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POUGHKEEPSIE, NY - On Wednesday evening, the Vassar Athletics Department hosted their Annual Awards Banquet, streaming the event on BoxCast due to the ongoing pandemic. Highlighting the night was the Matthew Vassar Outstanding Career Award presented to Sophie Nick and Mattie Mrlik. Below is a full recap of the awards with the top finalists in each category.

Matthew Vassar Outstanding Career Award - WINNERS: Sophie Nick and Mattie Mrlik

Finalists from a women's team: Sophie Nick, Cristina Lopez, Kelly Pushie, Jordan Moss

Sophie Nick is the 2020 Matthew Vassar Outstanding Career Award recipient from a women's team.  Building a legacy as one of the best to play for the Vassar women's basketball program, Nick led the Brewers in both scoring and rebounding over her final three seasons. During her tenure, she was named an All-American, garnered multiple All-Region accolades and was a four-time All-Liberty League selection, including three straight years on First Team. Nick, who was the Liberty League Rookie of the Year in 2016-17, made history as a junior setting the NCAA Division III Record for free throw percentage in a season at a sparkling 97.7% (86-of-88).

Finalists from a men's team: Mattie Mrlik, Kevin Ros, Noe Berger, Michael Mullen

Mattie Mrlik is the 2020 Matthew Vassar Outstanding Career Award winner from a men's team. Mrlik has made an incredible impact on the men's soccer team at Vassar, helping the squad to a 42-16-7 record over his tenure. As a first year, he was named All-Liberty League First Team and the league's Rookie of the Year. The forward-turned-midfielder would land on the All-Liberty League team three times in his Vassar career, including two first-team selections. A two-time All-Region selection, he helped his team to an NCAA Championship berth in 2016 following a Liberty League title, along with four straight league playoff appearances.
 
Betty Richey Performer of the Year Award - WINNERS: Jesse Ecklund and Kevin Ros

Finalists from a women's team: Jesse Ecklund, Cristina Lopez, Caeli Porette, Keara Ginell

Jesse Ecklund was tabbed the 2020 Betty Richey Performer of the Year Award recipient from a women's team after continuing to make waves for the Vassar women's swimming & diving team. During her sophomore season Ecklund broke four program records, including her first in the 200-free, on her way to earning All-America honors for the second straight season. During the season she posted 33 victories over 11 meets, including five at the Liberty League Championships, where she garnered Swimmer of the Year honors. While her appearance was halted due to the cancellation of the NCAA Championships, she was recognized by the CSCAA with All-America honors.

Finalists from a men's team: Kevin Ros, Abram Gregory, Ayden Gann, Reed Dolan

Kevin Ros is the 2020 Betty Richey Performer of the Year Award winner from a men's team. One of the most explosive players in the conference, Ros helped lead Vassar through the national rankings during his senior season, ranking as high as #2 before finishing #4 in Division III. The senior was among the best in the UVC in a number of categories, including seventh in kills per set and eighth in points per set. An AVCA National Player of the Week and two-time UVC Player of the Week, his outstanding play helped pace the Brewers to five-set wins over then-#1 New Paltz, #5 Endicott, #6 Wells and #7 Juniata. An All-UVC First Team selection, Ros went on to earn All-Region First Team recognition before closing out the season with AVCA All-America Second Team honors. 
 
Vassar Rookie of the Year - WINNERS: Miriam Gandham and Gavin van Beveren

Finalists from a women's team: Miriam Gandham, Lillian Lowenthal, Jules Smith, Jenna Waibel

Miriam Gandham was tabbed the 2020 Vassar Rookie of the Year from a women's team after an outstanding start to her collegiate tennis career. Amassing an overall record of 18-11 (10-6 singles, 8-5 doubles), she advanced to the ITA Northeast Regional Singles Championship battling to three sets in a tight defeat. Her efforts at that event saw her qualify for the ITA Cup, where she became the first Vassar women's tennis player to record multiple wins at the fall national event. Achieving a national-ranking as high at #12, she continued her solid play into an abbreviated spring, which included a singles victory against the top-ranked team in Division III during the team's California trip in March.

Finalists from a men's team: Gavin van Beveren, Robbie Perot, Jack Plumer, Miles Takiguchi

Gavin van Beveren is the 2020 Vassar Rookie of the Year from a men's team. van Beveren made a definitive statement in his freshman campaign, posting one of the best rookie seasons of any freshman in the last 10 years of Vassar men's volleyball. A three-time UVC Rookie of the Week, he was named the AVCA National Player of the Week in the first month of the season. van Beveren shined against his peers across the country, boasting the third-best hitting percentage among all Division III players. Second on the team in kills with 190, the AVCA Regional Newcomer of the Year also posted a team-best 71 total blocks. A UVC All-Second Team honoree and the conference's Rookie of the Year, van Beveren went on to earn All-Region before becoming an AVCA All-America First Team selection.
 
