ELKINS, W.Va. – Davis & Elkins College student-athletes, coaches, and staff gathered for a night of celebration and recognition at the annual DESPY Awards, hosted inside Senate Commons. The event highlighted the outstanding accomplishments of the athletic department, grounded in the four core pillars of Education, Engagement, Character, and Competition.
"The DESPYs are the pinnacle event for athletics each year," said Director of Athletics Dr. Jennifer Riggleman. "This year that tradition continued as a proud celebration of accomplishments of our student-athletes in the categories that create the foundation of our athletic program—Education, Engagement, Character, and Competition."
The most prestigious individual honors went to Male Athlete of the Year Jan Thewes and Female Athlete of the Year Lauren Twyman, both members of the nationally-ranked cross country teams. Thewes earned a host of accolades in 2024–25, including NCAA National Championship qualifier, NCAA Atlantic Region Individual Champion and Athlete of the Year, MEC Champion and MEC Athlete of the Year, and USTFCCCA National Runner of the Week. He was also a key contributor to the Senators' MEC title, regional title, and team qualification for the NCAA National Championships.
Twyman mirrored Thewes' success on the women's side, also leading her team to conference and regional titles while setting a program record in the 6K. She was an NCAA National Championship qualifier and earned first-team honors at the conference and regional levels. Both student-athletes were named to the USTFCCCA Regional All-Academic and MEC All-Academic teams.
Academic excellence was also recognized, with Brycen Sechler (baseball) and Becca Rodrigues (women's swimming) receiving Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors for holding the highest GPAs among senior student-athletes.
New to this year's celebration were awards for Game Day Workers of the Year, which went to Jonathan Bennett and Rylee Anderson for their service and dedication behind the scenes. The Senator Award, presented by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) for going above and beyond in support of the athletic department, was awarded to David Pomeroy, associate athletic director and head women's lacrosse coach.
The team-based Pillar Awards recognized standout programs across key values:
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Education: Men's Tennis (3.75 average GPA)
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Engagement: Women's Swimming (494 community service hours logged)
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Character: Softball (as voted by faculty/staff surveys)
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Competition: Men's Cross Country (best NCAA national finish in program history)
Capping the night, Men's Cross Country also earned the Senator Cup, presented to the team performing at the highest level across all four pillars.
The DESPYs underscored a year of remarkable success and growth for Davis & Elkins College Athletics, celebrating not just victories and records, but the values that define Senator Nation.
