University of Richmond Athletics
Best of Richmond Athletics Honored at SPIDYs
04/17/2023 | Baseball, Cross Country, Field Hockey, Football, General, Men's Golf, Men's Lacrosse, Men's Tennis, Women's Basketball, Women's Golf, Women's Lacrosse, Women's Soccer, Women's Swimming & Diving, Women's Tennis, Women's Track & Field, Men's Basketball, Spider Athletic Fund, Spider Leadership, Spider Performance
RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond Athletics hosted its annual SPIDYs Awards Monday evening at the Robins Center. The event, which celebrates the achievements of Spider Athletics student-athletes and staff, was headlined by the presentation of an honorary degree to Leland Melvin, R'86. Melvin, an All-American wide receiver at Richmond who went on to become an astronaut and top administrator at NASA, was presented a Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa degree by University of Richmond President Kevin Hallock.
Melvin, said who served as a Mission Specialist on NASA Flights STS-122 and STS-129, said after the presentation that "The University of Richmond allowed me to envision my mission possible, which was anything — even flying in space."
The 2022 Richmond Men's Lacrosse team was named Team of the Year for winning the Southern Conference championship and advancing to the NCAA Tournament, marking the fourth time the team has pulled off the feat in just nine years of program existence.
The highest individual honor, the Spider Athletic Fund Student-Athlete of the Year Award, is given to one male and one female student-athlete who have demonstrated outstanding athletic contribution during the 2022 and 2023 seasons, while also serving as an inspiration to his or her team.
Men's Lacrosse's Ryan Lanchbury earned the award after having a historic end to his college career last season, finishing with 40 goals and 41 assists, and being named a finalist for the iconic Tewaaraton Award. The second overall pick in the 2021 NLL Draft, Lanchbury finished his career ranked first all-time in Richmond scoring, goals and assists, and scored a point in 54 straight games.
On the women's side, Women's Basketball's Addie Budnik earned the honor after being an integral part of this year's successful postseason run. Budnik continued her dominance, scoring 449 points, collecting 175 rebounds and blocking 61 shots. She also reached 1,000 career points and was named to the A-10 All-Conference and All-Academic teams.
The Outstanding Civic Engagement Award was presented to the Alabama Civil Rights Immersion group, made up of five student-athletes (Jason Nelson and Quentin Southall of Men's Basketball, Logan Anderson of Soccer, Maddy Sesay of Women's Lacrosse and Kamryn Ross of Track & Field) who took a tour of key civil rights sites throughout Georgia and Alabama as part of the civic engagement and co-curricular programming with Spider Athletics in October.
Seniors Mattie Williams (Swimming & Diving) and Gabe Arizin (Men's Basketball) took home this year's Outstanding Leadership Award which recognizes student-athletes who demonstrate leadership on their team or in the campus community, while also demonstrating ethical behavior that embodies the values of Richmond Athletics, such as respect and integrity.
Nina Lavelle (Track & Field) and Jake Elbeery (Baseball) earned the Donnie Earl Lindsey Jr. First Year Spirit Award. The award goes to one male and one female first-year student-athlete who embodies the same characteristics of enthusiasm, integrity, courage and commitment that Donnie Earl Lindsey Jr. did.
The Iron SPIDY Award for superior results in strength and conditioning training was won by Brian Reinke (Baseball) and Hannah Custer (Women's Lacrosse).
Top GPA Awards:
Freshman (In a five-way tie): Jade Mawn (Men's Cross Country), Joe Sheridan (Men's Lacrosse), Natalie Stuart (Swim & Dive), Madelyn Curtis (Field Hockey) and Phoebe Rubio (Women's Cross Country)
Sophomore: Isabel Blaylock (Women's Cross Country/Track & Field), Liam Weaver (Men's Basketball)
Junior: Casey Merz (Soccer) and Garrett Clark (Men's Golf)
The Presidential citation award recognizes the male and female student-athletes who have the highest cumulative GPA in his and her class, with seniors Rob Rolfe (Football) and Claire O'Shaughnessy (Swimming & Diving) taking home this year's honor.
