Eastern Mennonite University

Freshman of the Year honors a male and female EMU athlete for most outstanding athletic achievement.

The Athletic Department staff votes for the Athletes of the Year, for most outstanding athletic achievement in the current academic year.

The President's Award is given to the male and female who has most exemplified the values of the athletic department during their career through academic achievement, athletic contribution, Christian commitment, leadership, campus involvement and service.

Two EMU men's volleyball players earned a spot on this year's Continental Volleyball Conference All-Academic Team. Junior Jacob Durren (Gloucester, Va./Gloucester) claimed his third consecutive All-Academic honor. Senior Joshua Gomez (Puerto Montt, Chile/German School Puerto Montt) earned a repeat spot on the team.

Sierra Lantz's (Broadway, Va./Broadway) explosive season has yielded one final award, as the EMU junior was named All-State Second Team by the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID).

Six EMU student-athletes have been named to the Academic All-State Team by the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID). A total of 220 student-athletes representing 37 colleges and universities across the state were recognized.

(May 26, 2021) Just in advance of their first-ever trip to the NCAA National Championships, EMU track & field standouts Isaac Alderfer (Broadway, Va./Broadway) and Alijah Johnson (Upper Marlboro, Md./Frederick Douglass) have each been named to the All-Region Team.

May 26, 2021 Eastern Mennonite University field hockey star Brandy Troutman (Mountville, Pa./Hempfield) added another award to her stellar 2021 season, collecting All-State First Team, voted on by the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID). The junior was also selected to the All-ODAC Second Team after the season while also collecting ODAC Player of the Week and Royals Athlete of the Week during the season.

June 11, 2021 Three of EMU's women's triathlon athletes were named Scholar All-American by the Collegiate Triathlon Coaches Association and USA Triathlon. Elizabeth Miller (Archbold, Ohio/Archbold), Allison Shelly (Collinsville, Miss./West Lauderdale) and Vanessa Gardiner (Springfield, Va./John R. Lewis) were each named to the select group.

For the second straight year, EMU women's soccer senior Megan Breidigan (Douglassville, Pa./Daniel Boone) earned a spot on the Google Cloud District 5 Academic All-District Team. The award recognizes her work both in the athletic and academic spheres at Eastern Mennonite University. Breidigan, one of just 13 players on the all-district team, is a four-year starter in the Royals' defense. She started 54 of her 55 games and helped Eastern Mennonite to 19 shutouts over her career. A secondary English education major with a psychology minor, Breidigan also carried a 4.0 GPA in the classroom.

(May 20, 2021) EMU women's volleyball player Paris Hutchinson (Waynesboro, Va./Wilson Memorial) continues forging into new territory with postseason awards, today being named as the Rookie of the Year by the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID). Hutchinson was also voted to the All-State Second Team. This is the first-ever VaSID Rookie of the Year award for an EMU volleyball player, and likely the first all-state honor in 20 years.

EMU junior Sierra Lantz (Broadway, Va./Broadway) was a terror for opposing pitchers this year, and her swinging at the plate was a big reason why she was named All-ODAC Second Team for the second time in her career.

Paris Hutchinson (Waynesboro, Va./Wilson Memorial) made an immediate splash for the EMU women's volleyball team, and today she made a historic mark as the Old Dominion Athletic Conference announced it's postseason awards.

Maybe a good word to describe Allison Shelly (Collinsville, Miss./West Lauderdale) would be "surprising." It's surprising that the EMU junior scored points in all three of her events at the ODAC Track & Field Championships, taking sixth in both the 1500m and 10000m (running personal records in both) while coming in seventh in the 5000m.

The #8-seed Eastern Mennonite University Royals toppled #1 seed, nationally ranked Randolph-Macon, to advance to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference semifinals.

Hannah Johnson (Staunton, Va./Wilson Memorial) went out in style. One of the best players in recent history for the EMU women's volleyball program, Hannah had perhaps the best match of her final season to lead her Royals to a huge upset of Randolph-Macon. That impressive win secured Hannah's first trip to the ODAC Tournament where she led the team in kills in a loss to eventual champion Washington and Lee.

