The 2026 Shamrock Awards were held Wednesday, May 6 inside the Mercyhurst Athletic Center. The Shamrock Awards honor Mercyhurst's student-athletes' success in competition and in the classroom for the 2025-26 school year.
SISTER MARY PAUL CARRIOTY AWARD
The campus ministry award is named in honor of Sister Mary Paul, a longtime member of the Mercyhurst staff who alumni will recognize from her time welcoming and assisting freshmen in Baldwin Hall. This year's winners were Victoria Mastrangelo of women's water polo and Joshua Glover of athletic band.
DISTINGUISHED FACULTY MEMBER AWARD
Mercyhurst student-athletes thrive in the classroom because of the loyal and dedicated faculty. Each year the members of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee nominate and vote to select one faculty member who has gone above and beyond to further their student experience. This year's winner was associate professor of business Dr. Cheryl Moore.
STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING TEAMS OF THE YEAR
The Strength and Conditioning teams of the year excel in the weight room, helping they perform their best in competition. Director of Strength and Condition Tyler Travis and his staff choose a male and female team that has been the most dedicated and hard working in the weight room. This year's winners are women's water polo and football.
STRENGTH AND CONDITION ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
Like the team strength and conditioning award, the individual award honors the two student-athletes who have been the most dedicated in the weight room. Presented by the strength and condition staff, the winners were Chase Petschke of men's lacrosse and Helena Moon of field hockey.
COMEBACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
As in life, sports often present obstacles both on and off the playing field. The athletic training staff has chosen a student athlete who has overcome these obstacles through perseverance and determination. After suffering multiple knee injuries over his first three years at Mercyhurst, wrestling's Travis Browning fought his way back as a senior, qualifying for NCWA National Championships after a great season on the mats.
ATHLETIC TRAINING EXCELLENCE AWARD
Each year Mercyhurst's student athletes benefit from the outstanding assistance that our athletic training students provide to the athletic training staff and our student athletes. The athletic training staff choose a student that has gone above and beyond in their clinical setting. This year's winner was Kayla Fries.
TRANSFER ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
The transfer athletes of the year award is based on the success of the nominee at Mercyhurst as well as someone who has shown their commitment to being a good teammate and member of the Mercyhurst community at large.
The Male Transfer Athlete of the Year was Dylan Evans. Evans immediate made an impact on the gridiron, helping the football team to one of the best season in recent history, joining the Lakers from New Hampshire. Evans was named to the All-NEC First Team, finishing top five in receiving yards in the NEC averaging 47.6 yards per game.
The Female Transfer Athlete of the Year was Louise Pert. Joining the Lakers from Syracuse, Pert was a star. She led the NEC in save percentage and saves per game. She was named the NEC Co-Goalie of the Year for her work.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
The rookie of the year awards is designated to honor the season of two of our outstanding athletes. This is an award based on the athletic success of the nominee in their first year of athletic eligibility.
The Male Rookie of the Year was Thomas Gaydos from cross country and track and field. Gaydos has put together a stacked resume in his rookie year. Finishing in the top 10 at the NEC Cross Country Championship, he earned All-NEC Honors and was later named to the NEC All-Rookie Team. At the indoor track championship, Gaydos earned the first ever points for the Mercyhurst men's track team, finishing eighth in the 5K. At the outdoor championship, place fifth in the 10K.
The Female Rookie of the Year was Sofia Wilson from women's basketball. Wilson was instrumental to the Lakers success in the NEC. She helped the squad finish 14-4 in the NEC and make their first national postseason appearance in the WNIT. In NEC games, Wilson was second in assists per game (3.9) and third in assists to turnover ratio (1.5). She finished 10 in scoring, averaging 13.2 points per game against conference foes.
ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
The male and female Athlete of the Year awards are designated to honor both the season and the career of two of our outstanding student-athletes. This is a cumulative award based on the athletic success of the nominees over their years of eligibility.
This year's male athlete of the year is Bernie Blunt III. Blunt had an outstanding career at Mercyhurst, helping the men's basketball program thrive in its first two season at Division I. The graduate student averaged 15.3 points per game, 1.9 assists per game, and 1.4 steals per contests over his two-year career with the Lakers. This season, Blunt earned All-NEC First Teams honors, finishing third in scoring average in the NEC (17.6) and leading the team to the NEC Tournament Championship appearance.
