Miami Athletics Announces Annual Award Winners

Miami Athletics Announces Annual Award Winners

8/3/2023 9:55:00 AM | Field Hockey, Football, General, Softball, Swimming and Diving, Women's Soccer, Synchronized Skating, Track & Field, Cross Country

OXFORD, Ohio -- The Miami University Athletic Department announced the winners of its annual awards today, with the honorees set to be recognized during the home football game against Bowling Green on Saturday, Oct. 7.

Charlie Harders (track & field/cross country) was named Male Athlete of the Year for 2022-23, while Nicole Maier (swimming) and Isabelle Perese (field hockey) were chosen as Female Co-Athletes of the Year.

Jalen Walker (football) was selected as the Male Scholar Athlete of the Year, with Brianna Pratt (softball) and Carmen Riano (track & field/cross country) sharing Female Co-Scholar Athlete of the Year honors.

The Phillip Shriver Graduating Champions Medal of Honor – which is presented to an outstanding graduating male and female student-athlete who have been members of a championship team during their careers, along with being leaders and epitomizing Love and Honor – was awarded to Sam Pearl (track and field) and Alyssa Schmuecker (synchronized skating).

Camber Hayes (soccer) earned the Leann Grimes Davidge Award, while Ryan Smith (track and field) won the Darrell Hedric Award.

The Leann Grimes Davidge Award (awarded in memory of former women's tennis coach Leann Grimes Davidge) and the Darrell Hedric Award (awarded in honor of Miami alumnus, former men's basketball coach and associate athletic director emeritus Darrell Hedric) are presented to a female and male student-athlete who exemplify outstanding qualities of leadership, scholarship, community service, sportsmanship, and athletic achievement.

Along with the traditional student-athlete honors, new awards this year include the Dr. David G. Shrider and Darcy Shriver Academic Impact Awards. Both awards honor influential administrators, instructors or faculty members who demonstrate exceptional commitment to the student-athlete experience in pursuit of Graduating Champions.

Dr. Jim Stearns won the inaugural Shrider Academic Impact Award, while Katie Bowling is the first winner of the Shriver Academic Impact Award. Stearns and Bowling were selected from a tremendous pool of more than a dozen Miami University employees, each of whom was nominated by a player, coach or Miami Athletics staff member.

Harders earned Honorable Mention All-America honors in the steeplechase at this year's NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships and claimed the MAC title in the steeple for a third consecutive spring. He was named First Team All-MAC and Academic All-MAC during the outdoor track season, and was also recognized as a USTFCCCA All-Academic Athlete. Additionally, Harders helped Miami capture the 2022 MAC men's cross country team championship last fall, the program's first since 2018.

Maier became an Honorable Mention All-American in the 400 individual medley after taking ninth in the nation with a school-record time of 4:05.84. She was named a CSCAA Second-Team All-American and Scholar All-American, and also competed in the 500 freestyle prelims and 100 freestyle prelims at the national championships. Maier finished first in the 200 IM and 400 IM at the MAC Championships and was recognized as the MAC Co-Women's Outstanding Swimmer of the Year. She was named Academic All-District this year and earned both Academic All-MAC and First-Team All-MAC honors for a third consecutive season.

Perese, who started all 22 games as Miami Field Hockey won the MAC regular-season and tournament championships, was named an All-American by the NFHCA (Third Team) and Synapse Sports (Second Team). The MAC Goalkeeper of the Year led the nation in save percentage and ranked third in the country in goals against average. She recorded five shutouts on the season and became Miami's all-time leader in career shutouts, earning Academic All-District, Academic All-MAC, First-Team All-MAC and First-Team All-Region honors.

Walker caught 98 passes for 1,281 yards in his Miami career and helped the RedHawks to the Bahamas Bowl in his final season wearing the Red and White. Tabbed Miami's skill player of the year, he averaged 10 yards a catch and almost 19 yards per punt return in 2022 and was named to the All-MAC third team as a kickoff return specialist. Walker, an Academic All-MAC honoree, completed his Master's degree in Sports Leadership and Management in December 2022 with a GPA of 3.62 after posting an undergrad GPA of 3.19 in his Kinesiology and Health coursework.

Pratt tied Miami's single-season record for wins with 32 and helped the RedHawks to their first-ever NCAA regional final this spring. She led the nation in wins and ranked first in the country in innings pitched (270.1). Pratt was named MAC Pitcher of the Year and picked to the NFCA All-Region Third Team, earning First-Team All-MAC, Academic All-MAC and Academic All-District recognition in the process. She threw 34 complete games in 2023, including a pair of no-hitters, and posted a 32-12 record in the circle. Pratt owns a Master's degree in Business Administration (3.71 GPA) and a Bachelor's in Speech Pathology and Audiology (3.71 undergraduate GPA).

Riano was named First-Team All-MAC in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track during the 2022-23 academic year, earning Honorable Mention All-American honors in the steeplechase. She won the individual MAC cross country championship in the fall and qualified for the national championships, captured the 3,000-meter race at the conference indoor meet and went on to defend her titles in both the 5,000m and steeplechase at the MAC outdoor championships. Riano was tabbed Academic All-MAC in all three sports and was named a USTFCCCA All-Academic athlete in both cross country and track. She holds a 3.75 GPA as a Biomedical Engineering major.

Pearl began his time at Miami running on the club team before eventually becoming part of the RedHawks' program. He went on to be a key part of Miami's 2021 men's team title at the MAC Outdoor Track Championships, finishing third in the 400 meters and also helping the RedHawks take first in the 4x400m relay. He was named a MAC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete in 2021 and earned Academic All-MAC recognition in 2021 and 2022. Pearl's distance medley relay group currently holds the school record. While Pearl was competing for the Red and White, he was also an award-winning leader in the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, including serving as the flight commander for 15 cadets.

Schmuecker helped the collegiate synchronized skating team win four of its five competitions in 2022-23, including capturing the program's 21st national championship. She was named the team's most improved skater in 2020 and most outstanding skater in 2022. She has served as a team captain for the past two seasons and has been part of Miami Athletics' Champions 4 Life Leadership Academy since 2021, in addition to a variety of off-ice community service and volunteer roles.

Hayes led Miami Soccer to its best record in seven years, contributing 11 points in 20 starts with a career-high eight assists as the RedHawks advanced to the MAC Tournament semifinals in 2022. She was named First-Team All-MAC, Academic All-MAC, Academic All-District and All-Midwest Second Team. In April 2023, Hayes was named the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar of the Year by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, becoming the first student-athlete in Miami University and Mid-American Conference history to win the prestigious award.

Smith brought home the MAC Men's Most Outstanding Field Performer award in 2023, finishing in the top five in all four throwing events at the MAC Outdoor Championships. He ranks among the top 10 in program history in each event (hammer, javelin, shot put and discus). Smith won the MAC discus title in 2023 after advancing to the NCAA East Prelims in the same event the previous spring. In May 2021, he scored 12 points to help the RedHawks win the team title for the first time since 1993. Smith was honored as First-Team All-MAC and Academic All-MAC in 2023, and has previously been named USTFCCCA All-Academic and a MAC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete.