Athletic Department Hosts 63rd Annual All-Sports Gala – Providence College Athletics

63rd Annual All-Sports Gala Program (PDF)

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Providence College Athletics Department hosted its 63rd Annual All-Sports Gala on Monday, April 22. The department also recognized this year’s inductees to the Providence College Letterwinner’s Society.

 

Junior guard Devin Carter (Miami, Fla.) was named Male Athlete of the Year for Team Sports following an impressive season with the men’s basketball team in which he was named BIG EAST Player of the Year. He is just the second Friar all-time to earn the league’s highest honor, joining Kris Dunn, who was a two-time winner in 2015 and 2016. Carter also was the recipient of the Rev. Robert A. Morris, O.P. ’46 Memorial Award, which is given annually to a student-athlete who has had a profound impact on Providence College during their career, as selected by the Athletic Director and the senior administrative staff. 

 

Senior Will Layden (Farmington, Conn.), was named Male Athlete of the Year for Individual Sports for a second-consecutive year. Layden successfully defended his BIG EAST individual titles in the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard freestyle and was named Most Outstanding Swimmer at the 2024 BIG EAST Swimming & Diving Championships.

 

On the women’s side, senior forward Meg Hughes (Rochester, Mass.) was recognized as Female Athlete of the Year for Team Sports after leading the women’s soccer program to its second NCAA Tournament appearance in the last three years. Hughes earned All-BIG EAST First-Team recognition for the second time in her career and became the first Friar in program history to land a spot on All-BIG EAST First or Second Team during each of her four years with the program. 

 

Junior Kimberley May (Auckland, New Zealand), who is in the midst of a stellar cross country and track career at Providence, claimed Female Athlete of the Year for Individual Sports. May is a four-time BIG EAST Champion and three-time All-American with the Friars.

 

Senior Shannon Flockhart (Longstanton, England) of the women’s cross country and track programs was the winner of the Paul Connolly Award as the female senior student-athlete who has distinguished herself among her peers through sportsmanship, courage and honor. 

 

Senior Chase Yoder (Fairview, Texas) of the men’s ice hockey team was the recipient of the Mal Brown Award. The Mal Brown Award is given annually to the male senior student-athlete whose career of intercollegiate competition portrayed sportsmanship, courage and honor.

 

The Sine Qua Non Awards, given annually to the male and female senior student-athletes who have distinguished themselves among their peers without receiving proper recognition, were presented to graduate student Josh Oduro (Gainesville, Va.) of the men’s basketball team and senior Lilly Tuck (Sunderland, Canada) of the women’s cross country and track teams. 

 

Senior field hockey player Emily Antunes (Lebanon, N.J.) was the recipient of the Jane Thompson Award, which is presented to the male or female senior student-athlete who personifies all that is good about being a student-athlete at Providence College and exhibits selflessness, dedication, loyalty, courage and perseverance.

 

Carter had one of the top seasons in the history of Friar basketball.  Carter was just the second Friar player ever to be named BIG EAST Player of the Year.  He accomplished that feat after he became the eighth PC player all-time to capture the league scoring title (21.4 ppg in 20 league contests).  Carter also led the league in overall scoring (19.7 ppg).  Additionally, he finished second in defensive rebounds (7.7), fifth in three-point field goal percentage (.377), third in minutes (35.3), third in rebounding (8.7), fifth in three-point field goals made (2.6) and fourth in steals (1.8).  Carter scored 20 or more points 15 times in 2023-24 and he posted 14 double-doubles, including two games with 31 points and 13 rebounds — at St. John’s on January 10 and versus DePaul on February 17.  He also was named Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American, First Team All-BIG EAST, Associated Press First Team All-BIG EAST, BIG EAST All-Tournament Team, NABC All-District 5 First Team, Naismith Player of the Year Semifinalist, Lute Olsen Player of the Year Finalist and Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year Finalist.

