NORTON, Mass. – The Wheaton College Department of Athletics held its annual Awards Ceremony in Emerson Gymnasium on the evening of May 5. Highlighting the evening was the announcement of the winners of the department's eight major awards.
Senior women's swimmer
Reese Hartmann (Grand Rapids, Mich.) was named the recipient of the Dean Sue Alexander Female Senior Student-Athlete award, while men's lacrosse player
Charlie Racine (Oradell, N.J.) claimed the Dean Sue Alexander Male Senior Student-Athlete award. Junior track & field member
Michaina Loriston (Boston, Mass.) earned the Debi Field '70 Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year award and senior baseball player
Timmy Wagner (Hingham, Mass.) received the
Chad Yowell Outstanding Male Athlete award. The Female Rookie of the Year award went to first year fencer
Norah Vaughan (Hope Hull, Ala.), while first year men's track & field member
Scott Sloan (Barrington, R.I.) earned the Male Rookie of the Year honor. Wheaton also handed out the Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award, which is given to the female and male of the graduating class with the highest GPA. This year's honorees were softball player
Grace DiBacco (Selkirk, N.Y.) and
Alexa DiCenso (Methuen, Mass.), who tied for the women's honor, and men's basketball player
Tarmo Tari (Chelmsford, Mass.).
Senior baseball player
Jackson Walsh (Cumberland, R.I.) and Wheaton College Director of Athletics Communication
Alan Wickström were co-recipients of the Claudia Friese Special Recognition award. Senior men's track & field member
John Dowgiert (Methuen, Mass.) was the recipient of the
Lynn Miller Inspiration Award. Senior men's soccer player
Ethan Alfano (East Greenwich, R.I.) closed out the ceremony with the senior reflection speech to highlight what it meant to be a student-athlete at Wheaton.
Those who could not attend the event can watch the full banquet HERE.
DEAN SUE ALEXANDER SENIOR STUDENT-ATHLETE
This award is presented annually to one male and female member of the graduating class who has "made a significant contribution" to the success of the Wheaton College Athletic Program. Guidelines for nominations include participation in the intercollegiate program and/or intramural program; proven leadership ability and commitment; and relevant committee work. In 2008, the award was renamed to acknowledge outgoing Dean of Students Sue Alexander and her 21 years of support to Wheaton athletics.
Reese Hartmann
Hartmann was a three-time All-American and earned All-Conference status in nine different events during her tenure at Wheaton. The East Grand Rapids High School graduate broke her own record in the 200-yard backstroke this season and was also part of the program records for the 200 and 400-yard medley relays. In addition to her achievements in the pool, Hartmann was an active member within the Wheaton community. She served as a Team Leadership Committee Member, while also serving as the Chairperson for the Lyons Pride Committee. Hartmann was also a member of the Wheaton Athletic Mentors and served as a Peer Academic Mentor. The Film and New Media Studies major also contributed to the Wheaton Athletic Department by producing promotional videos for both the athletics program as a whole and the Lyons' swimming & diving programs.
Charlie Racine
The senior showed incredible versatility, serving as a face-off specialist during parts of his career, while remaining one of the team's best offensive players. Racine earned New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference Athlete of the Week honors in addition to being selected the NEWMAC Face-Off Specialist of the Week. The three-year Captain missed time due to injury, but was still able to manage 116 points and 226 face-off wins during his career. The Biology major is part of the Tri-Beta Biological Honors Society and is a Balfour Scholar Recipient at Wheaton. He was also an Eliza Wheaton Scholar with Latin Honors and served as a Senior Advisor on the Executive Board for the Pre-Vet Society. Racine volunteered at an animal hospital in Costa Rica and completed a 300-plus hour internship at the Naples Zoo. Racine has been described as a program-changing student-athlete and will attend the Royal Veterinary College in London, England in September.
CHAD YOWELL OUTSTANDING MALE ATHLETE
Established in 1994, this award is given to the "male athlete of the year." This award recognizes extraordinary athletic ability as well as demonstrated sportsmanship and contribution to his team, the college and the world of sport. In 2012, the award was renamed to acknowledge outgoing Executive Director of Athletics Chad Yowell and his 23 years of support to Wheaton athletics.
Timmy Wagner
Wagner was named First Team All-Region by the American Baseball Coaches Association in addition to being named First Team All-Region, the NEWMAC Player of the Year and First Team All-Conference. The senior led the league and ranked 18th in the nation with 62 runs batted in. He batted .387 (60-155) to rank third in the conference and led the NEWMAC with a .490 on-base percentage. The Boston College High School product also placed second among league leaders with 16 doubles and 99 total bases. Wagner knocked in five or more runs on five occasions and drove in at least one run in 27 of 41 games. He drew 28 walks for the second-most in the conference and struck out just 16 times in 192 plate appearances. The Business major also hit safely in 36 of 41 games and did not go hitless in consecutive games at any point during the season.
DEBI FIELD '70 OUTSTANDING FEMALE ATHLETE
Established in 1983, this award is given annually to the "female athlete of the year." This award recognizes extraordinary athletic ability as well as demonstrated sportsmanship and contribution to her team, the college and the world of sport.
