BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Navy women's lacrosse's Charlotte Ryan, along with Bucknell field hockey's Clara McCormick and Colgate men's track and field's Brian Qian were named the recipients of the 2022-23 Patriot League Award of Outstanding Leadership and Character. McCormick, Qian and Ryan were selected by the administrators of the League's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
 
Bucknell's McCormick and Navy's Ryan are the second Patriot League student-athletes to tie for the honor. McCormick is the eighth Bison to receive the award, while Ryan is the first Midshipman to claim the honor. Qian is the third Raider to earn the award.
 
The Patriot League established the Award of Outstanding Leadership and Character to recognize individuals who demonstrate excellence in leadership and service while participating in Patriot League athletics. One male and one female student-athlete have been recognized since the award's inception in 2011-12, with ties for the women's accolade in the last two academic years.
 
Provided the minimum conduct standards are met, any Patriot League student-athlete or team is eligible for the award. The definition of leadership and character for this award includes but is not limited to any of the following ideals: demonstrated leadership on the "field" of competition and within the campus community; promotes a leadership vision for the betterment of one's team or teammates; mentorship of teammates; role model on campus; active participation in on-campus and/or community service projects; perseverance in overcoming hardships; demonstration of trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.
 
Charlotte Ryan, Navy Women's Lacrosse
Ryan, a captain and two-year starter at attack on the Navy women's lacrosse team, developed into one of the Mids' top offensive threats. Still, her leadership was just as important in helping a young squad knock off a pair of Top 25 teams during the 2023 regular season before advancing to the semifinals of the Patriot League Championship. 
 
"On and off the field, Charlotte Ryan is a leader," Navy women's lacrosse associate head coach Brooke Shriver said. "As an overwhelming choice for captain, she commands the respect of her teammates through her play, humility, and dedication. She leads through her dynamic play and on-field communication. Off the field, she is just as, if not more, organized for the team."
 
Ryan and her co-captain – All-League defender Athena Corroon – worked to inspire and motivate their teammates by developing accountability sheets and using the book The Hard Hat: 21 Ways to be a Great Teammate, as a guide. Before each game, Ryan and Corroon focused on one of the 21 ways to be a great teammate to help focus the minds of their teammates.
 
She was instrumental in developing the team motto "Got Your Six," referring to supporting each other on and off the field while taking time to selflessly tutor teammates and review sessions for the team's freshmen before a cyber exam. During exam week, Ryan also took time to meet with her teammates individually to check in.
 
"Charlotte truly leads by example," Corroon said. "She holds herself and those around her to an extremely high standard. She pushes herself and those around her to be better every day. Charlotte is an amazing leader and cares deeply for everyone she knows."
 
The Tully, N.Y. native set a strong academic example, maintaining a 3.8 cumulative GPA in mechanical engineering while rising to Second Battalion Executive Officer, meaning she is second in line to leading, managing and being responsible for a battalion of nearly 800 Midshipmen.
 
During the Fall of 2021, Ryan was named Midshipmen of the Semester, an honor bestowed upon one of 1,051 students in each term who embodies the Naval Academy Mission to "develop Midshipmen morally, mentally and physically and to imbue them with the highest ideals of duty, honor and loyalty in order to graduate leaders who are dedicated to a career of Naval service and have the potential for future development in mind and character to assume the highest responsibilities of command, citizenship and government."
 
"She is thoughtful, passionate, empathetic and respectful," Shriver said. "Charlotte may be a bit soft-spoken, but when she speaks, her teammates listen. She is a true leader by example in all facets, and we are lucky to have her."
 
About the Patriot League
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League's athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.