Special Report from App State Athletics. BOONE, N.C. – App State celebrated a year of student-athlete and athletic achievements with the 2025 APPSPY Awards this week.

The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) organized the event, with Samantha LaFon (women’s basketball) and Tucker Sangster (men’s cross country/track & field) being the lead emcees. SAAC members, coaches and staff members from App State Athletics voted on various awards, which resulted primarily from accomplishments during the 2024 spring, fall and winter seasons.

• Myles Tate (men’s basketball) won Male Athlete of the Year, while Jasmine Donohue (women’s cross country/track & field) and Savannah Dada-Mascoll (tennis) were named Female Athletes of the Year.
  • Tate was named a first-team All-Sun Belt and second-team all-district performer after leading the Mountaineers in scoring, assists and steals while ranking second on the team in rebounding. He was the only Division I player in the country to average at least 16 points, five assists, five rebounds and 1.9 steals per game.
  • In alphabetical order, the other finalists were Ethan Lipham (cross country/track & field), Will Miller (wrestling), Kaedin Robinson (football) and Banks Tolley (baseball).
  • Donohue’s third-place individual finish helped lead App State to a Sun Belt Championship in women’s cross country, and she was the top individual scorer at the Sun Belt Indoor Track & Field Championships by placing first in the 5,000 meters, second in the 3,000 meters and third in the mile.
  • Dada-Mascoll, meanwhile, had a 17-2 singles record at the No. 1 spot following a Sun Belt tournament in which she helped lead the Mountaineers to a No. 2 seed. She became the first App State player selected to play in ITA All-American Championships and was part of App State’s first doubles team to qualify for the NCAA Doubles Championship.
  • In alphabetical order, the other finalists were Lise Boekaar (field hockey), Kayt Houston (softball), Maya Winterhoff (volleyball) and Izzi Wood (soccer).
• Coach of the Year honors went to Brad Herbster (men’s cross country) and Annie Richards (women’s cross country). The Mountaineers swept those Sun Belt titles, with the men repeating as champions and the women prevailing for the first time since 2018. It was App State’s first league sweep since 2012.
• There were two Most Exciting Win recipients, with the Sun Belt cross country sweep being recognized along with freshman heavyweight wrestler Stephan Monchery’s last-match victory that secured a third straight SoCon Championship tournament team title for App State.
• The inaugural Mountaineer Cup went to field hockey, which won a MAC regular season title, while CJ Huntley (men’s basketball) was named Mr. Yosef and Grace Ball (field hockey) was named Ms. Yosef. Huntley and Ball each played five seasons for the Mountaineers.
• The festivities also included the addition of Comeback Player of the Year awards, with those going to Bryson Terrell (wrestling) and Sarah Widderich (soccer). They both were starters who came back strong from ailments or injuries earlier in their careers.
• Thornton Gentry (football) won the prestigious Brakefield Award. Established by legendary App State football coach Jim Brakefield and his wife, Eloise, this award is given to a graduating student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average among all student-athletes.
• Dianna Boykin (women’s track & field) received the Goodyear Family Athletic Scholarship. George and Anne Goodyear founded the scholarship in 1994 for a rising junior who has a minimum GPA of 2.0 and demonstrates strength of character in all that he or she does.
• The Rick Edmundson Memorial Scholarship was presented to Sarah Callery (field hockey). That scholarship is awarded annually to a rising junior or senior who has exhibited loyalty and dedication to App State. Candidates give evidence of leadership potential and intelligence, exhibit sound and purposeful ambition, are vigorous and diligent in pursuit of duty and show compassion for others.
• The Team Academic Excellence Awards went to women’s golf (cumulative GPA of 3.75 following the 2024 fall) and men’s cross country (cumulative GPA of 3.42 following the 2024 fall), while cheerleaders Shi Barnhardt and Andrew Mehringer won Julia Adams Scholarships.
• Women’s track & field/cross country won the Mountaineer Moves Community Service Award, Jordan Tomberlin was the winner of the Ron “Doc” Kanoy Award and Scott Crothers received the Jack Branch Award.

Along with SAAC members presenting awards, Director of Athletics Doug Gillin provided opening remarks.

All for App Awards:

Baseball — Braxton Church
Field Hockey — Sarah Perkins
Football — Ethan Johnson
Men’s Cross Country — Calbert Guest
Men’s Basketball — CJ Huntley
Men’s Golf — Colin Browning
Men’s Track & Field — Patrick Freeman
Soccer — Gracie Giacoletto
Softball — Summer Simpson
Spirit — Ashley Macom
Tennis — Naledi Manyube
Women’s Basketball — Samantha LaFon
Women’s Cross Country — Lauren Johnston
Women’s Golf — Jacquelyn Taylor
Women’s Track & Field — Jasmine Donohue
Wrestling — Will Miller
Volleyball — Maya Winterhoff

Weight Room Warrior Awards:

Baseball — Zach Lewis
Field Hockey — Sarah Perkins
Football — Jaylon Calhoun/Kanye Roberts
Men’s Cross Country — Tucker Sangster
Men’s Basketball — Luke Wilson
Men’s Golf — Alex Martin
Men’s Track & Field — Parker Kinney
Soccer — Marley Kahle
Softball — Olivia Cook
Spirit — Gina Gallo/Alex Locklear
Tennis — Savannah Dada-Mascoll
Women’s Basketball — Zoë McCrary
Women’s Cross Country — Rhys Ammon
Women’s Golf — Salem Lee
Women’s Track & Field — Emily Edwards
Wrestling — Gunnar Pool
Volleyball — Akila Hardie

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