Orange Stars Honored at 19th Annual 'Cuse Awards

4/29/2025 8:15:00 PM | Men's Soccer, Women's Soccer, Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Football, Men's Rowing, Cross Country, Field Hockey, Men's Lacrosse, Women's Lacrosse, Women's Rowing, Softball, Tennis, Volleyball, General, Track and Field, Ice Hockey, Cuse Awards, Cheer, Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country, Spirit Program, Dance Team, Mascot, Men's Track & Field, Women's Track & Field, Academics

Another year of Syracuse student-athlete success was celebrated at the 19th annual 'Cuse Awards at the Goldstein Auditorium in the Schine Student Center. The event honored Orange teams and student-athletes for their achievement on the field, in the classroom and the community.

Seniors Emma Ward (women's lacrosse) and Jack Gorman (men's rowing) were selected as this year's Soladay Award winners, which is named for legendary athletics administrator Doris Soladay and is the highest honor presented annually by the Syracuse Athletics Department. This prestigious award is given to one male and one female senior or graduate student-athlete who exceeds expectations in their sport, classroom, community, and for their leadership. Soladay was the first and only director of athletics for women and then served as the senior woman administrator from 1981 through 1995 after the men's and women's athletics departments merged.

Ward, who became Syracuse's all-time assists leader (165) last week, is a two-time All-American for the Orange. With 317 career points, she currently ranks seventhin school history.

Gorman is a member if the Orange 2nd Varsity 8 this season that helped his boat win duals against Boston U, Georgetown, Navy and Cornell. Last season he was a member of the Varsity 8 that had an undefeated cup season and placed 6th at the IRA National Championship last June. He's a seven-time Engineering Dean's List honoree and has been named an IRCA Scholar Athlete three times during his Syracuse career.

The 2025 Soladay Award nominees included Rylie Lusk (women's cross country), Berber Bakermans (field hockey), Marlowe Wax (football), Tatum White (ice hockey), Sam English (men's lacrosse), Charlotte Ebel (women's rowing), Michal Gradus (men's soccer), Kylen Grant (women's soccer), Angie Ramos (softball), Shiori Ito (tennis), Perry Mackinnon (men's track and field), Sydney Moore (volleyball) and Nadia Weller (spirit).

Benjamin Campbell-Reide earned this year's Syracuse 8 Courage Award after he spent over a month in the hospital this fall due to internal bleeding that was caused by a Dieulafoy's lesion in his stomach wall. This caused the hemoglobin levels in his blood to become dangerously low. Cambell-Reide underwent 26 blood transfusions, 19 endoscopies and two laparoscopic procedures before being released from the hospital this winter. He has since made a full recovery and is competing as a member of the Orange's varsity eight this spring.

As always, the show concluded with the team of the year award. This year, the men's team of the year was presented to football, after head coach Fran Brown led the Orange to a 10-3 season and finish in the top-20 of the final Associated Press Poll. The women's rowing team collected the women's team of the year award. Since last year's 'Cuse Awards, they won their first ACC title in program history and Luke McGee was named ACC Coach of the Year. This season, they're off to a strong start once again and rank in the top-10 nationally.

Brown and McGee swept the Coach of the Year honors as well. Brown was named the Steve Spurrier Award winner and Paul "Bear" Bryant Newcomer Coach of the Year for his success in year one. McGee is the back-to-back reigning ACC Coach of the Year.

Record-setting quarterback, and the newest member of the Philadelphia Eagles, Kyle McCord earned Male Athlete of the Year. McCord set a new ACC and Syracuse passing yards record with 4,779 passing yards. He set over 20 passing records this season in his lone year with the program, leading the nation's No. 1 passing attack.

Another record setter earned Female Athlete of the Year. Allie Kelley established the NCAA career saves record this year (4,594) while helping the team improve significantly on its defensive statistics from last year. Kelley improved her save percentage by nearly two percent, helped double the team's win total and allowed nearly 1.5 goals per game less than last season.

Benne Anderson earned Male Performance of the Year after he set a new school record in the mile, helping him become an All-American and qualify for the NCAA Indoor Track and Field championships, where he reached the final. Anderson's time of 3:54.12 made him the first sub-3:55 miler in program history.

Softball's Madison Knight earned Female Performance of the Year, for her game against No. 16 Duke. Knight pitched a complete game, allowing just two runs and no walks. She helped her cause on offense as well, hitting the go-ahead homerun in the top of the seventh to secure the victory.

Play of the Year went to a pair of Orange attackmen, Joey Spallina and Owen Hiltz. The duo became just the 18th and 19th players in the storied history of the 'Cuse men's lacrosse program to log 200 career points, and did so on the same play. Spallina fed Hiltz on the crease on March 22 against No. 20 Colgate to each reach the historic milestone.

To close a historic football season in the JMA Wireless Dome, the Orange football team completed the biggest comeback in program history against No. 6 Miami, earning Game of the Year for that feat. SU trailed by 21 points in the first half, but rallied to stun the Hurricanes in the regular season finale.

Women's lacrosse freshman phenom Caroline Trinkaus earned Female Rookie of the Year. She has appeared in every game with 16 starts, posting 39 points (29 goals), eight draw controls, six ground balls and five caused turnovers in her rookie season. Male Rookie of the Year went to Chimere Omeze from men's soccer, who was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team this fall and was selected as one of TopDrawerSoccer's top-50 freshmen nationally. He started all-16 contests he appeared in, was fourth on the team in minutes played and had three goals – two of which were game winners.

Orange student-athletes continue to excel in the classroom, posting the highest fall semester GPA on record this year. Jenai Berrocal (cheer), Abigail Berner (women's rowing), Charlotte Ebel (women's rowing) and Emma Klein (women's soccer), were named the 'Cuse Scholars – presented to undergraduate student-athletes with 4.0 GPAs, who are in their junior year or beyond. As previously announced, Ward, Saniaa Wilson (women's basketball) and Lauren Coop (women's rowing) were named the ACC Postgraduate Scholarship Award winners this year, and were recognized at the 'Cuse Awards.

Men's rowing (3.366) and women's ice hockey (3.689) were named the Team GPA Award winners for having the highest GPA among men's and women's teams, respectively, this year.

Football earned the 'Cuse Cares Award, logging the most community service hours among programs. Coop, Klein, Derek McDonald (football), Anwar Sparrow (football), Angelica Velez (women's basketball) and White were named to the ACC Top-Six for Service.