CASTLETON, Vt. – Vermont State University Castleton doled out end-of-year awards on Monday evening, honoring the entire student population with a number of Spartan student-athletes claiming awards related to academics, athletics and student life.
 
The VTSU Castleton athletic department handed out its six annual major awards: Male and Female Coaches Awards, the Rocky Mezzetta Award, the Sharon Brown Memorial Award, the John Young Memorial Award, and the Mary Ellen Evans Award. A total of 14 student-athletes and three coaches were given awards between athletics, student life, academics and student government.
 
Sampson Wilkins of the wrestling team and Emilie Stene of the alpine ski team were presented with the Male and Female Coaches Awards, respectively, given annually to the varsity athletes who have shown leadership, determination, sportsmanship, coachability, willingness to give of oneself, and have a sense of responsibility to the team, coach, and University throughout the year.
 
Wilkins had a career year in 2023-24 and cemented himself among the program's greats. The NCAA Northeast Regional Champion at 184 pounds, Wilkins set a program record for finish position at NCAA National Championships with a fourth-place result, posting a 39-4 record this season and had lost only twice entering the NCAA Championships. He was 12-0 in matches determined via fall or tech fall and lost only once in dual competitions with a 16-1 record. His efforts on the mat helped lift the Spartan wrestling program to its best-ever finishes at the NCAA National Championships and NWCA National Duals, as well as program-record rankings in weekly polls throughout the season.
 
Stene will likely go down as the most decorated Spartan women's Alpine racer of all time, sitting just one win from the program record after only two seasons of competition. She won the Giant Slalom National Championship individually in 2024 and is a three-time USCSA All-American. She was also named the 2024 MacConnell Division Skier of the Year and won the Regional titles in Slalom and Overall this season. Stene was also a first-year member of the women's rugby team in 2023.
 
Taking home the Rocky Mezzetta Award—an award that honors a male student-athlete who showcases a determination to succeed, an effort to improve skills, coachability and team leadership—was Gavin Bradley of the wrestling program. Bradley is a tough matchup for any wrestler when he steps on the mat, using an offensive and assertive demeanor to rack up wins over the opposition. The sophomore went 38-6 this season and earned All-America honors for the first time with a seventh-place finish at the NCAA National Championships. He preceded that with a second-place result at the NCAA Regionals. He was 16-3 in dual competitions and was 13-0 in matches decided via fall. Beyond the mat, Bradley is heavily involved on campus. He is a writer for The Spartan student newspaper, hosts a podcast, and is a leader in the Castleton TRIO program—a support service that makes sure all motivated students, regardless of their income or background, can succeed in college.
 
Haley Lassen was the recipient of the Sharon Brown Memorial Award, given to a female athlete who relates well to peers and coach, shows a desire to learn and excel, demonstrates dedication, persistence, and team leadership while carrying a GPA of 2.5 or higher. Lassen has been an impact player in each of her two seasons for the Spartan field hockey program, playing a pivotal role in the midfield. Though the numbers don't shine through on the stat sheet, Lassen delivers when it matters most. In 2022, she scored the game-winning goal in the LEC Championship game and in 2023 helped the Spartans hold opposing offenses to just 2.6 goals per game. Lassen overcame tremendous adversity in 2023, continuing to play at a high level through the significant challenges she faced.
 
Joe Russell of the men's basketball team claimed the John Young Memorial Award—an award given to a male or female basketball player who shows great leadership and outstanding offensive abilities with a positive attitude and a desire to teach or coach. Russell was a standout for the Spartan men's basketball team in 2023-24 after suffering an injury that ended his 2022-23 season early. The grad student led the team in scoring with 17.4 points per game and was second on the team in rebounding at 5.6 boards per game. Russell helped the Spartan men's basketball team with its summer camps over his time with the program as well as weekly clinics during the basketball season.
 
Emily Harris wrapped up the Athletic Award honorees claiming the Mary Ellen Evans Award. The honor is bestowed annually to an outstanding female athlete who has played four years in one sport and has provided service to the University community while holding a GPA of 2.5 or higher. One of the best Division III field hockey scorers of all time, Harris set numerous single-season and career NCAA records in 2023. A third-team All-American in 2023, Harris had a record-breaking season, racking up a nation-leading 47 goals and 101 points in just 19 games. She lived up to the hype of a Preseason All-America Watchlist appointment, finishing the year with the third-most points and the second-most goals in a single season in NCAA Division III history. She shattered the VTSU Castleton field hockey program records for career goals and points, and topped her own single-season records set a season ago. Harris became the single-season and career points and goals per game record holder in NCAA Division III history after posting 2.47 goals and 5.32 points per game this season. For her career, Harris averaged 1.90 goals and 4.27 points per game. She was a five-time LEC Offensive Player of the Week this season and received NFHCA weekly recognition on three different occasions. No slouch on the ice as well, Harris wrapped her ice hockey career with 25 goals and 21 assists for 46 total points.
 
Among the SGA Award winners were four student-athletes. Joe LaFarge of the men's track & field program was given the Military Personnel Award, while teammate Wayne Alexander was selected for the Resident Assistant Award. Lassen was also the winner of the Outstanding Third-Year Award and women's tennis's Olivia Rutkowski was tabbed as VTSU Castleton's Outstanding First-Year Award winner.
 
In addition to the student-athletes earning SGA Awards, four members of the staff and faculty were honored with SGA Awards as well. Wrestling head coach Scott Legacy was named the VTSU Castleton Coach of the Year after guiding the Spartans to a historic season that saw the team finish 12th at the NCAA National Championships and set a program record with 20 dual match victories. Track & Field assistant coach Austin Beauregard was honored with the Leonard Johnson Alumni Award, given to a VTSU Castleton alumni who has gone above and beyond their job description in service to the University community. Field hockey assistant coach Alexis Rider was selected for the Graduate Assistant Award, given to a GA who has demonstrated a sincere interest in the welfare of students and generously contributed time, energy, and support to the student body. Lastly, VTSU Castleton's Faculty Athletics Representative, Marybeth Lennox-Levins, was selected as Faculty of the Year.
 
In the Student Life Award category, a trio of Spartan student-athletes earned University Service Awards: Nate Forgan (men's cross country), Zack Durr (men's track & field), and Maddie Wilson (softball). University Service Awards are given to students who have made outstanding contributions to Castleton through their participation in various extracurricular activities.
 
Finally, four student-athletes were honored with Academic Excellence Awards, given annually to a student deemed the top student in their respective major. Sam Crawford (baseball) earned the accolade for English students, while Alexander (men's cross country, men's track & field) was tabbed the top student among Exercise & Sport Science students at VTSU Castleton. Julia Carpenter (women's ice hockey) was awarded for Natural Science and Wilson (softball) earned the accolade for Physical Education and Health Promotion students.