LEXINGTON, Va. -- The Washington and Lee Department of Athletics held its annual Athletics Awards Ceremony in Holekamp Gymnasium on Tuesday evening. The event, made possible by the generosity of the Brookby Family, honors student-athletes, administrators and members of the W&L athletics community who have made the 2023-24 school year a tremendous success.

Headlining the award recipients were seniors Hanna Bishop (Bronxville, N.Y.) and Robert DiSibio (Sandy Hook, Conn.). The pair was voted, by members of the department, as the "Pres" Brown Outstanding Senior Women's Sport and Senior Men's Sport Athletes of the Year, respectively.

VIEW THE AWARDS CEREMONY ON DEMAND 

"Pres" Brown Most Valuable Athlete Awards

This year’s men’s sport recipient of the Pres Brown Most Valuable Athlete Award is a native of Sandy Hook, Connecticut and is a four-year letter-winner & captain of the men’s basketball team, Robert DiSibio.

He had an immediate impact on the men’s basketball program appearing in 23 games off the bench during his first season. After taking a year off from school during Covid, he returned to the floor for the Generals in the Fall of 2021 starting all 23 games, averaging 17.9 PPG and 5.8 RPG, while being named a Second Team All-ODAC selection. 

During his junior campaign, he once again started all 26 games for the Generals, leading the ODAC & Region in scoring at 22.8 Points per game while shooting 48.8 % from the field and over 39% from three-point range. He chipped in 6.7 rebounds per contest and surpassed 1000 career points. The highlight of his junior season was an ODAC Tournament record 46 points in a four-over-time game against Roanoke in the conference tournament. 

In his senior season, he only enhanced his positioning as one of the top scorers in program history. For a second straight season he led the ODAC in scoring with 22.3 PPG, while starting all 28 games for the Generals and helping W&L reach the ODAC Championship game for the first time since 2009. He was once again a First Team All-ODAC selection, was named Second Team All-Region by D3hoops.com and a NABC Reese’s DIII Senior All-Star game participant, just the second W&L player to ever get invited to the All-Star game.  

He finished his career with 100 games played, 1,708 points, the 5th most in program history, 545 Rebounds, while shooting 46.5% from the field, 38.9% from 3-pt range and his 190 made are the second most in program history. 

This year’s women’s sports recipient of the Pres Brown Most Valuable Athlete Award is a native of Bronxville, New York, and a member of the women’s lacrosse team, Hanna Bishop.

As an attacker, she’s earned four letters, has started 69 of 76 and is a team captain this season.

She played in just fourteen games as a rookie in 2021, making seven starts and leading the team with 46 goals while being named the ODAC Rookie of the Year and a Third Team All-Conference selection.

Her 2022 season was a continuation of her first year and was a sign of things to come.  She led the team with 56 goals and was second on the team with 73 points, while garnering First Team All-ODAC, First Team All-Region and Third Team All-American honors.

In her junior season last spring, she once again was the driving force for the W&L attack. She finished with a team-best 81 points, thanks to 63 goals and 18 assists. Her 63 Goals & 81 points are both the 3rd most in a single season in program history, and it helped her grab First Team All-ODAC and First Team All-Region citations, while also being named an IWLCA Second Team All-American.

Her senior campaign has only cemented her standing among the all-time greats in Washington and Lee women’s lacrosse history.  She’s produced 53 goals and 35 assists for 88 points; while becoming the program’s all-time leading goal-scorer and points leader.  She was named the ODAC Offensive Player of the Year and currently has the second most points in a single season with 88.

As a team, the Generals have compiled a 69-9 record over her four seasons, winning four ODAC Championships and advancing to the NCAA Regional Semifinals every year.  

She is part of the winningest senior class in W&L women’s lacrosse history and has helped the Generals set the program record for wins in a season in two of her four seasons. She sits First All-Time in goals with (218) & points with (295), making her the only player in school history men’s or women’s with over 200 goals.

William McHenry Scholar-Athlete Awards

This year’s men’s sport recipient of the William McHenry Scholar-Athlete Award is a native of Caldwell, West Virginia and a member of the football team, Peyton Pack.

After not being able to compete in his first year, he took to the field for the first time as a General in the Fall of 2021 playing in nine games for W&L as a defensive end. 

In his junior season, he played in all 10 games for the Blue & White as a contributor to the team’s defensive front. In his senior season this past fall, he played in all 11 games registering 27 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and was second on the team with five sacks, while forcing a pair of fumbles. 

