Four student-athletes, all of whom earned All-American status this year, won top honors at Vassar’s Annual Athletics Awards event, held May 6 in the Chapel. Sophia Bailey ’26 (women’s rugby) and Jared Fiske ’26 (men’s soccer) won the Matthew Vassar Outstanding Career Awards, and Haley Schoenegge ’27 (cross country and track and field) and Armaan Desai ’27 (men’s volleyball) captured the Betty Richey Performer of the Year awards.

Many Brewer teams had highly successful seasons—six earned berths in national championship tournaments—so competition for the individual awards was closely contested this year, Director of Athletics and Physical Education Michelle Walsh said. “The 2025–2026 season marked another outstanding year for the Brewers, and our Awards Committee had several deserving nominees to select from in each of our award categories,” she said. “We are thrilled to be able to recognize this year’s major award winners and all of our amazing student-athletes.”

Bailey, a scrum-half on the women’s rugby team, led the squad to its 10th consecutive Final Four appearance in the National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) tournament, earning NCR All-American status for the third consecutive year. She graduated from Vassar, ranking second all-time in points with 595, and she broke the school record for tries with 119.

Fiske, a midfielder on the men’s soccer team, finished his career with 28 goals and 12 assists, fifth in points and goals in Vassar history, and was part of two NCAA Tournament teams, including the 2024 Liberty League champions. He was a two-time United Soccer Coaches Association All-American and was named Liberty League Player of the Year and the Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year in his senior year, becoming just the second male Vassar student-athlete to win the award since its inception in 2012-13.

Schoenegge is one of Vassar’s most decorated student-athletes of all time, earning All-American status in cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field in each of the past two years. This year, she won national titles in the indoor mile and outdoor 1,500-meter runs, and also earned All-American status in the 5,000-meter run at the NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships in May 2026. In the fall of 2025, she earned All-American status in cross country with a 15th-place finish at the NCAA Championships, leading her team to a school-best 10th place finish overall. She earned Liberty League titles in the mile, 3,000-meter, and distance medley relay, which earned her Liberty League Most Outstanding Track Performer of the Meet honors.

Desai, a middle blocker on the men’s volleyball team, finished the 2026 season ranked second in the country in blocks per set and tied a single-season record for solo blocks with 29, helping Vassar to a 17-win season, including five wins over nationally ranked opponents. He was named an American Volleyball Coaches Association First Team All-American and was a First Team selection on the United Volleyball Conference squad.

Rookies of the Year: Ava Holman ’29 (women’s soccer) and Aqeel Merchant ’29 (men’s squash). Holman scored a team-high 10 goals, including five game-winners, propelling the women’s soccer team to its first-ever Liberty League Championship. She earned Liberty League Rookie of the Week honors five times and was named Liberty League Performer of the Week and Liberty League Rookie of the Year. Holman was also named to the All-Region Third Team.

Merchant led the squash team in victories and was named to the All-Liberty League Second Team. He capped the season with a seven-game winning streak, winning all three of his matches in the Liberty League Championship tournament, and won four matches in the Collegiate Squash Association (CSA) Divisional Championships.

Frances D. Fergusson Coaches Awards: Fernando Bauermeister ’26 (men’s tennis) and Catherine Peacock ’26 (women’s lacrosse). Peacock was limited to just 37 games due to injury but won 135 draws in her career and a posted career-high 57 in 2025. She was elected captain of the team but sustained an injury before the season, so she served as an assistant coach. She was named to the Liberty League All-Academic Team. She was cited by the judges for her resilience and determination to motivate her teammates.

Bauermeister, who was a captain of the team for three years, was named to the Liberty League All-Conference team in singles and doubles in each of his three seasons, amassing 74 wins in dual-match competition. Off the court, Bauermeister mentored local youths; served meals at The Lunch Box, a soup kitchen in Poughkeepsie; and processed more than 12,000 items for Dutchess County’s annual Coat Drive.

Vassar Scholar-Athlete Awards: Lindsey Nihei ’26 (women’s soccer) and Nolan Kubiak ’26 (men’s tennis). Nihei served as a team captain of the women’s soccer team in 2025 and was named Most Outstanding Performer in the Liberty League championship tournament. She was named to the All-Liberty League team twice and was an All-Region III selection this year. A biochemistry major, she was named to the Liberty League All-Academic Team in each of the three seasons she was eligible and was tabbed Academic All-District twice.

Iron Brewer Awards: Amanda Hanrahan ’26 (women’s track and field) and Kyle Benson ’26 (men’s squash.) Hanrahan, who earned a berth in the hammer-throw competition at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships, was cited by Vassar’s sports performance staff for setting several records in weightlifting. Benson was cited by the sports performance staff for his constant pursuit of new movement patterns and routinely completing hundreds of push-ups and deadlifting over 550 pounds.

Kubiak, an economics major, posted 18 wins for the men’s tennis team and was named to the Liberty League All-Academic Team twice. He earned All-Liberty League Singles and Doubles selections twice. He also earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District distinction.

Vassar Student Worker of the Year: Marcos Medina ’26. He earned the honor for his work as a Facility Monitor and Game and Equipment Assistant in Facilities and Game Operations. Medina trained other students in game-day operations and was the shot-clock operator for Vassar’s intercollegiate basketball games.
—Larry Hertz