WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Williams College Athletics Department held its annual Senior Athlete Recognition Ceremony on Saturday at the '62 Center for Theatre and Dance as nine senior student-athletes were honored with department awards: Will Doran (men's lacrosse), Kiki Higgins (field hockey and women's lacrosse), Peter Kane (wrestling), Sadie Leonard (softball), Paige Nelson (women's soccer and women's lacrosse), John Nicholson (men's squash), Simon Socolow (men's crew), Ella Sukup (women's track and field) and Kate Swann (women's cross country and track and field).
The first award to be handed out was the Ephmanship Award, presented to two senior athletes who embody sportsmanship and excellence in the spirit of Williams College athletics. Those senior athletes were revealed as Nelson and Nicholson. Nelson was a key contributor to both women's soccer and women's lacrosse, even when she missed her junior season with an injury. Undaunted, she remained a leader, supporting and empowering her teammates, and was a role model for what it looks like to invest in your teammates.
Nicholson served as the Student Athlete Advisory Committee President, leading with enthusiasm and inspiring everyone around him to show up louder and prouder across all the Ephs' sports. He was also a fierce competitor on and off the squash court, bringing energy and passion to everything he does.
The W. Marriot Canby Class of 1981 Scholarship Prize was bestowed upon Socolow and Swann for attaining the highest average standing in scholarship. Any member of the senior class who, at any time, has represented the college in any recognized intercollegiate contest is eligible. Both student-athletes recorded a 3.99 GPA at Williams and had an impact on their respective teams. Socolow, a computer science major, earned a bronze medal in the second varsity boat at the IRA Championships as a sophomore, then went overseas to Oxford as a junior where he helped Exeter College achieve blades during the summer bumps races for the first time in 26 years.
Swann was a two-time All-American on the cross country trails as well as the track, finishing as the national runner-up in the 5000 meters at the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships in March. The contract quantitative environmental studies major then went on to place sixth in the 10,000 meters on the outdoor stage last month.
Nelson returned to the stage to accept the Kate Hogan Women's Athletic Award, which is awarded to the senior woman who has distinguished herself in her commitment and contributions to the Department of Physical Education, Athletics and Recreation. A first-team All-NESCAC and all-region defender for the women's soccer team as a sophomore, she returned her senior year after sitting out a year with her injury and earned a spot on the All-NESCAC First Team and all-region second team. She also helped the team advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. And with women's lacrosse, she was named to the All-NESCAC Second Team as one of the forces that sent the Ephs to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament this spring.
Doran took home the Willard E. Hoyt Jr. '23 Award, given annually to the senior letterman whose spirit and superior efforts on behalf of Williams' athletics have been combined with a genuine academic interest. An All-NESCAC performer this spring, Doran led the men's lacrosse team with 44 goals and 22 assists, ranking among the top 12 in the conference in both categories. As a co-captain, the chemistry major with a 3.83 GPA was a guiding factor in the Ephs advancing to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament, beating 14th-ranked St. John Fisher in the second round. Doran finishes his career with 89 goals, 74 assists and 163 points in 61 games.
The Class of 1925 Scholar Athlete Award went to Sukup for her commitment and excellence in athletics and scholarship that are an inspiration to the Williams community. As a biology and statistics double major with a concentration in public health, she was an honors thesis student with a 3.85 GPA and numerous academic accolades. But Sukup also developed into an elite runner, earning All-America honors with the 4x400 meter relay team at the NCAA Indoor Championships this past March after becoming a NESCAC champion in the event. She holds three school records, qualified for the NCAA Championships in four different events and helped the team be the national runner-up during the indoor season.
The final honor of the ceremony, the Purple Key Award — which is awarded to a senior male and female athlete who best exemplifies leadership, team spirit, ability and character — was handed out to three individuals: Higgins, Kane and Leonard. A psychology major, Higgins was a two-time All-American and the NESCAC Offensive Player of the Year last fall in field hockey. She was instrumental in the squad reaching the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in each of her four seasons, advancing to the Final Four for the first two times in program history. In addition, Higgins was a key defender for women's lacrosse, starting every game the last two seasons as a key defender while ranking among the team leaders in caused turnovers and ground balls.
Kane, an economics major, dominated on the mats for four years, posting a career record of 138-13, including a 34-1 mark this past year as he became the first Williams wrestler in 101 years of the program to be crowned national champion. His performance lifted the team to a ninth-place finish at the NCAA Tournament, its best showing ever. The New England Wrestling Association Wrestler of the Year is also just the second Ephs' grappler to be a four-time All-American, plus was a four-time National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-American.
Speaking of dominant athletes, Leonard was a four-time All-American in softball, twice making the first team, and the NESCAC Pitcher of the Year in each of their four seasons, just the second pitcher to accomplish that feat in league history. They posted a career record of 63-17 with a sparkling 1.14 ERA, 23 shutouts and 947 strikeouts in 540 innings in the circle, all of which are program records. In each of their first three years, the double major in psychology and women's gender and sexuality studies led all of Division III in most strikeouts per seven innings (and ranks fourth on the NCAA career charts), and twice led the nation in fewest hits allowed per seven innings.
The Class of 2026 carved out a terrific legacy, racking up 55 All-America and 86 All-NESCAC honors. The group prioritized the importance of academic success with 168 NESCAC All-Academic Team members from just this year alone. Their teamwork will also be celebrated for years, having won 22 NESCAC Team Championships, while also emerging victorious or earning a share of 40 Little Three Titles over the past four years.
