Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University Athletic Department has announced the nominees for the 14th annual WUSPYS. The 2026 WUSPYS will take place Tuesday, April 28 at Austin Auditorium. The Blue Carpet show will begin at 6 p.m. in Cuddy Arena, with a sit-down dinner. The team awards will begin at 7 p.m. in Austin Auditorium, with the WUSPYS getting underway at 7:30 p.m. Below are all of the nominees for each of the categories along with their accomplishments. 

A ballot has been sent out to over 100 voters, consisting of members of Wingate's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Wingate coaches and Wingate administration, along with members of the Sports Medicine Team and the Sports Performance Team. Voting will run through the weekend. All the winners will be announced during Tuesday's show. For more information go to www.wingatebulldogs.com/wuspys.

Male Breakthrough Athlete

Matt Brunnock, Track & Field 
- Brunnock shaved 7 seconds off his mile time, posting a 4-minute mile in 2026
- He finished the indoor season ranked 14th in the mile after ranking 50th last season
- Brunnock earned All-American accolades at the Indoor national championships

Austin Collins, Lacrosse
- Collins posted 4 caused turnovers and 8 ground balls for the Bulldogs in 2025
- This season he has registered 9 caused turnovers, piling up 25 ground balls on the season
- Collins has helped the 'Dogs rank 2nd in the SAC and top 25 nationally in scoring defense

Jalen Evans, Baseball
- After hitting .344 with a homer and 23 RBI last year, Evans is one of the league's top hitters in 2026
- Leads team with .411 average, blasting 9 homers and driving in 46 runs
- Also has 14 doubles, 27 stolen bases and has scored 54 runs on the season

Alfie Storer, Golf
- Posted a 74.4 stroke average with one top-10 finish in 13 events last season
- Has a 72.0 stroke average and four top-10 showings this season (1 win, 2 4th-place finishes)
- The nation's 35th-ranked golfer earned 1st team All-SAC honors

Female Breakthrough Athlete

Amelia Benner, Lacrosse
- Benner registered 11 goals and 14 assists for the 'Dogs in 2025
- This season, she has 19 goals and 34 assists, ranking 2nd on the team in points and assists
- 4th in the SAC in assists, helping Wingate rank 6th in the nation in points per game

Pia Diemer, Triathlon
- Pia Diemer did not participate at regionals or nationals for the Bulldogs in 2024
- This season, the junior was one of the top finishers at both events, earning All-American honors
- She was 8th at regionals, helping WU win the title, then was Wingate's number 3 finisher at nationals

Lily Huneycutt, Softball
- Huneycutt had 21 hits in 73 at-bats last season, with 3 doubles, no homers and 8 RBI
- She is hitting .302 this year, leading the team with 7 homers while driving in 25 runs and scoring 20
- She has also collected 11 wins as a pitcher, posting a 3.21 ERA with 82 strikeouts in 104 innings of work

Abby Mas, Volleyball
- Mas had 30 kills, 24 digs and 5 blocks during the 2024 season for the Bulldogs
- She piled up 185 kills for the SAC and region champs in 2025, adding 67 digs and 42 blocks
- Mas had 7 kills and 5 big blocks in the regional semis victory over Flagler

Haley Paramore, Golf
- Paramore appeared in one tourney last season, posting a 78.3 stroke average
- She has played in all 10 events this season, compiling a 75.1 stroke average with 4 top-20 finishes
- The nation's 79th-ranked player earned 2nd team All-SAC honors for the #1 team in the nation

Ellie Polk, Soccer
- Polk had 3 goals for the Bulldogs in 2024, registering 6 points on the season
- She piled up 6 goals and 5 assists in 2025, leading the team in goals and points
- Polk collected 2nd Team All-SAC accolades

Play of the Year (WATCH VIDEO)

Alex Godley buzzer-beater putback vs. Newberry
- A Newberry three with 11 seconds left tied it at 66 in Cuddy Arena
- Nas Berry put up a deep jumper that was off the mark, but Alex Godley was there
- He got the rebound and put it back up in one motion, making it at the buzzer for the win

Kendra Murray walk-off 3-run homer vs. Anderson
- The Bulldogs trailed 7-6 against Anderson with 2 on and 1 out in the bottom of the 7th
- Kendra Murray came to the plate and wasted no time
- She crushed the 1st pitch over the fence in center for a game-winning 3-run homer