Michaina Loriston
Loriston placed 11th in the 100-meter dash at the NCAA Division III National Championship on May 23 in Geneva, Ohio and earned Second Team All-America honors. Loriston qualified for the NCAA Championship when she broke the conference record at the New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference Championship on April 25 as well as the facility record in the event's preliminaries at host Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Mass. The Boston Prep. product won the NEWMAC title in the event the following day. Loriston also earned US Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association All-Region accolades. The junior served as the anchor of Wheaton's 4X100-meter relay squad that competed at the NCAA III National Championship meet. In addition, the Business and Management major received the silver medal in the 200 meters at the NEWMAC Championship.
FEMALE AND MALE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Established in 2019 this award is given for the best overall athletic performance by a male and female student-athlete in their first year of intercollegiate competition at Wheaton. Transfers and upper-class students competing in intercollegiate athletics for the first time are also eligible.
Norah Vaughan
Vaughan was named All-Region by the United States Fencing Coaches Association for the Lyons. The Art major placed 27th at the NCAA Northeast Regional Championship on March 9 in Medford, Mass. A graduate of Evangel Christian School, Vaughan was outstanding during the Wheaton program's inaugural campaign, winning 68.4% of her bouts in the foil with a 67-31 record. Vaughan was undefeated in 13 different matches and posted 18 shutout victories.
Scott Sloan
Sloan burst onto the scene during the outdoor campaign for the Lyons' track and field squad after shattering the school record in the javelin throw with a winning toss at the Sean Collier Invitational on April 18 in Cambridge, Mass. The meet proved to be just the beginning of a meteoric rise for the first year. He went on to win the national championship in the event at the NCAA Division III National Championship with a school-record toss of 67.97 meters. He earned First Team All-America honors and was also named the USTFCCCA Region Field Athlete of the Year. The Wheeler School graduate was undefeated in the javelin, winning all four meets that he competed in.
CLAUDIA FRIESE SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD
This award, established in 1983, is intended to recognize "the kind of less visible, behind-the-scenes dedication to the athletic program" exhibited by any member of the Wheaton community.
Jackson Walsh
Walsh established himself as the soundtrack of Wheaton College Athletics as the top play-by-play broadcaster for all of the Lyons' broadcasts of fall and winter athletics contests over his four-year stint in Norton. The senior baseball player became a staple within the Wheaton community and his preparation to deliver quality broadcasts for his fellow student-athletes was unmatched for a first-time broadcaster. His preparation fueled his passion for the medium and also helped to promote Wheaton College Athletics. The Cumberland High School graduate's authentic enthusiasm for some of the biggest moments in Wheaton Athletics, while maintaining a balance of professionalism, became infectious among student-athletes, coaches and fans. In addition to his prowess as a broadcaster, he also took it upon himself to learn what goes into the production process to enhance each broadcast.
Alan Wickström
Wheaton College's Director of Athletics Communication was lauded for his contribution to the department in promoting the school's student-athletes, coaches and athletic programs. His dedication and effort to improve the department's athletic broadcasts with streaming partner FloSports was cited as a contributing factor in receiving the award, in addition to his passion for the school's athletic programs.
LYNN MILLER INSPIRATION AWARD
The Lynn Miller Inspiration Award is named after Wheaton College Hall of Famer and former men's and women's tennis head coach Lynn Miller. A mainstay in the athletics department for over 30 years, Miller served the department in nearly every role, including Director of Athletics from 1986-88 in addition to her duties as a coach of both tennis programs.
Miller suffered a heart attack in the spring of 2009 just before the start of the spring season. After missing a few weeks, she returned to finish the men's season. The following fall, Miller helped to lead the women's tennis program to its first New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) championship in program history, the first of two consecutive conference championships (2009 and 2010). In the summer of 2013, Miller was diagnosed with cancer and went through a series of chemotherapy and radiation treatments, all while continuing to coach the women's and men's tennis programs throughout the fall. She was named 2013 women's coach of the year in the NEWMAC.
Miller, who is still cancer free, retired from Wheaton in the fall of 2015.
Established in 2014, the Lynn Miller Inspiration Award is given to the individual who has inspired Wheaton Athletics in some way.
John Dowgiert
Following a very successful freshman year, Dowgiert was sidelined with an injury during his sophomore year at the New England Division III Championship after competing in the 200 meters in 2023. The senior was misdiagnosed with a hamstring strain. Dowgiert went to different doctors, underwent MRIs and had no explanations. He finally got answers in his junior year after being diagnosed with osteitis pubis. The Methuen High School product spent his junior year doing physical therapy while still unable to compete. In his final campaign, Dowgiert continued to stay dedicated to his physical therapy and was often the first one in the Haas Athletic Center to complete his PT before practice. As a result of all his hard work, he was able to help lead the men's team, be part of a nationally-ranked 4x100-meter relay team and set two top-10 performances in school history. Dowgiert's first race back was the Co-ed 4x400-meter Relay on January 25 in Norton, where he secured the win after over 700 days from his last competition.
