NORTHFIELD, Vt. - The Norwich University Athletic Department hosted its 22nd Annual Senior Athlete Recognition Luncheon on Thursday, Apr. 30, celebrating the Class of 2026 and honoring several student-athletes for their excellence in competition, in the classroom, and across the broader Norwich community.

The annual event recognized Norwich's graduating senior student-athletes and featured remarks from Director of Athletics Ed Hockenbury and LtGen John Broadmeadow, USMC (Ret.), 25th President of Norwich University, as well as a student-athlete reflection from Abigail Kirrane (Lunenburg, Mass.), a two-sport senior in women's soccer and women's lacrosse.

Headlining the afternoon's major awards were men's swimming & diving standout Adrian Riendeau (Ridgecrest, Calif.) and women's ice hockey captain Olivia Boyer (Saint Paul, Minn.), who were named the Coach Mariano Outstanding Athletes of the Year.  The award, named in honor of Director of Athletics Emeritus Tony Mariano, is presented annually to the top senior male and female athletes as selected by the Norwich coaching staff.

Other major award recipients included Joe Joe DuBrul (Shelburne, Vt.) of the men's basketball team, Kat Probst (Gouverneur, N.Y.) of the women's soccer team, and Jessica Zimmerman (Turner, Maine) of the women's basketball team, who were recognized as Scholar-Athletes of the Year; Reilly Laitala (Sterling, Mass.) of the women's swimming & diving team, recipient of the Garrity Award; Boyer, who also received the Roy Looke Achievement Award; and Brandy Lewis (Strafford, Vt.) of the women's swimming & diving team, who was honored with the Charles F. Crosby Courage Award.

Riendeau closed his Norwich career as one of the most decorated performers in the history of the men's swimming & diving program.  A four-year member of the Cadets, he earned 27 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) All-Conference selections, including eight apiece during both the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons.

Across his career, Riendeau was a 23-time individual and relay GNAC champion, helping lead Norwich to four straight GNAC Championships from 2022-23 through 2025-26.  He captured seven conference titles as a senior, six as a junior, four as a sophomore, and six as a first-year, establishing himself as one of the conference's most consistent championship performers.

The 2022-23 GNAC Rookie of the Year, Riendeau was a five-time GNAC Rookie of the Week selection during his debut season and went on to qualify for and participate in the ECAC Championships in each of his four years.  He was also part of one GNAC relay record, one Goodyear Pool relay record, and two Norwich relay records, while holding the individual program record in the 50 backstroke.

A team captain in 2025-26 and the team's Coach's Award recipient in 2024-25, Riendeau helped anchor one of the most dominant stretches in program history, as Norwich captured four consecutive GNAC team titles and continued to build its place among the conference's premier programs.

Boyer added to her own decorated senior year by receiving both the Coach Mariano Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year Award and the Roy Looke Achievement Award.  The Looke Award, named in honor of longtime Norwich Athletics supporter Roy Looke, is presented to a civilian senior student-athlete who has distinguished herself or himself athletically and academically while demonstrating leadership in civilian student life.

A four-year member of the Norwich women's ice hockey team, Boyer served as team captain during the 2025-26 season after previously serving as an alternate captain in 2024-25.  She earned Little East Conference (LEC) All-Conference First Team honors as a senior, after previously collecting New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) All-Conference Third Team recognition in 2023-24 and NEHC All-Rookie Team honors in 2022-23.

Boyer surpassed both the 100-point and 100-games played milestones during her senior season, finishing her career with 39 goals and 62 assists for 101 points.  She also won 1,067 face-offs over her career, providing Norwich with a steady two-way presence and one of its most reliable leaders.

Her career coincided with another successful era for Norwich women's hockey.  Boyer was a member of the Cadets' 2025-26 LEC regular season and tournament championship team, the 2022-23 NEHC tournament championship team, and two NEHC regular season championship teams in 2023-24 and 2024-25.  She also helped lead Norwich to the NCAA National Semifinals in 2025-26, marking the program's first Frozen Four appearance since 2018.

Boyer was twice named the team's Sportsmanship Award recipient and twice received the Coaches/Bolder Award, reflecting the consistency, leadership, and respect she brought to the program throughout her four years.

Laitala was recognized with the Garrity Award, which is presented to a military senior student-athlete who has distinguished herself or himself athletically and academically while displaying leadership in the Corps of Cadets.  The award is named in honor of Joseph Garrity, a 1927 Norwich graduate and former coach and Director of Athletics.

One of the most accomplished divers in Norwich history, Laitala was a four-year member of the women's swimming & diving team and a three-time GNAC Women's Diver of the Year, earning the honor in 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26.  She was an eight-time GNAC All-Conference selection and a seven-time individual diving GNAC champion, winning multiple conference titles in each of her final three seasons.

Laitala helped lead the Norwich women to four straight GNAC Championships from 2022-23 through 2025-26.  She also became the first NCAA Diving Regional qualifier in program history during the 2023-24 season and was an ECAC qualifier and participant in both 2022-23 and 2024-25.

She holds two GNAC diving records and one Norwich diving record, and was named GNAC Diver of the Week 17 times during her career.  She also served as a two-time team captain and was named the team's Athlete of the Year Award recipient in 2023-24.