Meredith Stout clinching PK
- The 'Dogs were in PKs at Lenoir-Rhyne in the SAC Tournament, with the PKs tied
- Bulldog goalkeeper Meredith Stout stepped up and drilled the PK to give Wingate the lead
- She then went back in goal as the Bears missed the potential tying goal as the 'Dogs advanced

Ben Karpowicz walk-off grand slam vs. Mount Olive
- The Bulldogs were trailing 18-16 with the bases loaded and 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th
- Ben Karpowicz worked a 2-2 count, then got the pitch he wanted
- He crushed a grand slam to left to give the 'Dogs the dramatic 20-18 walk-off victory

Vinny Butrico 360 goal vs. North Greenville
- One of the nation's top goal scorers scored one of his most impressive goals against North Greenville
- Leading 10-6 late in the 3rd, the senior got a pass from Sean Clark, faked to the middle, then spun back
- His leaping 360-goal beat the keeper to push the Wingate lead to 5

Abby Mas set-clinching solo block in regional semifinals
- With the match tied 1-1 and WU leading 26-25 in the 3rd, Flagler went to one of its top hitters
- The Saints had their middle blocker set up for a one-on-one wave shot, but Abby Mas was there
- Her solo stuff gave WU the set and a 2-1 lead en route to a 3-1 victory  

Best Upset Win

Acro wins at #14 Lander
- The 'Dogs started the season with a thrilling 252.365-251.925 win at #14 Lander
- Wingate outscored the Bearcats 83.84-80.30 in the Team event to rally for the victory
- First ranked win in program history that started WU's undefeated regular season and league title

Baseball wins 14-0 at #5 Lenoir-Rhyne
- The 'Dogs rolled to a run-rule win at LR, getting 6 strikeouts in 7 shutout frames from Chad Harvey
- Gavin Groppuso had a double, triple, homer, 3 RBI & 4 runs, missing the cycle by a single
- Jake Courville  drove in 3 runs; Jalen Evans was 3-4 with a pair of RBI, Brad Hart drove in 2 runs

Football wins 27-20 at #22 Emory & Henry
- The 'Dogs picked up a big 27-20 SAC road win at an E&H team that was 6-1 on the year
- Elijah Holmes hit Jaylen Himes for a 14-yard TD with 5 minutes left in the 3rd to make it 20-10
- E&H tied it, but Xavier Pugh's 1-yard TD run with 1:50 left put the 'Dogs on top 27-20

Softball wins 9-1 over #6 Francis Marion
- The 'Dogs got 6 strong innings from Lily Huneycutt, who held #6 FMU to a run on 4 hits
- Wingate took an early 3-0 lead, then got a Reagan Simmons grand slam to take a 7-run lead
- Emilee Cohee ended it with an RBI double in the 6th as the 'Dogs finished the run-rule victory

Women's Tennis wins 4-3 at #8 Rollins
- Oktiabreva & Kotara won 7-5 at 1 doubles; Bobrovska & Vallejos won 6-1 at #3 to give WU a 1-0 lead
- Bobrovska's 6-1, 6-1 win a 6 singles, along with a 6-4, 6-3 Castillo win at 3 singles made it 3-2
- Oktiabreva won the clincher at #1 singles, prevailing 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 to give WU the top-10 road win

Male Newcomer of the Year

Necco Cottage, Men's Lacrosse
- Cottage leads the Bulldogs in face-off percentage in his first season at Wingate
- He has won 76 of 115 face-offs, good for a .661 win percentage
- Cottage has collected 39 ground balls on the season

Kendall Campbell, Men's Basketball
- Campbell averaged 12 points and 4.7 rebounds per game in his first season at Wingate
- He led the 'Dogs with 42 blocked shots, ranking second in scoring and rebounding
- Campbell shot 56 percent from the field and 78 percent at the free throw line

Sam Gilson, Men's Cross Country
- Gilson won the title at the SAC championships, earning SAC Runner of the Year accolades
- He was the runner-up at the NCAA Southeast Regionals to collect All-Region honors
- Finished 9th at nationals to earn All-American honors, helping the 'Dogs win the national title

Ben Karpowicz, Baseball
- Hitting .380 with 20 homers, 65 RBI and 50 runs scored in his first season with the 'Dogs
- Ranks 2nd in the nation in homers per game, third in homers, 10th in RBI and 12th in slugging %
- He leads the SAC in homers, RBI and slugging, ranking 9th in on-base percentage

