Liberty Club Sports hosted its eight Choice Awards ceremony on Wednesday. (Photos by Jessie Jordan)
Choice Awards celebrates excellence in Club Sports student-athletes, coaches, and staff
5/1/2025 11:30:00 AM | Cycling, Equestrian, Figure Skating, General, Men's D1 Hockey, Men's Lacrosse, Men's Swimming, Rifle, Rowing, Swimming and Diving, Triathlon, Women's Beach Volleyball, Gymnastics, Women's D1 Hockey, Women's Rowing, Ski & Snowboard, Women's Wrestling, Men's Wrestling, Men's D2 Hockey, Men's D3 Hockey, Women's D2 Hockey, Racquetball, Disc Golf, Men's Ultimate, Synchronized Skating, Archery, Men's Volleyball, Taekwondo, Women's Ultimate, Rock Climbing, Varsity Club, Pistol, Shotgun, Dance
Liberty Club Sports held the 2025 Choice Awards on Wednesday
Flames Central co-anchors Rett McGibbon and Matt Warner emceed the Liberty University Club Sports department's annual Choice Awards for a ninth time, Wednesday night in the Center for Music and the Worship Arts Concert Hall.
Since it was rebranded in 2017 under the orchestration of Associate Athletic Director Kaycee Tripp to better recognize Club Sports student-athletes, the Choice Awards has become one of the most anticipated events of the school year, honoring athletic and academic achievements throughout the 2024-25 seasons as well as community service and legacy left by those who will participate in Commencement from May 8-10. Â
Along with the majority of the department's 726 student-athletes in 42 distinct programs and most of their coaches, trainers, and administrators, Liberty President Dondi Costin and his wife, Vickey, attended the semiformal event.Â
All those attending the event were welcome to celebrate at an afterparty with live music and food trucks on site.
The ceremony featured highlight videos produced by the Club Sports Video & Media team, directed by Patrick Strawn.
Club Sports student-athletes enjoyed tremendous program and individual success with the archery, LU Dance, disc golf, figure skating, gymnastics, DI, DII, and DIII men's hockey, DI and DII women's hockey, men's lacrosse, men's swimming, men's volleyball, men's and women's wrestling, racquetball, rock climbing, rowing, shotgun, ski & snowboard, taekwondo, and triathlon teams all represented at their respective national championships.
The Lady Flames Division I women's hockey team, which captured a seventh ACHA DI national championship since 2015, was named the Female Team of the Year, led by eighth-year Head Coach Chris Lowes, the Female Coach of the Year winner. Senior forward and alternate captain Zosia Adamek, who netted the game winner in double overtime against Maryville (Mo.) University in a 2-1 final triumph, was awarded Female Athlete of the Year.
Meanwhile the Flames' men's lacrosse team, which won its third ALC Division I Championship in five seasons with its 15th win in a row on Sunday and qualified for next week's MCLA Division I National Championships as the No. 1 seed, earned Male Team of the Year honors.
The team also received the Legacy Award and featured the Male Athlete of the Year in graduate attack Keaton Mohs, who has totaled 94 points this season and needs 20 more at nationals to surpass former Choice Awards winner and current Assistant Coach Ryan Miller's all-time MCLA scoring record (337 points).Â
Freshman 125-pound NCWA Grand National men's wrestling champion Matox Allen earned the Male Rookie of the Year Award while Malaika Campbell, who led the gymnastics team to a runner-up team finish at the NAIGC National Championships in Pittsburgh, was named the Female Rookie of the Year.
Graduate Grace Wilson and senior Cami Lazo, who teamed up to win the third College Disc Golf women's championship in program history, shared the Female Outstanding Performance award. Meanwhile, graduate Matt Davidson, who paced the Flames' men's swim team to its third straight swimmer-up showing at the College Club Swimming National Championships in Phoenix with his fifth national title, won his second Male Outstanding Performance award after previously being named Male Athlete of the Year twice.
Second-year shotgun Head Coach Jacob Davis, who guided the Flames and Lady Flames to a second consecutive third-place showing at the ACUI National Championships in San Antonio, was named Male Team Coach of the Year.
Emily Cavender, who is stepping down after four seasons working with the Western equestrian team, was selected as the Female Team Assistant Coach of the Year, while Herman Lewis, who is retiring along with the program's founding Head Coach Danny Rodriguez, received Male Team Assistant Coach of the Year honors. Rodriguez, men's wrestling Head Coach Jesse Castro, and DI men's hockey Associate Head Coach Jeff Boettger, who are all stepping down from their respective posts this year, were honored with a special recognition presentation.Â
Kenny Fogarty, a graduate forward on the DIII men's hockey team who eclipsed 100 points in his undergraduate career, battled through a herniated disc in his back and three cysts on his spine to earn the Male Perseverance Award. Senior Kendall Leininger, who overcame injury to help pace the Lady Flames at the USA Triathlon Collegiate Nationals in Miami, was given the Female Perseverance Award.
James Povolny, a senior team captain and Disciple Maker on the men's cycling team for the past two seasons, earned the Male Champion Award while senior Emma Richards, a co-captain and Disciple Maker on the figure skating team for the past two seasons, received the Female Champion Award.
Liberty's women's ultimate team, which placed ninth at this past weekend's Atlantic Coast Regional Championships in Axton, Va., was recognized with the Breakthrough Award.
Luke Bessire, a senior forward on the DIII men's hockey team who will graduate next week with his B.S. in Digital Media and Journalism — Sports Journalism, was given the Male Academic Athlete of the Year Award while Katherine Craig, who will receive her B.S. in Industrial & Systems Engineering, earned the Female Academic Athlete of the Year Award. Her triathlon team, which had the highest combined grade-point average in the fall semester (3.63), was named the Academic Team of the Year.
Hannah Krissel, a junior on the women's rowing team who participated in two LU Serve Now disaster trips to Texas, was a Serve Lynchburg site leader at World Help in Forest, Va., assisted with the Toys for Tots Christmas program, and spearheaded the rowing team's efforts in the World Help and Mission of Hope Meal Packing for Haiti initiatives, earned the Community Service Award.
Sophomore Micah Witt, a PA announcer for men's and women's hockey as well as men's volleyball and lacrosse who also served as equipment manager for the Division II women's hockey team with an encouraging spirit, was offered the Service Award.
Riley Clingman, a year-long sport management intern for the Flames' Division I, II, and III men's hockey teams, received the Male Academic Integration Award while Anna Wheat, a photographer for The Liberty Champion newspaper who took over the social media account for the Division II men's hockey team this past season, earned the Female Academic Integration Award.
Dr. Laura Hatfield, resident chair of the Hospitality & Sport Management program in the School of Business, received the Academic Partnership Award.
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer; Videos by Patrick Strawn/Club Sports Director of Video & Media (above) and Kylee Wright/Club Sports Video & Media Associate Editor (below)
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Players Mentioned
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/ Women's D1 Hockey
/ Men's Wrestling
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/ Men's D3 Hockey
/ Disc Golf
/ Gymnastics
/ Triathlon
/ Rowing
/ Triathlon
A/M
/ Men's Lacrosse
/ Cycling
/ Figure Skating
/ Rock Climbing
/ Disc Golf
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