 

Layden, who earned Providence College Athlete of the Year (Individual Sports) for a second-straight year, has established himself as the most decorated men’s swimmer in program history. He won individual BIG EAST titles in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard freestyle for the second-consecutive season. In addition to topping the podium and earning All-BIG EAST honors in the 50 and 100-yard free, he also claimed All-BIG EAST accolades as a member of the 200-yard freestyle relay team. He and his teammates [McGovern Brown, Alex Beauchene and Nathan Thayer] earned a second-place finish in the event. It marked the highest finish for Providence College in a relay event at the BIG EAST Championships in program history, while also setting a school record. Layden was tabbed Most Outstanding Swimmer at the conclusion of the Championships. During his career, Layden secured a total of four BIG EAST individual titles, marking the most titles by a male swimmer at Providence all-time.    

 

Hughes played all four years for the Friars, appearing in 70 games, logging 61 starts. She finished her career at Providence College tied for fourth all-time in career scoring, with 59 points. As a senior in 2023, she led the team in scoring with 16 points on eight goals. She is the only player in program history to earn All-BIG EAST honors in four seasons. Hughes was named to the All-BIG EAST First Team in 2021 and 2023 and claimed Second-Team honors in 2020 and 2022. In 2020, she also earned BIG EAST Freshman of the Year.

 

May is in the midst of a standout year for cross country and track. After winning the Friar Cross Country Invitational, she went on to finish second at the BIG EAST Championship and second at the NCAA Northeast Regional Championship. She is a four-time BIG EAST Champion and a three-time All-American. In January, May broke the program record in the mile that was previously set by Kim Smith 20 years ago. May’s mile time of 4:27.85 ranks ninth all-time in NCAA history. May also anchored the distance medley relay team that finished in a time of 10:44.07 that broke a program record and ranks second all-time in NCAA history. 

 

Flockhart has established herself firmly in cross country and track program history. During the 2023 cross country season, Flockhart helped the program to the NCAA Championship. She placed ninth at the BIG EAST Championship, 13^th at the NCAA Northeast Regionals and was the team’s top finisher at the NCAA Championship in 69^th place. She was a member of the distance medley relay team that ran the second fastest time in NCAA history during the 2023-24 indoor season. Flockhart also has won seven BIG EAST titles and is a four-time All-American in track. 

 

Yoder, a co-captain of the men’s hockey team in 2023-24, led the Friars in goals (11) and ranked third on the team in points (20), which were both career-highs. He ranked seventh in Hockey East with 360 wins at the faceoff dot and finished tied for third in the league with two shorthanded goals. Yoder was the program’s nominee for the Hobey Baker Award in 2023-24. In 135 career games at Providence, Yoder tallied 27 goals and 25 assists for 52 points. Five of his 27 goals were game winners. Yoder will return to the Friars in 2024-25 as a graduate student for his fifth season.

 

Oduro made his mark in the BIG EAST in 2023-24. He transferred to Providence after a four-year career at George Mason.  Oduro, who ranked 10th in the league in scoring (15.9), also ranked seventh in the league in blocked shots (1.3), fifth in field goal percentage (.527), seventh in free-throw percentage (.819), sixth in defensive rebounds (5.2), seventh in rebounding (7.5) and ninth in offensive rebounds (2.3). He registered five double-doubles in 2023-24. Oduro also posted nine performances with 20 or more points, including a season-high 32-point effort versus Creighton on February 7. For his efforts he was named Honorable Mention All-BIG EAST.

  

Tuck is a five-year member of the cross country and track programs at Providence College. As a member of the team, she is a two-time BIG EAST champion and a three-time qualifier for the first round of NCAA’s in outdoor track. She has been a scoring member for the cross country and track programs at BIG EAST and NCAA Championships. From the 3,000 meters to the 10,000 meters, Tuck has been vital in the success of the program. Tuck has achieved all this while pursuing a double major in biology and psychology.   