Over his career he played in 30 games, notching 34 tackles, 8 TFL and 5.5 Sacks, while helping W&L to a 21-11 overall record and 14-6 mark in ODAC play, including being part of the team’s 2021 ODAC Championship. 

Off the field, the accounting major earned the 2023 ODAC Football Scholar Athlete of the Year Award, while being named CSC Academic All-District. He is a Johnson Scholar, served as the General Secretary on the Executive Committee for this year’s Mock Con. He has been a W&L Scholar-Athlete every term, has been named to the President’s List three times, and has done it all with a 4.0 cumulative GPA. 

This year’s women’s sport recipient of the William McHenry Scholar-Athlete Award is a native of Nashville, Tennessee, a four-year letter-winner and 2023 team captain of the volleyball team, Sydney Heifner.

She has proven to be one of the best players in program history leading the Generals to three ODAC Championships. Over her four-year career, she has played in 105 matches registering 1,116 Kills, 1,152 Digs, 120 Aces and 99 Total Blocks as an outside hitter.

After playing in just 13 matches during her first season, she had a breakout sophomore campaign where she was named the ODAC Player of the Year, First All-Conference and an Honorable Mention All-Region selection. She led the team and conference with 433 kills while helping W&L to an ODAC Championship.  

In her junior season, she started all 30 matches leading the team with 454 Kills which ranked second in the ODAC & 12th in DIII. She garnered First Team All-ODAC, First Team All-Region and AVCA Honorable Mention All-American Honors.  

This past fall, she became just the 7th player in program history to record over 1000 Kills and 1000 Digs for her career, while leading the Blue & White to their 19th ODAC Championship.

Off the field, the Business Administration major and Mass Communications Minor is a published researcher at Vanderbilt University. She served as the director of Sales and Merchandising for Mock Con, W&L Williams Investment Society Consumer Staples Group Head and the former Vice President of Finance for Panhellenic Executive Council. She is also a 7-time W&L Scholar-Athlete, has been named to the President’s List twice.

Wink Glasgow Sport and Sportsmanship Award

Presented to a senior athlete who has demonstrated the highest qualities of true W&L spirit and sportsmanship, this year’s recipient of the Wink Glasgow Spirit & Sportsmanship Award is a native of Duxbury, Massachusetts and is a captain of the women’s lacrosse team: Eugenie Rovegno.

On the field, she has played an integral role in the team’s success over her three years in Lexington. She has started all 63 games over the last 3 seasons on defense amassing 146 ground balls, 107 caused turnovers and 285 draw controls. All three rank in the top 10 in program history, with her 107 caused turnovers. ranked second all-time and her 285 draw controls being a program record. 

She has been named the ODAC Defensive Player of the Year all three seasons, the only player in conference history to do so, as well as a First Team All-Conference, First Team All-Region and First Team All-American selection multiple times. Throughout her three seasons with the Blue & White, W&L has won Three ODAC Championships, set the program record for wins in a season twice and have compiled a 55-8 overall record. 

Off the field, the accounting major has served as a career fellow in the Office of Career Professional Development. She is the Vice President of Finance for Kappa Kappa Gamma Society and is a tutor at the local high school.  

Her coach Maddie Coleman describes her as “The most hard-working and tenacious defender I have ever seen at the Division 3 level. She is the true embodiment of our program motto I AM THIRD, which represents putting the program and teammates before oneself.” 

Her teammates define her as the “heart & soul of their team”, “the voice of reason and encouragement on the field” and “an amazing representation of our program.” 

Athlete of the Year

 Named the Athlete of the Year, Mary Schleusner started all 32 games for the Generals and turned in one of the finest seasons in W&L women’s basketball history as she broke single-season records for points rebounds and blocks. Her 23.9 points per game were good enough for 7th in DIII, her 105 blocks ranked third in the nation, while she led the country with 17.2 Rebounds per game and with 27 double-doubles.

She was named the ODAC Player of the Year, the Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year, part of the All-Tournament Team and the Most Outstanding Player of the ODAC Tournament for a second straight season as the Generals won their 2nd straight Conference Title.

Her top individual performances came in the NCAA Tournament, where she led W&L to its first ever win in the big dance behind a program-record 45 points against Vassar in round one. She followed that up the next weekend in the Sweet 16 with a NCAA DIII Tournament single-game record 33 rebounds against Rhode Island College.

In total, Schleusner broke her own single-game rebounding record three times this season, posting 10 games with at least 20 boards, eight 20-point and 20-rebound games, and the only 30-30 game in program history with 34 points and 33 rebounds against Rhode Island College.

