Gil Talbot General 5/27/2026 10:11:00 AM 2026 Student-Athlete Excellence Banquet Award Winners The 40th annual Student-Athlete Excellence Banquet was held on Wednesday, May 13, in the Johnson Ice Rink to celebrate the accomplishments across DAPER from the 2025-26 season. Below are the award winners from the event. SAAC SUPERIOR SERVICE AWARDThe SAAC Superior Service Award is presented to a member of the MIT Athletics community who goes above and beyond their job description. Kyle Godwin, Varsity Equipment Specialist Kyle regularly adjusts his schedule to accommodate late games and changing schedules, ensuring that uniforms and equipment are cleaned, prepared, and ready on short timelines. He is also highly responsive when athletes need new or replacement gear. Athletes also say that his approachable and friendly presence contributes positively to the overall student-athlete experience. Sarah Roger Shannon, Athletic Trainer Sarah's athletes describe her as empathetic, attentive, and deeply committed to their well-being. She listens carefully and ensures athletes feel heard and supported in their care. Her approach enables student-athletes to compete confidently across their seasons. THE VARSITY CLUB AWARDGiven to the outstanding male and female first-year athletes of the year. Logan Yee, Women's Swimming and Diving Logan approached her training this year with exceptional seriousness and attention to detail and battled her way to two top five NCAA finishes against the best Division 3 divers in the country. We are so excited to witness her growth and future on this team. Meg Sisson French, Mary Frances Wagley '47 Head Coach Nominees:Mary Breckling, Women's LacrosseAnna Chan, Women's Lightweight CrewKatie Driscoll, Women's TennisSierra Kim, Field HockeyRuth Lanouette, Women's BasketballLauren Sundquist, SoftballNandini Warrier, Women's Track & Field THE VARSITY CLUB AWARDGiven to the outstanding male and female first-year athletes of the year. Caspar Lightner, Men's Water Polo Caspar had an immediate and powerful impact on the water polo program, and he quickly established himself as a dominant force in the pool. Alyssa Diacono, Head Coach Colin Zimmerman, Men's Volleyball The setter position in volleyball is particularly demanding in that it requires a player to establish and maintain strong connections with every player on the team. Colin has joined an exceedingly young team and fulfilled this key role in building a cohesive team - an impressive accomplishment. Todd Elwell, Head Coach Nominees:Jude Carroll, Men's Lightweight CrewDylan Fiegener, Men's Cross Country and Track & FieldHunter Liao, Men's TennisDaniel Patterson, Men's LacrosseRishabh Sharma, Men's SquashJoshua Tang, FootballEvan Wong, Men's Swimming and Diving THE PHILIP A. TRUSSELL PRIZEGiven to a male and female undergraduate student-athlete who demonstrate skill, sportsmanship and levity. Pauline Vien, Women's Lacrosse Pauline is a great representative of MIT athletics! She is a tremendous goalie who has won games for us this year, while respecting opponents and officials and having fun through all the ups and downs. Anne Versprille, Head Coach Nominees:Christina Beggs, Women's Swimming and DivingSean Luk, Women's SoccerAnastasia Samets, Women's TennisKate Sanderson, Women's Cross Country and Track & FieldOlivia Scarpaci, SoftballJane Tortorella, Field Hockey THE PHILIP A. TRUSSELL PRIZEGiven to a male and female undergraduate student-athlete who demonstrate skill, sportsmanship and levity. Stephan Oscar Lindenthal, Men's Lacrosse Oscar is the ultimate glue guy—his production speaks for itself, but it’s the little things, the daily consistency, and the way he lifts everyone around him that truly make him special. Tyler O'Keefe, Walter Alessi Head Coach Nominees:Kelson Cantrell, Men's Swimming and DivingMero Elmarassy, Men's SquashDominic Hess, FootballDaniel Kurlander, Men's Lightweight CrewTim Neumann, Men's Cross Country and Track & FieldVictor Perez, Men's Water Polo THE ADMIRAL EDWARD L. COCHRANE AWARDPresented annually to a male senior who has shown the highest qualities of humility, leadership and