FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason Athletics annual banquet was held on Tuesday afternoon at EagleBank Arena to recognize the academic, athletic, and civic achievements of its student-athletes.
 
The Green and Gold Celebration brought together the student-athletes and coaches from George Mason's 22 intercollegiate sports along with department staff and George Mason supporters.
 
Awards bestowed upon the Patriots on Tuesday included the Aimee Willard Commemorative Award, Susan Collins Leadership for Women in Sport Award, President's Cup, Dr. Pettrone Student-Athlete of the Year, and a series of other awards which honor athletic excellence in a variety of categories. The 116 seniors received their George Mason Award, a hand-sculpted artwork of George Mason designed as a permanent remembrance of both the institution and the student-athlete's legacy. And finally, for the second year in a row, SAAC created superlatives categories, voted on by student-athletes from each team.
 
The prestigious Aimee Willard Commemorative Award was established in 1997 to remember former George Mason soccer and lacrosse athlete Aimee Willard, whose life was tragically taken by a brutal act of violence in her hometown of Philadelphia in 1996. The award assures that Aimee's legacy and contributions live on through another George Mason student-athlete who mirror the standards of quality set by Aimee in her two-sport career: intensity, consistency of purpose, achievement, and teamwork. 
 
This year's recipient was women's volleyball student-athlete Ewelina Gacek, presented by Director of Athletics Marvin Lewis and last year's recipient, Lauren Distad. Four other student-athletes were nominated by their head coaches for the award: Sydney Dacus (women's soccer), Ellie Desmond (women's track & field/cross country), Paula Suárez (women's basketball), and Ali Tyler (women's swim & dive).

In the words of her coach, the most important things about Gacek can't be measured on a stat sheet. As a captain, she led vocally and consistently put the team first. Respected by both coaches and teammates as one of the hardest workers on the court, she earned equal praise from support staff for her unmatched dedication in the weight room. Her leadership extends beyond athletics. In the classroom, she excelled as a provost scholar and served as an ambassador for morgan's message, using her platform to raise awareness and foster connection. With a deep passion for victim advocacy, she is already uniting individuals across diverse communities to drive positive change—and it shows. 
 
Faculty athletics representative Dr. Dominique Banville then presented the Susan Collins Leadership Award for Women in Sport to women's swim & dive student-athlete, Ali Tyler. Two other student-athletes were nominated for the award: Lauren Distad (women's lacrosse) and Olyvia Kennedy (women's volleyball).

The award recognizes the student-athlete who best exemplifies the leadership qualities set by former George Mason Senior Associate Athletic Director Sue Collins, who dedicated more than 40 years in NCAA Division I athletics and 34 years with the Patriots. Her leadership, integrity, innovation, mentoring, and service to the NCAA, George Mason and the local community has created a legacy that will keep George Mason Athletics a leader in college sports for years to come.
 
A dedicated scholar-athlete, Ali has been accepted into GMU's accelerated master's program in forensic science. Her academic accomplishments include a three-time Peter N. Stearns Provost Scholar, consecutive semesters on the Dean's List, and a four-year member of the Atlantic 10 All-Academic team. Ali was named the Most Outstanding Performer at the A-10 Championships. She has earned 12 individual A-10 titles and set two conference records while earning NCAA B designation. 

Ali is also known for her dedication to community service. She served three years on SAAC, including a leadership role as treasurer during her senior year. She is an active member of the GMU forensic science student association and a volunteer intern with GMU police for drone research. She tirelessly gives her time to various community service initiatives on and off campus, participating in food and toy drives, package meals for schools, and book fairs. Ali embodies the true spirit of the Sue Collins Award!
 
The final individual award of the celebration named men's track & field's Walter Bannerman and women's swim & dive's Ali Tyler as the Dr. Pettrone Student-Athletes of the Year. 
 
Walter is an NCAA All-American in the pole vault. He earned two additional conference championships, outdoor A-10 2024 and indoor A-10 2025, breaking a 23-year-old conference record. He is the number one ranked vaulter in the A-10 and is on course to qualify for his second consecutive NCAA championships.
 
