VIDEO | Pros vs. Joes

Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University athletic department hosted the 14th annual WUSPYS Tuesday night, celebrating another impressive year of Bulldog athletics. Seventeen total WUSPYS were handed out, along with each team handing out their two awards. The Bulldog baseball team took home four trophies on the night, with the men's cross country/track & field squads picking up three awards. The women's golf team picked up the women's team of the year award and had the Female Athlete of the Year. Winners are below, along with highlight videos from each category. Fans can also watch the Pros vs. Joes video that aired at Wednesday night's show. For a full history of the WUSPYS, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com/wuspys.

MALE BREAKTHROUGH ATHLETE (WATCH FULL HIGHLIGHT VIDEO)

WINNER | 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

Other Nominees:
Matt Brunnock, Track & Field 
Austin Collins, Lacrosse
Alfie Storer, Golf

FEMALE BREAKTHROUGH ATHLETE (WATCH FULL HIGHLIGHT VIDEO)

WINNER | 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

Other Nominees:
Pia Diemer, Triathlon
Lily Huneycutt, Softball
Abby Mas, Volleyball
Haley Paramore, Golf
Ellie Polk, Soccer

MALE NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR (Non-Freshman) (WATCH FULL HIGHLIGHT VIDEO)

WINNER | Ben Karpowicz (Baseballl)
- 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

Other Nominees:
Necco Cottage, Men's Lacrosse
Kendall Campbell, Men's Basketball
Sam Gilson, Men's Cross Country

FEMALE NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR (Non-Freshman) (WATCH FULL HIGHLIGHT VIDEO)

WINNER | 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

Other Nominees:
Kate Beezer, Beach Volleyball
Jackie Gonzalez Howard, Women's Golf
Gracelyn Grady, Acro
Deirdre Jones, Women's Lacrosse
Laura Montiel, Women's Basketball

PLAY OF THE YEAR (WATCH FULL HIGHLIGHT VIDEO)

WINNER | 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

Other Nominees:
Alex Godley buzzer-beater putback vs. Newberry
Kendra Murray walk-off 3-run homer vs. Anderson
Meredith Stout clinching PK
Vinny Butrico 360 goal vs. North Greenville
Abby Mas set-clinching solo block in regional semifinals

UPSET OF THE YEAR (WATCH FULL HIGHLIGHT VIDEO)

WINNER | 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

Other Nominees:
Acro wins at #14 Lander
Football wins 27-20 at #22 Emory & Henry
Softball wins 9-1 over #6 Francis Marion
Women's Tennis wins 4-3 at #8 Rollins

GAME OF THE YEAR (WATCH FULL HIGHLIGHT VIDEO)

WINNER | 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)

Other Nominees:
Football defeats Lenoir-Rhyne 38-37 in overtime
Men's Lacrosse defeats #11 Lenoir-Rhyne in Crown Classic
Volleyball defeats Anderson in Region Title Match in Cuddy Arena
Women's Cross Country wins 4th straight region title
Men's Swimming wins 4th straight SAC title
Women's Golf wins home tourney in most loaded field of the year
Women's Swimming wins 4th straight SAC title

BEST COMEBACK WIN (WATCH FULL HIGHLIGHT VIDEO)

WINNER | Women's Golf in SAC Championship
- The #3 Bulldogs entered the final round of the SAC Championship trailing #1 Anderson by 7 shots
- Wingate fired a 1-under par 287 in the final round, 10 shots better than the Trojans to win by 3
- Amely Bochaton led the charge, pouring in 7 birdies to shoot 66 and win the individual title going away
- Olivia Meinecke & Jess Brown each sot even par 72; Noelia Adkins finished 5th overall

Other Nominees:
Women's Lacrosse vs. Newberry
Men's Basketball at Tusculum
Field Hockey vs. Converse
Softball at Anderson

MEN'S TEAM OF THE YEAR (WATCH FULL HIGHLIGHT VIDEO)

WINNER | 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

Other Nominees:
Baseball
Football
Golf
Lacrosse
Swimming
Tennis
Track & Field

WOMEN'S TEAM OF THE YEAR (WATCH FULL HIGHLIGHT VIDEO)

WINNER | 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

Other Nominees:
Acro
Cross Country
Flag Football
Lacrosse
Swimming
Track & Field
Triathlon
Volleyball

MALE FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR (WATCH FULL HIGHLIGHT VIDEO)

WINNER | 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

Other Nominees:
Mattia D'Errico, Men's Golf
Emil Heigre, Men's Swimming
Ruben LeBron, Men's Tennis
Klaus Scholz, Men's Track & Field
Isaiah Vick, Men's Basketball

FEMALE FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR (WATCH FULL HIGHLIGHT VIDEO)

WINNER | 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

Other Nominees:
Abigail Bester, Women's Cross Country
Laela Brown, Field Hockey
Jhennele Francis, Flag Football
Shelby Lajeunesse, Women's Triathlon
Anastasia Oktiabreva, Women's Tennis
Mathilda Sandberg, Women's Swimming
Karli Woody, Acro

BULLDOG SPIRIT AWARD (WATCH FULL HIGHLIGHT VIDEO)
(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.)

