focus on recovery and academics. As a captain, this was a struggle. However, he embraced the challenge and still managed to attend every single practice, finding ways to contribute, whether it was running a training group, taking times, recording sets, or even filling water bottles and handing out snacks.
 
Finlay traveled to every meet and sat in the stands recording every race. He organized food deliveries and volunteered a lot of his time to call potential recruits, especially international athletes nervous about making the jump across the pond.
 
Coach Zamorano states that "Finlay has more than earned the respect of his team and coaching staff. I could not think of a more dedicated individual to the team, and this year's success would not have been possible without leaders like him. I am incredibly grateful to have inherited the team I have, and know that next year will only be better with him competing again."
 
The SCAD Strength and Conditioning Artist-Athlete of the Year Award, the fourth major award presented, is given to an individual who not only excels physically in the weight room but also fosters a positive and competitive environment for their teammates, strives for excellence, and embodies the values of the school as an upstanding person.
 
The Strength and Conditioning Artist-Athlete of the Year is men's tennis player Diego Fernandez.
 
Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Justin VanDusen had this to say about Diego: "With strength and conditioning, you always want athletes to be as strong as possible, but sometimes just having consistency and enjoying the process leads to better performance and outcomes. [Diego] attended more sessions than I can count; he jumped in with his team's other lifts that he was not scheduled to attend, to get better and be around the team. [Diego] worked hard all year long, pushing himself, while also motivating his teammates and creating an energetic training environment. I look forward to having Diego continue to create great training environments as his time continues here at SCAD."
 
The two most significant awards of the night for the athletes are the Paul E. Poetter Male and Female Athlete of the Year awards, and every year, coaches nominate their athletes for these prestigious awards. Once athletes are nominated, the entire athletic department votes, with the top three vote-getters becoming finalists. The top vote-getter is named the Athlete of the Year.
 
There was a tie this year for the finalists for the Paul E. Poetter Male Athlete of the Year award. The finalists, in alphabetical order, are Alex Alston (equestrian), Mario Goic (men's soccer), Kevin Keil (men's swimming), and Julian Salinas (men's bowling).
 
Alex Alston – Equestrian

• Totaled five Individual National Titles
• IHSA Regional Championships – won both classes he competed in as well as the Cacchione Cup Regional Title
• ANRC Overall National Title
• Advanced to the IHSA National Championship in two classes, winning both at Zones, along with the Zone Team Open Flat Class
• IHSA National Championship – competed in six different classes, winning three of them and the Cacchione Cup
• Third SCAD rider in program history to win the Cacchione Cup

Mario Goic – Men's Soccer

• Helped lead the Bees to the most wins since 2014
• First player in program history to be named NAIA Second-Team All-American
• Sun Conference Offensive Player of the Year
• Sun Conference Player of the Year
• First Team All-Sun Conference
• Led the Sun Conference in shots, shots on goal, goals, and points
• 15 goals in 17 games with 32 points
• 19 goal involvements in 17 games overall
• Averaged 2.38 points per game in conference

Kevin Keil – Men's Swimming

• Won the NAIA Individual Title in the 400 IM and the 1650 Free
• Broke two NAIA records
• Set four school records
• Led the Bees to a Runner-Up Finish at the NAIA National Championship

Julian Salinas – Men's Bowling

• Cliched the Southern States Athletic Conference Title in the 10^th frame, bowling two strikes
• Anchored two Baker Teams that bowled a perfect 300 at the MidStates Championships and Intercollegiate Team Championships
• Brings integrity, resilience, and heart to the team

The Paul E. Poetter Male Athlete of the Year is men's swimming's Kevin Keil.
 
The three finalists for the Paul E. Poetter Female Athlete of the Year Award, in alphabetical order, were Jette Aelken (cycling), Sydney Chura (women's soccer), and Maddy Walter-Sherretts (women's cross country/track & field).
 
Jette Aelken – Cycling

• Competed at USA National Championships in three different disciplines – track, mountain bike, and road
• Runner-up at the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships in the short course
• Won the Individual National Title at the USA Cycling Road National Championships in the Women's A Road Race by a margin of three minutes
• First Road Individual National Title in program history

Sydney Chura – Women's Soccer

• First Team All-Sun Conference
• Sun Conference Player of the Year
• Sun Conference Offensive Player of the Year
• Sun Conference All-Tournament Team
• College Sports Communicators (CSC) All-District Team
• CSC First Team Academic All-American
• United Soccer Coaches Association (USC) All-East Region
• NAIA All-Tournament Team
• NAIA Offensive Player of the Tournament
• NAIA Player of the Tournament
• NAIA First Team All-American
• USC Scholar All-American
• USC Scholar Player of the Year
• USC All-American
• USC Player of the Year
• Took the top spot in the SCAD record book in single-season goals (27), single-season points (70), career points (186), career goals per game (.99), career points per game (2.48), and career goals (74).

