DALLAS, Pa. – Penn State Wilkes-Barre held its annual Leadership and Athletics Awards Ceremony on April 26 at Appletree Terrace, presenting campus awards and honoring outstanding student leaders and student athletes at the campus.
This year’s award recipients were:
Outstanding Club of the Year Award, presented to the Veterans Support Club: Members of the student body, the Student Government Association (SGA) and Student Affairs select the Outstanding Club Award. This award recognizes the student organization that has done exceptional campus and community service, has represented the campus to the best of its ability and which has had the greatest positive impact on cocurricular life of students at Penn State Wilkes-Barre.
The Outstanding Student Government Association (SGA) Member of the Year Award, presented to Caleb Cornell: The Outstanding SGA Member of the Year is chosen for sincere dedication, devotion and overall excellence toward their position as a senator, club representative or executive board member and as a Penn State Wilkes-Barre student.
The Lion’s Pride Award, presented to Kiarra Moore: This award honors a member or members of the campus community, faculty, staff, students or community volunteers who have consistently worked to assist the Student Activities Office to help improve the quality of student life at Penn State Wilkes-Barre through their encouragement, coordination and participation in co- and extracurricular programming and events.
Lee Sweinberg Memorial Engineering Award, received by Chloe Inniss: The purpose of this award is to provide recognition for students enrolled in an engineering program who have demonstrated Penn State pride through campus service.
Outstanding Adult Learner of the Year Award, received by James Burke Jr.: This award is sponsored by the Luzerne County Council on Adult Higher Education (LCCAHE), a council formed with the interest of the continuing education of today’s professionals. LCCAHE includes the continuing education units at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, Misericordia University, King’s College, Wilkes University and Luzerne County Community College. Every year, each school chooses a recipient.
Lifelong Lion Award, presented to Mackenzie Jennings and Gabrielle Bohinski: The Lifelong Lion Award was created by the Penn State Wilkes-Barre Alumni Society to recognize graduating students who exemplify what it means to be a Penn State student in spirit and truly “bleed blue and white.” The award includes a paid lifetime membership to the Penn State Alumni Association.
The Eric A. and Josephine Walker Award, presented to KateLyn Krzysik: The purpose of this award is to recognize the Commonwealth Campus student whose outstanding qualities of character, scholarship, leadership and citizenship have been directed into programs and services that have positively influenced fellow students and have contributed to the prestige and well-being of their campus and, hence, to the reputation of the University as a whole. The award is made annually, at or near the end of the spring term, to a full-time undergraduate student who is completing two full years of freshman-sophomore study at a Commonwealth Campus.
The John R. Murphy Award for Excellence in Leadership and Service, received by James Burke: In honor of former Director of Student Affairs John R. Murphy, who served Penn State Wilkes-Barre from 1967 to 2004, this award was established to recognize a graduating senior whose outstanding qualities of leadership, service, scholarship, citizenship and character have been directed into programs and service on campus and/or the community that have positively influenced fellow students and have contributed to the prestige and well-being of the Wilkes-Barre campus and the reputation of the University as a whole.
The Martin U. Dougherty Emerging Leader Award, presented to Emma Sands: The Dougherty family established this award in remembrance of their husband/father, Martin, who served on the campus advisory board; his firm, The Architectural & Engineering Group Inc., designed the Carriage Room in the campus' Student Commons, which won the 2003 “Pride of Place” Award from the then-Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce. This award recognizes a student of junior status at the campus who has at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA and has demonstrated excellence in scholarship, leadership, citizenship, service and character.
The Florence C. Dougherty Pride of the Lion Award, received by Verena Lake: In honor of Florence C. Dougherty, this award is given to an undergraduate student of sophomore, junior or senior academic standing enrolled at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, in recognition of exemplary qualities of personal character, campus and university spirit and Penn State pride through active involvement in campus and community activities aimed at promoting Penn State Wilkes-Barre and/or the University.
Hayfield Award, received by Tim Sichler: The faculty member selected for this award is designated by the Student Government Association as the outstanding instructor for the academic year. The award is based on a combination of teaching excellence and contribution to the general welfare of students at Penn State Wilkes-Barre.