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

GEDDINGS AWARD (Top Overall Student-Athlete) (WATCH FULL HIGHLIGHT VIDEO)

WINNER | 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

Other Nominees:
Ney Chagas Filho, Men's Swimming
Riya Keshaw, Women's Cross Country
Kathryn McCabe, Women's Lacrosse
Graham Tillett, Men's Lacrosse

MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

WINNER | 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

Other Nominees:
Lewis Beeden
Vinny Butrico, Men's Lacrosse
Fernando Dehaudt, Men's Swimming
Will Hart, Football
Ben Karpowicz, Baseball
Carlo Rosellini, Men's Tennis
Antonin Saint Peyre, Men's Cross Country/Track & Field

FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR (WATCH FULL HIGHLIGHT VIDEO)

WINNER | 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

Other Nominees:
Evie Brooks, Women's Track & Field/Cross Country
Natalia Dwojak, Women's Swimming
Shelby Lajeunesse, Women's Triathlon
Sydney Morland, Volleyball

Haskins Awards (WU Senior with top GPA)
Laney Beale, Women's Basketball
Katja Krenn, Women's Triathlon
Amber Lawless, Women's Track and Field

TEAM AWARD WINNERS

Men's Soccer
MVP - Camilo Salazar
Defensive MVP - Quincy Gibbs

Women's Soccer
Offensive MVP - Angela Maino
Defensive MVP - Katie Ensalaco

Football
MVP - Will Hart
Leadership Award - Carlos Estronza
 
Volleyball
MVP - Sydney Morland
Clutch Dog Award - Emily Johnson

Men's Cross Country
MVP - Antonin Saint-Peyre
First-Year Phenom - Sam Gilson

Women's Cross Country
MVP - Abigail Bester
First-Year Phenom - Kiara Bester

Field Hockey
MVP - Laela Brown
Tough Award - Lauren Montgomery

Men's Beach Volleyball
Most Improved Award - Nicky Romer
Coaches Award - Caden Kornegay

Men's Rugby
MVP Back - Troy Hargreaves
MVP Forward - Nico Marella

Men's Basketball
Defensive MVP - Jordan Miller
Coaches Award - Corbin Pack

Women's Basketball  
MVP - Laney Beale
Johnny Jacumin Leadership Award - Bethel Ekperigha

DEVO Basketball
Defensive MVP - Michael Jordan
Leadership Award – Elijah Simms

Men's Swimming
Norman Family Most Valuable Swimmer - Yassine Sebbata
Kevin Polansky Live Life, Love Life Award - Vlad Krstulovic

Women's Swimming  
Norman Family Most Valuable Swimmer - Natalia Dwojak
Bridget Beth Melvin Award - Elizabete Paula Ozola

Women's Triathlon
Breakout Performer - Shelby Lajeunesse
Dylan Kirchner Leadership Award - Pia Diemer

Men's Triathlon
Breakout Performer - Isaac Lamprecht
Leadership Award - Luis Steiert

Men's Track & Field
Track Performer of the Year - Luca Poppe
Field Performer of the Year - Mateo de Castro Navarro

Women's Track & Field
Track Performer of the Year - Evie Brooks
Field Performer of the Year - Ally Holmberg

Acrobatics & Tumbling
MVP - Bella Crapis
Most Improved Award - Karli Woody
 
Sports Performance
Iron Dog Award - Jaden White
Iron Dog Award - Jenna Derouaux
Iron Pup Award - Alex Jarheden
Iron Pup Award - Jhenelle Francis

Cheerleading
Rookie of the Year - Ella Batson
Most Dedicated - Sarah Beth Padilla

Baseball
Position Player of the Year - Ben Karpowicz
Pitcher of the Year - Chad Harvey

Softball
Player of the Year - Kaylee Hobgood
Player of the Year - Lily Huneycutt

Men's Lacrosse
MVP - Vinny Butrico
Coaches Award - Matt Papach

Women's Lacrosse
MVP - Krysta Churns
Offensive Player of the Year - Stacy Glover

Men's Tennis
MVP - Carlo Rosellini
Coaches Award - Emil Remsted
 
Women's Tennis
MVP - Anastasiia Oktiabreva
MVP - Claudia Vallejos

Men's Golf
MVP - Lewis Beeden
Coaches Award - Matt Wordon

Women's Golf    
MVP - Amely Bochaton
Coaches Award - Emma Harmon

Flag Football
Mudita Award - Naomi Hilliard 
Sandy Dog Award - Lilou Thieme

Beach Volleyball
Mudita Award - Naomi Hilliard 
Sandy Dog Award - Lilou Thieme