Watertown forward Camden Markham makes a move with the puck along the boards during a game this season at Prairie Lakes Ice Arena in Watertown, South Dakota. Markham is heading to Wisconsin-Stevens Point to play hockey. (Photo provided)

HOUGHTON — Former Michigan Mr. Hockey Camden Markham has decided where he is going to go to college. The 2023 Houghton High School graduate is heading to Stevens Point, Wisconsin, to join the Wisconsin-Stevens Point Pointers.

For Markham, the decision was pretty straightforward.

“The type of game they play,” he said when asked the reason why the Pointers were the right place for him. “They’re super, super offensive, which fits me. They are a winning program in the past. They continue to compete for national championships. So, that’s something I want to be a part of.

“I want to be a part of a winning program, and getting the chance to win a national championship ultimately is a big part of it.”

Markham scored 31 goals and 60 points as a junior in high school with the Gremlins in 21-22, then 36 goals and 78 points as a senior. In his second full season of junior play, he was top goal scorer for the Watertown Shamrocks of the North American Hockey League with 22, and he finished second in points with 45.

When asked what it is about the game the Pointers play that excited him most, Markham was quick to point out that it starts with how they work their offense the entire 200 feet of the rink.

“I think a big thing is the way they recruit,” he said. “They recruit a little bit smaller, offensively-skilled defenseman that are able to make plays breaking out of zones. That’ll make it much easier on wingers and the forwards when you have offensive defensemen like that.”

After struggling to find his footing in his first year of juniors in a season that saw him bounce between the NAHL’s Wisconsin Windigo and the Austin Bruins, where he scored two goals and seven points in 33 games combined between the two teams, Markham was energized by the chance to help lay the foundation for a new NAHL team in the Shamrocks last season.

“It was absolutely amazing,” he said. “The fans (were awesome). We sold out almost every single home game, over 1500 people. We started slow, but in the second half of the season, we were a lot better.”

As good as the season was for him, Markham admits that the changes in the rules for NCAA teams to recruit players from the Canadian Hockey League’s teams made it a challenge for him to find a place to play college hockey.

“Personally, I had a pretty big season where normally I feel like I would have gotten a shot at Division I,” he said, “but just with the new Canadian rules and everything, it changes everything.

“It was definitely a big topic of discussion throughout the season. Then I remember we were in a hotel room when we found out, and kind of that set in, that it’s going to make it a lot tougher, and kind of realizing that, I mean, (you’re) still trying as hard as you can to get that opportunity, but realizing that it’s going to be a lot harder.”

At the same time, Markham had to focus on being a part of the Shamrocks and what they were trying to accomplish in their first season. He also served as an alternate captain for the year.

“It was super good to be able to kind of set the foundation of that franchise, be a guy that was a captain there as well, and get it to really grow the program just in one year,” he said. “The growth that that organization has had, has been unreal. So, to get to be a part of that all season long, and be a big part of that, was super awesome and it helped me a lot.”

He was honored to be a part of the leadership group.

“A lot of the guys there looked up to me, and thought that I was going to be a guy that could lead them,” he said. “It truly meant a lot. So, right from the jump, that just helped me. That helps you with confidence. So truly, all season long, I felt confident in myself, because I was able to lead and be someone that guys on that team were looking up to, being an older guy.”

For Markham, and really the Shamrocks, the season turned a corner in January.

“Pretty much after like January, February, March was really when it was my best,” he said. “I was on a 13-game point streak, and like a six-game goal streak, so that was probably my best.”

Being able to chip in offensively more like he had in high school was exciting for Markham.

“It makes the season a lot more fun for sure,” he said. “It was a blast. Getting the score in front of the fans in Watertown made it even more fun.”

In November, the Shamrocks traded for Carter Sproule, who found nearly instant chemistry with Markham, and the pair exploded offensively from there. Sproule, who led the Shamrocks with 48 points in 56 games, put up 12 goals and 40 points in 39 games after arriving in Watertown.

“So around, I think it was maybe December, November, we traded for a guy named Carter Sproule from Oklahoma, and he played with me the whole year,” said Markham. “He and I clicked right away. So, that trade really helped our team, and helped him and I as well.”