inspiration in intercollegiate athletics. Rome Delgado-Gonzalez, Men's Basketball Rome exemplifies everything this award represents—humble, driven, and deeply impactful. His leadership, integrity, and ability to elevate everyone around him make him not just an outstanding student-athlete, but the heartbeat of our program. B.J. Dunne, David H. Koch '62 Head Coach Kevin Windisch, Men's Volleyball Volleyball rarely offers any recognition for liberos, focusing mostly on highlighting hitters and setters who score and achieve offensive statistics, yet through his whole career leading our team's defense, Kevin has only ever pushed for the recognition of his teammates over himself. Todd Elwell, Head Coach Nominees:Nolan Clement, Men's Track & FieldLucky Deignan, FootballTim Haarmann, Men's LacrosseDJ Keller, Men's Water PoloMitav Nayak, Men's SquashZack West, Men's Swimming and DivingLucas Young, Men's Lightweight Crew THE PEWTER BOWL AWARDPresented annually to the female senior who has shown the highest qualities of inspiration and leadership in contributing to women’s athletics. Ava Ladd, Softball Ava brings talent, leadership, and confidence to our team. After making a huge comeback following an injury, Ava has demonstrated resiliency and grit at the highest level! Madison Trotman, Head Coach Nominees:Brooke Barry, SailingGwen Flusche, Women's LacrosseDaphne Gavros, Women's VolleyballBailey McIntyre, Field HockeyRujuta Sane, Women's Track & Field and Cross CountryNatalie Tang, Women's Swimming and Diving THE MALCOLM G. KISPERT AWARDPresented annually to the male and female scholar/athletes of the year. Annika Naveen, Women's Swimming and Diving Annika’s commitment to her academics, swimming and competing at an elite level, and genuine love for her teammates has undoubtedly left our program better than she found it! Meg Sisson French, Mary Frances Wagley '47 Head Coach Nominees:Shealy Callahan, Field HockeyAli Gibbs, Women's VolleyballKatelyn Howard, Women's Track & FieldAmanda Huang, SoftballLeena Mehendale, Women's SoccerArtemis Pados, Women's TennisNina Petulla, Women's Lacrosse THE MALCOLM G. KISPERT AWARDPresented annually to the male and female scholar/athletes of the year. Jensen Fiskin, Men's Volleyball Jensen is a loud and energizing voice for the team at practices and in matches. He is very giving of his time and energy to his teammates through mentorship and academic advice, from which the team benefits greatly. Todd Elwell, Head Coach Nominees:Zach Bleil, Men's LacrosseKieran Dunn, Men's Lightweight CrewJohn Gunton, Men's SquashPatrick Haertel, Men's Track & FieldKieran Kearns, Men's Water PoloJason Wang, Men's Swimming and Diving THE HOWARD W. JOHNSON AWARDPresented annually to the male senior athlete of the year. Adam Ivatorov, Men's Water Polo Adam embodies the spirit of the Howard W. Johnson Award, having left an incredible mark on the water polo program both in and out of the water. As our program's all-time goal scoring leader, his impact in the water is statistically unmatched. A three-time All-American and multi-conference award winner, Adam’s career defines the pursuit of excellence and what it means to be an MIT Student-Athlete. Alyssa Diacono, Head Coach Nominees:Garrett Campagna, Men's LacrosseHarry Sillifant, Men's Lightweight CrewJared Steins, Men's Track & Field and Cross CountryHyun Su Price, Men's SquashThomas Wu, Men's Swimming and Diving THE BETSY SCHUMACKER WOMAN ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARDPresented annually for excellence in athletic competition by a female undergraduate. Kate Sanderson, Women's Cross Country and Track & Field Kate is one of the most fun athletes to watch race and to coach. She loves running and loves her teammates. This joyful effect from Kate is constant and so reassuring to all her teammates. Julie Heyde, Director of Track and Field and Cross Country/Track and Field Head Coach Nominees:Natalie Barnouw, Women's SoccerFiora Beratahani, Women's Swimming and DivingSaina Deshpande Women's TennisKayleigh May Women's VolleyballBailey McIntyre, Field HockeyLayla Thiessen, SoftballAshley Thomas, Women's Lacrosse