BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Senior captain Sam Orie (Greensburg, Pa.) was named the 2021 Patriot League Women's Indoor Track and Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year as announced by the conference office on Wednesday morning. Orie highlighted eight Navy track and field student-athletes who were named to the men's and women's Academic All-Patriot League teams.
Navy placed four men –
Ashwin Briggs (Pickerington, Ohio),
Sean Casey (Vienna, Va.),
Derek Gess (Haddonfield, N.J.), and
David Huizenga (Long Valley, N.J.) – and four women – Orie, Evelyn Berecz (Downington, Pa.), Molly Mangan (Pittsburgh, Pa.), and Maddie Warrender (Mount Wolf, Pa.) – on the teams.
Ten men's track and field student-athletes were named to the academic All-League squad, while 11 women made the team, with one additional spot being awarded due to a tie in the voting. Navy combined to place eight student-athletes on the two teams, while Army West Point received four spots and Lehigh had three honorees. American (2), Boston (2), Colgate, (1) and Loyola (1) all placed student-athletes on the men's and women's indoor track and field academic team.
Orie is a senior chemistry major with a 3.83 cumulative GPA and four-time Academic All-Patriot League selection. The three-time Second-Team All-Patriot League honoree posted Navy program records in the shot put (14.97m / 49-01.50) and weight throw (19.88m / 65-02.75) during the 2020-21 indoor season. She was a 2020 CoSIDA Academic All-District selection and is a four-time member of the Superintendent and Commandant's Lists at Navy.
Both Briggs (operations research) and Casey (aerospace engineering) earned Academic All-Patriot League honors for the second-consecutive indoor season. Gess (physics) and Huizenga (mechanical engineering) earned the recognition for their combined work in the classroom and competition for the first time. On the women's side, Berecz (Arabic), Mangan (robotics and control engineering) and Warrender (English) were all voted onto the squad for the first time.
Briggs is a three-time Patriot League champion, while also making multiple appearances on the Superintendent's List and Commandant's List. Casey is a four-time All-Patriot League performer, as well as an IC4A All-East honoree, who ranks first in academic order of merit and is in the top 25 in overall order of merit. In just their second years at the Academy, Gess and Huizenga are members of the Superintendent's List, Commandant's List, and Dean's List.
Berecz is an ECAC All-East performer in the triple jump, while being named to the Superintendent's List (4x) and Commandant's List (5x). Mangan is a two-time All-Patriot League performer who has made a pair of appearances on the Commandant's List, while Warrender is a 2020 CoSIDA Academic All-District selection who was named to the 2019 Patriot League All-Academic team for cross country.
Voting for the Patriot League Indoor Track and Field Men's and Women's Scholar-Athletes of the Year and Academic All-Patriot League Teams are conducted by the League men's and women's indoor track and field sports information directors.
The Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year for each sport comprises the pool of nominees for the Patriot League Male and Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards given out over the summer. One male and one female are selected for this honor.
To be eligible for the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award and the Academic All-Patriot League Team, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA and be a starter or key player in his/her sport. Freshmen or students in their first academic year at their school are not eligible for the honor.
2020-21 Patriot League Indoor Track & Field Men's Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Tyrese Bender, Army West Point, Sr., San Antonio, Texas/Fairfax
2020-21 Patriot League Indoor Track & Field Women's Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Sam Orie, Navy, Sr., Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield Area
2020-21 Patriot League Indoor Track & Field Men's Academic All-League Team
Mark Kopp, American, Jr.
Tyrese Bender, Army West Point, Sr.
Calvin Wetzel, Army West Point, So.
Aksel Laudon, Boston University, Jr.
Evan El-Halawani, Lehigh, Sr.
Michael Nardelli, Lehigh, Jr.
Ashwin Briggs, Navy, Jr.
Sean Casey, Navy, Jr.
Derek Gess, Navy, So.
David Huizenga, Navy, So.
2020-21 Patriot League Indoor Track & Field Women's Academic All-League Team
Nia Holden, American, So.
Hannah Blakey, Army West Point, So.
Anna Tovkach, Army West Point, Jr.
Cecelia Gerstenbacher, Boston Univ., Sr.
Rachel Schaaf, Colgate, Jr.
Teasha McKoy, Lehigh, Jr.
Grayce Heinemann, Loyola, Jr.
Evelyn Berecz, Navy, Sr.
Molly Mangan, Navy, So.
Sam Orie, Navy, Sr.
Maddie Warrender, Navy, Jr.