The chemistry between the two reminded Markham of playing alongside his best friend, Gaborik Carlson, growing up.

“It was huge,” Markham said. “Being able to know that there’s another guy out there that knows where you are at all times, and gets what you are trying to do with the puck every time you get it, it makes the game so much easier. Being on the same page with somebody truly helps yourself play as well.”

Markham knew he was capable of scoring in the NAHL, but getting the chance to prove that in Watertown did wonders for him.

“It was huge, because I believed in myself, and I knew I was capable of scoring goals at that level, and just putting in the work,” he said. “Last year, I didn’t get a bunch of opportunities, so being in Watertown, I got a good amount of opportunities, and I just made good on my opportunities.”

Markham plans to major in finance at Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He admits that it took a little time to settle on the Pointers, but he is excited to see how things go.

“Around probably February or March, they started talking to me,” he said. “It took time, definitely. I was debating pretty heavily with a couple different options, so it took a little bit, but once I decided, I felt very confident in my decision.”

The Pointers are coming off a season where they went 19-6-2 overall and 10-3-2 in Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play, losing out to Wisconsin-Eau Claire in three games in the WIAC semifinals.

Watertown forward Camden Markham prepares to shoot the puck during a game this season at Prairie Lakes Ice Arena in Watertown, South Dakota. (Photo provided)

Five-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo finalized a groundbreaking three-year, fully guaranteed revenue-sharing contract worth approximately $5.1 million after committing to Texas Tech, his agent, Derrick Shelby, confirmed to ESPN on Friday.

The deal, which is one of the largest of its kind since direct athlete compensation became legal, sets a new benchmark in college football.

Ojo, ranked No. 20 in the ESPN 300 and No. 4 among offensive tackles, attended Lake Ridge High School in Texas and measures in at 6‑foot‑7 and 285 pounds during the spring.

A standout pass blocker and run-stuffer, Ojo attracted offers from major programs, most notably fellow power five schools in Texas, Florida, Michigan, Ohio State and Ole Miss.

“Football is a brutal sport, and athletes are not able to play professionally until their graduating class has been in college three years,” Shelby said to ESPN. “It was important to be able to secure Felix Ojo’s future and give him and his family some security as he continues to develop into a first-round NFL draft pick.”

The deal is similar to the $5 million-plus NIL deal received by top tackle Jackson Cantwell, who joined Miami earlier this year.

Ojo committed to the Red Raiders on July 4, positioning the offensive tackle as Texas Tech’s highest-rated recruit since ESPN began tracking in 2006.

The Red Raiders invested heavily in talent this year, spending over $10 million across 17 portal transfers.

Texas Tech is coming off an 8-5 season where it went 6-3 in Big 12 play and lost to Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl.

Texas Tech hasn’t won double-digit games in any season since 2008, when it went 11-2 and lost to Ole Miss in the Cotton Bowl.

In more recent history, Texas Tech just produced a third-round pick from its offensive line this past season, Caleb Rogers, who was selected by the Raiders in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

The Sun’s sports department recognizes 25 outstanding graduating senior athletes — from record breakers, team captains and national champions. Here are the 25 athletes that represented Cornell with honor during the 2024-2025 season.

Rory Guilday

Women’s Ice Hockey 

Read more about Guilday here.

CJ Kirst

Men’s Lacrosse

Read more about Kirst here.

Aaron Liang

Men’s Squash

Aaron Liang competed in the No. 1 and No. 2 spots for men’s squash for all three years he played for the team. He earned a 7-7 record his senior year, where he played exclusively in the No. 1 spot, and went on to post a 3-1 record in the College Squash Association’s Individual National Championships.

Liang is an international student from Singapore who said the “camaraderie” on the squash team was a defining part of his Cornell experience. Through the team, Liang said he found “a family” more than 10,000 miles away from home.  

A national powerhouse, Liang earned Second Team All-American honors and made it to the round of 32 in the Individual Championships. He was named to the 2025 Second Team All-Ivy and 2024 Academic All-Ivy team. He told The Sun that the team’s “mantra” is to “leave the team in a better place than when you found it” and something he continued to do better as a team captain. 

