Moravian Announces Finalists for 2026 SAAC All-Athlete Awards Show on April 20
BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian University Department of Athletics and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will be hosting the Fourth Annual All-Athlete Awards Show on Monday, April 20 in the Haupert Union Building.
BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian University Department of Athletics and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will be hosting the Fourth Annual All-Athlete Awards Show on Monday, April 20 in the Haupert Union Building.
New this year, the event will be held in the renovated HUB with several photo opportunities and food stations on the upper floors. The awards portion of the evening is set to start at 7:00 p.m. Moravian's SAAC will also be collecting food donations for Mo's Cupboard.
With Moravian's spring teams still competing, the awards window includes the spring 2025, fall 2025 and winter 2025-26 season. The current 2026 spring teams will be eligible for next year's awards show.
The nominees for this year's awards are –
- Female Newcomer of the Year – Kathryn Hunsinger (WLAX), Ligia Parada Garcia (WIT&F), Aubrey Pringle (VB), Emma Shafnisky (WOT&F), Kate Veivia (WXC)
- Male Newcomer of the Year – Joel Baez (MBB), Braeden Knotts (MXC), Troy Rabosky (BASE), Charles Rumble (MSWIM), Jayden Walls (MIT&F)
- Female Athlete of the Year – Sarah DeStefano (SB), Margie Rayne (WOT&F), Jackie Salvatore (WLAX), Tara Smurla (WXC), Kara Vashey (WIT&F), Leah Zolotareva (WTEN)
- Male Athlete of the Year – Cole Cherkas (BASE), Gavin Hefferan (MXC), Aaron Judge (MLAX), Anthony Morillo (MOT&F), Marquis Ratcliff (MBB)
- Senior Female Blue & Grey Scholar-Athlete – Meaghan Myers (WXC/WT&F), Elliot Rupp (WSOC), Izzy Szmodis (WGOLF/WTEN)
- Senior Male Blue & Grey Scholar-Athlete – Shayaan Farhad (MTEN), Bryan Kerchner (MXC/MT&F), Mike Sickler (MLAX), Sean Superka (BASE)
- Senior Female Athlete – Gia Ambrosino (FH), Sarah DeStefano (SB), Ashlee Limbacher (WSWIM), Marcie Silberman (SB), Tara Smurla (WXC/WT&F), Izzy Szmodis (WGOLF/WTEN)
- Senior Male Athlete – Ryan Burke (MTEN), Bryan Kerchner (MXC/MT&F), Casey Prajzner (MSOC), Marquis Ratcliff (MBB), Matt Snyder (BASE)
- Top Play – WBB – Juliana Vassallo last second shot in win over Drew; MLAX – Dan Kelly overtime winning goal at DeSales; WLAX – Alex Cherenson overtime winning goal versus Drew; WIT&F – Kara Vashey's throw at NCAA Division III Indoor National Championship; MSOC – Enzo Petruzzelli winning goal versus Wilkes
- Moravian Athletics Spirit Award – Ryan Burke (MTEN), Liam Kelly (MLAX), Elliot Rupp (WSOC), Maddie Snyder (FH)
- Most Decorated Team – 2025 Men's Cross Country, 2025 Women's Cross Country, 2025 Women's Outdoor Track & Field, 2025 Softball, 2025 Women's Tennis
- Comeback Athlete of the Year presented by St. Luke's Sports Medicine – Shayaan Farhad (MTEN), James Panico (MLAX), Matt Snyder (BASE), Grace Steffen (WBB)
In addition to the student-athlete awards, the department will also present the H.T.D. Gillespie Award for outstanding service to Moravian's athletic program and the Iron Hounds Sports Performance Awards as well as the top male and female team GPAs and the leading team in community service.
The night will also include the presentation of the senior athlete awards to the 121 graduating seniors as well as recognizing the newest class of 70 juniors and seniors with a 3.50 or higher cumulative GPA being inducted into Moravian's Chi Alpha Sigma National College Athlete Honor Society.
