BALTIMORE – Loyola University Maryland hosted its annual Iggy's Awards on Monday night, gathering in McGuire Hall to celebrate the athletic and academic accomplishments of the Greyhounds throughout the 2023-24 academic year.

Learn more about the award winners below:

Female Freshman of the Year
Nominees: Riley Fried • Swimming & Diving | Kimmie Hicks • Basketball | Avery Ruhnke • Lacrosse | Mikayla Smith • Rowing
Winner: Kimmie Hicks, Women's Basketball
Hicks earned Patriot League All-Rookie honors after averaging almost 12 points per game in conference play while helping Loyola to its best finish since joining the conference in 2013-14. She highlighted her year with a 27-point performance against Boston University, scoring the most points by a freshman this season in the League.
 
Male Freshman of the Year
Nominees: Mikey Byrnes • Cross Country | Carson Hall • Lacrosse | Jordy Luchies, Soccer
Winner: Joe Hayburn, Men's Swimming & Diving
Hayburn set a pair of individual record for the Greyhounds this year and won the 100 backstroke at the ECAC Championships where he set an ECAC Championships record. He finished second in the 100 backstroke and third in the 200 backstroke at the Patriot League Championships and has qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials in both events this summer.
 
Female Sophomore of the Year
Nominees: Lauryn Clarke • Track & Field | Michaela Schultz • Swimming & Diving
Winner: Lauryn Clarke, Women's Track & Field
Clarke has set multiple records this season, running the fastest indoor 60-meter and outdoor 100-meter dashes this season in school history. She has run nine of the 10 fastest 100-meter times outdoors, and she scored in both the 60- and 200-meter dashes at the Patriot League Indoor Championships.
 
Male Sophomore of the Year
Nominees: Sean McEvoy • Soccer | Matthew Minicus • Lacrosse | James Rico • Golf | Cameron Shinnick • Swimming & Diving
Winner: Sean McEvoy, Men's Soccer
McEvoy was an All-Patriot League First Team honoree as a midfielder this year who helped the Greyhounds allow the fewest goals in the Patriot League in 2023. He also contributed on the offensive end, scoring a goal and recording an assist.
 
Female Junior of the Year
Nominees: Chase Boyle • Lacrosse | Baylee DeSmit • Soccer | Avery Stimmel • Swimming & Diving | Lex Therien • Basketball
Winner: Chase Boyle, Women's Lacrosse
Boyle is a Tewaaraton Award Semifinalist who leads the Patriot League in goals, goals per game and draw controls this season. She was named a Midseason First-Team All-American and is among the top five in the nation in multiple statistical categories while earning Patriot League Midfielder of the Year honors.
 
Male Junior of the Year
Nominees: Jordy Luchies • Soccer | Henry Mueller • Swimming & Diving | Remi Reynolds • Lacrosse | Jackson Roman • Golf
Winner: Henry Mueller, Men's Swimming & Diving
This season, Mueller set a school record in the 200-yard backstroke and finished in the top three of two races at the Patriot League Championships including a second-place effort in the 200 backstroke. He was a member of four school-record setting relay teams at the Patriot League Championships and earned All-Patriot League First Team honors for the third year in a row. He was also a standout in the classroom, earning Academic All-District Swimming & Diving Team.
 
Female Seniors of the Year
Nominees: Sydni Black • Lacrosse | Lily Mead • Swimming & Diving | Daniella Niedermeyer • Rowing
Winners: Lily Mead, Women's Swimming & Diving & Sydni Black, Women's Lacrosse
Black is another Tewaaraton Award semifinalist and Midseason All-American who is second in the Patriot League in goals and goals per game. She was named the Patriot League Attacker of the Year and is among the top 10 in the nation in total points and is on pace to record the fifth 100-point season in program history.
 
Mead became the first woman in Loyola swimming and diving history to earn All-Patriot League First Team honors for four-straight years, and she was also named the ECAC Women's Swimmer of the Meet. She won the Patriot League 200 backstroke for the second year in a row, setting a Patriot League record in the event, and she was a two-time winner at the ECAC Championships. Last summer, she represented Team USA at the World University Games, as well.
 
Male Senior of the Year
Nominees: Michael Crowley • Golf | Caleb Kelly • Swimming & Diving | Max McGillicuddy • Lacrosse | Jeremiah Zuniga • Soccer
Winner: Caleb Kelly, Men's Swimming & Diving
Kelly was an All-Patriot League First Team honoree this year after setting school records in the 50- and 100-yard freestyles and taking second in the 50 at the Patriot League Championships. He was a member of four record-setting relay teams at the conference meet and was on the 200 medley relay team that won the event at the championships with a new Patriot League-best time.
 
