BOONE, N.C. – App State celebrated another year of student-athlete and athletic achievements with the 2026 APPSPY Awards this week.
The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) organized the event, and awards resulted primarily from accomplishments during the 2025 spring, fall and winter seasons.
Savannah Dada-Mascoll (tennis) won Female Athlete of the Year, and
Ethan Lipham (cross country, track & field) won Male Athlete of the Year.
Dada-Mascoll reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Singles Championships and earned a No. 5 national ranking in the fall, before earning Sun Belt Player of the Year honors for the 2026 spring. Lipham won the 1,500-meter title and 3,000-meter steeplechase title at the 2025 Sun Belt Championship meet, then helped App State repeat as Sun Belt cross country champions in the fall.
Coach of the Year honors went to
Annie Richards (women's cross country, Sun Belt champion) and
JohnMark Bentley (wrestling, SoCon champion).
There were two Most Exciting Win recipients, with the Mountaineers securing another dramatic SoCon Championship tournament title in wrestling thanks to a last-match victory from
Stephan Monchery and field hockey beating a ranked James Madison team in overtime via a goal from
Lise Boekaar.
The Mountaineer Cup went to field hockey, while
Jordan Fisher (baseball) was named Mr. Yosef and Dada-Mascoll (tennis) was named Ms. Yosef. Fisher is in his fifth season with the baseball program, and Dada-Mascoll earned All-America recognition in her fourth season as a Mountaineer.
The festivities also included a Comeback Player of the Year award, which went to wrestler
Tomas Brooker, who suffered a season-ending injury early in the 2024-25 season but returned to win another SoCon title and qualify for the NCAA Championships in 2025-26.
Sarah Callery (field hockey, 4.0 GPA) won the prestigious Brakefield Award. Established by legendary App State football coach Jim Brakefield and his wife, Eloise, this award is given to a graduating student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average among all student-athletes.
Jonathan Wilson (men's track & field) received the Goodyear Family Athletic Scholarship. George and Anne Goodyear founded the scholarship in 1994 for a rising junior who has a minimum GPA of 2.0 and demonstrates strength of character in all that he or she does.
The Rick Edmundson Memorial Scholarship was presented to
Ava Studney (women's track & field). That scholarship is awarded annually to a rising junior or senior who has exhibited loyalty and dedication to App State. Candidates give evidence of leadership potential and intelligence, exhibit sound and purposeful ambition, are vigorous and diligent in pursuit of duty and show compassion for others.
The Team Academic Excellence Awards went to women's golf and baseball, while cheerleaders
Faythe Hayes and
Conor Mattox won Julia Adams Scholarships.
Women's track & field/cross country won the Mountaineer Moves Community Service Award, Seth Krolus was the winner of the Ron "Doc" Kanoy Award and
Ryan Schmidt received the Jack Branch Award.
Anthony Conetta (wrestling) received the RAM Pavement Paving The Way Award, Abby Goetz won the Laps for Apps Award and Jennifer Schroeder Tyson was App State's Sun Belt Faculty of the Year nominee.
All for App Awards:
Baseball —
Jordan Fisher
Field Hockey —
Sophia Baxter
Football —
Juan Berchal
Men's Cross Country —
Noah Martinson
Men's Basketball —
Andrin Njock
Men's Golf —
Herman Huus
Men's Track & Field —
Jake Stanley
Soccer —
Reagan Sturgill
Softball —
KB Bradshaw
Spirit —
Reid Walker
Tennis —
Naledi Manyube
Women's Basketball —
Emma Smith
Women's Cross Country —
Breanna Budzinski
Women's Golf —
Zoe Duval
Women's Track & Field —
Ava Studney
Wrestling —
Kai O'Dell
Volleyball —
Lou Johnson
Weight Room Warrior Awards:
Baseball —
Ethan Wilson
Field Hockey —
Sophia Baxter
Football —
Caleb Sandstrom
Men's Cross Country —
Memphis Rich
Men's Basketball —
Eren Banks
Men's Golf —
Ben Read
Men's Track & Field —
Dezmone Starks
Soccer —
Avery Pegram
Softball —
Leah Gore
Spirit —
Reid Walker
Tennis —
Naledi Manyube
Women's Basketball —
Daisia Mitchell
Women's Cross Country —
Savannah Moore
Women's Golf —
Zoe Duval
Women's Track & Field —
Emily Edwards
Wrestling —
Logan Eller
Volleyball —
Lou Johnson