Named the Most Outstanding Swimmer at the 2025 Atlantic 10 Championships, Ali won three individual A-10 titles, setting conference records in two events and five team records, including the 100 freestyle, 200 IM, and 100 backstroke. She swam NCAA b-cut times in two events, set a new George Mason record in the 200-yard freestyle, and helped the team break the program record in the 800-yard freestyle relay. Finishing the 2024–25 season with 19 individual top-three finishes, Ali also earned a spot on the A-10 All-Academic team for the fourth consecutive year.
 
GREEN & GOLD CELEBRATION AWARD WINNERS
 
Aimee Willard Commemorative Award 
Ewelina Gacek (Women's Volleyball)

Susan Collins Leadership for Women in Sport Award
Ali Tyler (Women's Swim & Dive)
 
President's Cup
The award is presented to the George Mason team that has earned the highest cumulative team GPA for the past two semesters.  
Women's Team: Softball
Men's Team: Baseball
 
Iron Patriot Award
The Iron Patriot Award is presented to the senior student-athlete who through their dedication, commitment and sacrifice in the weight room has been a positive influence in their role as a teammate and on their competitive performance. Student-athletes are selected for the award by members of the strength and conditioning team at Mason.
Women's Team Iron Patriot: Ewelina Gacek (Women's Volleyball)
Men's Team Iron Patriot: Sam Lavin (Baseball)
 
Women's Team Dr. Pettrone Student-Athlete of the Year: Ali Tyler (Women's Swim & Dive)
Men's Team Dr. Pettrone Student-Athlete of the Year: Walter Bannerman (Men's Track & Field)
  
Women's Team Sportsmanship: June Johnson (Rowing)
Men's Team Sportsmanship: Jame Eliuda (Men's Soccer)

Women's Team Most Improved: Kennedy Harris (Women's Basketball)
+ Named to All-Conference Second Team, 2x A-10 Player of the Week, and 1x NCAA Starting Five
+ Increased her points (+4.5 ppg), assist (1.1), and shooting consistency (+3.1%) production while lowering her turnovers (-0.29 t/o per game)
+ Top 3 on team in total points despite missing several games due to injury

Men's Team Most Improved: Jared Billips (Men's Basketball)
+ A-10 Defensive Player of the Year
+ Significant year-over-year improvements in steals/game (1.6 vs. 0.9), rebounds/game (5.8 vs. 4.3), scoring (5.2 vs. 4.3) and FT% (.800 vs. .621)
+ One of 30 finalists for the Lefty Driesell Award, given to the nation's top defensive player
 
Women's Team Rookie of the Year: Maisie Burns (Women's Track & Field/Cross Country)
+ A10 Rookie of the Year in cross country
+ Scored critical points in 3K at the A10 Indoor Championships, sealing the team's win
+ On program all-time list in 5K in her debut.
 
Male Rookie of the Year: Martim Sereno (Men's Soccer)
+ Selected the VaSID Rookie of the Year and Second Team Midfielder
+ Named to the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team
+ Tied for first on the team in assists and tied for third in points

Women's Team of The Year: Women's Basketball
+ 2025 Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Champions – First in program history
+ First ever NCAA Tournament appearance
+ Set school records in total wins (27), fastest to 20 wins, consecutive 20+ win seasons, most consecutive wins (11)

Men's Team of The Year: Men's Soccer
+ 2024 Atlantic 10 Men's Soccer Regular Season Champions
+ Most A-10 regular season wins in program history
+ Ranked 13^th nationally in United Soccer Coaches Association Poll
 
GREEN & GOLD CELEBRATION SAAC SUPERLATIVE WINNERS
 
PATRIOT SPIRIT
Men's Team: James Eliuda (Men's Soccer)
Women's Team: Lauren Distad (Women's Lacrosse)
 
HUMAN HIGHLIGHT REEL
Men's Team: Walter Bannerman (Men's Track & Field)
Women's Team: Ali Tyler (Women's Swin & Dive)
 
MOST LIKELY TO GO VIRAL
Men's Team: Donovan Sprouse (Wrestling)
Women's Team: Logan Pickford (Softball)
 
BEST DUO
Logan Pickford & Maya McGowan (Softball)