PASADENA, CALIF. — Caltech Athletics honored its student-athletes at its annual Student-Athlete Celebration on Monday, as Braun Gymnasium served as the venue for a dinner and awards ceremony.
The night focused on celebrating Caltech student-athletes, but also included a staff award. Several Beavers were named to All-SCIAC teams in 2024-25, and several more earned Academic All-District honors. Moreover, Caltech teams and competitors surpassed many program records and top-10 performances during the course of the school year.
Scholar Athlete Award
The Scholar Athlete award recognizes student-athletes who have maintained the highest cumulative GPA in addition to making significant contributions to their respective sports over their careers. This year, Anna Szczuka (Scotch Plains, NJ / Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School) of Women's Tennis took home the honors. On the men's side, Siddartha Ojha (Lake Forest, Ill. / Lake Forest) of Swim & Dive took the plaque. Ojha was an Academic All-District award winner and also had the top time of the season in the 500-Freestyle event.
Athlete of the Year
Caltech awarded the Athlete of the Year to four recipients. One male and one female athlete from a team sport and an individual sport took home the accolade. The award recognized the person who has made the most outstanding competitive contributions to their team during a given season. The Men's Team-Sport Athlete of the Year was Matthew Luk (Bel Air, Md. / C. Milton Wright) of Men's Soccer. Luk led Men's Soccer in assists and points while tying for the team lead in goals. He also was named to the All-SCIAC First Team.
The Women's Team-Sport Athlete of the Year went to Kyra Phaychanpheng (Chino Hills, Calif. / Chino Hills) who competes in both Women's Basketball and Women's Track & Field. Phaychanpheng led the Beavers this season with 308 points and 135 rebounds.
On the Individual side, Luke Lamitina (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Winchester Thurston) won Male Athlete of the Year. Lamitina was a SCIAC champion this season in the Javelin Throw.
Jana Woo (Saratoga, Calif. / Monta Vista) of Women's Swim and Dive took home the Women's Individual-Sport Athlete of the Year. Woo won an Academic All-District Award this season and placed second in SCIAC in the 3m dive at the SCIAC Championships in 2026.
Rookie of The Year
The most outstanding first-year player on the men's and women's sides were awarded the Rookie of the Year. Riley Foard (San Francisco, Calif. / San Francisco University) of baseball took home the honor on the men's side. Foard led all Beavers with a .289 batting average this season.
Isabella Lo (San Jose, Calif. / The Harker School) of Women's Basketball took home the Women's Rookie of the Year Award. Lo led the Beavers in steals (47) and assists (58) this past season.
Comeback Player of the Year
For the first time, Caltech awarded the Comeback Player of the Year to the male athlete and female athlete "who faced adversity head-on and found a way to rise above it." The Women's Comeback Player of the Year award went to Zoe Chou (Chesterfield, N.J. / Northern Burlington County Regional High School) of Cross Country and Track & Field. Chou was sidelined with an injury halfway through the season but made an improbable comeback to compete in the 800-meter race at the SCIAC championships, finishing in 2:35.
Zachary Pestrikov (Rye, N.Y. / Iona Preparatory) claimed the Men's Comeback Athlete of the Year award. He ended the season with an incredible performance as the top scorer on the men's side as well as a three-time podium finisher at SCIACs in addition to setting the school 200 IM record.
Character Award
The Character Award "honors a student-athlete who consistently demonstrates integrity, leadership, and a deep commitment to their team and community." Madelyn Gilbert (Clovis, CA / Clovis East) of Women's Water Polo took home the award on the women's side. This season, Gilbert broke the program's single-season assist record with an incredible 116 assists, further adding to her legacy as the all-time leader in single-game, single-season and career assists.
Ishaan Mantripragada (Saratoga, Calif. / Harker School) of Men's Soccer also received the Character Award. He was the recipient of the SCIAC Award of Distinction this season in addition to being named Academic All-District for Men's Soccer.
Vince Riley Service Award
The final award of the night was a new award created to highlight the work of individuals whose work often happens behind the scenes but whose impact is felt by Caltech teams every day. Equipment Manager Vince Riley took home the award in his 45th year of service to Caltech. He received a standing ovation upon receiving the award.
