The Case Western Reserve University Department of Athletics announced its annual award winners at the 2024 Student-Athlete Awards Banquet on April 29 at the Kevin & Eleanor Smith Foundation Ballroom inside the Tinkham Veale University Center.
Ethan Chuang of the men's swimming and diving team, Sahil Dayal of the men's tennis team, Hunter Drenth of the men's basketball team, KaiLi Gross of the softball team, Tyler Horvath of the baseball team, Neeraj Javadekar of the men's swimming and diving team, Chloe Ku of the women's tennis team, Alex Lippiatt of the men's soccer team, Zoe Michos of the women's swimming and diving team, Maria Pritchett of the women's swimming and diving team, and Sean Yetter of the men's swimming and diving team each received the Patricia B. Kilpatrick Award, presented to the four-year varsity participant with the highest cumulative grade point average. All 11 had perfect cumulative 4.0 GPAs during their collegiate careers.
The Artur P. Leary Award was given to junior Nick Harms of the baseball team. The award is presented to the outstanding first-year student, sophomore or junior male student-athlete who has demonstrated leadership in the team, maintained good academic standing in the University, demonstrated good sportsmanship, and made a contribution to the department and University. Harms was an All-Region selection last year, a two-time All-University Athletic Association honoree, and was the UAA Rookie of the Year during his first season. This year, he has matched the school's single-season home run record with 12 and his 32 career home runs through his junior season are 10 more than any other player in program history over a full career. He was also named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Third Team as a sophomore.
Holly Schreiber of the women's track and field team was named the Nancy Gray Rookie of the Year, presented annually to a first-year female student-athlete who has made an outstanding contribution to her sport during her initial year of collegiate competition. Schreiber has already set two program records in the pole vault during her time on campus, clearing 3.70 meters indoors and 3.66 meters outdoors. Later in the season, she broke her own record, literally raising the bar for herself and other members of her team. Schreiber also narrowly missed the All-UAA honors while competing in her first career conference championship.
The Robert Del Rosa Rookie of the Year, presented annually to a first-year male student-athlete who has made an outstanding contribution to his sport during his initial year of collegiate competition, was awarded to Tyler Stillson of the baseball team. Stillson has found a variety of ways to contribute to his team and help lead it to one of the most successful seasons in program history. He leads the team in wins this year with a 6-0 record while recording a 4.36 earned run average and striking out 38 batters in 33 innings. At the plate, Stillson has hit .333 with three home runs and 19 runs batted in. His prowess as a two-way player is best evidenced by his effort against Ohio Wesleyan on April 14, when he picked up the win on the mound while going two-for-three with six runs batted in and a grand slam.
Receiving the Dorothy L. Hoza Award, which is given to the female first-year, sophomore, or junior student-athlete, who has made a strong contribution to the women's intercollegiate sports program, maintained a high level of academic achievement, shown leadership in the team, and contributed to the Department and the University, was junior Hannah Kassaie of the women's tennis team. Significantly contributing to her team since she first appeared on campus, Kassaie has been one of the best in CWRU women's tennis history. In the classroom, she has maintained a perfect grade point average as a nutrition major, earning Academic All-America Team Member of the Year honors and securing the Elite 90 Award at last year's NCAA Championships. A four-time All-American and four-time All-UAA First Team selection, Kassaie has the most career singles wins and best career singles and doubles winning percentages in program history. This season, she has lost just six times, winning 89% of her matches during the campaign.
Senior Jennifer Ngo of the volleyball team earned the Emily R. Andrews Award, which is presented to the outstanding senior who has made a strong contribution to the women's intercollegiate sports program, maintained a high level of academic achievement, shown leadership in team, and contributed service to the department and University. Ngo led her team to the NCAA Tournament this season after recording the best conference finish for the program in a decade. A senior captain, she also led her team to back-to-back 22-win seasons. On the court, Ngo became the first All-American, first All-Region, and first conference MVP in program history, while in the classroom was named to the Academic All-America First Team. The only player in program history to be named to the All-UAA First Team three times in her career, she is the program career record holder in blocks per set and ended her career in the top 10 in points per set, block assists, hitting percentage, total blocks, and kills per set.
