Byers And Mazzalupi Receive Medal of Excellence Award
5/21/2026 9:00:00 AM | Baseball, Field Hockey, General
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Mid-American Conference announced its annual Medal of Excellence Award winners on Thursday morning. Miami's Carson Byers and Riley Mazzalupi are among the honorees who will be recognized during the 2026 Honors Dinner Ceremony in Cleveland on Thursday, May 29.
The Medal of Excellence is presented annually to one male and one female student-athlete from the graduating class of each of the 13 Conference member institutions.
To receive the Medal of Excellence Award, student-athletes must have participated at the varsity level in a Conference-sponsored sport, maintained a minimum 3.50 cumulative GPA, and demonstrated excellence in athletics, leadership and service. Honorees are selected by their respective institutions.
2026 Medal of Excellence Award Winners
Akron
Bowen Hardman, Men's Basketball, Sport Coaching & Athletics Leadership
Katie Baumer, Women's Lacrosse, Media Studies
Ball State
Jacks Lancaster, Men's Tennis, Finance
Payton Kelly, Women's Swimming & Diving, Exercise Science
Bowling Green
Blane Cleaver, Football, MBA
Jenna Lucas, Women's Track & Field, Systems Engineering
Buffalo
Noah Batchelor, Men's Basketball, Communication
Sarah Woods, Women's Soccer, Health & Human Services
Central Michigan
Dakota Cochran, Football, Sport Management
Luciana Alvarado-Reid, Gymnastics, English, Language & Writing Major
Eastern Michigan
Michael Pfeiffer, Baseball, Sport Management
Annika Wozney, Women's Lacrosse, Biology // Minor Psychology
Kent State
Mattheus Carroll, Football, MBA/BA Communication Studies
Zayda Crumpton, Women's Lacrosse, Exercise Science
Massachusetts
Godot Gaskins, Men's Track & Field, Masters of Finance
Myrte van Herwijnen, Field Hockey, Hospitality & Tourism Management // Psychology
Miami
Carson Byers, Baseball, Human Capital Management & Leadership
Riley Mazzalupi, Field Hockey, Bachelor's and Master's in Business Analytics
Northern Illinois
Blake West, Wrestling, Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Biology
Kiera O'Shea, Gymnastics, Nursing
Ohio
Jackson Paveletzke, Men's Basketball, Sports Management and Marketing
Casadie DiBetta, Women's Swimming & Diving, Early Childhood Elementary Education & Coaching Education
Toledo
Troy Sudbrook, Baseball, Bachelors of Business Admin. - Dual Major in Finance and Operations & Supply Chain Management
Eliana Enriquez, Softball, Bachelors of Business Admin. - Management
Western Michigan
Blake Bosma, Football, Food Marketing
Mabinty Nkebe, Women's Track & Field, Mindfulness and Centering Skills (Grad. Program)
