Athletics Celebrates Best of BU at 2025-26 Scarlet & White Honors
April 21, 2026 | General, Bloom Family Leadership Initiative
Paul Lewis Student-Athlete Service Award
Alex Aravides (Women's Rowing)
• The Bloom Family Leadership Academy participant is a visible member of the department who goes out of her way to connect student-athletes
• Within SAAC as an executive board member, responsible for the development and execution of the revamped scarlet series while also organizing and recruiting athletes to participate in community service
• Orchestrated the peer mentoring program for the last two years and played a major role in the success of the bbq meet & greet activities
• Supports many other student organizations, including serving as president of Terriers Together and an executive board member of Morgan's Message
• Third women's rowing member in the last five years to receive the award
John B. Simpson Award (seniors who have demonstrated enthusiasm and leadership)
Otto Landrum (Men's Basketball)
• Landrum's enthusiasm is infectious and something that can be easily seen in the gym, weight room or throughout the campus
• Even while being sidelined the entire season and impacted by injury over a two-year period, still showed up with the most energy to help his team finish the regular season with an 8-1 record and reach the Patriot League final for the first time since 2020
• A strong supporter of the BU athletics community who can be seen cheering on other teams throughout the year
• A member of the SAAC E-Board, BFLA and the mentor program
Ellie Roan (Women's Track & Field)
• Two-time team captain who helped BU win back-to-back Patriot League Indoor Track & Field Championship titles
• Won gold in the weight throw at the 2026 PL Indoors for the third straight year while also becoming the third Patriot League athlete to achieve that feat with a throw of 21.14m
• Took silver in the shot put with a personal-best and No. 2 all-time mark of 15.70m to finish the 2026 Championship as the highest scoring thrower at the meet with 18 points
• Earned 2026 Academic All-PL accolades and utilized her leadership skills as an account executive at BU's PR Lab and as a field marketing intern at Allied Global Marketing
E. Ray Speare Award (Top senior male scholar-athlete)
Tony Ponomarev (Men's Swimming & Diving)
• Collected top-eight finishes in the 100- and 200-yard backstroke as well as the 400 individual medley to finish as the team's top point-scorer at the 2026 Patriot League Championships with 68 total and earn All-Conference honors
• Helped push the Terriers to the biggest point increase of any team at the Championships, posting 936 points, marking a 309.5-point improvement
• Leaves his mark in the BU record books with top-five times in all three events, including the school record in the 200 backstroke at 1:43.33
• Owner of a 3.73 cumulative GPA while enrolled in the College of Arts & Sciences majoring in computer science and mathematics
Gretchen Schuyler Award (Top senior female scholar-athlete) and Woman of the Year
Peace Omonzane (Women's Track & Field)
• Named 2026 Patriot League Indoor Track & Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year after setting meet records in the long jump and triple jump at the PL Championships
• Three-time PL All-Academic Team honoree and two-time USTFCCCA All-Academic athlete
• Became the first PL athlete to win three indoor Field Athlete of the Meet honors after sweeping the long jump and triple jump gold medals for the third straight season
• In 2025, became the first woman to sweep all four horizontal jumps gold medals in an academic year at the Patriot League Championships since 2012
• Owns a 3.84 cumulative GPA in the College of Arts and Sciences, majoring in psychology
• Member of the executive board for the Student-Athletes of Color organization
Mildred Barnes Award (Top female athlete)
Kasey Ricard (Softball)
• Leads the nation in victories with 27 and is the all-time BU and Patriot League leader in career victories at 101
• Also owns an NCAA-high 12 shutouts along with a PL record 41 career shutouts
• Currently ranks eighth nationally at 191 strikeouts and 40th with a 3.60 strikeout-to-walk ratio
• The three-time NFCA All-Region First Team two-time PL Pitcher of the Year honoree has broken the conference record for all-time Pitcher of the Week awards at 19 total and is the first in conference history to four-peat
Mickey Cochrane Award (Top male athlete)
Timothy Shannehan (Men's Lacrosse)
• Leads nation in points per game (5.33) while owning a team-high 64 points and 31 assists alongside the second most goals at 33
• 2026 Inside Lacrosse Midseason All-American who is the first player in country to record 30+ goals and 30+ assists this season
• Matched program record by reaching 50+ goals and 50+ assists in just 25 games
Harry Agganis Terrier Pride Award (leadership, determination, citizenship, humility and teamwork)
Brooke Deppiesse (Softball)
• Only the 10th BU student-athlete to earn the award since its inception in 2009
• A great leader, teammate, worker and scholar who brings joy to those around her
• Serving as co-captain for the second consecutive season, the lead-off batter currently ranks 43rd nationally in hits (62) and 48th in runs scored (49) while hitting .388
• The three-time NFCA All-Region First Team honoree and 2025 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year is also a three-time Patriot League academic honor roll member who ranks fifth all-time at BU in doubles (49) and hits at 255
Joseph P. Mercurio Campus Community Recognition Award
Colin Riley - Executive Director of Media Relations
Bruce Lehane Coaching Award
Joe Jones (Men's Basketball)
Team GPA Award
Women's Golf (3.74 GPA), Men's Tennis (3.54 GPA)
Student-Athlete Choice Awards
Unsung Hero - Male: Marcus guidry (Men's Track & Field), Female: Ellie Roan (Women's Track & Field)
Breakout Athlete - Male: Ben Defty (Men's Basketball) and Thomas Cowan (Men's Track & Field), Female: Ava Maguire (Women's Soccer)
Rookie of the Year - Male: Chance Gladden (Men's Basketball), Female: Irys Kline (Softball)
Win of the Year - Freshman Delfi Coulo scored the game's lone goal with 2:01 to play and junior Sophie Ortyl turned in an incredible 10-save performance to lead the Field Hockey team to a 1-0 victory over Boston College for the program's first win over a top-5 ranked team since 2007.
Highlight of the Year - Facing a one-point deficit in the Patriot League semifinal at Navy, freshman Chance Gladden (Men's Basketball) beat the buzzer with a 40-foot 3-pointer to help the Terriers eliminate the top-seeded Midshipmen in Annapolis, Maryland.
Moment of the Year - Men's Basketball had two milestones reached in the 78-63 home victory over Holy Cross with junior Michael McNair setting the program record for 3-pointers in a season and head coach Joe Jones becoming the program's all-time winningest coach.
- Brian Maurer (COM'07) served as emcee for the evening while junior Kyomi Apalit (softball), senior Otto Landrum (basketball) and junior Kat Slott (women's soccer) hosted the Student-Athlete Choice Awards portion of the event.
- Seniors Connor Kehm (Men's Lacrosse) and Caroline Burchette (Women's Lightweight Rowing) will be the recipients of the Aldo "Buff" Donelli Award for Leadership at the 2026 BU Athletic Hall of Fame Ceremony, which will be held in the fall.
