CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - On Tuesday, May 5, 2026, the Lesley University Department of Athletics held the LES-ley Awards at Marran Theater. It marked the second year in a row Lesley held the on-campus banquet to honor the three pillars of Leadership, Education and Sport.

Athletic Director Dan Campagna could not have been prouder of the turnout and energy brought by all the Lynx student-athletes that night. "This event is one of my favorite Lesley traditions," said Campagna. "The energy the student-athletes had celebrating one another is a testament to all the great things they're doing for the Lesley community both in the classroom and in competition. It's such a fun night and I'm always floored by not only the turnout, but the excitement in the room each year."

Campagna kicked off the evening with a warm welcome, recapping some of the amazing things that took place this year before transitioning into the awards and honors for the evening.

Campagna guided the crowd through an interactive power point presentation showcasing some of the highlights throughout each season.

Along the way, the department recognized individuals for many things including North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Weekly Honors, NAC All-Sportsmanship Teams as well as NAC All-Conference recognitions. The department also recognized CSC Academic All-District honorees as well. 

Programs also put forward three representatives to be honored for standardized awards that included Team MVP, Unsung Hero and the LYNX Award.

All in attendance were invited to vote via QR code on the Standout Performance by a Male & Female Student Athlete after learning about six nominees from each gender.

The evening then transitioned into nominees for the Perseverance Award, Rookie of the Year candidates followed by the presentation of awards for Senior Academic Achievement, Senior Athletic Achievement and Senior Leadership.

Campagna closed the evening with the Paul Vasconcelos Head Coach of the Year Award, and presented the honor to Baseball head coach Cody Mercier.

All major award winners honored are nominated by their Head Coaches or a Lesley University staff member before a selection committee of department representatives selects each award recipient based on the award descriptions.

2026 LES-ley Athletics Banquet Photo Gallery - Courtesy of Lesley University Photographer, Benjamin Zackin

Watch the Archived Live Stream of the 2026 LES-ley Athletics Banquet Here

Below is a list of all the award recipients at the 2026 LES-leys.

2025-26 North Atlantic Conference (NAC) All-Sportsmanship Representatives:

2025-26 LYNX Award

• Honors a member from every athletic program who best represents and exemplifies the spirit of Lesley athletics with heart, attitude, loyalty, scholarship, leadership and sportsmanship.

2025-26 Team Unsung Hero

• Given annually to a member of each athletic team who has exhibited leadership, dedication, and athletic achievement in quiet ways, which may have gone unrecognized throughout the season/year.

2025-26 Most Valuable Player/Performance

• Given annually to a student-athlete of each program who has excelled in competition and provided the greatest contribution to the athletic reputation of Lesley University through exceptional athletic achievement during the most-recent academic year of competition.

Standout Performance by a Male Student-Athlete

Wassim Chaib – 10/22/2025 vs. Framingham State – Scored four goals in a 4-2 win over Framingham State, scoring the game-winner while also tying the single-game program record for goals.

Standout Performance by a Female Student-Athlete

Rachel Weinzimer – 11/8/2025 vs MMA (NAC Championship Game) – Recorded three points on a goal and an assist in the 2025 NAC Women's Soccer Championship game, scoring the game-winner on a header to break a 1-1 second half tie en route to the title and tournament MVP honors.

Perseverance Award - Given annually to a student-athlete who has shown great determination in overcoming physical setbacks.  Through hard work and dedication, this student-athlete has been able to overcome the challenges set forth and successfully return to athletic competition.

Milana Rosazza – Women's Soccer

Rookie of the Year - Given annually to a traditional first-year student-athlete who has excelled on the playing field and provided the greatest contribution to the athletic reputation of Lesley University through exceptional athletic achievement.

Ella Stanley – Women's Soccer
Vincent Spirito – Men's Golf / Men's Tennis

Athletic Director Appreciation Award - Given annually to a male and a female member of the senior that has gone above and beyond the call of duty of being a LYNX.  The award recognizes a student-athletes dedication, leadership and overall positive impact on both their team and the Lesley Athletics community.

Madison Reed – Women's Soccer
Roy Lenhard – Baseball

Senior Academic Achievement Award - Given annually to a male and a female member of the senior class who combine excellence in the classroom with excellence on the playing field and have maintained the highest cumulative grade point average among the senior student-athletes.

Zoe Curtaz – Women's Soccer
Rachel Weinzimer – Women's Soccer
Thomas Nicol – Men's Tennis

*Due to an internal administrative error, the 2026 Senior Academic Achievement Award was incorrectly awarded and publicly recognized at our recent athletics awards banquet. We sincerely regret the mistake and apologize to both Zoe and Rachel. We are proud to recognize the outstanding academic achievements and contributions of both student-athletes and appreciate their grace and professionalism throughout the review and will honor them as deserving co-recipients of the award this year.

Senior Athletic Achievement Award - Given annually to a senior athlete who has excelled on the playing field and provided the greatest contribution to the athletic reputation of Lesley University through exceptional athletic achievement.

Adrian "AC" Esparragoza – Men's Soccer
Jessica Legendre – Women's Tennis

Senior Leadership Award - Given annually to a senior athlete who has distinguished themself by demonstrating the qualities desired to lead successful teams throughout their athletic career.

Estephany Morales – Women's Volleyball
Tarell Joseph – Men's Basketball

Paul Vasconcelos Coach of the Year Award - Appointed annually by the Director of Athletics, this honor recognizes a member of the Lesley University Athletics Coaching staff that has had the biggest impact on their team's success in competition, the classroom and community while also having a positive influence on the rest of the Lesley community. 

Cody Mercier – Baseball