Austin College Celebrates Athletics Convocation

SHERMAN, Texas — The Austin College coaches and team members honored more than 50 student-athletes, including the Austin College male and female athletes of the year, in its annual Athletics Convocation on Thursday night in Hughey Gymnasium on the Austin College campus.

By virtue of the department committee's selections, senior men's soccer player Pierce Wear and junior women's swimmer and water polo player Joslyn Dimitri were named the Pete Cawthon Male Athlete of the Year and Gene Day Female Athlete of the Year, respectively.

Wear, a senior midfielder from North Richland Hills, completed his career by leading the 'Roos to a conference semifinal berth and earning second team All-Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference accolades. Wear is a three-time All-SCAC pick, and was also a SCAC All-Freshman Team selection in 2022. He was also named the team's Most Outstanding Player for the fourth straight season.

Dimitri, a junior utility player for the women's water polo player and a top performer for the 'Roo swim team from C'oeur d'Alene, Idaho, was a first team All-CWPA Division III selection in women's water polo after leading the conference in goals scored, as well as being an All-SCAC performer at the conference swim meet, highlighted by a silver medal finish in the 400 individual medley.

Swimmer and water polo player Owen Altermatt and women's swimmer Sophia Smith were named the Tim Jubela Male and Female Newcomers of the Year, respectively, after Altermatt earned honorable mention All-America status as a member of the water polo team and was a key contributor on the 'Roo swim team, while Smith had an outstanding first year highlighted by an All-Conference performance at the 2026 SCAC Championships and a program record in the 200 butterfly.

List of Award Winners:

Team Awards

• Baseball – Cecil Grigg Award (most outstanding baseball player) – Jayden Ayala-Hinojosa
• Baseball – Newcomer of the Year – Keaton Bradshaw
• Men's Basketball – Hustle Award – Ethan Pearce
• Men's Basketball – Pat E. Hooks Award (most outstanding basketball player) – Kidus Getenet
• Women's Basketball – Brittany Simpson Award – Kaylee Lewis
• Women's Basketball – Pat E. Hooks Award (most outstanding basketball player) – Brooklyn Matthews and Avory Miller
• Football – William B. Traylor Award (for hard work and dedication) – Evan Dennis
• Football – Gene "Duke" Babb Award (most outstanding football player) – Pablo Cantu
• Men's Soccer – Clayton Hustle Award – Sam Spencer
• Men's Soccer – Most Outstanding Player – Pierce Wear
• Women's Soccer – Carole Lomangino Award – Bailey McCreary
• Women's Soccer – Hustle Award – Emeri Watson
• Softball – Teammate of the Year – Emma Freiermuht
• Softball – Most Outstanding Player – Tori Fowler
• Men's Swimming – Hannah Award (most outstanding swimmer) – Flyn Hughes
• Men's Swimming – Most Improved – Timothy Smith
• Women's Swimming – Hannah Award (most outstanding swimmer) – Lola Barcus-Schafer
• Women's Swimming – Most Improved – Joslyn Dimitri
• Men's Tennis – Carroll Pickett Award (most outstanding tennis player) – Jace Warner
• Men's Tennis – Most Improved – Patrick Fenner
• Women's Tennis – Carroll Pickett Award (most outstanding tennis player) – Lauren Walker
• Women's Tennis – Most Improved – Abby Sadler
• Volleyball – Most Outstanding Player – Rachel Sadler
• Volleyball – Team Impact – Selah Coleman
• Men's Water Polo – Golden 'Roo – Sebastian Scheier
• Men's Water Polo – Cap 15 Award – Viktor Buscemi
• Women's Water Polo – Golden 'Roo – Mikha Torres
• Women's Water Polo – Cap 15 Award – Joslyn Dimitri
• Cheerleading - Most Improved Cheerleader - Olivia Nehring
• Cheerleading - Most Outstanding Cheerleader - Autumn Vance
• Athletic Training - Most Improved Student Athletic Trainer - Avory Miller
• Athletic Training - Most Outstanding Student Athletic Trainer - Peyton Gonzales

Departmental Awards (selected by a department committee)

• Gene Day Award – Most outstanding female athlete – Joslyn Dimitri, water polo and swimming
• Pete Cawthon – Most outstanding male athlete – Pierce Wear, soccer
• Tim Jubela – Most outstanding female freshman athlete – Sophia Smith, swimming
• Tim Jubela – Most outstanding male freshman athlete – Owen Altermatt, water polo and swimming
• Robert T. Mason – Sportsmanship Award – Kaylee Lewis, basketball
• Robert T. Mason – Sportsmanship Award – Sebastian Scheier, water polo
• Slats McCord – Senior Perseverance and Improvement – Brooklyn Matthews, basketball
• Slats McCord – Senior Perseverance and Improvement – Blake Skipworth, baseball
• Bo Miller – Outstanding Achievement in Academics and Athletics – Samantha Graham, volleyball
• Bo Miller - Outstanding Achievement in Academics and Athletics – Jordan Hudgins, basketball
• Sig Lawson – Dedication and Commitment to Austin College Athletics – Samantha Graham, volleyball; Olivia Sanchez, tennis; Deana Martinez, softball; Camila Diarte, water polo; Emeri Watson, soccer; Maya Dodson, basketball; Tatyana Arizmendi, swimming; Kiana Rae, cheer
• Sig Lawson – Dedication and Commitment to Austin College Athletics – Tripp Thoms, baseball; Peyton Gonzales, basketball; Pedro Echeverria, soccer; Cameron McIver, tennis; Jack Stack, water polo; Michael Cress, football; Timothy Smith, swimming
• T. Ellis Lockhart Spirit Award - Bill Crook
• Dr. Jack Pierce Academic Excellence Award – Highest Team GPA – Women's Basketball