“I hope that my time at Cornell inspires future generations to carry that culture forward and continue elevating Cornell Squash,” Liang said. 

Adit Sinha

Men’s Tennis

Since his collegiate start with the Red, Adit Sinha cemented himself as a leader of the men’s tennis team. He earned Second Team All-Ivy in singles twice and helped guide the No. 26 team to a successful 2024-2025 with a singles record of 20-8-3 and a doubles record of 16-7-4. In 2024, Sinha advanced to the men’s singles Intercollegiate Tennis Association quarterfinals to represent Cornell. 

One of the team’s biggest accomplishments in recent memory was upsetting No. 9 Columbia University — which Sinha said was his favorite memory as a part of the tennis team. 

“I remember how loud the tennis facility was and I remember the face of the coach on Columbia after that match was over,” Sinha said. “It was just pure bliss to beat our rivals in that fashion.”

Now leaving the team, Sinha hopes to leave behind a program that will reward its hardworking and deserving athletes. 

“If you give your time and effort to the school and tennis program [by] fighting for every match, rocking up to practices, cheering on the bench even though you may want to play and of course being on top of your school then the school and program will reward you accordingly,” Sinha said. 

Alioune Ka

Men’s Soccer

After an injury halted his sophomore season, forward Alioune Ka made a stunning recovery to become a critical piece of a team which made a run to the second round of the National Collegiate Athletics Association’s Tournament after losing just two regular-season matches. 

Ka scored eight goals, including three game-winners and tallied three assists in his senior season. A versatile player, he took a spot in the midfield line, bringing speed and precision to the Red’s attack.

Ka will be continuing his soccer career at the professional level with Nashville Soccer Club, which selected Ka 36th overall during the 2025 Men’s Major League Soccer SuperDraft.

Allie Danko

Women’s Swim and Dive

Throughout her four seasons on the women’s swim and dive team, Allie Danko has left a trail of points and awards behind her. Danko has scored points individually at every Ivy Championship and set the top ten times in the program’s history for both the 500 and the 1000 yard swims. 

However, she feels her biggest accomplishment is contributing to the school record for the 800-yard freestyle relay. 

“I’m more proud of that relay record than any of my individual swims,” said Danko, “because I love and adore the three girls that I got it with, and they’re the greatest teammates and training partners.” 

That feeling towards her teammates is one she holds onto as she steps away from swimming and towards Vanderbilt Law School next fall. 

“I love all of my teammates so much,” Danko said. “They’re my best friends, [and] every friend I could possibly want is right here on the pool deck. I really am just so grateful for my teammates.” 

Although her time with swimming is now over, Danko feels that the “leap of faith” she made in 2021 by joining the team has paid off. 

“I feel like I can look back and confidently say that I made the right choice,” Danko said. “I’ve had a really amazing four years with the team. All of my best memories at Cornell stem back to the swim and dive team, and I’m just so grateful for everything that I’ve gotten to do.” 

Ashley Messier

Women’s Ice Hockey

Despite being one of three captains (along with Rory Guilday and Gabbie Rud, fellow Sun Top 25 Senior honorees) and 11 seniors on women’s hockey, Ashley Messier still managed to stand out. The Saskatchewan native was a lockdown defender, racking up the second most blocks on the team while anchoring the third best defense in the nation. A Johnson School of Business graduate, Messier was a true two-way player, leading Cornell defenders in goals (seven) and tying for the lead in assists (20) en route to her ECAC second team 2024-2025 campaign.

“It’s bittersweet,” Messier said when asked about the end of her Cornell career. “It was a really special year so it’s obviously very sad to go, but lots of good parts about it.”

According to Messier, a key to this season’s success for Cornell was its depth and experience. The defender herself has plenty of experience, appearing in 108 games and notching 51 points across her four years on East Hill. Along with the success on the ice, Messier also has plenty of fond memories off it too.

“A very memorable moment of mine is when some friends and I — a couple girls on the team — made it to Izzy Daniel’s Patty [Kazmaier] ceremony,”  Messier said.

