PENN YAN, N.Y. — The Keuka College Department of Athletics held its annual Senior Dinner on Monday, May 4, at Abandon Brewing Company in Penn Yan.

The Walt Scott Woman of the Year award and the Dana Schillinger Man of the Year award winners were revealed at the dinner, along with the Nancy Whitman Leadership Award winner, and the Rob Smets Heart of a Champion winner was also announced.

Olivia Flynn from softball was named the Woman of the Year for the Wolves. Basketball's Akinlana Popoola took home the Man of the Year honor, while Elianna Wilder from the women's basketball team and Mary Cotter from the women's basketball team were named the Nancy Whitman Leadership Award winners.

The Rob Smets Heart of a Champion award went to a trio of recipients. Keuka College students Tyler Green and Parker Lahey received the award, as did special guest Ray Ciancaglini.

Flynn was a leader both in the circle and at the plate for the Keuka College Softball team throughout her career. She set the program record with 38 doubles as a batter and will graduate from Keuka College ranked fifth in career hits with 134. As a pitcher, Flynn appeared in more games than any other pitcher in program history and ranks fifth in career strikeouts with 210. Flynn earned numerous academic honors throughout her career and was twice named All-Conference by the Empire 8, including a third team selection this season.

Akinlana Popoola earned the Man of the Year award as he concluded his second season for Keuka College. Popoola, a Cleveland, Ohio native, started his collegiate career with two years at St. John Fisher. Since joining the Wolves, his impact has stood out as Popoola earned All-Empire 8 honors in both seasons. He scored 728 points in his two seasons for the Green and Gold, averaging over two three-pointers per game during his tenure.   

Leadership is an important part of the development of student-athletes and carries impact long past the playing field. This year, both Elianna Wilder and Mary Cotter earned the Nancy Wightman Leadership Award. Wilder showcased her leadership skills as the President of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee this year. She also was an active student worker in the athletic training room. Mary Cotter also served on SAAC as the Social Media Specialist, but her impact came from the legacy of bringing Morgan's Message to campus and organizing the dedication games for each Keuka College team every year.

The Rob Smets Heart of a Champion award this year focused on student-athletes dealing with concussions. Both Tyler Green and Parker Lahey were medically disqualified from their primary sport following concussions. However, both continued to make positive impacts on the Keuka College community and Department of Athletics. Green had to step away from basketball but was a member of the golf and cross country teams as well as an admissions ambassador. Parker Lahey's soccer career was cut short, but she remained an active member of the team in support and was even able to dress and start her senior night in October.

Also honored was Ray Ciancaglini. A former professional boxer, Ciancaglini, has speaking engagements across the country to discuss the dangers of concussions and the need to take them seriously. This past April, he was the keynote speaker at the Keuka College Concussion Symposium.

Along with the annual awards, Keuka College inducted 21 student-athletes into Chi Alpha Sigma, the national college athlete honorary. Those inducted at Keuka College kept a high academic standard and maintained a 3.50 cumulative grade point average going into their final semester.

The final award of the night was the awarding of the Wolves Cup, a year-long competition launched by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee to honor the most well-rounded program. The award factors in academic performance, community service, athletic success, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee involvement, and team support at "PACK" games. On the back of the College's first Empire 8 Championship, the Men's Basketball team brought home the cup for the first time. Two-time defending champions, the Women's Volleyball, finished in second while the Women's Soccer team rounded out the top three.