 

Antunes, a four-year member of the field hockey team and senior captain, embodies all the characteristics outlined in the Jane Thompson Award selection criteria – selflessness, dedication, loyalty, courage and perseverance. During her career, she played 50 games for the Friars’ defensive unit, including 47 appearances in the starting line-up. She excelled in the classroom as a four-time NFHCA Division I National Academic Squad selection and is on track to become a four-time BIG EAST All-Academic Team honoree. The NFHCA also recognized Antunes as a two-time Scholar of Distinction, which honors student athletes for achieving a cumulative GPA of 3.9-or-higher. Antunes also poured herself into her role as a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), helping to conduct countless community services efforts.

 

The women’s soccer program claimed the 2024 Driscoll Cup. The winner of the Driscoll Cup is determined through a competition among all varsity teams each academic year, which provides student-athletes with the opportunity to earn points in various categories – com­petitive performance, academic performance and community service and involvement.

 

Three student-athletes also were recognized as Senior Scholar-Athletes during the annual awards gala, and included Sammie Ruggles (volleyball), Rachel Weiss (women’s ice hockey) and Josh Lewin (men’s cross country/track).

 

The athletic department also recognized more than 100 student-athletes who were inducted into the Letter Winner’s Society. The society was established in 2003-04 and student-athletes are inducted annually, using a criteria that has been developed for each sport by the head coaches and athletic department administrators.

A complete list of inductees is below.

 

VOLLEYBALL

Alicja Pokrzywa, Macy Taylor, Miller McDonald, Lyric Berry, Shea Dupuis 

 

MEN’S SOCCER

Nathan Messer, Afonso Serrano, Bernardo Prego, Rodrigo Vaza Ferreira, Bruno Rosa, Mitchel Varley, Brandon Marshall, Pearse O’Brien, Sam Montalto, Alexi Karalis 

 

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Corinne Dente, Katherine McElroy, Emma Derry, Ava Beckett, Marryn Gruhn, Kayla Briggs  

 

FIELD HOCKEY

Hannah McKenney, Charlotte Lorden, Bo Martina, Macie Pennisi, Lily Procaccianti, Florencia Talarico 

 

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Sarah Bandoma, Laryn Edwards, Marta Morales Romero, Sophi Hall, Ugne Sirtautaite, Kendall Eddy, Bella McLaughlin  

 

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Garwey Dual, Ticket Gaines, Rich Barron, Josh Oduro 

 

WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY

Grace Shirley, Hannah Johnson, Kiara Kraft, Peyton Blaney, Audrey Knapp 

 

MEN’S ICE HOCKEY

Cal Kiefiuk, Luke Krys, Matt Hubbarde, Hudson Malinoski, Tanner Adams, Clint Levens, Andrew Centrella, Graham Gamache 

 

WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING

Kara Dixon, Brooke Sowka, Liza Goetcheus, Natalia Robak, Rory Sheridan, Lauren Wagner, Mackenzie Riga, Bella Lombard, Julia Renzelmann, Julia Pelchat, Jacki Stadler, Delia Fritz, Elizabeth Burke

 

MEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING

Thomas Uybico, Aidan Puk, Quinn Schwab, Thomas Bowers, Kieran Duffy, Aiden Daly, Nick Bennett, Erik Hoie, Jonah Unruh

 

TENNIS

Liria Loria, Camila Barrera Aguirre, Erika Beltran Beckley

 

SOFTBALL

Sofia Peterson, Emma Eichten, Cameron Dunn, Brianna De La Fuente, Alyssa Twomey 

 

LACROSSE

Luke Jaber, Ryan Reilly, Chris Simonton, Tyler Flynn, Jackson Coutu, Owen Finetto, Luke Schmitt, Rhett Chambers, Carter Smith, Drew Clift, Scott Westrick, Luca Meola, Hunter Bisbee, Parker Kennedy

 

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY / TRACK & FIELD

Nik Ventura, Tyler Bartlett, Will Johnston, Jon Mignacca, Aidan Higley, Claudio Rocha

 

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY / TRACK & FIELD

Reese Fahys, Annabelle Eastman, Lexi Brent, Elena Cabral, Cara Laverty, Polly Bogdan, Kiera Hall, Maeve O’Neill

 

 

– GO FRIARS! –