She was named the D3Hoops.com Region 6 Player of the Year, was a First Team All-American by D3Hoops.com & the WBCA, while breaking 7 program records, 4 ODAC records and one NCAA Tournament record.

Outstanding First-Year Athlete Awards

This year’s men’s sport recipient of the Outstanding First-Year Athlete Award is a native of Portsmouth, Virginia and is a member of the men’s golf team, Jonathan McEwen

This season, the rookie ranks 14th in DIII and 10th in the region with an adjusted scoring average of 70.8 in 23 total rounds.

He has played in eight tournaments for the Blue & White and has seven Top-25 finishes to go along with five Top-10’s and three Top-3 finishes. During the fall swing, he finished 13th at the NCAA preview shooting under par in each of the final two rounds.  

His best individual tournament came at the Savannah Invitational in March, where he finished in a tie for second place, matching the program’s 54-hole scoring record of 10-under par and having W&L finish in third as a team.  

Later this spring, he again tied for second place at the Emory Invitational, which helped the Generals finish in a tie for first.  

Just a few weeks ago at the ODAC Championship, he tied for third place individually firing off two rounds of even par over the final two days to help W&L place third.

He was named the ODAC Rookie of the Year, First Team All-Conference, a member of the All-Tournament team and helped the Generals secure an at-large bid to the NCAA Championship.

This year’s women’s sport recipient of the Outstanding First-Year Athlete Award is a native of Pepper Pike, Ohio and is a member of the women’s golf team, Ella Wong.

Her impact on the team has been immediate, as she has been a top contributor to the Women’s golf program all season. 

Entering the NCAA Tournament, she ranks 31st in the Nation and seventh in the region with an adjusted scoring average of 74.3 in 16 total rounds. 

She has played in seven tournaments for the Generals this season and has no finish lower than 15th including five Top-10’s. She finished a tie for 13th at the NCAA Championship preview back in October and since the calendar has flipped to 2024, hasn’t finished outside the Top-10 in four events.  

Her best finish so far this spring, was solo fifth in a 99-player field at the Savannah Invitational and just a few weeks ago placed 6th at the ODAC Championship. 

She was named First Team All-ODAC and a member of the All-Tournament team, while helping the Generals win a sixth consecutive conference championship.

R.E. "Chub" Yeakel Memorial Service Award

This year’s recipients of the Chub Yeakel Award have served as members of the Washington and Lee Sports Network’s broadcasting team for the past three years. 

Seniors Andrew Arnold, Jack Hunter and Sean Lee have provided play-by-play and color commentary for Washington and Lee’s home contests to bring our broadcasts from above-average into near professional-level quality with their work and preparation for the contest by their hours of research, producing graphics, replays mid-contest, and sideline reporting on occasion during the ODAC and NCAA postseason. 

All three have received countless compliments over the years by fans, W&L parents, parents from opposing institutions and even coaches from other institutions on their knowledge, analysis and professionalism while on air.  

W&L Athletic broadcasts would not be what they are today without Jack's, Andrew's and Sean's dedication to the athletic department.

J.L. "Lefty" Newell Memorial Award

The winner of the 2024 J.L. “Lefty” Newell Memorial award is senior mathematics and music double-major, Duncan Hart. Hart has been a main-stay in the Athletics Communications' office serving as a game-day worker over the past four years and has remained active in helping collect statistical information and assisting with various game operational jobs such as the clock and scoreboard. 

Since his junior year, Hart has also been performing the national anthem at home athletic events on his violin. On days that Duncan performs the anthem, W&L has amassed an overall 62-11-2 record which includes a 9-1 mark in conference postseason play and a 5-1 record for NCAA tournament games.  

Head Field Hockey Coach, Gina Wills had this to say about Duncan: “Duncan's performances of the National Anthem before games have made game day special. I appreciate his support of our teams and the athletics department, and think he is very worthy of the nomination.”

And Associate Director of Athletics, Bethany Dannelly wrote this in her nomination for Duncan: “I think Duncan has shown tremendous dedication to the success and experience of student-athletes through his contributions to both athletic communications, as well as playing the National Anthem at home competitions. His positive spirit, willingness to contribute his time and effort, and genuine passion for W&L athletics makes him deserving of this award.”

Richard Miller Physical Education Scholarship

Awarded to a W&L student who has demonstrated excellence of performance in physical education classes and completed their entire P.E. requirement, Jonathan Carranza Cortes was voted to receive the Richard Miller Physical Education and Scholarship award.