PORTLAND, Ore. – Lewis & Clark College Athletics celebrated the achievements of its student-athletes and teams from the 2025-26 academic year during the 12th annual Excellence in Lewis & Clark Year in Sports (ELCYS) awards on Thursday, April 30.
Thirteen student-athletes received nine awards during the ceremony. The program also recognized graduating seniors and newly inducted members of Phi Beta Kappa. Senior
Ali Kerschner, a cross country and track and field student-athlete, was recognized as a current Pamplin Fellow.
The evening opened with the Rookie of the Year awards. Men's tennis first-year
Kaden Sigurdsson claimed Rookie of the Year on a men's team. Sigurdsson capped his inaugural season by earning Northwest Conference Rookie of the Year honors and All-NWC First Team singles recognition, while adding Third Team doubles honors. He finished the regular season 12-8 in singles and 7-6 in Northwest Conference play. Partnering with senior
Spencer Loucks, Sigurdsson posted a 12-4 doubles record, including a 10-2 mark in conference play and a win over the doubles team that claimed the fall ITA championship.
First-year
Kodie Ancheta of softball was named Rookie of the Year on a women's team. The starting catcher and leadoff hitter started 41 games and led the River Otters with 48 hits, 11 doubles and two triples while batting .338. She ranks third on the team with 22 RBI, owns 15 multi-hit games and four multi-RBI contests, and is tied for the Northwest Conference lead in triples.
The Dell Smith Scholar-Athlete of the Year medals were awarded to male student-athletes who excelled academically and athletically.
Senior
Zach Martin of swimming captured the bronze medal. Martin, a music major with a minor in computer science, earned Academic All-District honors while serving as team captain. He collected four all-conference honors at the Northwest Conference Championships, finishing fourth in the 200 freestyle (1:44.71), seventh in the 100 freestyle (46.90) and second in both the 400- and 800-yard freestyle relays. Martin also helped the 200-yard medley relay team set a program record at 1:35.25.
Baseball junior
Michael Aikawa, a biology major, earned the silver medal. Aikawa has started all 40 games at third base and was a 2025 First Team All-Conference and Third Team All-Region selection. He leads the team with six home runs, 40 RBI and 30 walks while ranking third in batting average (.323) and second in runs scored (38). Aikawa leads the Northwest Conference in walks and ranks third in RBI.
Junior
Bret Potter of baseball was awarded the Dell Smith Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Potter is a biology major with a minor in public health and serves as secretary on the SAAC board. The 2025 Northwest Conference Honorable Mention selection has started all 40 games in center field or right field while leading the team with a .390 batting average and 64 hits. He also owns five saves and a 1.56 ERA across 17 1/3 innings as the closer, with 17 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .197 batting average. Potter ranks third in the conference in batting average, second in hits and fourth in saves.
The Judy McMullen Scholar-Athlete of the Year medals were awarded to female student-athletes for excellence in academics and athletics.
Senior
Elise Barton of swimming earned the bronze medal. Barton, a biochemistry and molecular biology major with a Hispanic studies minor, served as a three-year team captain and three-time Academic All-District honoree. She placed third in the 100 freestyle at the Northwest Conference Championships (54.53) for First Team All-Conference honors, finished third in the 200 freestyle (1:58.37) for Second Team All-Conference recognition and placed 10th in the 50 freestyle.
Softball senior
McKenna Zehnder claimed the silver medal. Zehnder, a psychology major with a health studies minor, played in all 43 games and started 42. She totaled 22 hits, 11 runs scored, 11 RBI, three doubles and three home runs. Zehnder led the team with 10 sacrifice bunts, is 4-for-4 on stolen-base attempts and drove in two runs against the University of Redlands.
Cross-country and track-and-field senior
Malia Heien earned the gold medal as the Judy McMullen Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The biochemistry and molecular biology major completed Rogers Research over the summer. She qualified for the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships for the third straight season, becoming the fifth runner in school history to compete at nationals three times. Heien finished 11th at regionals to earn all-region honors and placed 10th at the Northwest Conference Championships for Second Team All-Conference recognition. On the track, she ranks first in the conference in both the 1,500 meters (4:39.45) and 800 meters (2:13.91), and third in the 4x400 relay (4:03.38). Heien won both the 800 and 1,500 at the conference championships.
Senior
Andrew Baum of football and track and field won the Dan Jones Multi-Sport Athlete of the Year award. As a starting linebacker, Baum played in all 10 football games and tied for the team lead with 27 solo tackles. He added 50 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and two interceptions, including a 53-yard return against Linfield University. On the track, Baum earned indoor all-region honors in the shot put and weight throw while setting the program record in the indoor weight throw. He ranks fifth in the conference in the shot put, sixth in the discus and 10th in the hammer throw. Baum qualified for the conference meet in all three throwing events and placed fourth in the shot put, sixth in the discus and 11th in the hammer.
Women's soccer and lacrosse senior
Kate Meinhard earned the Mary Hunter Multi-Sport Athlete of the Year award. Meinhard captained both teams and started every soccer game while playing center back, center forward and central midfield. In lacrosse, the 2026 Second Team All-Conference selection scored her 100th career point at the University of Puget Sound and tallied 26 goals with 11 assists this season. She led the team with 44 ground balls and 34 caused turnovers, and ranked second with 82 draw controls.
Senior
Andre Treadwell captured the Joe Huston Male Athlete of the Year award. The men's basketball First Team All-NWC selection led the River Otters with 18.6 points per game and finished second with 6.6 rebounds per game. Treadwell ranked fourth in the conference in scoring and sixth in rebounding while placing fifth in field-goal percentage and third in 3-point percentage. He scored a career-high 30 points at Occidental College, posted 20 or more points in 11 games and recorded four double-doubles.
Heien shared the Lois Smithwick Athlete of the Year award with sophomore golfer
Ahika Jani. Jani, the 2025 Northwest Conference Rookie of the Year and First Team selection, led the team with a 76.90 scoring average and has competed in 10 of 11 tournaments. The 67th-ranked golfer in NCAA Division III won four of her 10 events, including a four-stroke victory at the Northwest Conference Spring Classic that made her the first Lewis & Clark women's golfer to win a conference event since 2002.
Meinhard and baseball senior
Joaquin Sandoval received the Champion Award, presented to student-athletes who exemplify the four Cs of competition, classroom, community and character.
Meinhard, an inaugural member of the women's lacrosse program, ranks third in program history in career goals (82), assists (32) and points (114), and holds program records in ground balls (116), caused turnovers (71) and draw controls (214). She led and participated in initiatives such as National Girls and Women in Sports Day, the Refugee Community Organization, and PNW Native Lacrosse. The physics major with minors in math and studio art has been accepted into multiple graduate programs in sports product engineering.
Sandoval, a two-year starter who has appeared in 102 games with 84 starts, repeated as Champion Award winner after first earning the honor in 2025. The Academic All-District and All-Conference honoree has compiled 75 hits, 69 runs scored, 56 RBI and 11 home runs over his career. Sandoval serves on the SAAC board, founded and leads the law fraternity on campus, co-chaired the Environmental Science Symposium and was a finalist for senior graduation speaker.
Seven student-athletes were inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest and most prestigious academic honor society. The inductees included:
The 2026 ELCYS capped another strong year for Lewis & Clark Athletics, spotlighting the talent, leadership and impact of its student-athletes in competition and in the classroom.
