STANDISH, Maine - The 2026 Saint Joseph's College Athletics Senior Awards have been announced.
At the conclusion of each academic year, the Saint Joseph's Department of Athletics comes together to honor the numerous accomplishments achieved by the graduating class and, following an internal nomination and voting process, bestow awards upon deserving individuals for seven distinguished honors: Female Athlete of the Year, Male Athlete of the Year, Father John Tokaz Award, Neile Nelson Award, Chris Kiernan Award, Male Student-Athlete of the Year, and Female Student-Athlete of the Year.Â
The Saint Joseph's Senior Athletic Celebration was hosted at the Stone Barn on campus and catered by the SJC events department on the evening of Monday, May 4th. Alumni '22 and Assistant Director and Associate Head Coach of Cross Country and Track & Field, Troy Hendricks served as the emcee while Co-Director of Athletics Mike McDevitt and College President Joe Cassidy delivered opening remarks. Chaplin Fr. Patrick Finn offered the prayer of invocation. Senior Women's Cross Country / Track and Field Athlete Alexia Young presented a Student-Athlete Keynote reflecting on the journey of her and her fellow Monks over the last four years.
The College inducted 44 senior athletes into the Chi Alpha Sigma honor society during the evening's festivities. In order to be inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma, a student-athlete must attend a four-year accredited college or university that is a member of the NCAA, NAIA, USCAA or NCCAA. The honoree must also participate in a sport at the varsity intercollegiate level, display strong moral character, achieve senior academic standing - as determined by the certifying institution - and hold a minimum cumulative grade-point average of a 3.4 (on a 4.0 scale).
SJC Strength & Conditioning Head Coach Jameson Collins also announced that five Saint Joseph's College student-athletes were selected as 2026 National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) All-American Athlete Award recipients.
During the ceremony, student-athletes who were part of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) were honored with cords, as well as those who were four-year members of the Leadership Academy. Dr. Christopher Woodside, Head Women's Basketball Coach, presented the Leadership Academy cords. Tiffany Miller Gagnan and Theresa Arsenault presented the SAAC cords, acknowledging the commitment and leadership demonstrated by these dedicated student-athletes throughout their collegiate careers.
Special thanks to: Neile (Joler) Nelson, Aiydan Fenderson Photography, Hendricks Media, the SJC Events Department, SJC Information Technology, and SJC Student Athlete Advisory Committee.
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2026 AWARD RECIPIENTSÂ
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Female Athlete of the Year: Sadie Tirrell, Field Hockey and Softball
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Theresa Arsenault: True athletes, though, go beyond a stat line. It's only a small number of athletes, who can finish their career knowing that they gave the most of themselves to their craft and reached their fullest potential. Everyday Sadie laced up her cleats and gave everything in every moment. She truly put the time in to take care of her body for performance. She sacrificed to get extra touches knowing how important each moment was. And Sadie truly cared about being her best so that her teammates and team could succeed. I can honestly say that in my time as a coach at different levels I can count on one hand the amount of people who truly did this. It is special, rare, but it is one of the most beautiful things to witness.Â
One of my favorite quotes from the movie the Sandlot is "Heroes get remembered, but legends never die." Sadie, you are a legend, you will forever be one of the most admirable student athletes to come through St. Joe's. I know I have never coached a player who has more heart and care for her team than you.Â
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Male Athlete of the Year: Wani Donato, Basketball
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Tyler Ackley: "Wani's growth and development have been incredible to watch. He never allowed where he started to define where he would finish. From averaging four points per game as a first-year student-athlete to becoming a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and earning First Team All-Region honors as a senior, Wani's journey is a true testament to his work ethic, commitment, and belief in the process.