EMU's track athletes made a splash at this weekend's ODAC Championships in Lynchburg, breaking two meet records. Isaac Alderfer (Broadway, Va./Broadway) and Alijah Johnson (Upper Marlboro, Md./Frederick Douglass) each broke one record on Sunday, with Alderfer smashing the 1500m ODAC Championships record and Johnson taking down the record in the 200m.

After helping the Runnin Royals create a name for themselves in the ODAC, senior Tim Jones (Forestville, Md./Central) has added another accolade to his credit for the 2021 season. Jones was voted to the VaSID All-State First Team, his first such honor. The point guard adds this award to a year where he also earned a spot on the All-ODAC Team and his second Royals Athlete of the Week.

Isaac Alderfer (Broadway, Va./Broadway) headlined EMU's honorees on the recently named All-State Team for indoor track & field, presented by the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID). Classmates Alijah Johnson (Upper Marlboro, Md./Frederick Douglass) and Allison Shelly (Collinsville, Miss./West Lauderdale) were also represented on the All-State Teams.

EMU junior Isaac Alderfer (Broadway, Va./Broadway) has had quite a spring semester. This week he was named the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Athlete of the Week for the seventh time combined between the indoor and outdoor track seasons. Alderfer has only run at eight meets this semester.

After their best season in a decade, the EMU Royals field hockey team had two standout players selected to the All-ODAC Second Team: Brandy Troutman (Mountville, Pa./Hempfield) and Skylar Hedgepeth (Smithfield, Va./Smithfield).

Her bat was smoking. Over a pair of weekend doubleheaders, Sierra Lantz (Broadway, Va./Broadway) batted .600, with seven of her nine hits going for extra bases. Four of those went over the fence, as EMU's junior softball player used just that handful of games to eclipse her career home run total of three. Sierra's impressive slash line for the weekend was .600/.600/1.600.

Three EMU Royals took four spots on the All-ODAC Teams for indoor track & field this year, with juniors Isaac Alderfer (Broadway, Va./Broadway), Alijah Johnson (Upper Marlboro, Md./Frederick Douglass) and Allison Shelly (Collinvsville, Miss./West Lauderdale) each earning honors.

Once again, Brandy Troutman (Mountville, Pa./Hempfield) has played a pivotal role in the defensive line for the EMU field hockey team. Not only did Brandy lead the ODAC (and the nation) with eight defensive saves, but she also tied for first with three game-winning goals this year.

A few days after breaking both of EMU's middle distance records, track & field standout Isaac Alderfer (Broadway, Va./Broadway) was named the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Athlete of the Week. It was his sixth weekly honor from the ODAC this year.

Isaac Alderfer (Broadway, Va./Broadway) has efficiently re-written the history books at EMU.

4/13/2021 A huge week turned into a huge honor for EMU field hockey player Brandy Troutman (Mountville, Pa./Hempfield), as today she was named the ODAC Player of the Week.

Isaac Alderfer (Broadway, Va./Broadway) is not-so-quietly putting together one of the best seasons in EMU history. After breaking his third EMU Record of the year, the Royals' middle distance runner was named the ODAC Athlete of the Week. For the fifth time. In three months.

For the second time in his career, EMU baseball player Jaylon Lee (Newport News, Va./Denbigh) has been named the ODAC Player of the Week. Lee powered the Royals to a 2-1 week by slashing .538/.571/1.385. The center fielder batted 7-for-13 with five extra-base hits including a double, two triples, and two homers to go with 11 RBI, seven runs scored, four stolen bases, and a walk.

To say Tori Wigley (Elkton, Va./East Rockingham) is thriving this season would be an understatement. After spending much of the past two seasons playing as one of the two setters in a 6-2 offense, the EMU senior has adopted to a new coach and a new offense. And adopted well.