General 4/29/2026 11:08:00 AM Turner Kirby - Director of Athletic Communications

Lander Athletics Hosts 8th Annual Golden Claw Awards

GREENWOOD – The Lander Athletics Department held its eighth annual Golden Claw Awards Ceremony on Monday, April 27, at Finis Horne Arena. The event, which began during the 2017-18 academic year, is held each April to recognize the achievements of Lander student-athletes.

Each year, four major awards are presented: 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.
Ashlyn Shively, a junior member of the acrobatics and tumbling team from Pinehurst, North Carolina, received the Boyce M. Grier Award, which honors the student-athlete who best exemplifies sportsmanship, integrity, pride in the university and a positive attitude.

In addition to her success on the mat, where she became the first Conference Carolinas Athlete of the Year in program history and helped lead Lander to its first conference title, Shively has maintained a 4.0 GPA while pursuing a degree in medical biology with a minor in chemistry. She also volunteers at a local hospital and tutors fellow students in the Student Success Center.

David Hunsberger, a senior wrestler from Duncan, South Carolina, earned the M.V. Wells Award as Lander's Male Athlete of the Year for the second time in his career. The award recognizes excellence in athletic performance, character, academics and leadership.

Hunsberger is just the third athlete in program history to win the award multiple times and the first since David Wilson in 2004 and 2005. Claes Persson also earned the honor twice in 1995 and 1997.
He capped one of the most decorated careers in Lander Athletics history by winning his third consecutive NCAA national championship in March. Hunsberger finished his career with a 123-9 record and earned four all-conference honors, two conference wrestler of the year awards and two Super Region II wrestler of the year honors. He is also a four-time Super Region II champion, four-time All-American and four-time national qualifier. His third national title made him the 25th three-time national champion in Division II history, and he was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler, becoming the first Lander and Conference Carolinas wrestler to earn the honor.

Kajsa Lindqvist, a senior golfer from Gothenburg, Sweden, was named the Dr. Samuel C. Hodges Female Athlete of the Year. The award honors a female student-athlete for excellence in athletics, academics, character and leadership.

Lindqvist is a four-time first-team All-Peach Belt Conference selection and a 2025 Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) second-team All-American. She has also earned WGCA All-Region South honors and is a three-time WGCA All-America Scholar. She owns two career tournament wins and finished tied for fourth at the 2025 NCAA Division II National Championship at 8-under par. Lindqvist is tied for the Peach Belt Conference record for lowest round (65) and holds Lander program records for lowest round and career scoring average. She has recorded 16 top-five finishes and 25 top-10 finishes in her career and has been named PBC Player of the Week eight times, including a program-record five times during the 2025-26 season. She carries a 71.9 scoring average this year.

The Lander volleyball team earned the Bell/Williams Award for the second straight year. The award is presented annually to the team with the highest overall score based on winning percentage, grade-point average, and campus and community involvement.

Established in 2007, the award honors longtime university contributors Cheryl Bell, former women's tennis coach and associate athletic director/senior woman administrator, and Betty Williams, former faculty athletic representative. This marks the third time the volleyball program has received the award (2014-15, 2024-25, 2025-26)

Team Individual Awards

Sport	MVP	Integrity	Academic
Women's Soccer	Kylie Wilson	Maddie Leber	Katherine Blain
Men's Soccer	Ryosuke Tanaka	Zach Meyer	Giacomo Sartori
Women's Cross Country	Carly Fuel	Amara Hille	Rachel Schenck
Men's Cross Country	Noah Chevalier	Cooper Mayo	Ethan Waites
Volleyball	Katie Miller	Sam Alwardt	Andrea Crawford
Men's Basketball	Jacob Daniels	Bryce Edwards	Wil Stewart
Women's Basketball	Quadaijia Langley	Camillea Gore	Quadaija Langley
Women's Golf	Kajsa Lindqvist	Isabel Ewers	Alix Kundinger
Men's Golf	Edward Rahm	Noah Curdt	Noah Curdt
Women's Tennis	Evelyn Altmaier	Sydney Caulder	Maria Zarza Mojoli
Men's Tennis	Harry Pugh	Julian Peter	Ismail Elshafei
Softball	Emily Allen	Chloe Manders	Mattye Geddings
Baseball	Josh Sanchez	Ethan Barbee	Dalton Stroud
Cheer	McKenzie Watson	Jenifer Duran-Ibarra	Rileigh Hill
Dance	Lillie McCoy	Lauren Gunderson	Kaitlyn Beaudreau
Men's Rugby	Tian Janse van Rensburg	William Watts	Key Mursier
Women's Rugby	Lily Venegas	Lexi Zloba	Maria Ibarra
Acrobatics and Tumbling	Ashlyn Shively	Cayden Groome	Rhianna Philcox
Men's Lacrosse	Carson Skinner	Sean Reilly	Tyler Fot
Women's Lacrosse	Kaia Morey	Caroline Nicholson	Jenna Paolozzi
Wrestling	David Hunsberger	Isham Peace	Oren Decker
Bass Fishing	Andrew Blanton	Chase Wodzinski	Clay Taylor
E-Sports	Jason Tavares	Andre Gonzalez	Joel Guillen
Women's Track and Field	Tymia Willis	Kalyna McLaren	Emma Avant
Men's Track and Field	Mike Balkman	Dylan Gilder	Matthew Peach
Equestrian	Jennifer Gaspich	Shelby Green	Abigail Glover
Women's Field Hockey	Victoria Hulst	Mickey Bond	Victoria Hulst

Strength and Conditioning Awards
Male Iron Claw: Sean Reilly - Men's Lacrosse
Female Iron Claw: Katherine Blain - Women's Soccer
Finkbeiner Family Team Iron Claw - Men's Basketball

Special Awards
Play of the Year - Maddie Leber's Game Winner in the NCAA Tournament vs. Catawba
Best Celebration - Garrett Smith and Andrew Blanton winning the fish-off for their second straight Bassmaster National Title
Male Freshman of the Year - Jacob Daniels - Men's Basketball
Female Freshman of the Year - Emorie Anderson - Softball
Male Breakout Athlete of the Year - Grayson Pritzl - Men's Basketball
Female Breakout Athlete of the Year - Mattye Geddings - Softball
Female Ultimate Fan - Sille Hansen - Women's Soccer
Male Ultimate Fan - Nathan Charbonnel - Men's Rugby
Male Team Engagement Award - Men's Soccer
Female Team Engagement Award - Field Hockey
Club Team Engagement Award - Men's Rugby

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Players Mentioned

Maria Ibarra: Wing; 5' 2"; Freshman

William Watts: Sophomore

Ethan Waites: Junior

Emma Avant: Junior

#24 Quadaija Langley: PG; 5' 7"; Senior

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

#23 Andrea Crawford: L/DS; 5' 6"; Junior

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

Lily Venegas: Prop; Junior

Lexi Zloba: Center; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Maria Ibarra
: 5' 2"; Freshman
: Wing

William Watts
: Sophomore

Ethan Waites
: Junior

Emma Avant
: Junior

#24 Quadaija Langley
: 5' 7"; Senior
: PG

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

#23 Andrea Crawford
: 5' 6"; Junior
: L/DS

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

Lily Venegas
: Junior
: Prop

Lexi Zloba
: Freshman
: Center