TURLOCK, Calif.--- Stan State Department of Athletics held The STANYS, which is the year end student-athlete awards ceremony. The event took place this past Monday evening at Snider Hall on the campus of Stanislaus State. The Warriors recognized several student-athletes for their outstanding performances in competition, in the classroom, and in the community. They also honored their graduating student-athletes that will be receiving their degrees, May 27-30.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
This year's recipient of the Community Engagement Award was the Stan State women's soccer team, under the guidance of head coach Gabriel Bolton. The women's soccer team accumulated the most hours per student-athlete averaging over 30 per student-athlete. They volunteered for over 2,200 total engagement hours. They have participated in 25 different community engagement events both on campus and in our region.
DR. HAL CHARNOFSKY AWARD
Each year, the Dr. Hal Charnofsky Memorial Award is bestowed upon two student-athletes at each CCAA member institution. Recipients have distinguished themselves in the classroom and in their sport. Each individual is chosen by their athletic department for their efforts as a true student-athlete representing both their school and the CCAA to the highest standards in both athletic and academic performance.
This year's Warrior student-athletes to receive this honor were women's soccer player Aliah Avila and volleyball player Haley Burdo.
Avila was named to the D2CCA Women's Soccer All-American team. She was a First Team All-CCCAA Honoree to go along with her being named the CCAA Midfielder of the Year. Avila was named to two All-Region teams in the United Soccer Coaches and the D2CCA. The sophomore was a member of the CSC Academic All-District Team and the CCAA Fall Academic Honor Roll.
Burdo is a three-time CSC Academic All-District honoree to go with her being named a three-time member of the CCAA Fall Academic Honor Roll. She was a CCAA All-Academic Team recipient and a member of the D2ADA Academic Achievement Team. This season, Burdo was named to the All-CCAA Team and to the CCAA All-Tournament Team.
WILL KEENER SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
This award is presented to a student-athlete who always demonstrated honesty and sportsmanship and represented him or herself, his or her team and Warrior Athletics with honor and dignity of fair play. This year's recipients of the Will Keener Sportsmanship Award were Ellison Weaver of the volleyball team and Cole Bailey of the men's track and field team.
Both Warrior student-athletes have displayed exemplary sportsmanship and determination in their respective sports. They always showed up to practice with a positive attitude and put a smile on everyone's face. They each gave their all, not only for themselves, but for their teammates. Their legacy extends beyond competition as they inspire others to compete with integrity and kindness. They each are an exemplary example of giving your all with class.
TEAM ACADEMIC AWARD
Stan State women's tennis team, under the guidance of head coach Verek Visaraga, was the recipient of the Team Academic Award. The Warrior women's tennis team has won this award seven times in the past and Monday marked the sixth year in a row. The Warrior women's tennis team has a team grade point average of 3.670.
SCHOLAR-ATHLETES
Stan State volleyball student-athlete Haley Burdo and men's track and field student-athlete Lamont Lane this year's recipients of the Female and Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year. This award goes to the female and male student-athlete that is graduating this academic year with the highest overall GPA.
Burdo had a 4.00 grade point average during her collegiate career. She is a Psychology major was named to the 2025 All-CCAA Team and the 2025 CCAA Volleyball Championship All-Tournament Team. Burdo is a three-time member of the CSC Academic All-District Team and the CCAA Fall Academic Honor Roll. She also has been named to the D2ADA Academic Achievement Team, Department of Athletics Honor Roll, CCAA All-Academic Team, and the AVCA All-Academic Team. At this year's CCAA Volleyball Championships, Burdo was named the recipient of the Elite 13 Award for having the highest GPA at the CCAA Volleyball Championships.
Lane had a 3.973 grade point average during his collegiate career. He is a Criminal Justice major with a minor in Ethnic Studies. Earlier this semester, he was named the Stan State Most Outstanding Student in the Criminal Justice Department. Lane earned All-CCAA honors at the CCAA Track & Field Championships by placing third in the hammer. In 2023-24, Lane was named the recipient of the Elite 13 Award for having the highest GPA at the CCAA Track & Field Championships.
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Warrior women's track and field student-athlete Rionna Wallace and men's cross country/track and field student-athlete Tanner Gerhart are this year's Female and Male Newcomers of the Year.
