Hawks Recognize Student-Athletes at The Harry’s

Tenth annual award ceremony took place on May 15

By Nick Lewis

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore hosted the 10th annual showcase of The Harry’s on Monday, May 15. The end-of-year event highlights student-athletes’ successes, both on the field and in the classroom, throughout the 2022-23 year.

The event, held in the Theater in the Student Services Center, saw the distribution of over 60 awards to student-athletes and athletics and university staff.

Kicking off the department awards, men’s basketball was named the winner of the Quantum Leap award. The Hawks finished 18-13, the program’s best win percentage (.581) in 50 years. The team broke last season’s school records in steals (345) and steals-per-game (11.1). Their per-game clip ranked #1 in the nation this season, while the team also ranked #1 nationally in turnovers forced per contest (19.0).

Men’s golf and softball were recognized as the university’s Teams of Scholars for having the highest team GPAs in the athletics department. Ah-Nayia Oglesby (Tampa, Fla.) and James Perkins (Chincoteague, Va.) each received the Iron Hawk award, given to student-athletes who work tirelessly in the weight room.

Charles Bernard (Quebec City, Quebec, Canada) was named the Men’s Scholar Athlete of the Year, boasting a 4.0 GPA as a sophomore. A tie resulted in McKenzie Abiley (Sherwood, Ore.) and Lesley Thomas (Browns Summit, NC) being named Co-Scholar Athletes of the Year on the women’s side.

Brooke Roberts (Port Orange, Fla.) was named the Women’s Athlete of the Year. Roberts was named National Tenpin Coaches Association Honorable Mention All-American (her second straight All-American honor). She was also NTCA All-Northeast Region Selection and a First-Team All-MEAC selection.

Nathaniel Pollard Jr. (Richmond, Va.) was selected as the Men’s Athlete of the Year. Pollard averaged a near double-double with 9.9 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, finishing the 2022-23 campaign as the MEAC’s leading rebounder. He was named to the All-MEAC Second Team following the season and was selected to compete in the 2023 HBCU All Star Game in Houston, Texas, earning MVP honors after scoring 10 points and collecting 13 rebounds.

The inaugural S.O.A.R. award (Strength to Overcome and Rise) was added to recognize a coach each year who has demonstrated the utmost professionalism while leading their team to success in competition, in the classroom and in the community while positively representing Hawk athletics. Head men’s basketball coach Jason Crafton collected the first-ever award.

Assistant Athletic Director for Academics Collene Dean was honored with the Passion award, recognizing her commitment to seeing student-athletes succeed in the classroom.

The final award for the Hawks of the Year was presented to President Dr. Heidi M. Anderson and Mr. Leon Roberts for their unwavering support of UMES athletics.