2020-21 Athletics Awards Summary: Tuesday, May 25

ELMIRA, N.Y. — Tuesday marked the first day of awards week, as the Elmira College Department of Athletics began revealing winners of its annual awards on social media.

For the second year in a row, awards will be revealed virtually rather than an in-person presentation. Despite the challenges, such as squeezing all three sports seasons into a condensed three-and-a-half-month window between February and May, playing the majority of games without fans in the stands, and a strict COVID-19 testing policy, the crowning of the 2020-21 honorees marks the 51st annual celebration hosted by the Department of Athletics. As tradition goes, the best and brightest will once again be commemorated for their achievements in the classroom and competition.

Winners will be revealed via social media on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter throughout the afternoon and evening. At the conclusion of each day’s announcements, fans, friends, and family can visit athletics.elmira.edu for a recap of the daily awards.

This afternoon, the Soaring Eagles released the Male and Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year, Team Academic Award, Dean William S. Neal/SAAC Sportsmanship Award, Merit and Honor Award recipients, and the Booster Club Players of the Year for the fall sports.

Women’s volleyball setter Kassi Hastings ’21 has won back-to-back Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards, thanks in part to an impeccable 3.96 GPA. A Mathematics major with an Adolescent Education minor, Hastings wrapped up her senior campaign by helping the Soaring Eagles clinch the No. 2 seed for the Empire 8 Conference Championship tournament. The Windsor, New York, native was named to the E8 All-Conference Third Team after leading the conference with 293 assists and 8.62 assists per set.

Few student-athletes outwork John Mullan ’21, whether that’s on the pitch or in the classroom. Mullan, a fourth-year midfielder for the EC men’s soccer team, joined a select group this year by winning his third consecutive Scholar-Athlete of the Year award – the College’s first three-peat since 2016-18. With a 3.985 GPA, the Monroe, New York, native has also earned a place on the Empire 8 President’s List every semester he’s been at Elmira.

Team Academic Award: Women’s Volleyball

With a 3.544 cumulative grade-point average, the Elmira College women’s volleyball team captured the 2021 Team Academic Award, which is presented annually to the varsity sports team with the highest GPA during the academic year. Not only did the Soaring Eagles hit the books, the women’s volleyball team qualified for the Empire 8 Championship tournament for the second year in a row.
 

Dean William S. Neal/SAAC Sportsmanship Award: Women’s Lacrosse

Following its final season of varsity competition, the EC women’s lacrosse program was voted the winner of the Dean William S. Neal/SAAC Sportsmanship Award. This award is presented annually to a Soaring Eagles athletics team that has demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship throughout the year, both in and out of season and in support of their fellow student-athletes as fans. It is named after former EC Dean of Admissions William S. Neal, who served in that role from 1989-2004.

Merit & Honors Award Winners

Student-athletes at Elmira College navigated the chaos and uncertainty of the COVID-19 restrictions with amazing fortitude. Despite the obstacles, 73% of EC student-athletes received either Merit or Honors Awards during the 2020-21 academic year. Merit Awards were given to 72 Soaring Eagles who finished with a GPA between 3.00-3.39, while a whopping 123 students earned an Honors Award with a GPA of 3.4 or higher. Click here to view the full list of honorees.

Janie Kempf ’21 concluded her EC career by moving in fourth-place on the field hockey program’s all-time scoring list. The New Woodstock, New York, native scored her 25th goal during the lone spring contest against Houghton. Kempf paced the team in points and goals during each of her four seasons with the Purple and Gold and finished with 57 points across 51 career outings.
 

For the first time since the spring of 2014, a student-athlete on the Elmira men’s golf team received Empire 8 All-Conference honors. Alex Crysler ’21 carded a 36-hole score of 165 (+21), placed 10th at the 2021 E8 Championships, and was named to the All-Conference Second Team. Crysler, a senior who also plays on the baseball team, was chosen as EC’s representative on the Empire 8 Sportsman of the Year Team.
 

The Elmira men’s soccer program played a trio of one-goal games during the nontraditional spring season, and Nicholas Zanger ’22 had a key role in those close contests. An assistant captain for the Soaring Eagles, the White House, Tennessee, native started all three games on defense, including EC’s 1-0 shutout victory at Utica on March 22. A strong and vocal leader from the back, Zanger finished the abbreviated schedule among team leaders in minutes and tackles won.
 

One of the most versatile players on the EC women’s soccer team, Lauren Foster ’23, was chosen as the Booster Club Player of the Year for her infectious work ethic while helping the team improve every time they hit the field. The sophomore from Watervliet, New York, was given a starting nod in the last two games of the shortened four-game spring season, including the exciting 3-3 draw against SUNY Delhi at Campus Field on April 9.
 

One of a program-record five Empire 8 All-Conference selections during the spring 2021 season, Savannah Terry ’21 was included on the First Team following a tremendous senior campaign. Terry led all qualified players in the E8 with a .342 attack percentage and 0.68 aces per set. The pride of Owego, New York, helped the Purple and Gold secure the No. 2 seed in the E8 Championships and will graduate seventh all-time in EC history with 134 block assists.

The remaining schedule of the virtual awards presentation is as follows: