King’s Honors School Athletes at Award Banquet

On Tuesday, April 17th, The King’s College Athletics Department honored the young men and women who participated in athletics during the 2017-2018 academic year. The Athletic program provides students with the opportunity to practice leadership and genuine involvement in competitive sports. The close-knit teams help athletes develop a spirit of excellence in all areas of their lives — academic, personal, spiritual, and relational — through their involvement in the program.

Bryan Finley, athletic director at The King’s College, said of the banquet, “The Athletic Awards Dinner at the end of the spring semester is something I look forward to every year. Our student-athletes are so busy that this is the only time in the year that we have all of them in one room together! It is a privilege for me and our coaching staff to honor their achievements through this banquet.”  

The event featured guest speaker George McGovern, a NYC Metro area supervisor for the ministry, Athletes in Action. McGovern has served as the chaplain for the New York Yankees and for the New York Giants. McGovern spoke about some of the themes Christianity and athletics have in common, from the virtue of discipline to the idea of perseverance towards the goal of excellence, not merely completion, in everything. He concluded with a reflection on one of his favorite verses, Colossians 4:2, which says, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”  

After a catered dinner, each athlete received an award signifying how many years he or she has played for King’s (much like a varsity letter). Ten King’s athletes received special recognition; these athletes received the National All-Academic Team award from the United States College Athletic Association. This award celebrates the achievements of student athletes in their sophomore, junior, or senior year who achieved a 3.5 or higher GPA while competing in their sport.

The ten athletes from King’s who received this distinction are Micah Paulec (Men’s Cross Country), Hannah Hagadorn (Women’s Soccer), Mary Kathryn Samelson (Women’s Volleyball), Savannah White (Women’s Volleyball), Jackson Kane (Men’s Soccer), Josiah Simons (Men’s Soccer), Megan Starnes (Women’s Basketball), Benjamin “Luke” Borchelt (Men’s Soccer/Basketball), Isaac Coston (Men’s Basketball), and Justin Cox (Men’s Basketball).

In addition, the Athletics Department extended a special recognition to athletes and a coach who were honored by the Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (HVIAC), of which The King’s College is a part. Coach David Foy (Women’s Soccer) received the HVIAC Coach of the Year recognition. Jaclynn Kelly (Women’s Soccer), Kylie Locklar (Women’s Soccer), Michel Wenzel (Men’s Soccer), Pedro Gallaga (Men’s Soccer), Dekka Hunley (Women’s Volleyball), Micah Paulec (Men’s Cross Country), and Benjamin “Luke” Borchelt (Men’s Basketball) received the HVIAC All-Conference recognition.

The evening ended with a special recognition of five student-athletes who competed for TKC Athletics in all four years of their time at King’s, including one student who served as captain of both the women’s basketball and women’s soccer team. These five students are: Megan Starnes (Women’s Basketball), Anna Eaves (Women’s Basketball), Kylie Locklar (Women’s Basketball and Women’s Soccer), Sadiq Keshwani (Men’s Soccer), and Dekka Hunley (Women’s Volleyball).

After the event, Finley said of the students who participate in King’s athletics, “These student-athletes represent King’s in the classroom and out on the courts and playing fields. They are active in their churches and leaders in their Houses, and they have internships and part-time jobs. They are embracing all that The King’s College has to offer, but they still get to play the sports that they’ve loved since they were just children. Our athletic department staff is humbled to know that their experience as student-athletes will serve them well when they leave King’s and enter the workforce.”

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