Frances Fergusson Coaches Award - WINNERS: Camelia Manring and Josh Brownridge

Finalists from a women's team: Camelia Manring, Kelly Pushie, Isa Peczuh, Meghan Cook, Tara Edwards

Camelia Manring was selected as the 2020 Frances Fergusson Coaches Award winner from a women's team. She served on the student-athlete advisory committee at Vassar, the voice of the student-athletes, and ascended to SAAC president this year. Manring, described by her coach as 'one of the hardest working players she ever coached,' was a four-year member of the women's soccer team. During her career, she battled back from significant injury to appear in several games in goal for the Brewers. Elected captain as a senior, she carried a challenging course load, a job in athletic training, while also balancing her work as SAAC president.

Finalists from a men's team: Josh Brownridge, Michael Mullen, Mitchell Mullock, Allen Sokolov

Josh Brownridge is the 2020 Frances Fergusson Award recipient from a men's team. Brownridge has been a role model on and off the court for the men's basketball team, leading by example for his peers. A four-year student-athlete at Vassar, Brownridge was unanimously voted captain by his teammates during for his senior year. In his career, he appeared in 47 games, including 13 starts in 2019-20. A three-time Liberty League All-Academic, Brownridge capped his final season in a big way, helping to lead the team to the Liberty League Tournament for the second time in his four years.
 
Vassar Scholar-Athlete Award - WINNERS: Cristina Lopez and Noe Berger

Finalists from a women's team: Cristina Lopez, Tessa Waters, Tara Edwards, Jordan Moss

Cristina Lopez is the 2020 Vassar Scholar-Athlete Award winner from a women's team. Lopez had a decorated career at Vassar, in and out of the classroom.  Holding a 3.82 GPA in international studies, she is a four-time NFHCA National Academic Squad member, who has also been honored by the Liberty League as an All-Academic selection in each of the last three years. As a midfielder on the Vassar Field Hockey team, she was named an NFHCA Division III All-American, a three-time All-Region First Team selection and a four-time All-Liberty League honoree with each of the last three years being on First Team. A constant leader, Lopez's efforts on and off the field were impactful, including leading the Brewers to a program-best 10-0 start in 2019.

Finalists from a men's team: Noe Berger, Viraj Nadkarni, Allen Sokolov, Henrik Olsson

Noe Berger is the 2020 Scholar-Athlete Award recipient from a men's team. Berger personifies the importance of being a teammate, in a sport like fencing with its prominent individual statistics. Berger, who carries a 3.83 grade point average as a cognitive science major, came to Vassar as an experienced regional and national competitor. In his career, he has posted an outstanding 183-130 dual match record, medaling three times at The Big One. He achieved top honors at the NEIFC Championship, claiming the individual foil titles in both 2018 and 2020. His leadership paced the foil squad to victory in 2017, while the three-weapon team earned first and second during his career. A captain this season, he helped to run both the men's and women's foil drills at every practice this season.
 
Iron Brewer Award - WINNERS: Fiona Walsh and Zack Henig

Finalists from a women's team: Fiona Walsh, Alessandra Fable, Brynn Lautenbacher, Colette Cambey

Fiona Walsh is the 2020 Iron Brewer Award winner from a women's team. The strongest student-athlete from a women's sport team, she is consistent and steady making improvements in her physical ability each year. Walsh, who is a junior goalie on the women's soccer team, is always seeking more and looking to push herself to new heights. Outside the gym, Walsh helped lead the Brewers to the Liberty League Championship game, where they shouldered a tough 1-0 loss to the eventual National runner-up, William Smith. She recorded a 10-8-1 overall mark, boasting a 1.27 goals against average and a .788 save percentage with 93 stops in the net. This hard work and commitment is what sets her apart from others and pushes those around her to work hard.

Finalists from a men's team: Zack Henig, Patrick Fitzgerald, Kevin Ros, James Nicholas

Zack Henig is the 2020 Iron Brewer Award winner from a men's team. A year-round leader and motivator, Henig leads by example for both his teammates and all our student athletes. A junior defender on the men's lacrosse team, he asks questions and is engaged in every aspect of improving his athletic ability. Henig is quietly and steadily becoming one of our strongest student athletes and his commitment to the process is what sets him apart. A captain, he helped the Brewers to a 3-2 record in an abbreviated 2020. In those five games, all of which he started, he had an assist with 10 ground balls and four caused turnovers.
 
Vassar Student-Worker of the Year Award - WINNERS: Eva Grey and Hope Narozniak

Finalists: Eva Grey, Hope Narozniak, Camelia Manring, Martha Pita

Eva Grey and Hope Narozniak were named co-winners of the 2020 Student-Worker of the Year Award. A four-year member of the Vassar Athletics Recreation Staff, Eva has been one of the most reliable workers to serve the role of fitness facilitator. In addition to keeping the fitness center clean, Grey has always gone above and beyond to keep her supervisor updated on maintenance needs and issues, along with taking on the added responsibility of helping check-in classes and updating class lists for the extensive offerings available. A strong communicator, she is a unique talent who has set the bar high for those to follow her.

Part of the Facilities and Operations team for her four-year tenure at Vassar, Narozniak was an integral part of the scorers' table for multiple sports, including basketball, lacrosse and soccer. In addition to becoming one of the most proficient workers on the game clocks, she also acted as the game manager at scrimmages, working to train new staff whenever needed. Narozniak has always been motivated, driven and willing to help out in anyway. Her leadership will most certainly be missed.