FREDERICK, Md. - Hood College Athletics celebrated their seniors through a special banquet with a senior video, dinner, awards and guest speaker FCPS Teacher of the Year Recipient Alonna Soward-Puryear. 

Soward-Puryear holds a Master of Science in Educational Leadership (2024) and a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary/Special Education (2019) from Hood College. During her time at Hood College, she played field hockey, held multiple leadership positions within the Black Student Union, served as a CABbie, and worked at the on-campus preschool, which were all experiences that further strengthened her passion for leadership, service, and education.

In recognition of her leadership, advocacy, and impact, Soward-Puryear was named the Maryland Teacher of the Year for 2026. She is a targeted interventionist in math and reading for first, third, and fourth grades at Monocacy Elementary School. She actively contributes to growth within the county and school through the School Improvement Team and the Systemic Team for Blueprint Implementation.

Then awards were announced by Assistant Director of Athletics for Communcations Matthew Gelhard and then presented by President Debbie Ricker, Dean of Students Demetrius Johnson and Director of Athletics Dr. Susan Kolb.

Here are the awards and their recipients:

White Blazer Award - The White Blazer is given to an athlete in recognition of outstanding academics, significant contribution to the community and athletic excellence. A rich tradition at Hood, with a single member of each class dating back to 1921 have earned this honor and now honors a men's athletics and women's athletics recipient. The winners received this award at convocation.

Sidney Brinkman (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg)
Chris Sappe (Ijamsville, Md./Urbana)
 
Kim Servedio Award - The Kim Servedio Award is given in honor of a former women's soccer player and honors student, Kim Servedio , who passed away tragically in 1998. The award is given to a current men's and women's athletics student-athlete who best embodies Kimmy's characteristics of sincerity, selflessness and optimism.

The 2026 Men's Athletics Kim Servedio Award goes to Calvin Morris (Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Catholic)!

This nominee exemplifies the spirit of the Kim Servedio Award through his sincerity, selflessness, and unwavering optimism. He is the kind of student-athlete who leads with authenticity—treating teammates, coaches, and members of the campus community with genuine respect and consistency every day- these moments that don't make the stat sheet. He embraces his role on the men's lacrosse team wholeheartedly and puts the success of the team above personal recognition and is always willing to support others—whether that's mentoring younger players, celebrating a teammate's success, or doing the extra work behind the scenes to strengthen the program. His impact is felt not just in competition, but in the culture he helps create. His coach says what separates this individual is his optimism. He brings a steady, positive presence regardless of circumstances, helping keep the team grounded through both challenges and successes. His attitude is contagious, and it elevates those around him. This individual represents the very best of Hood College Athletics and embodies the qualities that this award was created to honor.
 
The 2026 Women's Athletics Kim Servedio Award goes to Ann Ofoegbu (Falling Waters, W.Va./Spring Mills)!
 
This nominee has been the heart and soul of the volleyball program since the day she set foot on campus. The senior has served as a team captain for her final three years. She has led the program with pride, grace, competitiveness, and tremendous work ethic, and her staff has fully entrusted her with taking the lead with the team to put them on the path towards success. This individual has always stayed true to herself during this quest to get Hood College Women's Volleyball in playoff contention and receive positive recognition within the MAC, and she has also gone above and beyond to ensure that she always set the best example for her teammates. We pride ourselves in being first class, and this recipient is considered world class. Although being undoubtedly the best volleyball player our program has seen in recent years, this individual is always humble, always hungry, selfless, and driven with optimism to better herself and her team. She is the ultimate teammate and the mold for everything you want in a student-athlete: genuine, selfless, hard-working, unrelenting, academically driven, goal oriented, and team first mentality.
 
 
Dean's Award - This award is given to a current men's and women's athletics student-athlete who has shown an unparalleled commitment to the student body through involvement in extracurricular activities and has demonstrated outstanding service to the Hood College athletic department.

The 2026 Men's Athletics winner of the Dean's Award goes to Aaron Heller (Philadelphia, Pa./Jack Barrack Hebrew Acad.).
 
This men's athletics winner has been a contributing member of the baseball team for four years. However, his sightings at all other sporting events on campus have been routinely noticed and welcomed by his peers. Everyone knows when AH Flicks is at the game and they wait anxiously for the photos to go up online. He has organized photoshoots and consistently posts to social media to make sure Hood Athletics, especially its athletes, have a social media presence. As a senior he made sure to attend other events outside of athletics which not only grew his brand but also continued to enrich the campus culture at large.
 
The 2026 Women's Athletics Dean's Award goes to Kate Haufe (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park).

Our women's athletics recipient has volunteered countless hours towards Hood and the local community and is a true representation of this department.  She did of this while balancing a 3.8 GPA, multiple law internships in Frederick and Capitol Hill, and participated on both the field hockey and tennis teams. Most of her time has been dedicated to the Student Athlete Advisory Council better known as SAAC. She served as Hood's SAAC representative for the conference and worked her way from multiple positions of leadership on campus all the way up to her current position as the president of the club. As SAAC President she partnered with other clubs to gain more awareness for Morgan's Message and SPURS, reviewed NCAA legislation, organized DIII Week, and partnered with Frederick County organizations. This individual also spearheaded a campaign to fundraise over $6,000 for SAAC by partnering with Special Olympics. That money, along with other fundraising initiatives was key in the rebranding of the Hood Athletics' award show "The Hoodies", which Kate started planning from the SAAC side over a year ago. Her influence will leave an everlasting brand on Hood Athletics on and off campus with her efforts over the past four years.
 
