CHARLOTTE, N.C.- The Queens University of Charlotte Department of Athletics hosted its annual awards ceremony honoring the accomplishments of its student-athletes in a virtual format through the Queens Athletics website and social media channels during the months of June and July.
 
For the ninth straight year, the ceremony is being sponsored by InterCon Building Corp. InterCon has been an outstanding sponsor for the Royals as their generosity helped support the building of Byrum Hall, the tennis courts, and the Queens Sports Complex.
 
Royal Service Award
 
Presented by the Department of Athletics to individual student-athletes or teams who have gone above and beyond to help improve the Queens community.  Criteria for this award includes acts of community engagement that are purposeful, progressive, deliberate, intentional, and impactful to the Queens campus and greater community.
 
Overall, five teams reported 100% participation via the HelperHelper App including dance, men's basketball, men's lacrosse, men's soccer, and women's soccer.
 
Individual Male Winner – Sean Zaidi, Men's Triathlon
 
Zaidi, a freshman, completed 174 volunteer hours during the 2019-20 academic year. The Kernersville, N.C. native participated in the SPWOC We Care Run/Walk for Hunger 5k to help bring awareness about hunger in Forsyth County and to raise money in support of SPWOC's We Care House and We Care Garden.
 
He also joined his teammates in Swim Across America in support of leukemia research at the Levine Cancer Institute and Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte. Additionally, Zaidi was a member of the Queens' Build 4 Cause which traveled to Nashville, Tennessee for a week-long service trip to work with non-profit organizations.
 
Individual Female Winner – Jenna Klenz, Women's Rugby
 
Klenz, a freshman, completed 58.5 volunteer hours during the 2019-20 academic year. The Muskego, Wisconsin native spent more than 30 hours packing and sorting food as a volunteer for Sysco, while also participating in Myers Park Traditional School's Reading Celebration.
 
She also gave her time to Beds for Kids, a local organization that serves the community through furniture donations to children and families in need. Klenz was a coach for the Charlotte Junior Rugby Association during the fall semester.
 
Men's Team Winner - Men's Lacrosse
 
The Queens men's lacrosse team logged 502 total hours with 100-percent team participation and an impact score of 100. They volunteered with the American Heart Association walking in the Greater Charlotte Heart Walk and the Queens International Education Center participating in the Amazing Race. The men's lacrosse team also supported LAX vs. Cancer, Queens Operation Sandwich making meals for Charlotte's homeless population, and participated in the Myers Park Traditional School's Reading Celebration.
 
Women's Team Winner – Women's Rugby
 
The Queens women's rugby team logged 286 total hours with 68-percent team participation and an impact score of 75. They continue to be an integral part of advancing the sport of rugby in the Charlotte community through service, volunteering with USA Rugby, Ardrey Kell High School, and South Mecklenburg High School hosting rugby clinics. The team also volunteered with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and hosted a Women in Rugby Conference.
 
Royals Sportsmanship Award
 
Traditionally, this award is presented by the Department of Athletics to a student-athlete who has excelled in their sport and exemplifies the ideals of sportsmanship. For the 2019-2020 academic year, Queens is recognizing one player from each program "who best demonstrates the qualities of sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for the game and opponents, and integrity in competition".
 
Each player listed below has been identified by their respective coaching staff as supporting the program by positively affecting team culture and displaying the utmost respect for teammates and opponents during practice and competition.
 
Baseball: Ryan Dudney
Men's Basketball: Jonathan Horodyski
Women's Basketball: Kristian Eanes
Cheerleading: Ebony Ormeno
Men's Cross Country: Anthony Raftis
Women's Cross Country: Hannah Wolkenhauer
Dance: Tanneka Broady
Field Hockey: Carey Karl
Men's Golf: Brock Hlinak
Women's Golf: Charleigh Hodges
Men's Lacrosse: Kyle Hornik
Women's Lacrosse: Chase Brokaw
Men's Rugby: Stanton Johnson
Women's Rugby: Megan Reed
Men's Soccer: Jaden McCane
Women's Soccer: Jada Palmer
Softball: Kelly Winter
Men's Swimming: Jan Delkeskamp
Women's Swimming: Francesca Bains
Men's Tennis: Agustin Aran Martin
Women's Tennis: Yana Fleyer
Men's Track & Field: Kevin Harrison
Women's Track & Field: Lucy Walliker
Men's Triathlon: Ethan Conner
Women's Triathlon: Sara Diaz
Men's Volleyball: Josh Bragg
Women's Volleyball: Gabbi Montgomery
Wrestling: Melvin Rubio
 
Mark Kelso "Just Show Up" Award
 
Presented by the Department of Athletics to a student-athlete who has made a difference in the Queens community by 'showing up'. Particular emphasis will be on demonstrated acts of university-wide involvement and impactful visibility within the greater Queens community. This award was initiated as result of Dr. Mark Kelso's Hunter-Hamilton Love of Teaching Award speech at fall convocation in 2017. Dr. Kelso is a political science and international studies professor and a loyal supporter of Queens Athletics.
 
