ATHENS, W.Va. - The Concord Athletic Department celebrated the 2025-26 academic year with the Second Annual Concord Champions Gala as the Roaries were handed out to several student-athletes Wednesday night inside the Alexander Fine Arts Building.
Each individual program had its athletes of the year announced while 20 other awards were voted on by Concord coaches and athletic department personnel.
Below is a rundown of winners for the event.
Individual Sport Winners
| Sport |
Winner |
Key Honors/Stats |
| Baseball |
Kaden Varela-Payne |
Leads the MEC in strikeouts, four-time MEC Pitcher of the Week |
| Cheer |
Lauren Curry |
Skilled in all facets of cheerleading |
| Dance |
Teagan Sweeney |
Team leader on a first-year program |
| Football |
Ethan Rennels |
All-MEC Second Team, one of the best defensive lineman in the conference |
| Men's Basketball |
Boubacar Djigo |
MEC Defensive Player of the Year, All-Atlantic Region Second Team |
| Men's Cross Country |
Braden Ward |
All-Atlantic Region, All-MEC First Team |
| Men's Golf |
Jackson Williams |
All-MEC Honorable Mention |
| Men's Soccer |
Malher Santi Possu |
First Team All-American, All-Atlantic Region Second Team, All-MEC First Team |
| Men's Track & Field |
Dom Collins |
Second Team All-American, MEC Champion in 60-meter dash |
| Softball |
Madison Hollis |
Tied for team lead in home runs (8), top five in MEC in wins |
| Volleyball |
Meg Williams |
All-MEC First Team, All-MEC Tournament Team, led team to 20-win season |
| Women's Basketball |
Abbie Smith |
Second Team All-American, Atlantic Region Player of the Year, MEC Player of the Year |
| Women's Cross Country |
Violet Wall |
All-MEC First Team, MEC Freshman of the Year |
| Women's Golf |
Kendra Lugo |
All-MEC Honorable Mention |
| Women's Soccer |
Ella Rowell |
All-Atlantic Region Second Team, All-MEC First Team |
| Women's Track & Field |
Cassidy Hammonds |
MEC Champion in the heptathlon, broke four school records between indoor and outdoor season |
The following awards came from nominations from Concord head coaches and were then voted on by the head coaches as well as other athletic department personnel.
Award Winners
| Award |
Winner |
Sport |
Description |
| Female Sport Community Service Team |
Women's Soccer |
|
Assisted in Mercer County Special Olympics and Athens Elementary Fall Festival |
| Highest GPA Female Sport |
Women's Golf |
|
Cumulative GPA of 3.55 |
| Highest GPA Male Sport |
Men's Golf |
|
Cumulative GPA of 3.20 |
| Female Breakthrough Athlete |
Maddie Stull |
Volleyball |
Fourth on the team in kills, helped team win 20 games for first time in 23 years |
| Male Breakthrough Athlete |
Ar'Terrian Godfrey |
Football |
Fourth on the team in tackles after spending freshman year on special teams |
| Female Newcomer |
Kenyah Stubbs |
Women's Basketball |
All-MEC First Team, top 10 in MEC in points and assists |
| Male Newcomer |
Kaden Varela-Payne |
Baseball |
Leads the MEC in strikeouts, four-time MEC Pitcher of the Week |
| Mountain Lion Pride |
Jeremiah Green |
Football |
One of the loudest and proudest athletes walking the Concord campus |
| Female Scholar-Athlete |
Josi Ervin |
Softball |
3.84 GPA as a regular starter on the softball team, will graduate in three years |
| Male Scholar-Athlete |
Erik Lotysz |
Men's Soccer |
First Team Academic All-American, Second Team All-MEC, class valedictorian |
| Individual Record-Breaking Performance |
Cassidy Hammonds |
Women's Track |
Broke three school records in the pentathlon, long jump and 60-meter hurdles at the MEC Indoor Championships |
| Female Play |
Kennedy Scales |
Women's Basketball |
Buzzer-beater jump shot to beat Charleston 73-71 on the road |
| Male Play |
Kraig Gilbert |
Men's Basketball |
Buzzer-beater three-pointer to defeat California (Pa.) at home, 81-79 |
| Tom Bone Perseverance |
Kristy McCord |
Softball |
Came back from thoracic outlet syndrome and four concussions to be everyday starter as a sophomore |
| Male Senior Class |
Ted Roberts |
Men's Soccer |
All-MEC First Team, All-MEC Second Team, Two-time All-Atlantic Region |
| Female Senior Class |
Abbie Smith |
Women's Basketball |
Four-time All-MEC, top three in program history in points and rebounds, two-time All-Atlantic Region |
| Female Athlete |
Abbie Smith |
Women's Soccer |
Second Team All-American, Atlantic Region Player of the Year, MEC Player of the Year |
| Male Athlete |
Boubacar Djigo |
Men's Basketball |
MEC Defensive Player of the Year, All-Atlantic Region Second Team |
