Student-athletes, coaches, teams and even administrative staff and an alumnus were honored in spring of 2024 at the fifth annual PIOS ceremony. Started in 2020, the PIOS celebrates the year-long success of Carroll University student-athletes. Student-athletes are nominated for these awards by their head coaches and then voted on by head coaches and athletic administrators. Nominations for the awards include the prior spring season and the current fall and winter seasons. Athlete of the Year in a Female Sport Olivia Rangel, Women’s Basketball Athlete of the Year in a Male Sport Steven Hermsen, Men’s Track and Field The Kilgour Award Katrina Hardin, Women’s Lacrosse The Buschkopf Award Josh Raby, Football Rookie of the Year in a Female Sport Rebecca Hallman, Women’s Lacrosse Rookie of the Year in a Male Sport Joey Appino, Baseball Comeback Athlete of the Year Rebekah Andreae, Volleyball Play/Performance of the Year Jimmy Hinkley, Men’s Track and Field Game/Meet/Match of the Year Women’s Basketball winning the CCIW Tournament Championship Game at #12 Illinois Wesleyan Team of the Year Women’s Basketball Distinguished Alumni Award Bill ’70 and Amy ’86 Wick Staff/Faculty Member of the Year Karen Buckley 2024 PIOS AWARDS Ceremony Honors Student-Athletes MEN’S TENNIS The men’s tennis team finished 3-0 during the fall 2023 season. One highlight of the season came at the ITA Midwest Regional Tournament where the duo of Daniel Ezcurra, a junior from Bilbao, Spain, and Adrian Gomez, a junior from Logrono, Spain, delivered an inspired effort by advancing to the semifinals, marking the first doubles team in program history to advance to the semifinal round of the Regional Tournament. In the spring 2024 season, the Pioneers went 9-7, including 4-3 in conference, giving Carroll the fifth seed in the CCIW Tournament, which the Pios hosted in Waukesha. Gomez and Ezcurra were both named to the AllConference team, earning First and Second team honors, respectively. That marks the most All-Conference honors the program has received in one season since 2018. As a doubles team, that duo broke a school record for the highest winning percentage as a team in a single season, going 15-2 (.882) on the season. Ezcurra also went 14-2 (.875) in singles play, the secondhighest singles winning percentage in a single season in program history. MEN’S LACROSSE Carroll’s men’s lacrosse team set a new program record for single-season victories in 2024, going 6-10 on the season, while also setting a new school record for longest winning streak (3 games). In addition, the Pioneers broke the program’s single-game scoring record in back-toback games, defeating Concordia-Chicago 16-2, before besting that score with a 20-5 win against Centenary. Freshman Brady Conwell broke school records for both single-game goals (6) and single-game points (9). Conwell also set the program’s single-season record for both assists (21) and points (44). The Pios shattered the school record for goals in a season, scoring 147, which is 61 more than the previous high. They also set new school marks in assists (54) and points (201). Sophomore Goalkeeper Jake Gehl broke a single-season school record with 636 saves, nearly 400 more than the previous. Gehl’s six wins also set a new single-season school record. WOMEN’S LACROSSE Carroll’s women’s lacrosse team had another strong season in 2024, qualifying for their sixth consecutive CCIW Tournament with a programrecord 14 victories. The Pioneers finished with a 14-4 mark in a season that started with them winning their first four games and 10 of their first 11. The Pioneers also set a new school record for single-season goals (245). The Pios saw several individual records fall in 2024, as freshman Elizabeth Wang burst onto the scene with 78 goals, 86 points, 4.33 goals per game and 112 shots on goal, which all set new school marks. Freshman goal keeper Sydney Everett also established a new school record for goals against average (6.33). Sophomore Rebecca Hallman tied a single-game record with nine goals in a blowout win over North Central (IL). Wang was joined as a First Team All-Conference selection by teammates Ariana Cullam, Samantha Hurd and Grace Tumilty. Tumilty also was named CCIW Defensive Player of the Year, marking the second time in the last three years that a Carroll player has received that honor. As a team, Carroll finished eighth in Division III with a conference-best free position percentage of .570. They also finished the season ranking 29th in the nation in caused turnovers per game (13.0), 22nd in ground balls per game (24.22), 24th in scoring defense (7.89 gpg), 43rd in shot percentage (.484) and 47th in scoring margin (+5.72). Individually, Wang led all of D-III in free position percentage (.846), while ranking 13th in the nation in goals (78), 22nd in goals per game (4.33), 16th in free position goals per game (1.22) and 61st in points (86). BASEBALL The Pioneer baseball team finished the 2024 season with a 17-23 record, including 7-13 in the CCIW. The Pios finished the season ranking 59th in Division-III in stolen bases (91), 68th in stolen bases per game (2.28) and 76th in doubles (83). Individually, sophomore centerfielder Joey Appino finished 24th in the country in stolen bases (30) and 29th in runs scored (53). Lake Scott was eighth in D-III for sacrifice flies (7), while Connor Nolen was 16th in the nation with a league-best six saves as a relief pitcher. Appino and Nolen were each named to the All-Conference team after the season, earning First and Second Team recognition, respectively. Appino shattered school records for single season runs scored (53) and stolen bases, swiping 30 bags in 31 attempts. Nolen also put his name atop the program’s single-season record book with six saves and 21 appearances, while his 58 strikeouts rank second in program history. Nolen also broke his own school record for highest strikeout rate per nine innings (16.73). Outfielder Casey Mir and Pitcher Brett Buzzelli were each named to the CSC Academic All-District Team. SOFTBALL Carroll’s softball team finished the 2024 season with a 12-26 record, including a 5-11 mark in the CCIW. The Pioneers received a pair of AllConference selections, as Senior catcher Madison Palasz and Sophomore outfielder Abby Curtis each made an appearance on the All-CCIW Second Team. Curtis broke her own school record for single-season stolen bases with 24, a record she set last year. Her 45 career stolen bases rank second in program history, after just two seasons, just three shy of the top spot. Curtis finished 75th in the country in stolen bases, while also ranking third in the conference. She led the team with a .357 batting average from her leadoff spot in the batting order. Carroll’s pitching staff was led by Senior Andrea Kuhne’s 3.13 ERA, to go along with a 7-9 record and 66 strikeouts through 100 innings of work. Kuhne earned Carroll softball’s lone weekly conference award, as she received the CCIW’s first Pitcher of the Week award of the season on February 26. 1RST | Fall 2024 17 FOREMOST
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