POUGHKEEPSIE, NY – On Wednesday afternoon, the Vassar Department of Athletics and Physical Education hosted their Annual Athletic Awards Ceremony at The Chapel on Vassar's campus. Highlighting the event was the Matthew Vassar Outstanding Career Award presented to seniors Tova Gelb and Duncan Keker Below is a full recap of the awards with the top vote getters.
 
Matthew Vassar Outstanding Career Award - WINNERS: Tova Gelb and Duncan Keker
 
Finalists from a women's team: Macey Dowd, Tova Gelb, Zoe Lynch, Reilly Mulcahy
 
Tova Gelb is the 2025 Matthew Vassar Outstanding Career Award recipient from a women's team. Gelb, a senior guard from Sharon, MA, has put together one of the finest careers ever for a women's basketball player at Vassar both on and off the floor. Tova has helped lead the Brewers to back-to-back Liberty League Championships and along the way has been named First Team All-Liberty League twice, the 2025 Liberty League player and Defensive Player of the Year, First Team All-Region III twice, the D3hoops.com Region III Player of the Year, a Women's Basketball Coaches Association All-American and a D3hoops.com All-American. Tova scored her 1,000th career point in January during a game in which she poured in a single game program record 36 points.  Tova has also excelled off the court and has been named Academic All-District twice as well as a College Sports Communicators Third Team Academic All-American, just the second such honor for a women's basketball player in program history. 
 
Finalists from a men's team: Gavin Akoto, Duncan Keker, Ben Vinson, Eli Weise
 
Duncan Keker is the 2025 Matthew Vassar Outstanding Career Award winner from a men's team. Keker, a senior forward from Oakland, California, has left a lasting legacy on the men's soccer program here at Vassar. Duncan has been made an All-Conference selection three times in his career, including a First Team honor in 2024 despite missing substantial time due to injury. Duncan has scored 25 career goals, including eight that proved to be game winners, and totaled 62 points. Duncan helped lead the Brewers to the 2024 Liberty League Championship and was honored as the championship's Most Outstanding Performer. Duncan has been a part of two teams that have appeared in the NCAA Tournament and advanced on to the second round. Also a standout off the field, Duncan is a three-time selection to the Liberty League All-Academic team and was an Academic All-District pick in 2023. 
 
Betty Richey Performer of the Year Award - WINNERS: Haley Schoenegge and Shea Fitzgerald
 
Finalists from a women's team: Sophia Bailey, Jahmilia Dennis, Iris Li, Haley Schoenegge
 
Haley Schoenegge was tabbed the 2025 Betty Richey Performer of the Year Award recipient from a women's team. Schoenegge, a sophomore from Prospect, KY, put together another historical season for the Brewers as she helped lead the women's cross country team to their second straight conference title. Haley finished as the national runner-up at nationals and was named the Liberty League Runner of the Year. During the indoor track and field season, Haley brought home her second career national title in the mile and earned the conference's Track Athlete of the Year honor. Haley recently defended her outdoor 1500 meters and 5000 meters titles at the conference championship and earned her second Most Outstanding Track Athlete of the Meet honor.
 
Finalists from a men's team: Jared Fiske, Shea Fitzgerald, Sean Miller, Alexander North
 
Shea Fitzgerald is the 2025 Betty Richey Performer of the Year Award winner from a men's team. Fitzgerald, a sophomore from San Diego, California, put together one of the best seasons in men's basketball history. Shea led the team to the most wins in conference play in program history with 12 victories and brought Vassar to the third seed in the Liberty League Championship Tournament. Shea led the Liberty League in scoring and ranked in the top-100 nationally in both points per game and free throw percentage. Shea was named a First Team All-Liberty League honoree and is the first sophomore to earn the Liberty League Player of the Year selection in conference history. Shea also garnered NABC and D3hoops.com All-Region honors and was named men's basketball's first ever All-American by the NABC.
 
Vassar Rookie of the Year - WINNERS: Alice Crowley and Alexander North
 
Finalists from a women's team: Elizabeth Burgess, Alice Crowley, Sieun Lee, Charlotte Tobin
 
Alice Crowley was tabbed the 2025 Vassar Rookie of the Year from a women's team. Crowley, a first year from St. Louis, MO, burst onto the scene for the Brewers in 2024 helping lead the team to its second ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament and first ever NCAA Tournament victory. Alice was named First Team All-Conference and the Liberty League Rookie of the Year after leading the Brewers with 12 goals and 27 points. Alice finished the season ranked second in total goals and total points in the Liberty League and tied for third with four game winning goals.
 
Finalists from a men's team: Drew Mazzocco, Alexander North, Mike Seaton, Arden Tobolski
 
Alexander North is the 2025 Vassar Rookie of the Year from a men's team. North, a first year from Alexandria, VA, posted a 64-20 record on his way to recording one of the strongest first seasons in Vassar fencing history. North finished 12th overall in the final stage at the NCAA Regionals and used that to be named a First Team Division III All-American by the USFCA. North also recorded a 13-3 overall record at the NFC's, which earned him NFC Rookie of the Year and NFC Fencer of the Year honors. North is the first Vassar College NFC fencer of the year selection since 2016. Alexander also finished second overall at the NFC Big One in individual competition to begin the season.
 