President's Award - The President's Award is given to student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their Hood College careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletic excellence, service and leadership.

The 2026 Men's Athletics President's Award winner is Ty Broughton (Charles Town, W.Va./Washington).

The men's athletics winner has been a leader on the baseball team and is asked to play one of the toughest positions in sports--- and does it with grace and determination. His teammates rely on him and the weight that he carries on any given day is extremely heavy--- yet he finds a way to persevere and overcome. He is the only catcher in the conference to catch every conference game and the only catcher who calls his own pitches. This individual has also been a multi-year member of SAAC and takes an active role in that community. He made sure the baseball team was always selling 50-50 tickets at hockey games and led many of the team's community service projects. He has been an excellent student, graduating early and starting graduate classes in his final spring playing baseball. As a named captain of the program this year, he always made sure his teammates knew where they needed to be, were on time, and were take care of.

The 2026 Women's President's Award winner is Catie Roberts (Elkton, Md./North East).
 
Our women's recipient has distinguished herself throughout her Hood College career through exceptional achievement in academics, athletics, service, and leadership. A senior Biology major, she has consistently demonstrated academic excellence with her name frequently on the Dean's List and MAC Academic Honor Roll. As a result of her commitment, she was inducted into the Ionic Society as well as Hood College's Beta Beta Beta (Tri-Beta) Biological Honor Society along with membership Alpha Epsilon Delta (AED), the National Honor Society for Health Pre-Professionals. On the field, the recipient's impact and story is equally remarkable. Despite enduring three knee surgeries over four years—including an ACL injury that sidelined her entire first season—she demonstrated impressive resilience and commitment to her team and emerged as a cornerstone of the program's culture. A three-year team captain, she is widely respected for her disciplined, tenacious leadership and her unwavering accountability. She leads by example in every sense, consistently setting the standard for effort, attitude, and integrity while elevating those around her. The winner is a rare student-athlete whose commitment to excellence is matched by her character. Her commitment to excellence has left a lasting impression on Hood College Women's Soccer.
 
 
Most Outstanding Senior Athlete Award - The Most Outstanding Student-Athlete Award is given to student-athletes who have demonstrated exemplary athletic prowess throughout their careers at Hood College. 

The 2026 Most Outstanding Men's Athletics Senior Student-Athlete Award winner is Chris Sappe (Ijamsville, Md./Urbana).

The men's recipient is the model of consistency and is a local product of the area. The nine-time All-Conference selection cross country and track & field runner is a frequent resident of the podium racking up three conference silver medals in the 800m while earning bronze four times as a crucial member of the 4x400m relay team. The recipient is a year-round winner with two bids on the All-MAC Team in cross country and a three-time all-region recipient with selections in both indoor and outdoor track. On the regional stage he was a champion in the 1500m, 800m race as well as the 3000m steeplechase at the ECAC Outdoor Championships. The list continues with his 13 school records and counting and his numerous placements in Top 10s. This runner has been nationally ranked multiple times and finished the season ranked top 50 in DIII. While his success as a student-athlete is clear to everyone who knows him, Coach Will Merritt mentioned he will also remember the goofy charisma that this individual brought to every practice, competition, and every team moment 99% of the time, but the other 1%, that was when he was completely locked in attacking a tough task at hand. He is a constant source of positivity to his teammates, competitors, and coaching staff alike. He made those around him better not only through his accomplishments, but through the energy, character, and joy he brought every single day.

The 2026 Most Outstanding Women's Athletics Senior Student-Athlete Award winner is Aylene Noy (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora).

The recipient is one of the most decorated distance Blazers to come out of the track and field and cross-country program's. The 5x All-Conference runner included a bronze medal in the 10,000 meter run in 2024 where she became the first women's runner to medal in a long-distance race. This recipient is not only the first female All-Region runner for the program, she went back-to-back-to-back in All-Region selections from the USTFCCCA. She owns countless Top 10 times and school records with each race she had painted a new piece into the record books. She finished both the 2025 and 2026 seasons as a nationally ranked runner in the 10,000m. Another area that makes this individual unique is her Dean's List presence and her selection on the Academic All-MAC squad, a highly competitive award against the top academic and athletic student-athletics in the conference and she won it twice in total, one each for both cross country and track & field. Her coaches said it is a privilege to work with an athlete who possesses the rare quality of truly wanting to understand what it takes to reach the next level and then going out and executing the plan without hesitation.
 
She will leave Hood College with a list of accomplishments that is unmatched, and there is no surprise why. Although she may try to downplay the compliment, her success is a direct reflection of the toughness she demonstrates day in and day out. Beyond her athletic achievements, Aylene has undoubtedly inspired her teammates through her quiet resilience, unwavering commitment, and the standard of excellence she lives by every day. She is a household name in Hood College Athletics and has been recognized as Hood Athletics Female Athlete of the Year twice already.