Female Newcomer of the Year

Kate Beezer, Beach Volleyball
- Beezer earned 2nd Team All-SAC accolades in her first season with the Bulldogs
- She teamed with Lilou Thieme to play number one pairs all season
- The duo collected a team-high 15 victories on the season

Evonne Bruestle, Flag Football
- Named the Conference Carolinas Defensive Player of the Year
- All-Conference honors as a rusher and as a wide receiver for the regular season & tourney champs
- Led WU with 42 tackles for loss & 35 sacks in 13 games; 58 catches for 735 yards, adding 10 TDs

Jackie Gonzalez Howard, Women's Golf
- Earned 2nd Team All-SAC honors in her first season with the Bulldogs
- Nation's 45th-ranked player has a 75.0 stroke average, good for 3rd on the team for #1 Wingate
- She has 4 top-20 finishes with a 2nd-place and 4th-place showing in 2 of her first 3 events for the 'Dogs

Gracelyn Grady, Acro
- Grady earned 1st Team All-Conference honors, helping the 'Dogs capture the regular season title
- 2-time league Athlete of the Week also earning national Specialist of the Week honors in 2026
- She helped Wingate set new program records in all 9 heats she competed in this year

Deirdre Jones, Women's Lacrosse
- Jones has piled up 41 goals, 13 assists, 19 ground balls and 13 draw controls in her first season
- She ranks second on the team in goals and third in points, helping WU win the regular season SAC title
- Jones ranks 8th in the SAC in goals and 10th in points this season

Laura Montiel, Women's Basketball
- Montiel averaged 9.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game her first season, handing out 77 assists
- She led the Bulldogs and the SAC with her 83 steals, ranking 2nd on the team in points and assists
- Montiel was named the SAC Defensive Player of the Year

Best Comeback Win

Baseball wins 11-10 at Lincoln Memorial
- Wingate trailed 10-6 entering the 9th, but 3 straight singles loaded the bases
- A Karpowicz grand slam tied it; Evans then singled, stole 2nd & 3rd, then scored on an error
- Cane Mehling retired the Railsplitters in the bottom of the frame to cap the 11-10 victory

Men's Lacrosse wins 19-18 at #2 Anderson
- WU trailed 5-1 in the 1st, 9-4 in the 2nd and was down 11-5 at halftime at #2 Anderson
- The 'Dogs outscored AU 7-3 in the 3rd, getting 5 Butrico goals to cut the lead to 14-13
- AU led 16-14, but 2 more Butrico goals & a Moran goal put WU on top; Moran scored the final 2 goals

Softball defeats Anderson 9-7
- The Bulldogs trailed 7-6 heading to the bottom of the 7th inning against Anderson
- A McFadden single and AU error put 2 on with 1 out for the 'Dogs
- Kendra Murray ended it with one swing, a walk-off 3-run homer to center for the 9-7 victory

Women's Basketball defeats Anderson 69-68
- Anderson built a 10-point halftime lead and led by 15 with 8 minutes left in the 3rd
- WU capped the quarter with an 11-2 run capped by a Shorma triple to cut the lead to 5
- The Bulldogs outscored AU 17-11 in the 4th, taking the lead on threes from Isaac & Beale

Women's Golf at SAC Tournament
- #1 Wingate entered the final round of stroke play 12 shots behind #24 LMU
- The 'Dogs shot 290 in the final round, 15 shots better than LMU to win the stroke play by 3 shots
- Bochaton & Meinecke led the way with 70 & 71; Sutcliffe shot 73 while Paramore added a 76

Bulldog Spirit Award
(The spirit award recognizes an athlete that has dedicated at least three years of excellent service to the institution, community and the athletic department. Their spirit for Wingate is seen on and off the field. Nominees for this award show outstanding passion for Wingate athletics, are visible all over campus at sporting events and represent the Bulldog blue & gold with heart and pride.)