After missing part of her sophomore year with a leg injury, Messier was granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA, which she is using to play for the University of Minnesota Duluth next season. Then, joining Daniel in the PWHL seems like a natural destination.

Augustine Haquet

Women’s Track and Field & Cross Country

After four years at Cornell, Augustine Haquet has amassed an unforgettable legacy. Haquet came to Cornell with one goal in mind — to dominate the field — and that is exactly what she did. Across 70 competitions, she amassed 35 top five-finishes, including 11 first-place finishes.

Most recently, Haquet competed in the NCAA’s East Preliminaries where she finished with her career high of 4:12.68 in the 1500m, good for second all time on the Cornell records list. She holds seven other first place spots on the Cornell women’s track and field record book. 

“I have so many memorable experiences as an athlete at Cornell, but if I had to pick, I would say that running the relays with my incredible teammates is something I will never forget,” Haquet said. “Track and field is a very individual and sometimes lonely sport, so when you get to run with and for the people you love, it makes it exponentially more fun and intense.”

Looking forward, Haquet will move back to France and attend graduate school to pursue a master’s degree in Public Policy at Sciences Po Paris while training with an elite group of athletes for the chance to represent her home country at the international level.

Despite reaching all-time status with her accomplishments at Cornell, Haquet stressed the importance of cherishing every moment.

“This might seem cliché, but I think that taking in every single moment, the good but also the bad ones, is key to making the most of your time as a student-athlete at Cornell,” Haquet said “Looking back at these four years and realizing how much you went through and still accomplished is much more empowering than focusing on the highlights only.”

Ava Ramachandran

Women’s Polo

In her collegiate career, Ava Ramachandran made an impact on the women’s polo team.

This past year, the women’s team beat the University of New Hampshire to claim the Division II Championship. After the match, she was awarded the Clyde C. Waddell Jr. Sportsmanship Award. Ramachandran contributed five goals to the win and last year in the team’s win. Last year against Skidmore College, she scored a career-high of eight goals. 

“Winning nationals alongside my team was a huge accomplishment and to and to do it alongside my best friends during my senior year made it so much more special,” Ramachandran said. “The legacy that I hope to leave behind would be a positive and energetic atmosphere in and out of the arena.”

She will be pursuing a master’s degree in social work at Boston College next year and hopes to pursue a career in psychology. 

Caitlin Slaminko

Women’s Lacrosse

Midfielder Caitlin Slaminko rose through the ranks of women’s lacrosse to become the team’s highest scorer her senior year. With 41 goals, Slaminko led the team to its first winning record since 2020.

“I am honored to have represented Cornell Lacrosse and hope to have added to the Cornell women’s lacrosse foundation that the alumni before me have left,” Slaminko said. “To have been a leader that people could look up to and continue to lean on.”

Slaminko scored in every game of the 2025 season, including 11 multi-goal games. Her powerful shot gave her an 84.3 percent shot-on-goal percentage. Not only was she a threat in front of the net, but she won 41 draw controls and picked up 17 ground balls.

Her efforts didn’t go unnoticed; Slaminko was added to the Tewaaraton Watch List on May 6, and she was named second team all-Ivy.

Slaminko said her favorite part of the team has been “the connections” she made with her teammates and coaching staff. 

“The Cornell athletics network is unmatched and has made my experience as an athlete extremely positive,” Slaminko said. 

Chris Foca

Men’s Wrestling

Cornell wrestling fans won’t soon forget Chris Foca. Maybe it’s the tattoo of New Jersey inked on his back, the signature “Foca-Style” apparel or the way he wrestled: aggressive, unrelenting and just a little bit flashy.

“My personality is kind of built through wrestling,” Foca said. “In a way, I pride myself in hard work, being able to adapt to situations and approaching anything with an open mind because it’s the way that I approach matches. Wrestling taught me to just bounce back and give my all, not just on the map, but in anything that I do.”

On the mat, Foca was a force. Over his collegiate career, he became a two-time NCAA All-American, placing third at 174 pounds in 2023 and fifth at 184 pounds in 2025. He was a three-time unanimous First-Team All-Ivy selection, and won the inaugural Ivy League Tournament at 184 pounds this past year. Foca’s senior season saw him finish with a 23-8 record and he captained Cornell to a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Championships. 