Female Super Senior of the Year
Nominees: Logan Olmstead • Lacrosse | Alex Searing • Soccer
Winner: Alex Searing, Women's Soccer
Searing earned All-Patriot League honors for the third time in her career, capturing first-team recognition this season for the women's soccer team. As a team captain and member of the back-line defense, she helped Loyola lead the Patriot League in fewest goals allowed and fewest shots allowed. She also had two goals and two assists on the offensive side of the pitch for Loyola.
 
Male Super Senior of the Year
Nominees: Joseph Arvelo • Rowing | Carlo Pizzano • Golf | Adam Poitras • Lacrosse | Danilo Seglio • Soccer | Max Verheyen • Swimming & Diving
Winner: Max Verheyen, Men's Swimming & Diving 
Verheyen wrapped up his career at Loyola as one of the most decorated swimmers in school history. He became the first in men's swimming and diving history to earn All-Patriot League First Team recognition four years in a row, and he was also tabbed the Patriot League Men's Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He reached the finals of three events at the Patriot League Championships, taking third in two.
 
Diane Geppi-Aikens Inspiration Award
Nominees: Seth Higgins • Men's Lacrosse | Laura Salmeron • Women's Basketball | Aspen Shelton • Women's Swimming & Diving
Winner: Aspen Shelton, Women's Swimming & Diving
Shelton arrived at Loyola as a para swimmer who was ranked as one of the top blind swimmers in the world. As her time at Loyola continued, however, she has dealt with several bouts of tumors that have limited her functionality and given her obstacles in and out of the water. Through these challenges, Shelton has not been defeated; she has thrived. While continuing to maintain an optimistic outlook and train and compete with the team, she will graduate from Loyola in just three years as a communication major with a GPA of higher than 3.5. Aspen recently accepted a fellowship at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Center in Colorado Springs where she will begin her professional career.
 
Student Service Award
Nominees: Alex Brune • Women's Lacrosse | Erin Megill • Rowing | Queen Ogunshakin • Women's Basketball | Carly Washcalus • Swimming & Diving
Winners: Erin Megill, Rowing & Alex Brune, Women's Lacrosse
After a career-ending injury last spring, Megill expressed a strong desire to stay as involved as she could with the rowing program. She stepped out of her captaincy and entered the world of coaching. She has juggled practices and competitions with her student teaching responsibilities and been invaluable to the coaching staff and teams' successes this year. She took on the work of leading the women's and men's first-year rowers at training camp and guided them through vital moments in their development. She now coaches the women's fours and continues to work with the novice group.
 
Brune has worn many hats while on the Evergreen campus, this year serving as a Kairos retreat leader and on Green & Grey among many other things. Ale joined the women's lacrosse program in 2022 and helped to contribute to the program's brand and highlighting of its student-athletes and play in exceptional ways through photography and videography. His work with the team's social media campaigns has been tireless as he dedicates his energy, enthusiasm, time and commitment to the betterment of the Greyhounds women's lacrosse team. His work has been noted by opposing coaches, alumni and most of all fans and the women's lacrosse program is extremely grateful for all that he has done to assist with their growth.
 
Fr. Francis McManamin Male Unsung Hero Award
Nominees: Dan Faunce • Swimming & Diving | Alonso Faure • Basketball | Ethan Ginyard • Cross Country | Mustang Sally • Lacrosse | Devon Sangiorgio • Rowing
Winner: Mustang Sally, Men's Lacrosse
Sally joined the men's lacrosse program as a transfer and has since thrived as a short-stick defensive midfielder over the last three seasons. His position is one that does not post a lot of statistics, but he has received continued praise from opposing coaches for his toughness and play. He has been an emotional leader of the team who brings energy on the field and sideline, and he is one of the first to speak up in the locker room when discussing team play and providing constructive criticism and areas for improvement when needed.
 
Corinne Filograna Female Unsung Hero Award
Nominees: Anna Ruby • Lacrosse | Alex Searing • Soccer | Sammie Spargo • Cross Country & Track & Field | Ava Therien • Basketball
Winner: Ava Therien, Women's Basketball
Over the course of her first three seasons at Loyola, Therien appeared in only 19 games as she battled multiple injuries and setbacks that kept her off the court. This year, however, she saw action in 30 games and started 29, finishing with career highs in every major statistical category during her fifth and final season. She played a major role in the Greyhounds epic turnaround with their best overall record in 14 years and best Patriot League finish since joining the conference. Therien was one of the top defenders and rebounds on the team, and her knack for being in the right place at the right time was fundamental in the team's success this year.
 