The Edward H. Kaminski Memorial Scholarship Award, received by Maria Luna: This award was established by Betsy Hughes in memory of her late husband, who graduated from the Wilkes-Barre campus in 1974. This award is presented to a Penn State Wilkes-Barre student-athlete by Student Affairs based on academics, campus and athletic participation, and positive qualities of leadership and character.
Athletic awards were presented as follows:
Coaches’ Awards: golf, Cooper Kelley; soccer, Ryan Stevens; volleyball, Brooke Arnold; women’s basketball, Shamonie Rose; men’s basketball, Jalen Willis; and baseball, Mark Downey.
Soccer awards: PSUAC Academic All-Conference, Kyler Burke, Phoenix Campanile, Cameron Fleeger, Riley Gerhardt, Mark Hutsko, Robbie Kachinko, Hailey Long, Maria Luna and Richard Wooditch; USCAA National All-Academic Team, Maria Luna; John Fritz Award, Maria Luna; and MVP, Riley Gerhardt.
Golf awards: PSUAC Academic All-Conference, Cooper Kelley, Matthew Lukasavage, Ryan Meyers, Francesco Nocito, Tanner Smith and Jonathan Stochla; PSUAC All-Conference Team, Evan Serafin; USCAA National All-Academic Team, Cooper Kelley, Matthew Lukasavage, Francesco Nocito and Jonathan Stochla; USCAA Long Drive Champion, Evan Serafin; John Fritz Award, Cooper Kelley; and MVP, Evan Serafin.
Women’s volleyball awards: PSUAC Academic All-Conference, Izara Crown, Abigail Gaffney, Tifany Gomez, KateLyn Krzysik, Verena Lake, Kirsten Rosentel and Chloe Inniss; PSUAC All-Conference Honorable Mention, Sierra Hildebrandt; USCAA National All-Academic Team, Abigail Gaffney, Chloe Inniss, KateLyn Krzysik, Verena Lake and Kirsten Rosentel; USCAA Top Ten Statistical Leaders, Jenna Skibitsky (ranked no. 5, digs per set 5.33), Sierra Hildebrand (ranked no. 8, kills per set 3.05) and Sierra Hildebrand (ranked no. 3, hitting percentage .378); John Fritz Award, Sierra Hildebrand; and MVP, Jenna Skibitsky.
Women’s basketball awards: PSUAC Academic All-Conference, Tifany Gomez, Stephanie Jaramillo, Quatazia Johnson, Hailey Long and Maria Luna; PSUAC All-Conference First Team All-Conference, Stephanie Jaramillo; USCAA National All-Academic Team, Stephanie Jaramillo and Maria Luna; USCAA Player of the Week (Feb. 21), Stephanie Jaramillo; John Fritz Award, Hannah Cook; and MVP, Stephanie Jaramillo.
Men’s basketball awards: PSUAC Academic All-Conference, Malik Addison and Trevon Artis-Randolph; PSUAC All-Conference Second Team, Jaymes Jackson and Jalen Willis, First Team, Anthony Picott, and Defensive Player of the Year, Allen Ozojie; PSUAC Player of the Week, Anthony Picott (Dec. 6 and March 21) and Jaymes Jackson (Jan. 24); USCAA National All-Academic Team, Malik Addison and Trevon Artis-Randolph; USCAA Top 10 Statistical Leaders, Jalen Willis (no. 6, 5.2 assists per game), Jaymes Jackson (no. 8, 56.5 field goal percentage), Allen Ozojie (no. 2, 2.4 blocks per game) and Jalen Willis (no. 7, 2.6 steals per game); USCAA All American First Team, Anthony Picott, All American Second Team, Jalen Willis, Honorable Mention, Jaymes Jackson, and National Player of the Week, Anthony Picott (Dec. 6); 1,000 Points, Jalen Willis; John Fritz Award, Teequan Holley; MVP, Anthony Picott; USCAA Division II National Championship All-Tournament Team, Jaymes Jackson and Jalen Willis; USCAA DII National Championship Tournament MVP 2023, Anthony Picott; and USCAA DII 2023 National Champions, Penn State Wilkes-Barre 2023 team.
Baseball awards: PSUAC Academic All-Conference, Zachary Chamberlain, Enai Fernandez, Shane Hamel, Rian Long, Walter Ninotti, Joey Polanowski and Pedro Rosario; USCAA National All-Academic Team, Shane Hamel and Rian Long; John Fritz Award, Rian Long; and MVP, Maximus Cuevas.