Maddy Walter-Sherretts – Women's Cross Country/Track & Field
Cross Country

• Set a program record in the 6K and ran a top-six time in the 5K
• NAIA All-American with a 26^th-place finish at the NAIA National Championship
• Led the team to a ninth-place finish at the NAIA National Championship, the best finish in program history.
• Sun Conference Champion
• Sun Conference Runner of the Year
• Four-time Sun Conference Runner of the Week

Indoor Track & Field

• Sun Conference Champion in the mile
• Sun Conference Champion in the distance medley relay
• Set program records in the mile, distance medley relay, and the 4x800m relay.
• Set a Sun Conference record in the mile
• Two-Time NAIA All-American at the NAIA National Championship – in the mile and 4x800m relay.

The Paul E. Poetter Female Athlete of the Year is women's soccer's Sydney Chura.
 
The final two individual awards of the night were the Rod Echols Assistant Coach of the Year and the Frances Wong Coach of the Year awards.
 
The entire athletic department voted on the Rod Echols Assistant Coach of the Year, and the top three vote-getters were finalists. The top vote-getter was named the Assistant Coach of the Year. The finalists, in alphabetical order, were Molly Dunphy (swimming), Karina Ono (tennis), and Sammy Perlman (equestrian).
 
Molly Dunphy helped lead the men's and women's swimming teams to national championship appearances, as well as being ranked throughout the season.
 
The men's team ranked No. 3 in the NAIA, finishing second at the NAIA National Championship, highlighted by two individual national titles along with numerous top-eight finishes at the Sun Conference Championships and the team setting multiple program records. The women's team ranked No. 6 in the NAIA, also finishing 6th overall at nationals with one individual national champion.
 
Both teams demonstrated remarkable depth and talent, earning multiple All-American honors and academic accolades. 
 
Karina Ono helped lead the men's and women's tennis teams to historic milestones this season.
 
The men's team finished with a record of 13-7, ranking as high as No. 8 in the NAIA, and clinched the Sun Conference Regular Season Co-Champions title for the first time in program history. They notably upset No. 3 Southeastern in their final regular season match and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NAIA National Championship, marking another first for the program. Meanwhile, the women's team recorded a strong 12-9 season, ranking No. 7 in the NAIA. They earned an At-Large Bid to the NAIA National Championship, demonstrating resilience and skill throughout the season.   
 
Both teams received numerous accolades, including multiple All-Conference and All-Academic honors as well as NAIA All-American honors.
 
Sammy Perlman helped lead the equestrian team to an impressive three team national titles this season.
 
In the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA), Sammy has helped lead the riders to an impressive eight event wins, with seven High Point Riders and six Reserve High Point Riders, alongside 51 Academic Awards—34 of which were First Team distinctions.  
 
Sammy's leadership helped guide the team at the ANRC National Championships, where the teams secured both National and Reserve National Champion titles in multiple divisions. With an unwavering commitment to excellence, Sammy Perlman has not only shaped champions but has also fostered a supportive and inspiring environment for our riders.
 
The Rod Echols Assistant Coach of the Year is swimming's Molly Dunphy.
 
The entire athletic department voted on the Frances Wong Coach of the Year award, and the top three vote-getters were finalists, with the top vote-getter being named the Head Coach of the Year. The finalists, in alphabetical order, were Rebecca Gunn (women's soccer), Ashley Henry (equestrian), and Andy Knapp (cross country/track & field).
 
Rebecca Gunn led her team to a 20-1-2 overall record, winning the Sun Conference Regular Season and Tournament on the way to the program's first-ever NAIA National Championship title. Coach Gunn was named the NAIA Women's Soccer Coach of the Year.
 
The women's soccer team totaled seven first-team all-conference members, four NAIA All-Americans, two United Soccer Coaches All-Americans, two College Sports Communicators Academic All-Americans, and 15 Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes.
 
Ashley Henry led the equestrian team to three team national titles, including the ANRC National Division National Title, the ANRC Novice Division National Title, and the Tournament of Champions Overall Series National Title for the 12^th consecutive year. At the ANRC National Tournament, the Bees were also named the National and Novice Divisions Reserve National Champions.
 
The equestrian team totaled two ANRC Individual National Champions, two ANRC Individual Reserve National Champions, and six IHSA Individual National Champions. This season, the Bees won 12 events, totaled three High Medal Champions, seven High Point Riders, six Reserve High Point Riders, and 51 IHSA Academic Award recipients.
 
Andy Knapp led both the men's and women's cross country teams to Sun Conference Championship titles and was named the Sun Conference Men's and Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year. Both teams advanced to the NAIA National Championships, where the men's team finished 28th, the highest finish since 2016, and the women's team finished in ninth, the highest finish in program history.
 
Between the two teams, the Bees totaled 11 All-Conference honors, two NAIA All-Americans, 18 All-Academic honors, and 18 Daktronics NAIA Scholar Athletes.
 
The women's indoor track & field team earned a top-25 ranking for the first time in program history, sending the most competitors to the NAIA National Championships ever, where they came home with six NAIA All-American awards.
 
Between the two teams, there were four Sun Conference Indoor Champions, Four Sun Conference Outdoor Champions, 23 Indoor All-Academic honors, 19 Outdoor All-Academic honors, and 19 Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes.
 
The Frances Wong Coach of the Year is women's soccer's Rebecca Gunn.
 
The final major award of the night is the Team of the Year award.
 
Prior to the start of the ceremony, the captains from each team cast their vote for who their team believes has earned the right to be called the SCAD Athletics Team of the Year.
 
The 2024-25 Tam of the Year is Women's Soccer.