Senior Vishwa Aduru of the men's tennis team was named the Philip K. "Nip" Heim Award winner, which is based on demonstrated leadership in the team, good academic standing in the University, good sportsmanship, participation in at least two years in the CWRU athletics program, and demonstrated loyalty to team and University. Aduru is an All-American who has been an integral member of the men's tennis team for the last four years. During that time, he has helped to lead the squad to the NCAA Championship match in each of the last three seasons, including last year, when the team won the first NCAA Title in CWRU Athletics history. He went on to win the NCAA Doubles Championship, the third individual title in program history, and reached the semifinals of the singles draw. Aduru ranks sixth among CWRU players all time with 92 doubles wins and his career .807 doubles winning percentage is the third best in program history. In addition to his success on the court, he has also been named to the Academic All-America First Team for his excellence in the classroom.
The female student-athlete who has made the most outstanding contributions to her sport was junior Lexi Miskey of the softball team, earning her 2024 Glenn and Peggy Nicholls Female Athlete of the Year honors. Miskey is another student-athlete who has set multiple program records and led her team to the NCAA Championship multiple times. She is already a two-time All-Region and All-UAA First Team selection and an All-America Second Team honoree. After setting single-season program records last year in wins, strikeouts, and opponent batting average, Miskey has continued her stellar career in 2024, setting the program record for career wins and leading her team to its third consecutive UAA Championship. In the classroom, she is an Academic All-District and UAA All-Academic honoree as a biomedical engineering major. The two-time reigning UAA Pitcher of the Year, she is just three strikeouts away from setting a new career program record.
Graduate student Jack Anderson of the baseball team was named the Dr. David Hutter Male Athlete of the Year as the male student-athlete who has made the most outstanding contributions to his sport. He has recorded one of the most impressive careers of any player in CWRU baseball history. Last year, he became the program's fourth consensus All-American and was named the UAA Position Player of the Year after setting school records with 89 hits and 25 doubles, both of which ranked second among all Division III players during the year. As a first-year law student this year, after being named the catcher on the D3baseball.com Preseason All-America First Team, he has gone on to lead the team with a .403 average and 57 runs, while hitting three home runs and driving in 36. Anderson has also recorded six saves in as many appearances this year and has yet to allow a run.
Finally, junior Abigail Wilkov of the women's swimming and diving team received the Bill Sudeck Outstanding Student-Athlete Award, the department's highest individual honor. The award is given to the student-athlete that has demonstrated and achieved significant athletic accomplishments, academic achievements, engagement in campus activities, and has shown leadership in athletics and in the classroom. Wilkov has set a new standard for the women's swimming and diving program over the last few years. In the classroom, she is an Academic All-American, maintaining a perfect grade point average throughout her career. In the community, Wilkov worked with The Hidden Opponent to help raise awareness about the mental health challenges of student-athletes on the CWRU campus and other college campuses across the country. Athletically, she has thrived, earning five All-America honors, including two this year, setting multiple program records, and becoming the first student-athlete in program history to earn All-UAA honors as a diver. In addition, Wilkov helped the women's swimming and diving team earn its best finish in a generation at the national championships earlier this year.
The 2023 CWRU men's tennis team was awarded the Doug Mooney Program of the Year after winning the first NCAA Division III Team Championship in the history of Case Western Reserve University Athletics. The award is presented annually to the CWRU varsity team with the highest NCAA Championship finish from the spring of the previous year through the winter of the current year.
In addition, the department celebrated its All-Americans, Academic All-Americans, UAA Champions, and NCAA participants so far during the 2023-24 academic year. The banquet concluded with the 2023-24 CWRU Athletics highlight video, which can be seen below:
