The 3rd Annual Catamounts Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly (CESPY) Awards were held on April 25, 2024 on the campus of WVU Potomac State College. Each year, student-athletes and teams are recognized for individual and team accomplishments throughout the academic year. Four individual awards are presented to a men's and women's student-athlete.
Photos of the event can be found HERE.
The Freshman Athlete of the Year Award is presented to an outstanding first year student-athlete from a women's and a men's intercollegiate team at WVU Potomac State College. To be eligible, student-athletes must be in their first year of NJCAA competition in the 2023-2024 academic year, with no prior NCAA or NAIA competition.
This year's winners were Emonie Fennell and Griffin Paugh.
Emonie Fennell is a freshman volleyball student-athlete from Martinsburg, WV. During her first year as a Catamount, Emonie earned the following honors: NJCAA Region 20 First Team, NJCAA All-American Nomination, NJCAA Region 20 All-Tournament Team. She finished the season ranked first in the region for kills per set (3.82), third for total kills (279), fifth for hitting percentage (.346), third in points scored (320.5), second in points per set (4.4), eighth in total digs (268), and ninth in digs per game (3.67). Emonie led the Catamounts in kills in 11 matches this year and led in digs on 10 matches this year. She also set a new WVU Potomac State College record in kills per game with a total of 26 kills against Carroll Community College.
Griffin Paugh is a freshman men's cross country student-athlete from Keyser, WV. He was the top runner on the WVU Potomac State men's team all season long. Throughout the season he was able to drop his race times and dropped a total of two minutes from the five mile distance. He served as a team leader throughout the season in workouts, practices, and competitions. He finished consistently in the top 10 at every race this year. At the NJCAA Region 20 Championship he was able to place 3rd overall earning him NJCAA Region 20 honors and qualify for NJCAA Nationals in Huntsville, Alabama.
The Scholar Athlete of the Year Award is given to an outstanding student-athlete from a women's and men's intercollegiate team at WVU Potomac State College. To be eligible for consideration, student-athletes must have completed a minimum of one semester at WVU Potomac State College and have a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or better and must have competed during the 2023-2024 academic year.
This year's winners were Arrisyn Amtower and Gavin Barkley.
Arrisyn Amtower is a sophomore women's cross country student-athlete from Kingwood, WV. Arrisyn is a Psychology major that has maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout her time at Potomac State. In addition to her success in the classroom, Arrisyn was a strong presence on the cross country course, and a solid first or second finisher for the team in every race. At the NJCAA Region 20 Championships, she placed 2nd overall and helped her team earn 1st place and their second trip to the NJCAA National Championship in two years. At NJCAA Nationals, she placed 100th overall and recorded her fastest time of the year at 21:07.80 on the 5000m course.
Gavin Barkley is a sophomore men's basketball player from Berkeley Springs, WV. Gavin is a repeat Scholar-Athlete of the Year winner, having earned the award the previous academic year. Majoring in Sports Management Gavin has maintained a 4.0 GPA, earning 51 credits. Over two seasons Gavin played in 50 games for the Catamounts for a total of 1085 minutes and scoring 417 points. Gavin shot 42% from the 3 pt line in his career.
The Catamount Culture Award is awarded to a female and male student-athlete from a WVU Potomac State intercollegiate athletic team who exemplifies the qualities of Pride, Success, and Commitment. Leaders with their teams and in their community, these individuals are selfless examples of what being a Catamount is all about.
This year's winners were Alex Kile and Jaden Fultz.
Alex Kile is a sophomore women's cross country student-athlete from Capon Bridge, WV. During her freshman year, Alex placed first overall at the NJCAA Region 20 Championship and was anticipated to do the same this year. During the race, a runner from Howard Community College established a solid lead and the gap was too great for Alex and her teammates to close. With 10 meters left in the 5000 meter race, the Howard runner collapsed to the ground. Alex finished in first place, not seeing the runner on the sideline of the crowded area before the finish line. The Howard runner crawled across the finish to place 5th and had to be transported to the hospital. The top five runners at the championship are named All-Region. This is where Alex showed just what being a Catamount is all about. After they presented her 1st place finish award to her, she walked over to the Howard team and gave them the medal, asking that they present it to their teammate as she had earned it. This is not just a one-time occurrence for Alex and the high character she possesses shines through in everything that she does, brining energy and a smile to every workout and competition.
