Athletics Division Holds Ever True Celebration

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Brown Division of Athletics and Recreation recognized its 2024-25 season with the Ever True Celebration on Monday, April 28 in the Pizzitola Sports Center.

The Bears presented division awards and several Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) awards throughout the evening and celebrated years of success in competition, in the classroom, and the community.

Mencoff Family Brown Athletics Impact Award – Carolan Norris
Given since 1995 to individuals who contribute to the success of the Division of Athletics and Recreation in impactful ways, this award was renamed last year to honor Samuel M. '78 and Ann S. Mencoff.

Carolan Norris came to Brown in 1983 as an assistant field hockey coach and served in that role for 10 years before becoming the head women's lacrosse coach, leading the team to five winning seasons in six years.

In the fall of 1998, she took over the field hockey program and led the team for nine years, including to the 1999 Ivy League Championship.

From there, Carolan moved into athletic administration, serving as Senior Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Services and Senior Woman Administrator. Carolan has been and remains a true friend and invaluable resource for everyone in the Athletics Division.

First Year Male Student-Athlete Award – Matt Childs, Football
Awarded to the most outstanding first-year varsity male athlete

Childs led all Ivy League rookies in rushing and receiving yardage per game on his way to being named the Ivy League's Rookie of the Year.

He was one of only 30 players nationally to be named to the Jerry Rice Award Watch list which recognizes the top first-year players in FCS Football.

His 75-yard touchdown catch electrified the Brown Stadium crowd and started a Brown comeback from 18-points down in the second half to stun the Harvard Crimson 31-28.

Last fall, he became just the fourth true freshman to lead the program in rushing and looks to be a key part of the Bears' offensive attack over the next three seasons.

Kate Silver '86 Award – Monique Lyons, Women's Hockey
Awarded to the most outstanding first-year varsity female athlete

Lyons netted four game-winning goals for the Bears in her rookie season with two of them coming in overtime.

She had a team-high six power play goals and led the team in goals (14) and points (24) while being named to both the ECAC and All-USCHO Rookie Teams.

Most impressive, she led the nation in goals-per-game for first-year players.

Dave Zucconi '55 Award – Kino Lilly Jr., Men's Basketball
Presented to the male varsity athlete who most consistently displays the ideals of sportsmanship and fair play. The award is named in honor of Dave Zucconi, Brown Class of 1955 - the former Executive Director of the Brown Sports Foundation, who was often called "Mr. Brown." Our varsity weight room is also named in his honor.

Lilly was, hands down, one of the greatest men's basketball players in the history of our program!

The Ivy League Rookie of the Year as a freshman, he proceeded to follow that up with three First Team All-Ivy honors, finishing as the school's all-time leader in three-point field goals made with 328, only the third player in Ivy League history to make more than 300 in his career.

His 1,878 career points ranks second on Brown's all-time scoring list and his ability to perform in the clutch was unmatched as he hit numerous game-winners in his career including a three-pointer at the buzzer to beat Bryant this past season.

Arlene Gorton '52 Cup – Isabella Mauricio, Women's Basketball
Award to the female varsity athlete who most consistently displays the ideals of sportsmanship and fair play. It is named in honor of former Brown Assistant Athletic Director Arlene Gorton in recognition of her development of women's athletics here at Brown.

Mauricio was a great player having scored over 1,000 points in her career here at Brown and set a record for first-years with 70 made 3's.

The ultimate teammate and competitor, she never let that competitive spirit get in the way of her elite sportsmanship and was very involved in our campus community.

She is a member of our Student Athlete Gay Alliance, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Communications Co-Chair for the Make a Play Foundation, the Student-Athlete Summit, and the Tillman Leadership/Emerging Leaders program. She was also known to work other sporting events at Brown.

Cliff Stevenson Award – Gavin Green, Men's Crew
Named in honor of former Brown men's soccer and lacrosse coach, Cliff Stevenson, who retired in 1990 after directing the men's soccer program for 31 years. It is presented to the male varsity athlete who best exemplifies Cliff's boundless enthusiasm, indomitable spirit, and devotion to the quality of life at Brown and the community.

Green is someone who cares deeply for the well-being of others. This extends to his teammates, the Brown community, and the local Providence community.

He is part of the Bruno Cares Care Team and an ambassador for mental health.

Beyond his immediate Brown athletics community, he is also involved with STEM to Stern, an outreach program run through the Narragansett Boat Club that aims to get middle-schoolers from more socio-economically diverse backgrounds into the sport of rowing. He is also on the E-Board of Planned Parenthood Advocates.

Bessie H. Rudd Award – Anne Moody, Women's Tennis
Presented to the female varsity athlete who displays enthusiasm, spirit, and leadership, and is devoted to the quality of life at Brown and the surrounding community. The award is named in honor of Bessie Rudd, the former Director of Physical Education at Pembroke College from 1930-1961.

Moody is one of the most resilient athletes in the history of Brown Athletics. She committed to Brown as the No. 1 player in New York and a Top 35 player in the nation. However, before arriving on campus, Anne went through some serious adversity. As a result, Anne underwent several surgeries that greatly impacted her natural movement. Anne embraced this challenge with discipline and determination. During her first two years, Anne did not compete as she worked to reconnect with her athletic identity on the court. She showed up every day with a smile and cheered loudly for her teammates during every match. Anne carries herself confidently and has made tremendous strides in regaining her mobility and competitive stamina.

Last summer, Anne dealt with another tragedy. In the face of personal loss, Anne displayed a selfless attitude, supporting her family and her teammates at Brown. This spring, she competed in multiple dual matches on the doubles court, winning a decisive match against Stony Brook.

