PASADENA, Calif. – Caltech Athletics held its annual Student-Athlete Celebration on Sunday, a tradition of recognizing and honoring the achievements of Caltech's outstanding individual and team athletic and academic performances.
The ceremony honored what was an incredibly successful year for Caltech Athletics, which saw a plethora of individual and team records on top of nearly 30 individual All-SCIAC performances and even more student-athletes named to Academic All-District teams.
Simon Hu, Naci Keskin, Chris Pukszta and Leo Yang of the men's swim & dive team were given special recognition for their performance at NCAA Nationals, where the four swimmers earned All-American Honorable Mention honors in the 800-yard freestyle relay. Thanks to the four swimmers, Caltech ranked fifth among SCIAC teams in the Learfield Director's Cup, which awards points to teams which score at the NCAA Championships.
Several other Caltech teams were also recognized for achieving their most successful seasons in school history.
The women's soccer team was celebrated for earning its first-ever conference wins, capped by a shutout on senior day to finish ahead of La Verne in the conference standings. The team was led by head coach Jen Clark, who won SCIAC Women's Soccer Coach of the Year.
In the spring, the women's tennis team peaked at No. 16 among all DIII teams in the nation amid an outstanding season, while men's tennis reached No. 13 and played in the SCIAC Championship final after finishing the season in second place and winning a legendary semifinal matchup at home.
The department also honored the women's water polo team, which earned sole possession of the Collegiate Water Polo Association's national No. 10 spot for the first time in program history – all while playing in the most competitive water polo conference in NCAA Division III.
In the individual awards, the department awarded the men's and women's student-athlete winners in four categories: Scholar Athlete of the Year, Sportsperson of the Year, Athlete of the Year, and the Director's Award, as chosen by Director of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation, Betsy Mitchell.
Scholar Athletes of the Year
From left: Sam Klauer, Betsy Mitchell, Katherine Pan. Photo by Bob Paz
The Scholar Athlete award was presented to the senior student-athletes who have maintained the highest cumulative grade point average while also making significant commitments and contributions to their sports over their careers. This year, the award was given to Katherine Pan of women's swim & dive, and Sam Klauer of men's soccer.
Sportspeople of the Year
From left: Will Dembski, Katherine Pan, Betsy Mitchell. Photo by Bob Paz
As President of the Caltech Student-Athlete Advisory Council, Katherine Pan presented the 11th annual Sportsperson Award, in which athletes are nominated and voted on by teammates. The award goes to the student-athletes who served as the best example of what a Caltech athlete should strive to be. This year, the plaques were presented to senior Will Dembski from baseball and senior Lauren Garriques (not pictured above) of women's cross country and track & field.
Athletes of the Year
First photo, from left: Sophie Dalfonzo, Betsy Mitchell, Kathryn Edwards. Second photo, from left: Naci Keskin, Betsy Mitchell, Will Dembski. Photos by Bob Paz
The department presented the Athlete of the Year awards to the student-athletes who have made the most outstanding contribution to their teams during the 2022-23 year. The award is selected by vote of the athletic department staff from the team MVPs. The winners in the women's category were sophomore Sophie Dalfonzo of women's cross country and track & field and sophomore Kathyrn Edwards of women's basketball; the men's winners were Dembski and Keskin.
Director's Award
From left: Amanda Piyapanee, Betsy Mitchell, Ben Juarez
FInally, Mitchell presented the Director's Award, which is awarded to one senior from a men's team and one from a women's team who each have participated in athletics for at least two years and have made the most outstanding contribution to intercollegiate athletics as a whole during their Caltech career.
"In competition, they represent Caltech with poise, integrity and the spirit of competitive play," said Mitchell. "Beyond competition, they are stewards of the scholar, athlete and citizen, displaying leadership, character and maturity."
This year's Director's Awards were presented to Amanda Piyapanee of women's water polo and Ben Juarez of men's basketball and soccer.
Following the award ceremony, the spirited festivities continued in the courtyard in front of Braun Athletic Center, as the department officially unveiled the new beaver statue and revealed its name as voted on by Caltech students.
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