CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - On Monday, May 6, 2024, the Lesley University Department of Athletics held the LES-ley Awards Banquet. It marked the first time since the spring of 2019 that an on-campus banquet was held for Athletics and the evening was centered around the three pillars of Leadership, Education and Sport.

Under this new banquet format, the Lynx Athletic Department will gather annually to honor all the outstanding work taking place throughout the year by student-athletes both in the classroom and in competition.

President Janet Steinmayer kicked off the evening with a warm welcome, recapping some of the amazing things that took place this year before throwing it over to the Lynx Director of Athletics and MC for the evening, Dan Campagna.

The awards ceremony took place in Marran Theater and Campagna guided the crowd through an interactive power point presentation showcasing some of the highlights throughout each season.

Along the way, the department recognized individuals for many things including North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Weekly Honors, NAC All-Sportsmanship Teams as well as NAC All-Conference recognitions.

Programs also put forward three representatives to be honored for standardized awards that included Team MVP, Unsung Hero and the LYNX Award.

All in attendance were invited to vote on the Standout Performance by a Male & Female Student Athlete after learning about six nominees from each gender.

The evening then transitioned into nominees for Rookie of the Year candidates followed by the presentation of awards for Senior Academic Achievement, Senior Athletic Achievement and Senior Leadership.

Campagna closed the evening with a surprise honor bestowed to longtime Lynx Head Coach Paul Vasconcelos, creating the Paul Vasconcelos Head Coach of the Year award, and presenting the inaugural honor to Vasconcelos in front of a standing ovation.

All major award winners honored are nominated by their Head Coaches or a Lesley University staff member before a selection committee of department representatives selects each award recipient based on the award descriptions.

2024 LES-ley Athletics Banquet Photo Gallery - Courtesy of Ryan Boyles Photography

Watch the Archived Live Stream of the 2024 LES-ley Athletics Banquet Here

Below is a list of all the award recipients at the 2024 LES-leys.

2023-24 North Atlantic Conference (NAC) All-Sportsmanship Representatives:

2024 LYNX Award

• Honors a member from every athletic program who best represents and exemplifies the spirit of Lesley athletics with heart, attitude, loyalty, scholarship, leadership and sportsmanship.

2024 Team Unsung Hero

• Given annually to a member of each athletic team who has exhibited leadership, dedication, and athletic achievement in quiet ways, which may have gone unrecognized throughout the season/year.

2024 Most Valuable Player/Performance

• Given annually to a student-athlete of each program who has excelled in competition and provided the greatest contribution to the athletic reputation of Lesley University through exceptional athletic achievement during the most-recent academic year of competition.

Standout Performance by a Male Student-Athlete

Dylan Langston – 4/7/24 vs. Husson – Complete Game Shutout Win, 7.0 IP, 5 K, 1.00 WHIP

Standout Performance by a Female Student-Athlete

Alexandra Kerley – 1/29/24 vs. Wentworth – 41 Points (single-game record), 20 rebounds, four blocks, two steals, 40 minutes played.

Perseverance Award - Given annually to a student-athlete who has shown great determination in overcoming physical setbacks.  Through hard work and dedication, this student-athlete has been able to overcome the challenges set forth and successfully return to athletic competition.

2023-24 Women's Basketball Team

Rookie of the Year - Given annually to a traditional first-year student-athlete who has excelled on the playing field and provided the greatest contribution to the athletic reputation of Lesley University through exceptional athletic achievement.

Dawson Romito – Men's Cross Country/Track & Field
Mary Osucha – Women's Tennis

Senior Academic Achievement Award - Given annually to a male and a female member of the senior class who combine excellence in the classroom with excellence on the playing field and have maintained the highest cumulative grade point average among the senior student-athletes.

DJ Alexander – Men's Basketball
Mia Santilli – Softball

Senior Athletic Achievement Award - Given annually to a senior athlete who has excelled on the playing field and provided the greatest contribution to the athletic reputation of Lesley University through exceptional athletic achievement.

James Brandon – Baseball
Alexandra Kerley – Women's Basketball

Senior Leadership Award - Given annually to a senior athlete who has distinguished themself by demonstrating the qualities desired to lead successful teams throughout their athletic career.

Jesus Moscat – Baseball
Tatiana Ledesma – Women's Soccer

Paul Vasconcelos Coach of the Year Award - Appointed annually by the Director of Athletics, this honor recognizes a member of the Lesley University Athletics Coaching staff that has had the biggest impact on their team's success in competition, the classroom and community while also having a positive influence on the rest of the Lesley community. 

Paul Vasconcelos – Women's Soccer