The Chestnut Hill College Department of Athletics and Recreation held their Fifth Annual Griffins Awards Reception Friday night in Sorgenti Arena as the 2025-2026 athletics season reached its conclusion last weekend.

Director of Athletics, Jesse Balcer delivered the opening remarks and thanked all the full time staff, coaches and athletic trainers for their dedication to the student-athletes and the sport programs they represented.

Following Balcer's opening remarks was the presentation of the awards for academic accomplishment. Student-Athlete representatives from each team again served as presenters for this year's awards. The highest team grade point average award for the second consecutive year was the Women's Tennis team who had a cumulative team g.p.a. of 3.94.  The highest Female and Male G.P.A. awards went to Claudia Rasilla Romero of the Women's Tennis team and Jose Ricardo Cuadra of the Men's Soccer team. Rasilla has a 3.94 g.p.a. and will be graduating with a degree in business administration and management. Cuadra has a 3.95 g.p.a. and with graduate with a degree in computer and information science..

Balcer then presented milestone honors and  first victory awards. Men's Basketball player Alejandro Redondo Cybak was honored for scoring his 1,000^th point as a Griffin  along with Men's Lacrosse players Jake Ballerini and Will Duddy who both scored their 100^th career point.  Men's Tennis player Noah Cutting won his 100^th career match while Baseball player Michael Pascoe recorded his 150^th career hit.

Two coaches earned their first Chestnut Hill win during the 2025-26 season:  Melissa Brizzell  (women's flag football)   and Joseph Heckley (men's tennis).

The Newcomer of the Year awards followed. The Newcomer of the Year Award recognizes a student athlete that has excelled on the field of play while participating in his/her first season at Chestnut Hill. This year's winners were women's lacrosse player Samantha Martin and men's basketball player  Amari Dow.

Chestnut Hill's Comeback Player of the Year Award went to Michelle Baker of the women's softball team. The Comeback Player of the Year recognizes the student-athlete who has overcome either injury or personal circumstances to play a role in their respective team's success.

The Unsung Hero Award went to Women's Track and Field and Cross Country runner  Soleil Casseus. The Unsung Hero Award recognizes a student-athlete who embodies the spirit of the word "teammate." The winner of this award uses their leadership, personality, and determination to play an integral role in their team's success.

The annual Chi Alpha Sigma, National College Athlete Honor Society Induction Ceremony followed as Balcer presided over this year's  induction ceremony which saw 28 student-athletes inducted into Chestnut Hill's Chi Alpha Sigma chapter. 

Following the Chi Alpha Sigma presentation, the Department recognized six athletes who will be receiving the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Awards later this month.   Recognized were Casseus (Track/XC); Cuadra (Men's Soccer); Ced Brown (Sprint Football), Izabella Rodriguez (softball); Angel'Lique Lockhart (Women's Lacrosse) and Kaya Mobley (Women's Basketball).  Mobley was also chosen as the Sports Winner for Women's Basketball as the student athlete who is "the most rounded candidate at their community service, academic awards, athletic achievement, and grades"  for their particular sport.

The Female and Male Athletes of the Year Awards were presented to the student-athletes who have displayed outstanding athletic performance, leadership, and character over a this past season. The winner of the Female Athlete of the Year Award winner is Women's Basketball player Sara Tamoun. The Male Athlete of the Year Award winner is Alejandro Cybak from the men's basketball team

The Game of the Year Award recognizes the single most competitive, exciting, and significant matchup from a season, generally awarded to the team involved based on high-pressure performance.  This year's game of the year was the Women's Basketball team's CACC quarterfinal win over Jefferson

The Griffin Award recognizes a female and male student-athlete who demonstrates relentless effort on the field/court, unwavering commitment to their team, and a deep dedication to personal and collective excellence. Recipients of this award embody the values of leadership, integrity, and perseverance, not only through their athletic performance but also through their contributions in the classroom and the campus community. This year's winners were Tiayo Adelekan (women's basketball) and Kyree Griffin (sprint football/track and field).

The Sister Jean Faustman Leadership Award was then presented. The award was started in honor of our number one fan, Sister Jean Faustman. The award is presented to the person who has shown a great amount of growth, leadership, and service, not only through the athletics department but also to the student body. Adelekan was this year's winner.

The Female and Male Team of the Year awards recognize the team and coaching staff who have excelled on both the playing surface as well as in the classroom and community through service.  The Male Team of the Year was the Men's Lacrosse  team while the Female Team of the Year award winner was the Women's Basketball team.

A new award this year was the Culture Builder Award.  This award recognizes the coach that plays a vital role in shaping and strengthening the team's culture through their leadership, consistency and commitment to the student athletes. They create an environment built on trust, accountability and positivity.  The inaugural winner of this award was women's basketball head coach Megan Fox.
 
The Coach of the Year Award went to Women's Lacrosse coach Liz Martin. The Coach of the Year award recognizes the head coach who has performed outstanding services as a coach and mentor to their respective program.  Martin led her team this year to their first CACC playoff appearance since the 2019 season.
 
The Sandy Dickson Award is presented in memory of Sandy Dickson, the Griffins head women's soccer coach and Director of Fitness and Recreation from 2011 until 2019 when she passed away from a battle with Ovarian Cancer. The award identifies one male and one female student-athlete who shows dedication to their bodies in the Fitness Center. While all our athletes take care of their bodies, the winners of this award have been recognized by Coach Egan as "exceptionally dedicated."   This year's winners were Amir Jenkins from the sprint football team and Tikyra Miller from the women's basketball team.
 
Capping off the awards portion of the night was the annual presentation of the Athletic Director Awards. The Athletic Director Awards are given to a senior male and female athlete who have demonstrated exceptional performance on their respective fields of play while also being solid stewards of the college's mission through service and good work in the classroom. This year's winners were Elizabeth Deal from the Women's Lacrosse teams and Daniel Myers from the Men's Lacrosse team
 
Athletics director Jesse Balcer delivered some closing remarks to conclude the awards program.