CSM Honors Student Athletes at Virtual Athletic Banquet
CSM Honors Student Athletes at Virtual Athletic Banquet
The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) held a virtual athletic banquet June 8 to celebrate the accomplishments of student-athletes during the 2021-2022 school year.
“We’d like to truly congratulate you and say that we appreciate the work and effort that our coaches and student athletes put into this year. We know that it was a tough year with the pandemic, but you persevered, and you moved forward in a productive way,” said CSM Vice President of Student Equity and Success Tracey Harris.
“Thank you for taking the time to celebrate our student athletes. I would also like to thank everyone who has helped and supported our athletic program this year,” added Athletic Coordinator Gabrielle Smallwood.
Coaches, members of the Student Life and Athletics Department and faculty recognized the successes of student athletes, handing out the annual Male Athlete of the Year, Female Athlete of the Year and Scholar Athlete of the Year awards.
The athletes of the year were nominated by head coaches in recognition of athletic ability, and the winners were voted on by the entire athletic staff.
Head baseball coach Aaron Michael introduced Lawrence Guy as the recipient of the male athlete of the year award. Guy was second in the conference in batting average, led the conference in RBIs, and led the team in home runs and hits, including two separate walk-off homeruns.
Michael also took the time to commend the entire baseball team on their season.
“As a head coach I feel fortunate that I had this group of players because they all showed dedication to improving every day,” he said. “That is a trait that will serve them well in baseball, in school, and in life. The players have left behind a legacy of hard work for next year’s team.”
The female athlete of the year was Micaiah Lloyd of the Women’s Soccer team. Assistant Women’s Soccer Coach Nick Porovne said that the freshman midfielder from North Point High School showed character and leadership during a tough season. Porovne said that the women’s soccer team dealt with covid, injuries, and games where they didn’t have any subs, and that Lloyd helped to keep the team motivated during hard situations.
“I was very proud of the team for their resilience and their perseverance,” he said.
Sarah Williams, assistant athletic director, introduced the co-winners of the Scholar Athlete of the year award. This recognition is awarded to second-year student-athletes who earned a minimum of 36 credit hours with the college and have accomplished the highest cumulative grade point average. This year there were two winners, each with a 4.0 GPA.
The first winner was women’s soccer player Mackenzie Miller.
“As a great leader and team player, she is willing to step in and help her team in any way possible. Off the field, she is just as competitive in the classroom. Her academic goal is excellence, and she doesn’t accept anything less,” said Williams.
Baseball player Blake DiPietro also received the Scholar Athlete award. He will be heading to Mount St. Mary’s this fall with hopes of becoming a high school teacher and a baseball coach.
“He will make an excellent mentor and role model for future student athletes,” said Williams.
Individual teams also presented awards to the year’s standout players. Below are the recipients of Team Awards:
Women’s Soccer
Defensive MVP: Alexandra Baker
Team MVP: Micaiah Lloyd
Men’s Soccer
MVP: Thomas Larsen
Team Award: Lorenzo Cappa
Volleyball
MVP: Janiyah Brand
Coaches Award: Samya Alexander
Men’s Basketball
Offensive Player of the Year: Rasheed Cooley
Most Improved Player: Shawn Barclay
Women’s Basketball
Most Outstanding Player: Moriah Jones
Most Improved Player: Tia Dixon
Baseball
Outstanding Offensive Player: Francis Segarra
Outstanding Defensive Player: Peyton Myers
Golf
Player of the Year: Ryan Graves
Most Improved: Jake Gleason
View the virtual banquet at https://fb.watch/dwubILCqCE/