Anytime a student-athlete accomplishes something that has never been done in the 55-year history of our program, it speaks volumes about the impact he has made. Wani became the first Defensive Player of the Year in program history, leaving a legacy that will be remembered for years to come"
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Female Neile Nelson Award: Victoria Briones, Volleyball
Presented annually to the student-athlete who has set an example by displaying a high level of commitment to his/her team while performing a leadership role within the Saint Joseph's College campus community. Neile was a standout two-sport athlete (soccer, basketball) at Saint Joseph's and garnered 1994 NCAA Maine Woman of the Year and Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors, All-America Scholar-Athlete accolades in 1993 and 1994, All-Northeast acclaim in 1992, 1993 and 1994 and All-Conference mention in each of her four years on the soccer field.
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Jon Roberts: "During her time here the volleyball team has posted the best four-year conference record in team history and Victoria Briones has played a huge role in that success. Victoria has been a four-year starter and two-year captain, she is a member of SAAC and student government, and held numerous jobs on campus.
She has earned numerous GNAC conference honors. She ranks in the top 10 in almost every major team statistical category in school history. Her name has already been added to our team banner in the gym for reaching over 1000 career digs. Her dedication, leadership, and ability to inspire other people has pushed our program to new levels and she will go down in history as one of the most influential and well rounded players to ever play at Saint Joe's."
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Male Neile Nelson Award: Kevin Wood, Lacrosse
Presented annually to the student-athlete who has set an example by displaying a high level of commitment to his/her team while performing a leadership role within the Saint Joseph's College campus community. Neile was a standout two-sport athlete (soccer, basketball) at Saint Joseph's and garnered 1994 NCAA Maine Woman of the Year and Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors, All-America Scholar-Athlete accolades in 1993 and 1994, All-Northeast acclaim in 1992, 1993 and 1994 and All-Conference mention in each of her four years on the soccer field.
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Matt Gilbert: "Kevin Wood is a special young man. He exemplifies the spirit of the Neile Nelson Award in everything he does. If you see Kevin on campus, he's very likely serving our campus community in one of his many leadership roles and doing it with a big, infectious smile. Kevin is all about excellence, service, commitment and enthusiasm. He's a dedicated student and fierce competitor with a magnetic spirit and presence. He's provided a wonderful example for his teammates and to our campus of what it means to be a servant leader. I couldn't be more proud to see Kevin honored for his most admirable qualities that I had the pleasure of witnessing firsthand for his 4 years here at Saint Joseph's."
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Chris Kiernan Award: Elle Hall, Women's Lacrosse
The Chris Kiernan Award is named after the college's first Director of Athletics and men's basketball coach who later also served as the Dean of Students and the Director of Admissions and Financial Aid. This award is presented to the student-athlete who has shown a consistent work ethic to develop as both a student and an athlete; who has displayed a strong commitment toward service of team and community and has proven a never quit attitude and the willingness to work through and overcome adversity
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Lydia Dexter: "Elle has the natural ability to light up every room she walks into. Her commitment to working hard, and lifting others up has made her an invaluable part of this program."
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Father John Tokaz Award: Shawn Sheehan
Named for a great man who was the College Chaplain for nine years and was an great supporter of athletics during his time at Saint Joseph's, this honor is presented annually to the individual within the college community who has displayed extraordinary support of and assistance to the athletic department mission and to our student-athletes.
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Mike McDevitt: "Shawn Sheehan works everyday to make the student athlete experience at St. Joes a positive one. He is always willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. He genuinely cares about our students and is a trusted and loyal member of our support staff on campus. Like Fr. John his impact on our campus community can be seen everyday."
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Female Student-Athlete of the Year: Celia Melanson
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Lydia Dexter: "You can't talk about Saint Joseph's College women's lacrosse without mentioning Celia Melanson. She's been a true leader for our team. This year alone, she recorded over 100 points, breaking several program records, including assists per game, assists in a season, and all-time assists. She currently leads the nation in assists per game and was rightfully recognized by the conference coaches as Attacker of the Year."
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Male Student-Athlete of the Year: Jacob Pelletier
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Tom Dann: "Jacob has been the epitome of the Student-Athlete award. He has been incredibly consistent, dedicated, and meticulous in his preparation as a distance runner and as a history and secondary education major. The results of his efforts speak for themselves and he has done it with class."
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