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Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Official Athletics Website of the MIT Engineers
Members of the Class of 2026 wearing their graduation stoles
Gil Talbot

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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 AWARD

The SAAC Superior Service Award is presented to a member of the MIT Athletics community who goes above and beyond their job description.

Kyle Godwin - SAAC Superior Service Award recipient
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 - SAAC Superior Service Award recipient
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 AWARD

Given to the outstanding male and female first-year athletes of the year.

Logan Yee - Varsity Club Award recipient
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 Lacrosse

Anna Chan, Women's Lightweight Crew

Katie Driscoll, Women's Tennis

Sierra Kim, Field Hockey

Ruth Lanouette, Women's Basketball

Lauren Sundquist, Softball

Nandini Warrier, Women's Track & Field

THE VARSITY CLUB AWARD

Given to the outstanding male and female first-year athletes of the year.

Caspar Lightner - Varsity Club Award recipient
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 - Varsity Club Award recipient
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 Crew

Dylan Fiegener, Men's Cross Country and Track & Field

Hunter Liao, Men's Tennis

Daniel Patterson, Men's Lacrosse

Rishabh Sharma, Men's Squash

Joshua Tang, Football

Evan Wong, Men's Swimming and Diving

THE PHILIP A. TRUSSELL PRIZE

Given to a male and female undergraduate student-athlete who demonstrate skill, sportsmanship and levity.

Pauline Vien - Philip A. Trussell Prize recipient
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 Diving

Sean Luk, Women's Soccer

Anastasia Samets, Women's Tennis

Kate Sanderson, Women's Cross Country and Track & Field

Olivia Scarpaci, Softball

Jane Tortorella, Field Hockey

THE PHILIP A. TRUSSELL PRIZE

Given to a male and female undergraduate student-athlete who demonstrate skill, sportsmanship and levity.

Stephan Oscar Lindenthal - Philip A. Trussell Prize recipient
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 Diving

Mero Elmarassy, Men's Squash

Dominic Hess, Football

Daniel Kurlander, Men's Lightweight Crew

Tim Neumann, Men's Cross Country and Track & Field

Victor Perez, Men's Water Polo

THE ADMIRAL EDWARD L. COCHRANE AWARD

Presented annually to a male senior who has shown the highest qualities of humility, leadership and inspiration in intercollegiate athletics.

Rome Delgado-Gonzalez - Admiral Edward L. Cochrane Award recipient
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 - Admiral Edward L. Cochrane Award recipient
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 & Field

Lucky Deignan, Football

Tim Haarmann, Men's Lacrosse

DJ Keller, Men's Water Polo

Mitav Nayak, Men's Squash

Zack West, Men's Swimming and Diving

Lucas Young, Men's Lightweight Crew

THE PEWTER BOWL AWARD

Presented annually to the female senior who has shown the highest qualities of inspiration and leadership in contributing to women’s athletics.

Ava Ladd - Pewter Bowl Award recipient
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, Sailing

Gwen Flusche, Women's Lacrosse

Daphne Gavros, Women's Volleyball

Bailey McIntyre, Field Hockey

Rujuta Sane, Women's Track & Field and Cross Country

Natalie Tang, Women's Swimming and Diving

THE MALCOLM G. KISPERT AWARD

Presented annually to the male and female scholar/athletes of the year.

Annika Naveen - Malcolm G. Kispert Award recipient
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 Hockey

Ali Gibbs, Women's Volleyball

Katelyn Howard, Women's Track & Field

Amanda Huang, Softball

Leena Mehendale, Women's Soccer

Artemis Pados, Women's Tennis

Nina Petulla, Women's Lacrosse

THE MALCOLM G. KISPERT AWARD

Presented annually to the male and female scholar/athletes of the year.

Jensen Fiskin - Malcolm G. Kispert Award recipient
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 Lacrosse

Kieran Dunn, Men's Lightweight Crew

John Gunton, Men's Squash

Patrick Haertel, Men's Track & Field

Kieran Kearns, Men's Water Polo

Jason Wang, Men's Swimming and Diving

THE HOWARD W. JOHNSON AWARD

Presented annually to the male senior athlete of the year.

Adam Ivatorov - Howard W. Johnson Award recipient
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 Lacrosse

Harry Sillifant, Men's Lightweight Crew

Jared Steins, Men's Track & Field and Cross Country

Hyun Su Price, Men's Squash

Thomas Wu, Men's Swimming and Diving

THE BETSY SCHUMACKER WOMAN ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD

Presented annually for excellence in athletic competition by a female undergraduate.

Kate Sanderson - Betsy Schumacker Woman Athlete of the Year Award recipient
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 Soccer

Fiora Beratahani, Women's Swimming and Diving

Saina Deshpande Women's Tennis

Kayleigh May Women's Volleyball

Bailey McIntyre, Field Hockey

Layla Thiessen, Softball

Ashley Thomas, Women's Lacrosse