Two student-athletes were honored as Co-Female Student-Athletes of the Year. Jenna Van Schaika and Whitley Easton shared the honor. Van Schaik made an impact for the women's basketball program from her freshman season. Over her career she played in 104 games, averaging 9.2 points, 2.2 assists, and 1.1 assists per game. In her junior year, she made a significant jump as the Lakers moved to Division I, improving her scoring average by nine points per game. Over the last two years, Van Schaik averaged over 13 points. In her senior season, she captained the team, leading them to the two seed in the NEC Tournament and an appearance in the WNIT.
Easton has been a powerhouse for the women's lacrosse team over the last four years, starting in all but one game. She has scored 274 points in 64 career games with 173 goals. In 2024, Easton was named the NEC Offensive Player of the Year in the Lakers first Division I season. She posted a career-high 89 points on 53 goals and 36 assists. In her senior year, she posted a career high 48 draw controls to go along with her 76 points, earning All-NEC First Team honors once again.
CURTIS ROBINETTE UNSUNG HERO AWARD
The Mercyhurst community tragically lost longtime water polo head coach Curtis Robinette to his bout with cancer in August of 2021. Curtis' impact continues to be felt today when the water polo teams host the annual Curtis Robinette Invitational, and in his memory, Mercyhurst awards the Curtis Robinette Unsung Hero award – presented to an often-unnoticed student athlete who quietly makes a difference on and off the field. Each team nominates someone from their program that works quietly to impact the team in a positive manner. This year's nominees are:
Steven Doktor, baseball
Christian Gamble, men's basketball
Ayron Rodriguez, football
RJ Delisanti, men's golf
Barrett Brooks, men's hockey
Zach Lese, men's lacrosse
Nathaniel Cheney, men's water polo
Isaac Feldmann, men's rowing
Miguel Rodriguez, men's soccer
Ruprecht Hellauer, men's tennis
Lake LeClerc, wrestling
Sawyer Bonnet, men's cross country
Gannon McMaster, men's track and field
Quinn Borroni, women's basketball
Selena Cortes, bowling
Louise Pert, field hockey
Paige Dovichow, flag football
Emma Hotchkiss, women's golf
Jade Maisonneuve, women's hockey
Alyssa Jameson, women's lacrosse
Jordane Hynes, women's rowing
Aubrey Hammil, women's soccer
Haleigha Hardy, softball
Lily Saur, STUNT
Molly Gray, women's tennis
Kaitlin Murphy, volleyball
Victoria Mastrangelo, women's water polo
Caitlin Dugan, women's cross country
The winners were Steven Doktor, Miguel Rodriguez, and Haleigha Hardy.
SISTER DAMIEN PRIMARY AWARD
Established by the class of 2005, the Sister Damien award honors the memory of sister Damien Mlechick who embodied the spirit of Mercyhurst. Sister Damien was always at laker games, with her cowbell in one hand and holy water in the other. She became a Mercyhurst legend. Her love of the university and pride in the accomplishments of its students became the spirit of Mercyhurst. This award honors a student who exemplifies the same spirit and support to Mercyhurst athletics that Sister Damien had. This year's winner was Grace Fratz. Fratz has been an excellent student worker in the athletic department over the last four years, always going the extra mile to support the student-athletes and department.
SCHOLAR ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Each year, Mercyhurst names senior Scholar Athletes of the Year. These award winners have excelled in the classroom, in their sport, and in the community. This year's winner are Brice Hansen of volleyball and John White of men's golf. Read more about their accomplishments and the other finalist here.
HIEDI HOSEY-MCGURK ACADEMIC TEAM EXCELLENCE AWARD
In 2022, the Mercyhurst community suffered a major loss when dr. Heidi Hosey-McGurk, dean of the walker college of business and a beloved professor of english, passed away. Hosey-McGurk was a major supporter of our student-athletes and always did everything she could to support their academic and athletic endeavors.
In Dr. Hosey-McGurk's honor, the top team GPA awards were renamed to the Heidi Hosey – McGurk Academic Team Excellence Awards. This year's winner are men's tennis with a 3.573 team GPA and women's hockey with a 3.745 team GPA.
ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AWARDS
The athletic department presented the sixth annual athletic director awards. These individuals have epitomized what it means to be a Laker. They work tirelessly on the field, in the weight room, in the classroom, and in the community. Each in their own way, they have made a visible impact in our department. This year's AD Award Winners are:
Isabella Hagerman, women's track and field
Ralph Kasow, men's rowing
Jade Maisonneuve, women's hockey
Bella Homorody, women's cross country
Delfina Magro, field hockey
Nathaniel Cheney, men's water polo
Chelsea Hoehn, STUNT
Blythe Lyons, women's rowing
Mario Ganser, men's soccer
Mia Maruna, women's soccer