Winner – Harris Helberg, Men's Track & Field
 
Helberg is known among the Queens community as a true Royal. In addition to being a valuable contributor motivational leader in the success of the men's track and field team, Helberg is a visible student-athlete on campus. His warm personality and infectious support for Queens Athletics is evident as he is seen as a consistent supporter at athletic events cheering on his fellow student-athletes.
 
In addition to his support of Queens, Helberg is a volunteer emergency medical technician in Hendersonville, N.C.
 
Male and Female Comeback Athletes of the Year
 
Presented by the Department of Sports Medicine to a student-athlete who was affected by a medical situation and returned to competition to contribute to the success of the team.
 
Male Winner – Benjamin Clipstone, Men's Rugby
 
After a strong freshman season on the field, Clipstone tore his ACL as a sophomore and fractured his elbow as a junior causing him to miss a significant amount of playing time across parts of two seasons. However, Clipstone returned to action as a senior and was chosen as a team captain for the 2019-20 season.
 
His crowning achievement was leading the men's rugby team to the 2019 USAR DII 15-A-Side National Championship, totaling multiple tries during the postseason from his scrumhalf position.
 
Female Winner – Casey Tarvin, Women's Volleyball
 
Tarvin played her entire sophomore season with a shoulder injury, leading to in-season rehab and the use of a brace that limited her range of motion before having surgery in the offseason. Following months of rehab, Tarvin returned to the court as a junior, leading the women's volleyball team to a runner-up finish in the 2019 South Atlantic Conference Tournament and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
 
For her individual efforts, Tarvin was an AVCA All-American, AVCA and D2CCA All-Region honoree, NCCSIA All-State honoree and SAC First Team All-Conference selection while leading the Royals in kills and ranking second on the team in digs.
 
Pamela Davies Male and Female Scholar Student- Athletes of the Year
 
Presented by the Department of Athletics to a student-athlete who has attained a strong academic record and has excelled in their sport. The award is named after former University president Pamela Davis who served the institution for 17 years (2002-2019), distinguishing herself through her commitment to providing innovative and high quality education and building community partnerships that enhance the educational experience of Queens students.
 
Male Winner – Agustin Aran Martin, Men's Tennis
 
Aran Martin is a senior with a perfect 4.0 GPA and a double major in finance and mathematics. He is a member of the Athletic Royal Society and helped guide the men's tennis team to a 5-0 record and a No. 10 national ranking after registering a 3-1 singles record before the spring season was cut short due to COVID-19.
 
Female Winner – Allison Conn, Women's Lacrosse
 
Conn graduated from Queens in May 2020 with a perfect 4.0 GPA and a degree in finance. She was the 2019-20 South Atlantic Conference Women's Lacrosse Scholar-Athlete of the Year and a Google Cloud CoSIDA Academic All-American for the second straight year.
 
On the field, Conn led the Royals to a 5-0 record and a No. 1 national ranking while totaling 10 points with nine goals and one assist to go along with seven ground balls and four cause turnovers.
 
Male and Female Senior Student-Athletes of the Year
 
Presented by the Department of Athletics to a student-athlete who has excelled in their sport across their entire career.
 
Male Winner – Daniel Carr, Men's Basketball
 
Carr leaves Queens as the program's winningest player, leading the Royals to a 117-20 overall record during his four seasons and the NCAA Tournament all four years of his career, reaching the Sweet 16 his freshman season, the national semifinals his sophomore season, and the Elite Eight his junior season. Each of the last two years, Queens lifted the Southeast Regional Championship trophy.
 
The North Augusta, South Carolina native scored 1,512 points to rank fifth on the program's all-time scoring list. In his final campaign he surpassed Queens Hall of Famers Yogi Leo and Chuck Wittman, among others, and the only NBA player in program history, former teammate Todd Withers.
 
Carr also finished top 10 in several other statistical categories including field goals made (5th, 514), 3-point field goals made (9th, 153), and assists (2nd, 446).
 
Female Winner – Polina Lapshina, Women's Swimming
 
Lapshina concluded her Queens career as one of the more decorated swimmers to grace the Levine Center pool, claiming two team NCAA Division II National Championships as well as seven individual titles and 14 CSCAA All-American honors.
 
She was also a two-time DII Honda Athlete of the Year finalist and holds three individual NCAA record to go along with being a part of two more NCAA record relay swims.
 
The Ekaterinburg, Russia native also guided Queens to two Bluegrass Mountain Conference Championships while claiming 13 individual and relay titles as well as back-to-back Bluegrass Mountain Conference Female Swimmer of the Year awards in 2019 and 2020.