CASTINE, Maine – On Monday, April 11, Maine Maritime's Athletic Department held the Mariners Athletics Awards Ceremony and Celebration after a two-year hiatus due to Covid-19.
This event is held to celebrate the accomplishments of Maine Maritime student-athletes throughout the year, both academically and athletically. Awards such as, All-Conference and All-Academic are recognized, as well as Elite 8, Athlete of the Year, Leader of the Year, and Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year awards are announced.
Here are the 2021-22 recipients for each award:
Elite 8
This award recognizes two student-athletes, one individual on a men's team and one individual on a women's team, with the highest cumulative grade point average in each eligibility class.
Freshmen – Ponce Saltysiak (Bar Harbor, Maine), men's cross country and men's swimming and diving and Natasha Kopeck (Manchester Center, Vt.), women's swimming and diving.
Sophomores – Evan Allen (Avon, Maine), men's soccer and Noelle Tavares (Falmouth, Maine), women's soccer
Juniors – Benjamin Butterfield (Phillips, Maine), men's cross country and Amber Card (Bowdoin, Maine), women's lacrosse
Seniors – Mott Blair (Wallace, N.C.), sailing and Claire Felix (Mahopac, N.Y.), women's basketball
2021-22 Athletes of the Year
This award serves to recognize the athletic achievements of two individuals each year. The student-athletes must display a high level of athletic ability, teamwork, leadership, and sportsmanship. The recipients have also displayed excellence in the classroom and been positive member of the Maine Maritime and Castine community.
Female Athlete of the Year – Rachel Melampy (Marshfield, Mass.), women's volleyball
Melampy, a junior Vessel Operations Technology major, led the Mariners to a NAC Championship this season, earning the tournament MVP. Melampy also earned the NAC Women's Volleyball Player of the Year, for the second year in-a-row, and NAC First Team Honors, for the third consecutive year, by leading the conference in kills, kills per set, and hitting percentage.
This season, she tallied 409 kills, 223 digs, 28 service aces, 19 blocks, and 18 assists. Melampy also set the single-match record of kills in a four set match with 31 and set the single-season record for kills per set with 4.87. Melampy ranked 2nd in the country for NCAA Division III Volleyball for kills per set (4.87).
Male Athlete of the Year – Ryan Holmes (Newmarket, N.H.), men's soccer
Holmes, a senior Marine Engineering Technology major, is a four-year member and captain of the Maine Maritime men's soccer team. Holmes was named to the NAC First Team, becoming the second men's soccer player in program history to earn NAC All-Conference honors for all four years of his playing career.
This season, Holmes anchored the Mariners defense that only allowed 2.46 goals per game and 10.8 shots per game. Holmes also recorded one goal this season, which was the game-winning goal against SUNY Delhi in a conference matchup.
2021-22 Leaders of the Year
The Mariners Leadership Award is intended to honor two individuals that most embraced the principles of leadership. In Mariners Athletics, we believe that everyone can lead. We also know that some leaders embrace leadership as part of who they are. It is that mentality and way of life that infuses all they do. For their efforts, everyone is made stronger and better.
Female Leader of the Year – Kaitlyn Reny (Lewiston, Maine), women's swimming and diving
Reny, a senior Marine Biology major, is a four-year member and three-year captain of the Maine Maritime women's swimming & diving program. Reny also served as the Vice President of SAAC this year. This season, Reny helped lead the Mariners to a 2nd place finish at the NAC Championship, earning All-Conference honors, as well as a spot on the NAC Sportsmanship team. Reny also qualified for the New England Intercollegiate Swimming & Diving Association (NEISDA) Championship with her times this season.
Reny also left her mark on the Swimming & Diving program by holding the Bok Pool records in the 100 Fly (1:09.33), 200 Medley Relay (2:01.47) with Zhukov, Gellerson, and Dickson, and 400 Free Relay (4:00.51) with Durrua, Dickson, and Zhukov.
Male Leader of the Year –Jacob Olson (Charleston, Maine), men's soccer
Olson, a senior Marine Engineering Technology major, will finish at the top of his class with a 3.69 GPA. Olson is a four-year member and two-year captain of the Maine Maritime men's soccer program. Olson was named to the NAC Sportsmanship Team, after tallying one goal and two assists this season for the Mariners.
Olson is also an active member on campus, serving as a Stryker and the Cadet Chief Engineer of the Regiment of Midshipmen, a 1st Class Midshipmen in the NROTC Unit, a Student Ambassador for Maine Maritime Admissions, and a tutor for the Buoy House.
2021-22 Senior Scholar Athletes of the Year
The senior scholar athlete displays academic and athletic excellence during their time at Maine Maritime Academy. They are team and community leaders and display the highest level of integrity, dedication, and commitment.
Female Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year – Claire Felix (Mahopac, N.Y.), women's basketball
Felix, a senior International Business & Logistics major, boasts a 4.00 GPA and has earned the Maine Maritime Women's Basketball Lindsay Smith Team Leadership Award for two consecutive years and was named the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Women's Basketball Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year this season. Felix is a four-year recipient of the Maine Maritime Athletics Department Elite 8 Award, which recognizes the men's and women's student-athletes with the highest cumulative GPA in each academic class. Felix is also the President of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), and holds the most prestigious honor in the women's basketball program, the Ed and Louise Biggie Locker.
Male Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year – Tristan Walker (Virginia Beach, Va.), sailing
Walker, a senior Oceanography major, boasts a 3.85 GPA and is a four-year member and captain of the Maine Maritime sailing team. Through his leadership skills and dedication to the program, Walker has earned the Maine Maritime Sailing Leadership Award this season. Walker is also an active member in multiple activities on campus, such as Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC), Title IX/DEI Initiative, Allyship Training, and Environmental Action Club. Walker also brought the first Maritime Academy Climate Symposium to campus this spring.
Click HERE to view the stream and HERE for more pictures of the celebration.