Laney Beale, Women's Basketball
Bella Crapis, Acro
Maddie Hoffman, Volleyball
Will Pape, Men's Lacrosse
Silas Tate, Football

Game of the Year

Football defeats Lenoir-Rhyne 38-37 in overtime
- LR led 24-10 at the half, but TD catches from Jackson & Himes in the 3rd quarter tied it at 24
- LR had the lead late, but Estronza's 9-yard TD catch with 19 seconds left sent it to overtime
- Pugh scored from 10 yards out in OT, LR scored and went for 2, but an Elijah Barnes sack ended it

Men's Cross Country wins National Title
- The Bulldogs won their 2nd national title in 3 years, posting their 4th straight top-2 national finish
- Wingate had 5 top-25 finishers to post 62 points, 9 points ahead of runner-up Adams State
- Saint Peyre finished 2nd; Gilson was 8th, Poppe, Faroux & Campos were 11th, 16th & 25th (out of 262)

Men's Lacrosse defeats #11 Lenoir-Rhyne in Crown Classic
- The 2 rivals met in Charlotte, with the Bears jumping out to a 3-0 lead a minute into the contest
- WU scored 5 of the next 6 to take the lead, then used a 4-1 2nd quarter to take a 9-5 halftime lead
- Murray's goal made it 12-7 in the 3rd; LR cut it to 2, but Butrico & Clark scored in the final 5 minutes

Volleyball defeats Anderson in Region Title Match in Cuddy Arena
- Wingate won a 3-1 thriller over Anderson in a packed Cuddy Arena to win its 3rd region title in 4 years
- WU won 25-18 in set 1, but AU answered with a 25-20 set 2 win; the 'Dogs took the 3rd 25-20
- Leading 23-22 in the 4th, a Saye/Morland block made it 24-22 while Morland's kill ended the match

Women's Cross Country wins 4th straight region title
- The 'Dogs won their 4th straight region title by 16 points, winning the title at home in November
- Evie Brooks, Imane Jourji and Karlijn Hesman finished 3rd, 4th and 5th to lead the way
- Sira Bo (7th) and Ona Alonso (10th) rounded out the top 5 for the SAC & Region champs

Men's Swimming wins 4th straight SAC title
- Wingate continued its SAC dynasty, winning a 4th straight title by 188 points over 2nd-place Catawba
- Yassine Sebbata was the leader for the Bulldogs, piling up 120 points during the meet
- The 'Dogs capped the title in style, winning the final event, the 400 Free Relay with a new SAC record

Women's Golf wins home tourney in most loaded field of the year
- In a field featuring 9 of the top 14 teams in D2 WGOLF including the top 5, WU won by 16 shots
- WU was under par in all 3 rounds at Stonebridge, finishing ahead of #2 Dallas Baptist and #4 Findlay
- Meinecke won at 11-under with a final-round 67; Bochaton was 3rd at -5 with a 1st-round 67

Women's Swimming wins 4th straight SAC title
- Wingate won its 4th straight title in dramatic fashion, finishing 8.5 points ahead of 2nd-place Catawba
- Mathilda Sandberg picked up wins in the 100 Fly, while also helping the 200 & 400 Medley relay wins
- The 'Dogs got a 2nd-place finish in the 400 Free Relay to secure their 4th straight SAC title

Men's Team of the Year

Baseball
- 'Dogs are 32-15 overall and 22-8 in league play, 2nd in the SAC standings entering the final week
- WU leads the SAC and is top 10 nationally in hits, homers, slugging, runs and RBI

Cross Country
- The 'Dogs won their 2nd NCAA D2 National title in 3 years, with their 4th straight top-2 finish
- Wingate also won its 5th straight SAC & region titles in 2025

Football
- The Bulldogs went 9-3 overall, going 7-2 in league play to punch a ticket to the NCAA play-offs
- WU led the league in sacks & tackles for loss, ranking 2nd in scoring offense & total offense

Golf
- The Bulldogs captured the SAC Tourney title in dominant fashion, currently ranked #4 in D2
- Wingate has 4 of the top 35 players in the nation, led by #1 Lewis Beeden

Lacrosse
- The regular season SAC champs took down 4 top-11 national teams to go undefeated in the SAC
- Wingate is ranked 4th in the national poll, ranking 4th in the nation in scoring & 7th in scoring margin

Swimming
- The Bulldogs rolled to their 4th straight SAC title
- Wingate finished 7th at the NCAA National meet, collecting 17 All-America trophies

Tennis
- The Bulldogs are 15-7 overall, going 10-1 in league play and advancing to the SAC title match
- Wingate is currently 18th in the national poll with a pair of top-65 players