Jaden Fultz is a men's basketball student-athlete from Kingwood, WV. Jaden is a Catamount through and through and the Catamount Culture Award describes him perfectly. Despite limited playing time this year his leadership for the team never wavered. He brought energy and guidance day in and day out. You can find him involved with many things on campus such as being a resident assistant, hosted the Keyser's Got Talent show, and supporting his fellow students in any way that he can. He is the first to offer a helping hand and his enthusiasm for life is contagious.
Alex and Jaden were also both recipients of the Climb Higher Award on campus. Recipients are recognized for their ability to bounce back despite encountering obstacles, for overcoming challenges, and for staying the course. Recipients are also recognized for their outstanding work ethic, kindness, and positive attitude. Although this award is not based on GPA, recipients must be in good academic standing.
The Athlete of the Year Award is presented to an outstanding student-athlete from a women's and a men's intercollegiate team at WVU Potomac State College. To be eligible, student-athletes must have competed during the 2023-2024 academic year.
This year's winners are Alexa Shoemaker and Nik Rubendall.
Alexa Shoemaker is a sophomore from Keyser HS, in WV. Alexa is the Catamounts shortstop and as of this press release, her stats are as follows: 1st on the team for batting avg .459, 1st in at bats 133, 2nd runs 50, 1st hits 61, 3rd doubles 10, 1st home runs 14, 1st RBI 70, 1st total bases 11. Alexa is a true five tool player on the field and she pushes herself to continue her success from last year being named as a 1st Team NJCAA All- American, 2nd Team NFCA team All-American, 1st Team Region 20 and NJCAA Region 20 Tournament Team. Alexa is currently leading NJCAA Region 20 in home runs and RBI's. Alexa is in conversation as being one of the top softball players in the history of the Potomac State Softball program. In addition she is holding a 3.9 GPA in Biology with hopes of becoming a doctor.
Nik Rubendall is a sophomore from Norristown, PA. As of this press release, Nik has played in 89 games in his career as a Catamount. His batting average this year is .361 with a .403 obp and a .569 slugging %. Nik has driven in 46 RBIs this year, bringing his career total up to 87 off of 103 hits. He is currently leading the team in hits, RBIs, and batting average. He is 2nd in runs scored and doubles and 3rd in HRs. Nik has seen playing time at RF, 1B, and also as the DH.
While we celebrate the accomplishments of the individuals above, we also want to recognize all the nominees for the 2023-2024 academic year:
Freshman of the Year: Emonie Fennell – Volleyball, Hannah Hardy – Women's Cross Country, Hannah Ault – Women's Soccer & Women's Basketball, Taylor Lamp – Softball, Paul Knotts – Esports, Griffin Paugh – Men's Cross Country, Jayson Gordon – Men's Soccer, Camren Wilkes – Men's Basketball, Cooper Polcovich – Baseball.
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Arrisyn Amtower – Women's Cross Country, Kelly Ours – Women's Basketball, Hartley VanGilder – Women's Soccer, Eva Ochoa – Softball, Madison Mathias – Volleyball, Will Haberlein – Men's Cross Country, Gavin Barkley – Men's Basketball, Jan Haller – Men's Soccer, Ben McDougal – Baseball, Garrett Sions – Esports.
Catamount Culture Award: Kamryn Feehan – Volleyball, Jamie Kelly – Softball, Alyssa Dunn – Women's Soccer, Alex Kile – Women's Cross Country, Aaron Scott – esports, Griffin Paugh – Men's Cross Country, Jaden Fultz – Men's Basketball, Will Thompson – Baseball, Corbin McAllister – Men's Soccer.
Athlete of the Year: Morgan Pyles – Women's Soccer, Chelcie Forrester – Women's Basketball, Kaitlin Heavener – Volleyball, Alexa Shoemaker – Softball, Alex Kile – Women's Cross Country, Andrew Swink – Esports, Edwin Gonzalez – Men's Soccer, Rodney Vilsaint – Men's Basketball, Nik Rubendall – Baseball