MVCC student-athletes honored for academic, athletic achievements

Mohawk Valley Community College Athletics has announced the following student-athlete award winners for the 2023-2024 academic year:

Kiwanis Award

The Kiwanis Award is presented annually by the Utica Kiwanis Club to the male and female student-athletes who best demonstrate outstanding accomplishments in athletics, academics, and leadership. This year’s female recipient is Raegan Dalrymple; the male recipients are Lucas Beja and Keenan Cannon.

Raegan Dalrymple, Women's Basketball Image of Ragean Dalrymple

Raegan Dalrymple, a sophomore Radiologic Technology major from Copenhagen, N.Y., helped lead the Women’s Basketball team to 17-5 record and an NJCAA Region III Tournament Appearance. She averaged 14.6 points and 10.7 rebounds per game, and earned First Team All Mountain Valley Conference, Second Team All-Region, and All Tournament Team honors for the 2024 NJCAA Region III Tournament. Raegan plans to return to MVCC to finish her degree in Radiologic Technology.

Lucas Beja, Men’s Soccer Image of Lucas Beja

Lucas Beja, a sophomore Sports Management major from Brazil, led the Men’s Soccer team to a Mountain Valley Conference Championship, NJCAA Region III Championship, and a National Runner-Up finish. He led the Hawks in goals with 16, assists with eight, and points with 40. Beja was named NJCAA Second Team All-American, First Team All-Region, and First Team All-Conference. He has accepted an athletic and academic scholarship to NCAA Division II Southern Nazarene University.

Keenan Cannon, Track & Field Image of Keenan Cannon

Keenan Cannon, a sophomore Criminal Justice major from Syracuse, was crowned National Champion in the Long Jump at the 2023 NJCAA Track & Field Championship. He also finished third nationally in the high jump and triple jump. He was a three-time First Team All-American in Spring 2023 and was named 2023 National Field Athlete of the Year. This spring, Cannon leads the nation in the long jump and is in the Top 3 for both high jump and triple jump. He also broke the meet and facility long jump record at the Spring 2024 Cortland Classic. Next year, Cannon plans to join the Police Academy.

Robert R. Jorgensen Award

The Robert R. Jorgensen Award is presented annually to the male and female student-athletes who show outstanding leadership and achievement in athletics. This year’s female recipient is Amber Piersma; the male recipient is Fasaikou Jammeh.

Amber Piersma, Women’s Soccer Image of Amber Piersma

Amber Piersma, a sophomore Physical Education major from Cassville, N.Y., helped lead the Women’s Soccer Team to the Region III Championship and National Tournament for the past two seasons. This year, the Hawks finished third in the nation after making it to the NJCAA National Semi-Final. Piersma tallied 20 goals and had seven assists for 47 points this season. She is a two-time First Team All-American and NJCAA Region III Player of the Year, and she earned First Team All-Region and First Team All-Conference honors in both her freshman and sophomore seasons. Piersma plans to continue her athletic and academic career at Utica University.

Fasaikou Jammeh, Men’s Soccer Image of Fasaikou Jammeh

Fasaikou Jammeh, a sophomore Sports Management major from the Bronx, helped lead the Men’s Soccer team to a 15-1-3 record while being ranked in the nation’s Top 5 for the season. Jammeh, a defender, captained the Hawks to their first-ever NJCAA Region III Championship and helped the team reach the National Championship. He earned NJCAA Second Team All-American, First Team All-Region, and First Team All-Conference honors. Jammeh has accepted an athletic scholarship at NCAA Division II University of South Carolina Aiken.

Gary Broadhurst Award

The Gary Broadhurst Award honors student-athletes who demonstrate outstanding achievement through dedication and hard work. This year’s female recipient is Kendall Decker, and the male recipient is Omar Mohamed (Track & Field/Cross Country).

Kendall Decker, Women’s Soccer Image of Kendall Decker

Kendall Decker, a sophomore Health Sciences major from Hinckley, N.Y., was named First Team All-Region and the NJCAA Region III Player of the Week. Her efforts helped the Women’s Soccer Team win the NJCAA Region III Championship and advance to the National Championship semi-final.

 

Omar Mohamed, Track & Field/Cross Country Image of Omar Mohamed

Omar Mohamed, a sophomore Science major from Utica, N.Y., won the National Championship for Men’s Cross Country in Fall 2023. He also received First Team All-American, First Team All-Region, and All-Conference honors. In Track & Field this spring, Mohamed is ranked No. 1 in the country for the 5,000m and No. 3 in the country for the 1,500m. In Spring 2023, he was crowned Track & Field Region III Champion in the 10k, 5000m, 1500m, and 800m. Mohamed has accepted an athletic scholarship to NAIA Governors State University.