Track & Field
- The Bulldogs won the SAC Indoor Meet and finished 3rd at the D2 Indoor Nationals
- Wingate piled up 12 All-America trophies including 2 national titles (Poppe 3K & 5K)

Women's Team of the Year

Acro
- The Bulldogs went 9-0 in the regular season, capturing their 1st-ever regular season CC title
- Wingate cracked the national polls for the first time ever, ranking #14

Cross Country
- The 'Dogs won the SAC & Regional titles, then had their best-ever national finish (3rd)
- WU had the top 2 SAC finishers, 3 of the top 5 at regionals & 4 All-Americans (top 40 nationals)

Flag Football
- Wingate won the Conference Carolinas regular season & tournament titles in year one
- The Bulldogs went 11-2 in year one, with an 8-1 league record, outscoring opponents 490-172

Golf
- The Bulldogs have been the #1 team in D2 all season, capturing their 2nd straight SAC title
- Wingate has the #1 & #3 player in the nation, winning 8 of 11 tournaments this season

Lacrosse
- The 'Dogs won their 4th straight regular season SAC title, going undefeated in league play
- #16 WU leads nation in Caused TOs & draw control % ranking 5th in defense & 6th in scoring margin

Swimming
- The Bulldogs captured their 4th straight SAC title in 2026
- Wingate finished 11th at the NCAA Meet, collecting 19 All-America trophies

Track & Field
- Wingate captured its 4th straight SAC Indoor track & Field title
- Ally Holmberg earned Athlete of the Meet honors; Evie Brooks named SAC Indoor Athlete of the Year

Triathlon
- The Bulldogs won their 4th straight USA Triathlon Collegiate East Region title
- WU finished 2nd at nationals, with 7 All-Americans including three 1st Team honorees

Volleyball
- Wingate went 31-2 overall & 18-0 in the SAC, winning 19th regular season SAC title in last 20 years
- WU added its 15th SAC tourney title in 20 years and 8th region championship since 2010

Freshman Male Athlete of the Year

Mattia D'Errico, Men's Golf
- D'Errico earned 2nd Team All-SAC honors in his first season with the Bulldogs
- Nation's 32nd-ranked golfer has a 72.2 stroke average with 5 top-20 showings in 6 events
- Has a 4th and 8th place showing this season; shot 67 to win his SAC tourney title match for the champs

Emil Heigre, Men's Swimming
- Heigre earned 1st Team All-American honors in the 1650 Free with his 7th-place finish
- He finished 3rd in the SAC meet in the 1650, helping WU win its 4th straight title
- Won the B Final in the 500 Free at the SAC meet

Ruben LeBron, Men's Tennis
- LeBron was named the SAC Freshman of the Year, earning 1st Team All-SAC singles honors
- He went 9-4 on the season, with a perfect 6-0 in league play – nation's 50th-ranked singles player
- LeBron was 8-4 at #2 singles, while also going 1-0 at #1 singles

Bowen Powell, Baseball
- Powell has started all 46 games this season, hitting .378 with 9 homers, 15 doubles and 61 RBI
- Leads the team in hits, ranking 2nd on the team in doubles, 3rd in RBI and runs scored
- Ranks 2nd in the SAC in hits, 3rd in RBI and hits per game, 7th in doubles and 10th in batting average

Klaus Scholz, Men's Track & Field
- Scholz was named the SAC Indoor Track Freshman of the Year
- He was the SAC champion in the 800 Meters at the Indoor championships
- Scholz was the national runner-up in the 800 Meters at Indoors to earn 1st Team All-American honors

Isaiah Vick, Men's Basketball
- Vick led the Bulldogs with 12.1 points and 7.0 rebounds per game
- Earned a spot on the SAC All-Freshman Team, adding 44 assists, 27 steals and 22 blocks
- Vick shot 52 percent from the field and 38 percent from three, scoring in double figures 17 times

Freshman Female Athlete of the Year

Abigail Bester, Women's Cross Country
- Bester won the SAC meet to earn SAC Freshman of the Year accolades
- Was WU's top finisher at NCAAs (18th) to earn All-American honors and lead WU to highest-ever finish
- 5th in the 5000 Meters at SAC Indoor; was 16th at NCAA Indoor and 17th at NCAA in 3000 Meter