Anne McCloskey Leadership Awards
Women's Nominees: Stella Meyerhoeffer • Swimming & Diving | Caroline O'Connell • Track & Field | Logan Olmstead • Lacrosse | Grace Prince • Rowing
Women's Winner: Grace Prince, Women's Rowing
Prince has not only been a leader for the women's rowing team, but she has served and led the entire student-athlete body this year as the President of SAAC. She has helped lead initiatives surrounding nutrition, marketing yourself as a student-athlete in the work house, dealing with long-term injuries and many other things that have brought student-athletes from different teams together. PRince has done this while being a key member of the rowing program. Through her positive attitude, grit, determination and emphasis on all aspects of the student-athlete experience, she has provided an example to rowers new and old throughout her career.
 
Men's Nominees: Alex Bean • Lacrosse | Matt Cardano • Tennis | Liam Morris • Swimming & Diving
Men's Winner: Matt Cardano, Men's Tennis
Cardano has consistently led the men's tennis team through his hard work and dedication to the Greyhounds, on and off the court. He has been a two-year captain and natural team leader while embracing accountability and hard work. Outside of tennis, Matt has exhibited tremendous leadership skills while working with student-athletes of other teams through SAAC and Student Athletes For Social Justice. On the court, he has the second most wins in the history of the men's tennis program and has competed fearlessly as the No. 1 singles player on the team.
 
Lagna Award
Nominees: Sydni Black • Lacrosse | Lily Mead • Swimming & Diving | Anna Rico • Tennis • Paige Sim • Soccer
Winner: Sydni Black, Women's Lacrosse
Black has been the epitome of a student-athlete while at Loyola, contributing to her team, the athletic department, the Loyola community and beyond through her four years at the school. She is a Tewaaraton Award Semifinalist on the field and has a chance to break the program's single-season goals record this year. She has been an All-American and All-Patriot League player, and she has eclipsed the 200 career points mark. Off the field, Black is a double major in information systems and data analytics along with leadership and organizational effectiveness, boasting a GPA north of 3.7. She has been on the Dean's List every semester, is a member of Green & Grey, is a Sellinger Scholar, is a part of Student Athletes for Social Justice and has been a Kairos retreat leader. She also served on the Loyola Diversity Board and was a two-year SAAC representative. Sydni has been an amazing role model, mentor and advocate for Black and minority youth athletes across the country with her work on and off the field.
 
Mohler Award
Nominees: Michael Crowley • Golf | Oliver Davey • Tennis | Guillermo Diaz • Rowing | Caleb Kelly • Swimming & Diving | Adam Poitras • Lacrosse

WInner: Adam Poitras, Men's Lacrosse
Poitras has exemplified being a true student-athlete while at Loyola, excelling on the field where he has been an All-American level performer and in the classroom where he graduated last year with a GPA of better than 3.87 and this year is near completing his M.B.A. with an eye toward medical school down the road. He has played all over the field for the men's lacrosse team, doing so unselfishly despite the fact that some of the position changes have diminished his ability to rack of goals and points. Nonetheless, he is in the top-10 all-time at Loyola in goals and nearing that standard in points. A Scholar All-American, he has been a captain of the men's lacrosse program and last summer was the number two overall pick of the NLL Indoor Lacrosse Draft.
 
Highest Team Grade Point Average – Women's Soccer
Highest Grade Point Average For Female Senior – Chloe Kuminkoski, Women's Soccer & Anna Rico, Women's Tennis 
Highest Grade Point Average For Male Senior – Oliver Davey, Men's Tennis

Team Most Valuable & Most Dedicated Performers:

Team	Most Valuable	Most Dedicated
Men's Basketball	Golden Dike	David Brown III
Men's Cross Country	Dillon Harding	Camden Spring
Men's Golf	Carlo Pizzano	Carlo Pizzano
Men's Lacrosse	Adam Poitras & Evan James	None
Men's Rowing	Julius Boucke	Joseph Arvelo
Men's Soccer	Dylan Van der Valt	Jordy Luchies
Men's Swimming & Diving	Henry Mueller	Floyd Conlin
Men's Tennis	Matt Cardano	Nick Haggar
Women's Basketball	Lex Therien	Kelly Ratigan
Women's Cross Country	Isabella Coleman	Maeve Lowther
Women's Lacrosse	Sydni Black & Chase Boyle	None
Women's Rowing	Dani Neidermeyer	Grace Prince & Beata Turnquist
Women's Soccer	Baylee DeSmit	Liz Gallagher
Women's Swimming & Diving	Lily Mead	Faith Karr
Women's Tennis	Anna Rico	Lily Langhus
Women's Indoor Track & Field	Jamie Adams	Lauryn Clarke
Women's Outdoor Track & Field	Lauryn Clarke	Maddie Hyde
Women's Volleyball	Kacy Sekunda	Rose McDermott
Cheerleading	Grace Mills	Madisson Rivera