When you think of Indomitable Spirit, think of this year's recipient.

Frederick W. "Doc" Marvel 1894 Award – Jenna Reznicek, Women's Swimming & Diving and Aaron Cooley, Men's Basketball
Awarded to one male AND one female senior varsity athlete who has best represented Brown over his/her career by embodying excellence in scholarship, athletic performance, integrity, leadership and community outreach.

In sports, there is something called a "generational talent." That describes Jenna Reznicek.

When she arrived on College Hill four years ago, she made an immediate impact on the program winning the 100m backstroke at Ivy Championships while qualifying for NCAA's.

The holder of four school records in the 100 and 200 backstroke along with the 200 and 400 medley relay, she also holds multiple pool records as a visiting swimmer while representing Brown. Reznicek raced in all 28 Ivy dual meets in her signature event (the 100m backstroke) over her four years winning 25 of them and finishing second in the other three.

A team captain, she also serves as a co-leader for Athletes in Action, a student mentor in the First-Generation Investors group, worked as a multimedia producer for Brown Athletics and was selected for Brown Athletics' 2023 trip to Panama with Courts for Kids.

She was named to the CSC Academic All-District team in her sophomore, junior, and senior years, and has achieved CSCAA Scholar All-American status in all four of her seasons.

Aaron Cooley, our male winner of this award epitomizes what it means to be a student-athlete here at Brown.

On the court, he was a three-year starter and captain of the team as a senior where he was third on the team in scoring and second in rebounding.
Late in the season, he suffered a shoulder injury, but instead of having surgery, he wanted to play through it. He did, and at a very high level.

As someone who has been very active on campus as he continues to try to build his company, BIO (which stands for Believing In Ourselves) Productions, where he specializes in short films, he also has an apparel line and does some photography.

Aaron has also led through his efforts in the community. As a central leader for our program's involvement with Team IMPACT, he is very active in participating in events with our team member, Gavin.

In 2023, he was also part of the group that traveled to Panama to partner with Courts For Kids and build a sports court for the people in the community.

Marjorie Brown Smith Award – Lucy Adams, Field Hockey
Presented to the outstanding female varsity athlete of the year. It is named in honor of the former Director of Athletics at the Women's College of Brown University, Marjorie Brown Smith, in recognition of her generous support of athletics.

Truly great players command the full attention of an opponent's defense and still have a significant impact on the game. That is what Lucy Adams does.

A three-time All-Ivy honoree in the sport of field hockey, Adams followed her mom and dad to College Hill as both were student-athletes here in field hockey and lacrosse, respectively.

Three months ago, she was named to the United States Women's National Team – a roster made up of the 37 best players in the country – one of only a few undergraduates to make that team.

She helped lead the Bears to the Ivy Tournament last fall making the All-Tournament Team and is a possible Honda Award winner next fall which is given to the best NCAA Field Hockey player in the country.

Frederick "Fritz" Pollard '19 Award – Jack Kelly, Men's Swimming & Diving
Awarded to the outstanding male varsity athlete of the year. The trophy is named in honor of Frederick "Fritz" Pollard, Brown Class of 1919, one of our nation's true African-American pioneers, one of the greatest football players in Brown history, and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Pollard is recognized as the first African-American to do the following things: play in the Rose Bowl, earn All-American honors, play quarterback at the professional level, and become a head coach in the NFL.

After a huge junior year, Kelly backed it up with an even better senior year. He won his second consecutive Ivy League title in the 100 Breaststroke and was Second Team All-Ivy in the 200 Breaststroke. Even better, he was named First Team All-American in the 100 Breaststroke and 200 Breaststroke by finishing in the top eight at NCAA's.

His performance at the NCAA Championships amassed the most points Brown has ever scored at that meet. He broke his school records in the breaststrokes this season and swam on two record-setting relays. At the Ivy League Championships, he received the Harold S. Ulen Career High Point Swimmer Award, which is given to the senior in the league who has scored the most championship points over four years.

Our winner has rewritten the record books in his four seasons here. He is currently ranked No. 1 on Brown's All-Time Top Times list in the 100 Breaststroke, 200 Breaststroke, and the 200 and 400 medley relays.

Joukowsky Scholar-Athletes – Akilah Cathey, Women's Rugby and Jack Kelly, Men's Swimming & Diving
This award was established by Artemis and Martha Sharp Joukowsky and is awarded annually to one male AND one female athlete who embody the best qualities of the scholar athlete by achieving success in both the classroom and in athletic competition—a reflection of Brown's commitment to the totality of individual accomplishment.

SAAC Awards
Presented by SAAC Co-Presidents Santhosh Gottam (Baseball) and Katie McCallum (Field Hockey)
Top Performance (Female) – Jenna Reznicek, Women's Swimming & Diving
Top Performance (Male) – Jack Kelly, men's Swimming & Diving
Top Play (Female) – Annie Burton, Women's Lacrosse
Top Play (Male) – Rowland Lawver, Men's Swimming & Diving

Gallery: (4-28-2025) 2025 Ever True Celebration

BROWN UNIVERSITY SPORTS FOUNDATION
The Brown University Sports Foundation (BUSF) is the backbone of our athletics program, playing a crucial role in enhancing the student-athlete experience. This is possible through philanthropic support from our alumni, parents, fans, and friends. Your gift through the Sports Foundation can immediately impact today's Brown Bears, helping them excel in the classroom, in competition, and, most importantly, in the community. Please click here to learn more about how you can support the Bears.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL
For the latest on Brown Athletics, please follow @BrownU_Bears on X and @BrownU_Bears on Instagram. Like BrownUBears on Facebook and subscribe to the BrownAthletics YouTube channel.