MEMPHIS, Tenn. (April 27, 2022) - For the first time since 2019, the annual athletics awards were an in-person event. This year's Lynx Awards were held at McNeill Hall on campus, honoring the hard work and effort of more than 20 Rhodes student-athletes, as well as the seniors for all 21 varsity sports teams. 

With women's lacrosse player Maisie Arlotto serving as host of the event, hundreds of Lynx athletes enjoyed an evening that honored the best that Rhodes has to offer. The first four awards of the night featured nominations made by members of each team, and were then voted on strictly by student-athletes. 

The first award to go out was Newcomer of the Year, which was awarded to field hockey player Grace Utz. The freshman was an All-SAA selection, the SAA tournament MVP, and scored the game-winning goal in overtime against Centre to give field hockey it's sixth conference championship in the fall. The other two finalists were Daniel Snyder of men's swimming and Eli Pilcher of men's soccer. 


Next up was Standout Performance, an award that recognized a specific individual who did something fantastic. John Beuerlein was the winner for this category following his domination of the SAA Championships in which he won both the 1m and 3m dives, earning him a bid to the NCAA championships in both categories. At the NCAAs, he finished sixth and eighth in the two events, respectively, earning All-American honors. Catherine Althoff from women's basketball and Emily Bruner from women's lacrosse were the other two finalists. Althoff set career highs with 34 points and 18 rebounds in a game against Birmingham-Southern, while Bruner set the new school record for assists in a game with nine on three separate occasions this year. 


The Comeback Player of the Year award went to Abby Roevens of women's soccer. She overcame a shoulder injury that held her out of the 2020 fall season, and was dominant in goal this past season. She allowed only 14 goals in 14 games, and had five shutouts. Christian Cisneros of men's lacrosse and Jared Briant of cross country were also recognized for their perseverance. 


Multiple teams have had fantastic seasons, leading to some tough choices for the Team Achievement award. Women's basketball took home the hardware following their 23-3 season that featured an undefeated conference record, an SAA championship, and hosting the first round of the NCAA tournament. Women's lacrosse, who will look to capture their sixth-straight conference title on Sunday, and women's soccer, who were conference champions this fall, were the other two finalists. 


The final four awards of the night have are part of a storied tradition in Rhodes athletics. Nominations and voting for these awards were done by the head coaches, and feature senior athletes only.

First up was the George Lapides Sportsmanship award. This honor is given to an athlete who stands out among their peers due to their work ethic, sportsmanship, attitude, and effort in the classroom. On the women's side, Izzy Parker from women's lacrosse was chosen thanks to her four years of dedication to the Lynx. Her resume includes multiple academic awards as well as All-Conference selections for her play on the field. She also overcame a season-ending injury and a tragic personal event during her time at Rhodes. The other female nominees were Abby Pons of softball and Caroline Yarbrough from women's tennis. 


The male Lapides award was presented to Conner Mitchell of the football team. He was described by head coach Rich Duncan as a tremendous leader who helped the team through some tough times. He was also a standout on the field, earning team defensive MVP honors as well as an All-SAA honorable mention. Fernando Serrano from track and field and Kevin Shen of men's basketball were also recognized.
 

The final awards of the night were the Rebecca Rish Gay and Walter E. Gay, which recognize a senior athlete for their contributions on the field. Baylee Barker from women;s lacrosse took home the Rish Gay award with a decorated career that is littered with awards. She is an All-American, a multiple-time SAA Player of the week, a multiple-time SAA all-conference first team selection, and holds four Lynx season and career records. Alli Mayeux of women's basketball was a finalist after her All-American performance this year. She was joined by Maddie Chandler of track and field, who is looking to make her third appearance at the NCAAs following the conference championships this upcoming weekend.
 

On the men's side, Jared Briant, who ran cross country in the fall and track and field in the spring, was selected for his dominating performance in both sports through the years. He has six SAA all-conference selections, has set multiple school records in the 5000m and 3000 steeplechase, and has some of the best race times in all of Division III this season. His competition for the award were John McNair from baseball and Christian Cisneros from lacrosse.
 

The evening ended with a video montage of highlights from the past season, put together by assistant director of media relations Jalisa Fulwood. Click the header above to watch!