Laela Brown, Field Hockey
- Brown was named the SAC Freshman of the Year, adding 1st Team All-SAC honors
- Piled up 6 goals and 8 assists on the season, leading WU in goals, assists & points
- Brown ranked 4th in the SAC in assists on the season

Jhennele Francis, Flag Football
- Francis earned 1st Team All-Conference running honors & 2nd Team honors as an athlete
- Was 216-351 for 2,074 passing yards and 37 TDs in 13 games
- Ran for 1,001 yards and 16 touchdowns, adding 28 tackles and 4 interceptions

Stacy Glover, Women's Lacrosse
- Glover leads the Bulldogs, pouring in 66 goals in her first year, also leading the way with 71 points
- She leads the SAC in goals and goals per game, ranking 3rd in points and points per game
- Glover ranks 5th in the nation in goals per game and 8th nationally in total goals

Shelby Lajeunesse, Women's Triathlon
- Was named the CTCA Division II National Freshman of the Year
- Earned 1st Team All-American honors; Wingate's top finisher at regionals and nationals
- She was the number three Division II finisher at the national meet; 2nd at regionals

Anastasia Oktiabreva, Women's Tennis
- Named the SAC Freshman of the Year and 1st Team All-SAC singles & doubles
- Went 11-6 in singles play, with an 8-1 mark against SAC opponents; played all matches at 1 & 2 singles
- Went 14-2 in doubles play, all at #1 doubles, with a 7-1 record in league play

Mathilda Sandberg, Women's Swimming
- Sandberg was named the SAC Freshman of the Year; finished 3rd in the 100 Fly at Nationals
- She won SAC titles in the 100 Fly along with 200 & 400 Medley Relays
- Earned All-American trophies in 100 Fly, 200 & 400 Medley Relay along with 400 Free Relay

Karli Woody, Acro
- Woody earned first team All-Conference honors for the regular season league champs
- She earned league Freshman of the Month honors and National Freshman of the Week honors in 2026
- Only freshman in the league to earn multiple National Freshman of the Week honorable mentions

Geddings Award (Top Overall Student-Athlete)

Laney Beale, women's basketball
- Beale was named the 2026 women's basketball SAC Scholar-Athlete & Elite 23 winner
- Back-to-back All-SAC honoree for the Bulldogs
- Has a 4.0 GPA, 2-time Academic All-District, WU President's List every semester
- SAAC member, UDI & Special Olympics Orange County volunteer, retirement home volunteer

Ney Chagas Filho, Men's Swimming
- Has collected 5 1st Team All-American trophies; 2-time Academic All-America honoree
- Helped lead the 'Dogs to 4 straight SAC titles; 3-time CSCAA Scholar All-American
- 3.59 GPA, 3-time SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll, 3-time WU Dean's List, 2-time President's List
- Lifeguard, volunteer at high school meets, volunteer at Bank of America, swim lessons instructor

Riya Keshaw, Women's Cross Country
- 2025 Women's Cross Country SAC Scholar-Athlete
- Has collected All-SAC & All-Region accolades in 2024 & 2025, leading WU to 4 titles
- 3.986 GPA, Biology major, WU President's List, SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll
- Elementary school volunteer, Grow Great Campaign in South Africa, math & history tutor

Kathryn McCabe, Women's Lacrosse
- '25 SAC Def. Player of the Year was an All-American; 2nd in SAC in CTs, 3rd in draw controls this year
- Has a 4.00 GPA, Alpha Chi National Honor Society, Math Club
- President's List every semester of her WU career; SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll
- Interned with Strategic Benefits Advisors & Sailors Engineering; assisted at Haynes Bridge Veterinary

Graham Tillett, Men's Lacrosse
- Leads Wingate with 21 caused turnovers, adding 34 ground balls, helping WU defense rank 2nd in SAC
- 3.8 GPA, majoring in Health & Physical Education
- Named to WU Dean's List & President's List; SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll
- Has served as student teacher for k-8th grade; worked lacrosse camps & given individual lessons

Male Athlete of the Year

Lewis Beeden
- The SAC Player of the Year is the nation's top-ranked golfer in Division II
- Has posted a WU-record 70.8 stroke average on the season with 10 top-20 finishes in 11 events
- Has a pair of wins this season along with runner-up finish at SAC tourney & 5 more top-7 showings