Wallace broke four Stan State school records this season. During the indoor season, Wallace now holds the records in the 60-meter dash (7.71) and the 200-meter dash (24.91). The Warrior transfer during the outdoor season broke the Stan State records in the 100-meter dash (11.76) and the 200-meter dash (24.03). She earned All-CCAA honors by placing in the top three in the 100-meter dash and was a member of the 4x400 relay team that earned all-conference honors.
Gerhart earned All-CCAA honors at the 2024 CCAA Cross Country Championships by placing tenth with a time of 24:34.7. He helped lead the Warriors to a third-place finish at the CCAA's. By placing tenth, Gerhart was named the CCAA Newcomer of the Year by placing as the top finishing newcomer.
FRESHMEN OF THE YEAR
This years' Stan State Female and Male Freshmen of the Year recipients are volleyball player Malia Tanksley and the Co-Male Freshmen of the Year are Jackson Oliveira of the men's cross country/track and field team and Jaevin Sawyer of the men's track and field team.
Tanksley was named the CCAA Freshman of the Year back in November. She played a key role in the Warrior success this season. The Sloughouse, Calif., native played in 28 matches and 74 sets this season. She had 58 total blocks to go with her 35 digs, and 153 kills. Tanksley averaged 2.47 points per set and 2.07 kills per set.
Oliveira was the recipient of the CCAA Men's Cross Country Freshman of the Year award as he was the top freshman finisher at the CCAA Cross Country Championships in October. The Oakdale, Calif, native finished 13th to earn All-CCAA honors. During the outdoor track and field season, Oliveira recorded a time of 14:15.54 to move into second place on the Warriors' top ten list in the 5,000-meter run. He was the runner-up at the CCAA Track & Field Championships to earn All-CCAA honors in the 5,000.
Sawyer was named the CCAA Men's Track & Field Freshman of the Meet at the CCAA Track & Field Championships. He broke the Warriors' school record in the men's 100-meter dash (10.42) and is second in the 200 (21.07). Sawyer was a member of the 4x100 relay team that broke the school's 42-year record with a time of 40.64. He earned All-CCAA honors in the 100-meter, 200-meter, 4x100 relay, and the 4x400 relay teams at the CCAA Championships earlier this month.
ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
Warrior women's cross country/track & field student-athlete Annie Wild and men's track & field student-athlete Trent Lauderdale are this year's Athletes of the Year recipients.
Wild became Stan State's first ever Indoor Track & Field National Champion in the mile at the 2025 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships. The 2025 USTFCCCA All-American and All-Region honoree holds the Stan State indoor track & field record in the mile (4:39.92). She broke Stan State's outdoor record in the 1500-meter run with a time of 4:19.50 and she is fourth in the 800 (4:19.67). At the CCAA Championships, Wild captured the 1500-meter and was second in the 800-meter to earn All-CCAA honors. Wild has qualified for nationals in the 1500 and the 800.
Lauderdale captured the 400-hurdles at the CCAA Championships earlier this month. He was a two-time FloCollege/CCAA Track Athlete of the Week recipient. The senior runner is second in the Stan State record books with a time of 51.06. Lauderdale has qualified for the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the 400-hurdles and the 400-meter dash. He was a member of the school record breaking 4x100 relay team that placed second in the CCAA's with a time of 40.65 to earn All-CCAA honors. Lauderdale was also a member of third-place 4x400 relay team that earned All-CCAA honors.
WARRIOR SPIRIT
Warrior Spirit Award: Warrior Spirit award recognizes a student-athlete who has overcome, or currently be dealing with, the stress, anxiety and mental trauma associated with personal hardships, life circumstances, or injury. The adversity does not need to have occurred during their college years. This year's recipients are men's basketball player Jeremiah Jones and women's soccer player Katie Smith.
Jones was a First Team All-CCAA honoree during the 2024-25 season. He averaged 18.5 points per game while dishing out 83 assists and recording 31 steals. The senior guard shot 46% from the field and 88.4% from the line.
Smith played in 18 of the 20 matches for the Warriors this season. She scored two goals this season. The first came in the Warriors' 3-0 victory over SF State and the second in their 2-0 victory over Cal Poly Pomona. Smith was named to the CCAA Fall Academic Honor Roll.
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