“You come to college thinking you’re going to win a national title,” Foca said. “When I went into nationals this year, it wasn’t about being at the top of the podium. Each week this season, I gave my all. I worked with coaches, did extra, ate right, slept right. The national tournament was just the culmination of all that coming together.”

But for Foca, wrestling was never just about trophies. As a senior, he doubled down on his commitment—mentoring younger wrestlers, leading by example and pushing himself through every grueling practice. He knew his legacy would be measured not just by his wins, but by the impact he had on those around him.

“Wrestling taught me resilience and humility,” Foca said. “In the future, applying that to everyday life is giving my all, being a genuine human being, staying humble and helping those around me in any way I can.”

Claire Wolfe

Women’s Field Hockey

As assistant captain of the field hockey team, Claire Wolfe is no stranger to being a leader. During her senior season, she was ranked fourth nationally for assists per game. In her 66-game career, she recorded 26 points and boosted the Red’s offensive production immensely with her 22 assists. Wolfe was a three time National Field Hockey Coaches Association National Academic Squad honoree and in 2024 was named to the 2024 NFHCA Mideast All-Region second team. 

“I am so grateful for my team, for the memories I made and the lessons I learned through field hockey,” Wolfe said. 

Her favorite memory at Cornell was making the Ivy League tournament in 2023 and the match against Princeton University. Even though the Red were unable to win, she says the team huddle after was a “true testament of the culture” of the field hockey team. 

“We had lost so we were all heartbroken and sad, but I remember Caroline Ramsey, who was team captain at the time, talking to us and telling us how proud of us she was,” Wolfe said. “It was a moment of true sportsmanship and camaraderie between the team and it really made me proud to be a part of a team that was bigger than myself.”

She plans to play one more year of field hockey at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom and pursue her master’s degree in Business Administration. 

Damian Hackett

Men’s Track and Field & Cross Country

Damian Hackett secured himself a spot in Cornell track and field history earning the program’s first All-American first title honor in the 1500m. Competing at the 1500m NCAA final two weeks ago, he placed eighth and was less than half a second away from first in a tough race. 

Hackett is no stranger to awards and breaking records — Hackett is mentioned 15 times in the Cornell track and field record book. His highlights include the best indoor mile at 3:56.15, the fastest 800m time of 1:47.40 and the best 1000m time at 2:20.42.  

The best of his records however, is his 1500m time which he broke this year at the Raleigh Relays, winning the race for the Red and clocking in with a time of 3:36.78, good for No. 26 overall in the United States. 

Hackett’s favorite memory was the 2025 Ivy League Heptagonal Indoor Championship which was held one final time at Barton Hall this year and had a “really electric atmosphere.” He hopes that he left behind a strong team culture. 

“Everything is a lot easier when you recognize that your teammates are there to push, inspire and support you,” Hackett said. “[They are] not just a group of people you practice with for a few hours a day while you work on making yourself better.”

Gabbie Rud

Women’s Ice Hockey

Arriving in Ithaca in the fall of 2020, forward Gabbie Rud had high expectations for her debut season on a women’s ice hockey team which had been set to enter the 2020 NCAA tournament as the top seed before its cancelation due to COVID-19. Instead, the 2020-2021 season was canceled, and Rud’s first semester in Ithaca was a challenge. 

“We had to practice with masks on, we only had a certain amount of hours a week, we couldn’t do any competition drills against each other or anything because you had to keep a distance,” Rud said. “The hockey side, it was pretty ridiculous.”

While Rud’s first semester may have been an on-ice low, her final season was a high point. The forward tallied a career-high 24 points — second most on the team — and scored a game winning goal with just 27 seconds remaining to sweep the ECAC quarterfinals. 

“[The 2024-2025 season] definitely was the best year of hockey I’ve had,” Rud said. “You always have that dream of making the Frozen Four, and to live it was very surreal. But I think our group was really special because of the camaraderie we had and the closeness we had with each other.”

While Rud’s time playing hockey is done, she’s sure she will “be around it forever,” in part because both of her brothers and her father are either currently playing or working in hockey. After graduating as a food science major, Rud will return home to Minnesota, where she will begin working for a nutrition company this summer.