Vinny Butrico, Men's Lacrosse
- Butrico has poured in 56 goals through 13 games this season, adding 16 assists for 72 points
- Leads SAC in goals per game & points per game, ranking 2nd nationally in goals & 5th in points
- Scored a Wingate-record 11 goals in the win at #2 Anderson

Fernando Dehaudt, Men's Swimming
- Dehaudt collected three 1st Team All-American trophies this year (500 Free, 1000 Free, 1650 Free)
- He was the runner-up at the 1650 at the SAC championships as the 'Dogs won a 4th straight title
- Added runner-up showing at the 500 Free & 1000 Free at the SAC Championship Meet

Will Hart, Football
- 1st Team All-SAC offensive lineman for the Bulldogs
- Earned D2CCA and AP 2nd Team All-American accolades
- Helped the 'Dogs lead the SAC in scoring offense & total offense with 1,000-yard rusher & receiver

Ben Karpowicz, Baseball
- Hitting .380 with 20 homers, 65 RBI and 50 runs scored in his first season with the 'Dogs
- Ranks 2nd in the nation in homers per game, third in homers, 10th in RBI and 12th in slugging %
- He leads the SAC in homers, RBI and slugging, ranking 9th in on-base percentage

Luca Poppe, Men's Track & Field/Cross Country
- National Champion at Indoor in 3000 Meters & 5000 Meters
- Added a 15th-place finish at the NCAA XC National Championships to earn All-American honors
- Led Track to a 3rd-place national finish while also helping lead XC to another national title

Carlo Rosellini, Men's Tennis
- Rosellini earned 1st Team All-SAC singles honors for the Bulldogs
- Nation's 64th-rankd singles player is 11-3 on the season, going 7-1 vs. SAC opponents
- Has played every match at #1 singles, while adding 10 doubles wins, going 7-3 in league play

Antonin Saint Peyre, Men's Cross Country/Track & Field
- National runner-up at the NCAA XC championships leading WU to the team national title (262 runners)
- Finished 25th at the 350-runner mostly D1 field at the Paul Short Run, helping Wingate finish 5th
- Earned 1st Team All-American honors with 6th-place finish in 3000 Meters at NCAA Indoor nationals

Female Athlete of the Year

Amely Bochaton, Women's Golf
- 2025 National Player of the Year, back-to-back SAC Player of the Year; won 6 of 10 tourneys in '25-26
- #1 player in D2 every week last season and this season has been top 3 in all 10 tourneys this season
- Has broken her own single-season Wingate & SAC record with her 70.4 stroke average

Evie Brooks, Women's Track & Field/Cross Country
- Brooks was named the SAC Indoor Track & Field Athlete of the Year
- Won the mile at SAC Indoors, finishing 5th in the 3000 Meters; was 3rd at NCAA XC Regionals
- 1st Team All-American in the mile with 4th-place showing; 25th at XC Nationals to earn AA honors

Natalia Dwojak, Women's Swimming
- SAC Swimmer of the Year for the second straight season
- Earned 4 1st Team All-American trophies, including 200 & 400 Medley Relay along with 400 Free Relay
- She was the national runner-up in the 100 breast stroke, after winning the SAC title in that event

Shelby Lajeunesse, Women's Triathlon
- Was named the CTCA Division II National Freshman of the Year
- Earned 1st Team All-American honors; Wingate's top finisher at regionals and nationals
- She was the number three Division II finisher at the national meet; 2nd at regionals

Sydney Moralnd, Volleyball
- Named the SAC & Region Player of the Year for the second straight year
- WU all-time leader in hitting percentage ranked in the top 5 nationally in hitting
- Only player in D1 or D2 VB hitting over .400 with over 3 kills/set; AVCA & D2CCA All-American

WINGATE UNIVERSITY

Wingate University is a lab of difference-making that serves more than 3,600 students in North Carolina and offers 60 degree pathways, including 37 undergraduate majors, 9 pre-professional tracks and five dual-degree programs. Graduate students choose from seven master's and five doctoral programs. The University is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences, the Levine College of Health Sciences, the Byrum School of Business, the Thayer School of Education, and the School of Sport Sciences.

Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a leader in healthcare education where nearly one in five undergraduate students is preparing to be a pharmacist, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist or nurse. Student-athletes on Wingate's 30 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award the past 17 times it has been awarded. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.

OneDog, #OneDog, One Day One Dog and Lab of Difference-Making are registered trademarks of Wingate University.