Frances D. Fergusson Coaches Award - WINNERS: Faye Stevens and Birch Herring-Jackson
 
Finalists from a women's team: Madison Bouggess, Bree MacMullen, Sofie Shen, Faye Stevens
 
Faye Stevens was selected as the 2025 Frances D. Fergusson Coaches Award winner from a women's team. Stevens, a senior from Bethel, VT, is the heartbeat of the Vassar Track and Field program. Faye has been named All-Region four times in her career, holds four school records, has been a top-three conference finisher four times and was named the Iron Brewer award winner in her career. Faye is incredibly hard working, dedicated, compassionate and steadfast and epitomizes everything that a coach would want in a student-athlete. Faye has always been completely dedicated to her teammates and coaches and has been a leader and a team captain for the past three seasons.

Finalists from a men's team: Gavin Akoto, Kieran Chai-Onn, Birch Herring-Jackson, Brady Traugot
 
Birch Herring-Jackson is the 2025 Frances D. Fergusson Award recipient from a men's team. Herring-Jackson, a senior from East Aurora, NY, has become one of the biggest advocates for Vassar Athletics. Birch has been involved in so many different capacities for Vassar Athletics, whether it be working games for the Athletic Communications office, serving as the SAAC president or advocating for every single program that we have on campus. Birch has been a steady four-year contributor in the infield for the baseball program and was voted as a team captain this year in a group of 12 seniors. Birch always strived to become the very best he could be both as a person and as an athlete once he stepped on campus at Vassar.
 
Vassar Scholar-Athlete Award - WINNERS: Julia Harvey and Brady Traugot
 
Finalists from a women's team: Macey Dowd, Julia Harvey, Noelle Namba, Addy Xie
 
Julia Harvey is the 2025 Vassar Scholar-Athlete Award winner from a women's team. Harvey, a senior from Delmar, NY, holds a cumulative grade point average of 3.90 as a biology major and has been a standout both on the court and in the classroom. Julia scored her 1,000th career point in November and after leading the Brewers to the 2025 Liberty League title was named the conference championships Most Outstanding Performer. Julia also went on to earn First Team All-Conference and Third Team All-Region.

Finalists from a men's team: Jack Blau, Jack Rufa, Brady Traugot, Dimitrios Tzepos

Brady Traugot is the 2025 Scholar-Athlete Award recipient from a men's team. Brady Traugot, a senior from New York, NY, holds a cumulative GPA of 3.90 as a Psychology and Music major and has excelled in all facets of being a Vassar student-athlete. Brady has been named a USFCA Academic All-American all four years at Vassar and has reached the quarterfinal round at the NCAA Northeast Regionals each of the last three seasons. Brady also has been a SAAC Executive Board member the last two years and has been a team captain for two seasons and a squad leader for the past three seasons. 
 
Iron Brewer Award - WINNERS: Faye Stevens and Jacob Raphan
 
Finalists from a women's team: Elizabeth Kendrick, Rebecca Gutierrez, Sierra McDermed, Faye Stevens
 
Faye Stevens is the 2025 Iron Brewer Award winner from a women's team. Stevens, a senior from Bethel, VT, is powerful and perseverant. Faye has overcome obstacles big and small to build strength from the ground up. If the weight room is open… she is there building the blocks of strength, mobility and power needed to perform on the track. In addition to her impressive commitment, she is also an energetic and passionate leader in the weight room motivating both teammates and fellow Brewers alike.
 
Finalists from a men's team: Kyle Benson, Cade Chezum, Addison Lee, Jacob Raphan
 
Jacob Raphan is the 2025 Iron Brewer Award winner from a men's team. Raphan, a sophomore from Oceanside, NY, is steadfast and hard working. Jacob's dedication shows through his outstanding progress in the weight room and consistent efforts at conditioning. His ability to nearly beat the goalkeeper YoYo agility test and move his body weight through maximal push-ups before doubling down on a 300+ front squat demonstrates his well-versed training. Jacob's intent in each and every training session is what sets him apart.
 
Vassar Student-Worker of the Year Award - WINNERS: Birch Herring-Jackson
 
Finalists: Jacques Abou-Rizk, Birch Herring-Jackson, Kyle Loughlin, Jadyn Smith

Birch Herring-Jackson was selected as the 2025 Student-Worker of the Year. Herring-Jackson is known around the Athletic Communications office as the voice of Vassar Athletics. Birch would most often be found doing announcing for numerous different games around our campus and always did his best to be at as many different teams games as possible. Birch always helped with everything and anything that the Athletic Communications office would ask of him and would always ask how he could help no matter how small the task. Words can't describe how much he is going to be missed around our office and our games and we can't wait to see what he goes on and accomplishes in the professional world.