Lander Athletics Hosts 7th Annual Golden Claw Awards

GREENWOOD – The Lander Athletics Department held its annual Golden Claw Awards Ceremony on Monday evening, April 28, at Finis Horne Arena. The event, started in the 2017-18 school year, is held each April to honor the achievements and accomplishments of student-athletes throughout the year.

Each year, the department presents four major awards: the Boyce M. Grier Award, the M.V. Wells Male Athlete of the Year Award, the Dr. Samuel C. Hodges Female Athlete of the Year Award, and the Bell/Williams Team Award. The names of all four award winners are engraved on plaques and displayed in the main lobby of Horne Arena.

Luke Johnson, a redshirt junior baseball player from Anderson, S.C., received the Boyce M. Grier Award as the Lander student-athlete who best exemplifies sportsmanship, integrity, pride in the university, and a positive attitude. As a student-teacher and vice president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), Johnson has also pitched to a 4-1 record this season. Off the field, he organized the baseball team's first-ever Red, White, and Code Blue game to honor military personnel and first responders in the community.

Carter Wilcox, a senior from Harrisburg, N.C., received the M.V. Wells Award, given annually to Lander's Male Athlete of the Year. The award recognizes a male student-athlete of athletic ability, outstanding character, academic achievement, and leadership that extends beyond sports.

Wilcox has excelled on the field as a four-time All-Peach Belt First Team selection, the 2025 PBC Offensive Player of the Year, a two-time All-Region honoree (2023, 2024), and a USILA All-American in 2024. Off the field, he holds a 3.60 GPA and serves as president of the Lander Rotaract Club.

Katie Miller, a junior from Sugar City, Idaho, was named the Dr. Samuel C. Hodges Female Athlete of the Year. The award honors a female student-athlete for her athletic ability, character, academic achievement, and leadership both on and off the field.

Miller served as team captain for the Lander volleyball team, which won its first-ever Peach Belt title in the fall and advanced to its first NCAA Southeast Region Championship Game in program history. She became the first Bearcat to earn PBC Player of the Year honors and has been named PBC Player of the Week more times than any player in conference history. Miller currently holds every major school record for hitting statistics.

The volleyball team also received the Bell/Williams Award, presented annually to the team with the highest overall score based on winning percentage, grade point average, and campus and community involvement. The award, established in 2007, honors two longtime university employees: Cheryl Bell, former women's tennis coach and associate athletic director/SWA, and Betty Williams, former faculty athletic representative. This marks the second time the volleyball program has received the award (2014-15).

Individual Team Awards

Sport	MVP	Sportsmanship	Academic
Women's Soccer	Emma Sexton	Maren White	Kaitlyn Thompson
Men's Soccer	Zach Meyer	Drew Singletary	Kyle Nicholl
Women's Cross Country	Carly Fuel	Kayla Barnhardt	Rachel Schenck
Men's Cross Country	Noah Chevalier	Trey Sloan	--
Volleyball	Katie Miller	Sam Alwardt	Ellyn Adams
Men's Basketball	Inady Legiste	Terry Leonard Jr	Will Stewart
Women's Basketball	Quadaija Langley	Abby Carter	Quadaija Langley
Women's Golf	Kajsa Lindqvist	Victoria Callahan	Elizabeth Bradley
Men's Golf	Gaston Edberg	Eddie Rahm	Charlie Beiers
Women's Tennis	Maria Zarza	Hannah Panchal	Hannah Panchal
Men's Tennis	Harry Pugh	Ismail Elshafei	Mouad Naoui
Softball	Emily Allen	Sam Bumgarner	Linda Moore
Baseball	Evan Wickeri	Luke Johnson	Tyler Johnson
Cheer	Kristen Davis	Summer Tinnell	Rileigh Hill
Dance	Lillie McCloy	Karlie Dean	Kaitlyn Beaudreau
Men's Rugby	Nathan Charbonnel	Jacob Gregory	Zachary Banks
Women's Rugby	Kaitlyn Ausmus	Carmen Spears	Kacey Reynoso
Acrobatics and Tumbling	Avery Marquis	Madison Owens	Rhianna Philcox
Men's Lacrosse	Carter Wilcox	Jack Kinney	Nicholas Paige
Women's Lacrosse	Kara Krusbe	Jenna Paolozzi	Jenna Paolozzi
Wrestling	David Hunsberger	Isham Peace	Hayden Lawter
Bass Fishing	Anderson Jones	Gabriel Allen	Hampton Shull
E-Sports	Brandon Pack	Harrison Bell	Auron Moore
Women's Track and Field	Jakeira Anderson	Tymia Willis	--
Men's Track and Field	Michael Balkman	Khalil Wright	Matthew Peach
Equestrian	Klaire Rice	Riley Gunter	Emma King
Women's Field Hockey	Victoria Hulst	Victoria Hulst	Isabel Elenga

Strength and Conditioning Awards

Male Iron Claw	Josh Davies
Female Iron Claw	Zoe Cotheran
Finkbeiner Family Team Iron Claw	Men's Lacrosse

Special Awards

Play of the Year - Women's Soccer GWG vs Lenior-Rhyne for First-Ever NCAA Tournament Win
Best Celebration - Volleyball after clinching share of PBC Title vs Augusta
Male Freshman of the Year - Christian Davis - Wrestling
Female Freshman of the Year - Caroline Nicholson - Women's Lacrosse
Male Breakout Athlete of the Year - Isham Peace - Wrestling
Female Breakout Athlete of the Year - Carly Fuel - Cross Country/Track and Field
Most Involved Student-Athlete - Puck Hoenderdos - Field Hockey

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

#10 Tyler Johnson: Freshman

#3 Ellyn Adams: S; 5' 5"; Senior

#15 Katie Miller: OH; 6' 1"; Junior

#8 Sam Alwardt: L/DS; 5' 4"; Freshman

#8 Emma Sexton: F; 5' 4"; Senior

#19 Kaitlyn Thompson: M/D; Senior

#18 Maren White: M; 5' 9"; Senior

#1 Isabel Elenga: GK; 5' 7"; Junior

#2 Victoria Hulst: D; 5' 9"; Junior

#6 Puck Hoenderdos: M; 5' 7"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#10 Tyler Johnson
: Freshman

#3 Ellyn Adams
: 5' 5"; Senior
: S

#15 Katie Miller
: 6' 1"; Junior
: OH

#8 Sam Alwardt
: 5' 4"; Freshman
: L/DS

#8 Emma Sexton
: 5' 4"; Senior
: F

#19 Kaitlyn Thompson
: Senior
: M/D

#18 Maren White
: 5' 9"; Senior
: M

#1 Isabel Elenga
: 5' 7"; Junior
: GK

#2 Victoria Hulst
: 5' 9"; Junior
: D

#6 Puck Hoenderdos
: 5' 7"; Freshman
: M