Her leadership extended well beyond the pool.  Laitala served as a Cadet Captain in 2025-26, commanding a company of more than 100 personnel and overseeing daily training, discipline, development, and integration.  She previously served as a Cadet Staff Sergeant in 2024-25 and as a Cadet Athletic Liaison in 2023-24, helping support communication between Corps leadership and varsity athletic teams.

The Garrity Award presentation also created one of the afternoon's most meaningful moments, as the senior class presented Col. Bill McCollough '91, USMC (Ret.), with a senior gift in recognition of his service to Norwich.  McCollough, who is retiring in June after four years as Norwich University's 56th Commandant of Cadets and Vice President for Student Affairs, arrived in his role during the same academic cycle as many members of the Class of 2026 and has been a visible presence throughout their Norwich experience.  A former Norwich swimmer, Corps of Cadets member, and 1991 Garrity Award recipient, McCollough also helped strengthen the connection between athletics and leadership through seasonal meetings with Norwich team captains, working alongside Director of Athletics Ed Hockenbury to discuss standards, commitment, culture, sportsmanship, and character.  As a student, McCollough received a Norwich watch with the Garrity Award, a piece he continued to wear years later despite its condition.  In a full-circle tribute, the Class of 2026 presented him with a new Norwich watch as a thank-you for his leadership, mentorship, and impact on their student-athlete experience.

Lewis was selected as the recipient of the Charles F. Crosby Courage Award, which annually recognizes a senior student-athlete or team manager who has honored Crosby's legacy in the face of personal adversity.  Crosby '63 served Norwich as a student, athlete, proud alumnus, administrator, and later as a member of the Athletic Communications staff.  A devoted advocate for Norwich students and student-athletes, Crosby exhibited courage, perseverance, service, and humility throughout his battle with serious illness before his passing in 2016.

A member of the women's swimming & diving program, Lewis was a key contributor during Norwich's championship run and remained a valued member of the team despite being sidelined for much of her senior season.  She returned to compete at the 2026 GNAC Championships, swimming several events and helping the Cadets secure their fourth straight conference title.

DuBrul, Probst, and Zimmerman received the department's Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards after each finishing with a perfect 4.00 cumulative grade-point average.  DuBrul was a key contributor for the men's basketball team while majoring in management.  Probst was a standout member of the women's soccer program while majoring in health science, while Zimmerman was a starter for the women's basketball team and majored in criminology.

In addition to the major award winners, 72 senior student-athletes were recognized as Scholar-Athletes after maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher throughout their academic careers.

Baseball: Geffen Franus, Trevor Lussier, Jack Medhurst, Isaac Parker
Men's Basketball: Joe Joe DuBrul
Women's Basketball: Joey Abrantes, Mallorie Chalmers, Eleonore Collins, Kiley O'Brien, Siobhan O'Donnell, Jessica Zimmerman
Men's Cross Country: Roger Bos, Owen Clapp, Judson Nash, Trevin Oldaker, Kyle Stapel, Seth Varin, Ryan Webster
Women's Cross Country: Emma Gizzi-Schmidt, Jasmyn Jackson, Alexandra Velez
Football: Henri Bourque, Kayden Burke, Mike Cascarano, Devin DeJesus, Blake Kierstead, Declan Lay, Marcello Misuraca, Maddox Reed
Men's Golf: Matt Harvey, Devon Thibodeau
Men's Ice Hockey: Nick Cordeiro, Owen Hains, Matt Harvey, Adam Shuchart, Devon Thibodeau
Women's Ice Hockey: Olivia Boyer, Madison Brunet, Rylie McIntyre, Lauren Tuzik
Men's Lacrosse: Robert Carr
Women's Lacrosse: Caitlyn Fielder, Abigail Kirrane, Athena Merck
Rifle: Aiden Burris, Jacob Cohn, Grace Richardson, Brady Simmons
Men's Rugby: Dumisani Janda, Matt Kuchar, Jeff Pappalardo, Jake Peterson, Doran Schwartz, Joshua Wood
Women's Rugby: Joey Abrantes, Maddy Carbonneau, Lupe Chavez Linares, Octavia Crawford, Lillie Ells, Lilian Lu, Kiley O'Brien, Siobhan O'Donnell
Men's Soccer: Oleksandr Kharchuk, Loagen McMahon
Women's Soccer: Abigail Kirrane, Kat Probst, Bella Roy
Softball: Grace Richardson
Women's Swimming & Diving: Abbey Houghton, Reilly Laitala, Brandy Lewis, Deanna Parot
Men's Tennis: Ethan Teluk
Women's Volleyball: Sarah DeBot, Bella Belldina Ray
Men's Wrestling: Chris Folsom, Greyson Merola, Carver Moyer, Ethan Tanner

The Norwich University Athletic Department extends its congratulations and gratitude to the Class of 2026 for their dedication, leadership, and impact across the department.  This year's senior class helped shape championship seasons, postseason runs, academic excellence, and meaningful growth across Norwich's varsity programs, leaving a lasting mark on the University and the student-athletes who will follow.