“I love this place so much, I’m going to miss it all,” said Rud when asked what she will remember about her time on East Hill. “[Especially] the people. I think the culture and the people of Cornell hockey specifically is unmatched.”

Ian Shane

Men’s Ice Hockey

When you pass NHL great Ken Dryden ’69 for a record of any kind, that’s an indication of a legacy.

Ian Shane’s 14 career shutouts — fourth-most in Cornell program history — just edge him past Dryden’s 13, but that’s just one number out of many that describe Shane’s importance between the pipes. The program’s starting goaltender since January of his freshman year, Shane has aided Cornell to two ECAC championships and three NCAA tournament appearances, often stealing games and shining under the brightest of lights.

“These four years have flown by,” Shane said after his senior night on Feb. 22. “To actually get to this moment was kind of bittersweet and was a great bookend for our journeys here at Cornell.” 

Coming to Cornell undrafted after splitting time between different junior hockey leagues, Shane has a shot to play professionally. He signed an amateur tryout contract with the Norfolk Admirals of the ECHL on April 1, playing five games for Norfolk and posting a 3-0-2 record with one shutout and a .906 save percentage. Though he is not signed for next season yet, Shane — who is obtaining a degree in Hotel Administration — has a bright future in both professional hockey and the corporate world.

“For the 10 seniors, this year was about trying to leave a legacy and leave the jersey in a better place than we found it,” Shane said.

Jameson Wang

Men’s Football

Throughout his football career at Cornell, Jameson Wang has created a historic and record-breaking legacy that the Red will forever cherish. His junior year, Wang broke the quarterback rushing touchdowns record and ranked eighth in the country in rushing yards averaging 288 yards per game at the quarterback position. He scored 78 touchdowns in 38 games and produced 8,775 offensive yards for Cornell. 

Wang also declared for the National Football League Draft and has gained traction nationally becoming the second Cornell player to receive an invitation to the Hula Bowl. Now, his attention is on making his professional football dreams a reality — and with an invitation to the Los Angeles Chargers Rookie Mini Camp — Wang is certainly headed in the right direction. 

“My passion has always been football, so my goal right now is to play professional football as long as I can and when the day comes that I can not lace up my cleats anymore, I want to become a coach or work in the football industry,” Wang said.

Joseph Gurski

Men’s Swim and Dive

In his four years at Cornell, Joseph Gurski left an impactful legacy as a member of the swim and dive team. Specializing in butterfly, Gurski earned All-Ivy honors twice for his individual and relay contributions. As a junior, he won the 100-yard butterfly at the Ivy League Championship Meet, the first Cornell swimmer to do so in over thirty years. Gurski finishes his career with two Cornell records in the 100-yard and 200-yard butterfly.

Despite his significant individual success, Gurski notes the overall improvement of the program as the highlight of his collegiate career. As a senior captain, he helped lead Cornell to its first winning Ivy dual meet record in 15 years and a fifth place finish at the Ivy Championship Meet. 

“We came from not winning a single Ivy dual meet my freshman year to winning four,” Gurski said. “I’m stoked to see the program continue our winning team culture and keep accomplishing much more than what we imagined.” 

Across four years, Gurski shattered school and pool records, consistently anchored relays and embodied the resilience of a program on the rise. He looks back on his time at Cornell with gratitude for his teammates, leaving behind a legacy of leadership and camaraderie.  

“I already miss my team. I miss the grind, and I miss swimming with my teammates most of all,” Gurski said. “I’m so grateful that I got to end my senior season and collegiate career on a high note – achieving a winning Ivy dual meet record and then going on to winning a relay at Ivies with my friends.”

Now that he has left Cornell, Gurski plans to spend time with his family and enter the job market.  

Julian Ramirez

Men’s Wrestling

Julian Ramirez never had much use for half measures. From the moment he set foot on Cornell’s wrestling mats, he wrestled in a way that left little room for compromise. There were wins, of course: 94 total, four Ivy League titles and four NCAA tournament appearances. Yet the measure of Ramirez’s career was never just the numbers.

