The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) celebrated its standout athletes at an end-of-year athletic banquet held earlier this month at the Waldorf Jaycees. The event recognized the exceptional contributions of student-athletes and supporters, highlighting their achievements in various sports and academic excellence.
Coaches and athletic department staff presented several prestigious awards, including Male Athlete of the Year, Female Athlete of the Year, Scholar Athlete of the Year, and the Wings of the Hawk awards. These awards were given based on nominations from head coaches and votes from the entire athletic staff.
“I want to thank this tremendous group of athletes that we have here in the room,” said Fitness Center Coordinator Darrick Sesker during his opening remarks. “You all showed up week after week and put forth an effort that you all should be proud of.”
Female Athlete of the Year: Abby Norris
Abby Norris of the women’s softball team was honored with the Female Athlete of the Year award. Norris has been a standout player, earning a spot on the NJCAA Region 20 Division II second team and the All Maryland JUCO first team in 2023, with a nomination for 2024. Women’s Softball Coach Keith Sanderson praised Norris for her dedication and support of her teammates.
“From the very first day I took this job and spoke with Abby, I knew I had a player who would do everything in her power to provide anything to her teammates and coaches that she possibly could to make this program a success,” Sanderson said.
Male Athlete of the Year: Yunior Pena
Yunior Pena, a key player in the baseball team, was named Male Athlete of the Year. Head Baseball Coach Bradley Sullivan highlighted Pena’s contributions both offensively and defensively. Pena led the team in batting average, hits, and runs batted in, while also playing a crucial role as a shortstop.
Scholar Athlete of the Year: Madison Jury
Madison Jury, a softball player, received the Scholar Athlete of the Year award. This award is given to second-year student-athletes who have completed at least 36 credit hours and achieved the highest cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA). Jury, who has maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA, also participates in volleyball, works as a pharmacy technician, and tutors at CSM. She plans to attend the University of Georgia to pursue a career as a pharmacist.
Wings of the Hawk Awards
The Wings of the Hawk award, which recognizes individuals who significantly support CSM athletics despite not being directly involved, was presented to two deserving recipients.
The first recipient, Darrin Briscoe, CSM’s assistant superintendent of Building Services, was commended for his dedication during a challenging time when the PE building reopened. “Although his department was short-staffed when the PE building reopened, he ensured that the building’s needs were met,” said Director of Fitness and Athletics Gabrielle Smallwood. “He never fails to ask how the teams are doing and even came out to support our athletes at a few sporting events. This person has a kind soul, and we are all thankful for everything he did for us this past year.”
The second recipient, Rachel Marino, a CSM alum and former volleyball player, volunteered her time to support the volleyball team and the tutoring center. “This year would not have gone as smoothly if Rachel had not assisted and volunteered her time to better CSM athletics,” Smallwood noted.
The banquet underscored the hard work and dedication of CSM’s athletes and supporters, celebrating their achievements and contributions to the college’s athletic programs.
Individual teams also presented awards to the year’s standout players. Below are the recipients of Team Awards:
Golf
Player of the year: Blake Nichols
Most Improved: Mason Chandler
Hawk Award: Vincent Kruzska
Volleyball
Coaches Award : Jasmine Powell
Defensive player of the year: Katy Swanson
Women’s Soccer
Defensive Player of the Year: Brooke Portzen
Offensive Player of the Year: Megan Hinton
Men’s Soccer
Most Valuable Player: Eliass El Fasoukhi
Offensive Player of The Year: Nomen Felix
Women’s Basketball:
Most Valuable Player: Angeleen Mulero
Defensive Player of the Year: Lillian Reynolds
Men’s Basketball
Most Valuable Player: Ryan Blakey
Offensive Player of the Year: Reggie Washington
Softball
Offensive MVP: Lexi Drayer
Defensive MVP: Tess Murphy
Baseball
Hawk Award: Cody Cox
Hawk Award: Jaden Hendrick