George L. Scala Award

The George L. Scala Award is presented annually to the student-athletes who display outstanding leadership, commitment, and dedication to the physical education profession. This year’s female recipients are Hannah Pcola and Joely Welpe; the male recipient is Max Hunt.

Hannah Pcola, Women’s Soccer/Tennis Image of Hannah Pcola

Hannah Pcola, a sophomore Physical Education major from Cassville, N.Y., has greatly contributed to the Women’s Soccer Team’s success during her time as a Hawk. She helped guide the team to two NJCAA Region III Championships and two appearances in the National Tournament with second- and third-place finishes. Pcola has been the starting goalkeeper for the Women’s Soccer Team for the last two seasons; this past year she tallied 54 saves. She plans to continue her athletic and academic career at Utica University.

Joely Welpe, Softball Image of Joely Welpe

Joely Welpe, a sophomore Physical Education major from Utica, N.Y., helped the Softball Team achieve a 9-3 Region III record this season. She leads the team in batting average (.389), runs (16), and RBIs (21). Welpe plans to continue her academic and athletic endeavors at SUNY Cortland.

 

Max Hunt, Men’s Lacrosse Image of Max Hunt

Max Hunt, a sophomore Physical Education major from Rome, N.Y., led the Men’s Lacrosse Team in goals (16) and points (20) in his first season with the Hawks. He distinguished himself as a team leader, which earned him the role of captain, and was named NJCAA Region III Men’s Lacrosse Player of the Week earlier this spring. Next year, Hunt plans to continue his academic and athletic pursuits at Utica University.

Theodore F. Moore Memorial Scholar-Athlete Award

The Theodore F. Moore Memorial Scholar-Athlete Award is presented annually to the male and female student-athletes who participated in a varsity sport each of their two years and achieved the highest cumulative GPA. This year’s female recipient is Ryann DePerno, and the male recipient is Thiago Pereira.

Ryann DePerno, Women’s Soccer Image of Ryann DePerno

Ryann DePerno, a sophomore Biology major from Deerfield, N.Y., helped lead the Women’s Soccer Team to a 13-3 record, Region III Championship, and a third-place finish in the National Tournament. She earned Second Team All-Conference and All-Tournament Team honors in the National Tournament.

 

Thiago Pereira, Men’s Soccer Image of Thiago Pereira

Thiago Pereira, a sophomore Physical Education major from Brazil, helped the Men’s Soccer Team win the Mountain Valley Conference, Region III regular season championship, and NJCAA Region III Tournament, and advance to the National Championship game. 

Alumni Award

The Alumni Award is presented annually to the male and female student-athletes who, while receiving little acclaim, showed great dedication to the welfare of the team and a persistent effort in the pursuit of excellence in their chosen sport. This year’s female recipients are MacKenzie Hess and Santina Yacobucci. The male recipient is Marquis Reeves.

MacKenzie Hess, Women’s Basketball Image of Mackenzie Hess

MacKenzie Hess, a sophomore majoring in Radiologic Technology from Norwich, N.Y., is a team captain who helped guide the Women’s Basketball Team to the NJCAA Region III postseason while being ranked within the Top 15 in the nation. Hess averaged 9.7 points and 3.8 assists per game and recorded 45 3-pointers this year. She also set the MVCC Women’s Basketball single-game record for 3-pointers with nine made in one contest. She received Second Team All-Conference and Third Team All-Region honors. 

Santina Yacobucci, Softball Image of Santina Yacobucci

Santina Yacobucci, a sophomore General Studies major from New Hartford, N.Y., has been one of the Softball Team’s best leaders on and off the field, according to coaches. She never misses practice, always gives 100% of her effort and focus, and celebrates her teammates’ successes. Outside of school and softball, Yacobucci takes pride in being a firefighter and EMT for the City of Utica. She plans to finish certifications to become an EMT and firefighter. 

Marquis Reeves, Men’s Bowling/Baseball Image of Marquis Reeves

Marquis Reeves, a freshman Culinary Arts major from Utica, N.Y., “is an absolute glue guy for our team,” according to coaches. His passion and enthusiasm are contagious, helping his teammates stay motivated to succeed. Reeves plans to continue his education and athletic endeavors at MVCC next year.

About MVCC Athletics

Mohawk Valley Community College, home of the Hawks, offers one of the most extensive, diverse, and successful two-year college intercollegiate athletic programs in the country with 17 highly competitive sports for men and women. The Hawks are part of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region III, Division III, and the program is committed to supporting student-athletes in meeting their educational goals in compliance with institutional, NJCAA, and transfer academic standards. Learn more at gomvhawks.com.