There was a grit to Ramirez’s style, a hunger that refused to be dulled, even when the grind of college wrestling seemed relentless. His senior season was proof of that. Due to Ivy League rules, Ramirez sat out the first semester, not being enrolled. Returning in December, he surged through the second half, qualifying for the NCAA tournament as the third seed in his bracket. Though he fell one match short of All-American honors, his leadership throughout the tournament was unmistakable.

“I’m most proud of helping my team succeed the last three years,” Ramirez said. “At the national tournament, we took third, second, seventh in that order. With a lot of changes in the lineup, the leadership was something that was needed, and I think I helped a lot with leading our team.”

As a two-year captain, Ramirez was the heartbeat of the team, a mentor to younger wrestlers and the standard-bearer of Cornell’s demanding culture. For him, it wasn’t just about drilling or conditioning. It was about cultivating a culture of accountability, where every wrestler understood that excellence was an expectation.

“This is my second year being a captain,” Ramirez said. “I wanted to make sure that I was able to help younger guys start finding their place on the team and their own leadership skills. The biggest impact I want to leave is that everybody can realize that they can lead the team if they do things the right way.”

Kyle Howe

Men’s Heavyweight Rowing

Kyle Howe has left a lasting legacy on the Cornell heavyweight rowing, embodying leadership, resilience and dedication as team co-captain. Howe has been on the team for the past four years and currently races in the 1V8.

“We’ve made incredible strides towards finding new speed this year,” Howe said. 

At the end of his junior season, the team graduated 16 seniors, six of which Howe had previously rowed with in the 1V8. Howe and co-captain Geoffrey Miller worked exceptionally hard this year to rebuild the team. They redid their training plan and pushed their teammates to be the best they could be both on and off the water.

“I think that my favorite part about our team is that we are striving for excellence on every level,” Howe said. “There’s a lot more to life than just rowing. We’re trying to make a team where we’re also creating leaders and men of high character.” 

Howe placed first in ‘C’ Final at Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championship during his junior year and helped the team take home the Varsity Cup against the University of Pennsylvania his sophomore season. Also in his sophomore year, Howe attended the Henley Royal Regatta in Oxfordshire, England, where he raced some of the best rowing teams around the world.

After college, Howe plans to pursue a masters degree in real estate and finance at Cambridge University. He also wants to continue rowing and hopes to compete for a seat in the Oxford-Cambridge boat race.

Laken Gallman

Women’s Soccer

In just three seasons at Cornell, Laken Gallman made an unforgettable mark on women’s soccer. Putting up eight points in her senior season, nine in 2023 and 10 in 2022, Gallman led the team in scoring every year she played.

Gallman joined the team as a walk-on after transferring from the University of Tampa in 2022.

“I trained the whole summer, and my mindset was ‘I’m going to be on this team,’” Gallman said. “At the end of the two week [tryout], they offered me a spot.”

Joining a squad which had one conference victory and scored just 14 goals the year before, Gallman netted five goals in her first season. The next fall, she went on to be the first player since 2014 to notch more than one assist and the first since 2021 to score more than one goal in a single game.

Though she graduated from Cornell last December, Gallman’s athletics journey is far from over, and she plans to play professional soccer. Leaving behind a legacy of camaraderie and support, Gallman hopes to see the team grow in her absence.

“Being in the bottom [of the league] for so long, it’s hard to conjure up a winning mentality,” Gallman said. “We tried to focus on the small things that we could do, and build upon that to get a momentum going.”

Nazir Williams

Men’s Basketball

The men’s basketball team won’t be the same without guard Nazir Williams leading the court with his dominant offensive statistics — in his last season with the Red, Williams posted an impressive 51.2 percent field goal percentage that ranked him 83rd in the country. In the 107 games Williams suited up for, he scored 1,244 points for Cornell. His honors include two time selections to the All-Ivy second team and a spot on the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-North Atlantic District second team. 

Williams favorite memory — and one of the men’s basketball team’s best accomplishments in recent memory was their victory against the University of California, Berkeley where the Red’s first-half offensive efforts was the key to its success. Williams contributed 18 points to help the team end its 73-year drought without a win against an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent.