The SAAC Staff Member of the Year Award goes to a staff member who goes above and beyond to positively impact our student-athletes. This staff member does whatever it takes to help us succeed both in our sport and in the classroom. This year's recipient was Associate Athletic Director for Academic Support & Student Services, Bruce Matthews.
This Year's SAAC Assistant Coaches of the Year were Winston October (Football) and Peter Thomas (Men's Basketball). October led the Colonial Athletic Association's top receiving corps in 2022, while Thomas served as Interim Head Coach for the final six games of the season. Both assistant coaches served their first season on their alma mater's staff this past season.
Lori Taylor, who has led the Women's Cross Country and Track & Field program to great success over her more than two decades at Richmond, was named the SAAC Coach of the Year.
The Determination Award was presented to Sebastian Miano (Men's Tennis) and Alexa Connors (Swimming & Diving). The award recognizes one male and one female student-athlete who has demonstrated tremendous work ethic toward his or her athletic pursuits. This award is given to a student-athlete who has exhibited immense dedication, positive attitude, and perseverance, while overcoming hardships or injuries during their athletic career.
Coming of the A-10 Most Outstanding Rookie Performer, Connors had a major surgery and unfortunately missed her sophomore championship segment for recovery, while Miano sustained several season-ending injuries, but always stayed positive to encourage his teammates.
The Newcomer of the Year award recognizes one male and one female student-athlete in his or her 1st season of competition, who have demonstrated outstanding sport or athletic contribution during the 2021-2022 season and was won by Cole Ekert (Men's Golf) and Hannah Lydic (Women's Golf).
Now in his 40th year with the University, "Voice of the Spiders" and Director of Broadcast & News Content, Bob Black, earned this year's Distinguished Faculty/Staff Award. He began calling Spider Athletic events during the 1983-84 basketball season, which was the same year Richmond made its first NCAA Tournament appearance. In 2001 he joined the staff full-time and the rest is history. From player and coach interviews, to radio shows and play by play for sporting events, Black has been a part of Richmond's most iconic moments. Earlier this year, Black was awarded the Bob Vetrone Media Award, which is the highest broadcasting award presented each year in the A-10.
The Be the Change Award is presented to a student-athlete, organization, or affinity group that actively embodies and/or promotes the ideals of diversity, inclusivity, and belonging. This year's recipients were Logan Anderson (Soccer) and Fonnae Webb (Football).
The Spider Pride Award recognizes one student-athlete or team that outwardly displays through actions, words and good deeds, pride and affinity for Spider Athletics and the University of Richmond, with Michael Childress (Men's Golf) and Erika Latta (Field Hockey) taking home this year's award.
SAAC Superlative Awards:
Most Likely to Brighten Your Day: Annie Nash (Field Hockey) and Jabril Hayes (Football)
Best Duo: Grace Townsend and Katie Hill (Women's Basketball), Christian Beal and Jared Sprague-Lott (Baseball)
Spiderman Award for character: Tanner Crochet (Men's Cross Country) and Hannah Antonick (Soccer)
Best to Bring Home to Your Parents: Harrison Clifton (Baseball) and Siobhan Ryan (Women's Basketball)
Most Likely to Break a World Record Not Related to Their Sport: Petra Mijic (Swimming & Diving) and Tyler Burton (Men's Basketball)
Most Likely to Make You Laugh: Patrick Isztwan (Men's Golf) and Claire Le Du (Women's Tennis)
Gold Medalists: Madison Trippett (Track & Field) and Tristan Wheeler (Football)
Most Likely to be President: Ella Hayes (Field Hockey) and Gabe Arizin (Men's Basketball)
Early Bird: Kendall Miller (Women's Golf) and Braden McClure (Men's Lacrosse)
Players Mentioned