For Williams, his athletic career at Cornell was special because of the people he met and the “tight knit” community of athletes. In addition, Williams emphasized how important discipline and hard work were for him as an athlete. 

“It was also an eye open experience because it showed me the amount of discipline that it takes to succeed at anything in life at a high level,” Williams said. “Taking that discipline from the classroom onto the court and vice versa and meeting everyone I was able to … made this experience what it was.”  

Ondrej Psenicka

Men’s Ice Hockey

Flying over 4,000 miles from home in Prague, Czech Republic to play college hockey, Ondrej Psenicka’s impact goes beyond the points and goals he amassed in four years. Lynah Rink was often adorned with Czech flags and t-shirts — especially on his senior night, which featured the Cornell Pep Band’s rendition of the Czech national anthem — making Ithaca feel like a second home.

“I would never think that I would be that lucky to get to such a prestigious university like Cornell,” Psenicka said. “[I] still can’t believe it.”

Psenicka — a 6’6” power forward — ended his four years at Cornell with 38 goals and 78 points. He’s posted a handful of notable performances, including his game-winning goal against Boston University at Madison Square Garden in 2023 and a three-point game against Clarkson in this year’s ECAC title game to secure Cornell’s 14th Whitelaw Cup.

After four years in the U.S., Psenicka will return to his home country to continue his professional hockey career. Next year, he’ll play with HC Škoda Plzeň, a club based southwest of Prague in the top Czech elite league, the Extraliga.

“I know everybody says that, but it’s just like, enjoy every moment, because it runs super quickly,” Psenicka said. “I’m happy [with] how I spent my four years here.”

Summer Parker-Hall

Women’s Basketball

Entering her senior year after the Red earned just one conference victory in the 2023-24 season, forward Summer Parker-Hall stepped up as the leader that women’s basketball needed to come back from the bottom of the league.

After averaging 3.0 points per game in her freshman season, she improved to 6.4, then 7.2, until finally Parker-Hall topped the stats sheet with 12.0 average points. Her 55.7 percent field goal percentage reflected her growth in maturity and skill, and she fought to win an average of 5.3 rebounds per game.

Parker-Hall was named to the 2024-25 Ivy League Women’s Basketball Academic All-Ivy team. Her senior season saw the Red improve its conference record to 3-11, winning both contests against Dartmouth and picking up a road victory against Yale, breaking a five-year losing streak against the Bulldogs.

Sydney Beers

Women’s Gymnastics

Records were just numbers to beat for gymnast Sydney Beers. In her career with the Red, Beers broke two Cornell women’s weightlifting records with a 355-pound squat and 240-pound bench. Beers was also leader for the team as a two-time captain. 

Beers holds top positions in Cornell’s All-Around Records, ranking in the top five with standout scores in 2022 and 2024. She posted a 39.125 in 2022, and in 2024, secured first, second and fourth all-time with scores of 39.275, 39.225 and 39.150. At the February 14, 2024 Long Island University quad meet, she scored 9.900 on floor and vault, tying for first on the Vault Records and second on the Floor Records.

“My favorite memory of being an athlete at Cornell is competing with my team,” Beers said. “Going to practice every day and living with my teammates as well, we have become a family, which was something super special that I got to experience here.”

She plans to take a gap year and work as a medical scribe before attending physician assistant school the following year.

Tim Rego

Men’s Ice Hockey

Tim Rego’s graduation from Cornell marks a journey five years in the making. Originally a part of the Class of 2024, what was supposed to be Rego’s freshman season — 2020-2021 — was taken away due to the Ivy League and COVID-19 restrictions.

But five years after he was initially supposed to take the ice, a career senior year (8-16-24) capped off a strong four seasons anchoring Cornell’s blue line. Rego’s leadership and reliability aided the Red’s defense to three top-10 finishes in goals against per game, including one season as the nation’s top defense in 2023-2024.

An undrafted defenseman hailing from Mansfield, Massachusetts, Rego will depart the Hill with his Cornell degree and a professional contract. He signed a one-year deal with the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League, affiliated with the National Hockey League’s Los Angeles Kings.

Read More