LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Occidental College Athletics recognized ten senior award winners at the 2026 OXYS – a celebration and award presentation for all senior-student athletes at Occidental.
GLEN AND JULIE JOHNSON AWARD
Glen and Julie Johnson have been exemplary Tiger Club members, giving the Occidental Athletics community gifts of time, service, and resources. This particular award recognizes one male and one female student-athlete who have been outstanding in their commitment to serving others outside of the classroom or field of play.
The first recipient was Ocean Pogorel of the men's water polo team. Pogorel earned a degree in Religious Studies and made a lasting mark on multiple entities across campus and the community. Despite being a two-year member of his program, coach Lindsey Garcia described him as the kind of teammate every program needs and as someone his team can always count on. At Oxy, Pogorel served as the Vice President of the Hidden Opponent, the JEDI Committee, is a member of the Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society, Jewish Learning Fellowship and more. Outside of Oxy, he volunteers weekly at Huntington Hospital.
The women's sports recipient of the Johnson Award was Ainsley Shelsta of women's basketball. Shelsta earned a degree in Cognitive Science and made a meaningful impact on the court, in the classroom and in the community. She has done just about everything at Oxy. While on campus, she served as a senior fellow in admissions, a teaching assistant in the cognitive science department, the co-president of Dance Pro, and RA, tour guide and O-Team leader. Coach Anahit Aladzhanyan described her as a driven, intelligent, dynamic, vibrant and caring teammate, student and leader. On the court, she was a First Team All-SCIAC selection, SCIAC Champion and tournament MVP at the Hoops in Hawaii Classic. Off campus, she volunteered at the Center for Developing Kids and the Huntington Hospital Pediatrics & Stroke Departments.
TREVOR MOAWAD LEADERSHIP AWARD
This award honors former All-SCIAC Oxy men's soccer and basketball player, Trevor Moawad, class of '95, who rose to the top of the mental conditioning profession in the world of sports. This award is given to the top male and female athletes who make an exceptional commitment to making their teammates better both on and off the field.
The men's sports recipient of the Moawad Award was Nicholas Gonzalez of the baseball team. Gonzalez graduated with a degree in Economics. He was named to the SCIAC All-Academic team twice, was a two-time Dean's List recipient, an O-Team Leader and dedicated student worker across multiple positions in athletics. With his program, he served as a team captain. His coach describes him as a program first player that led both by example and vocally. He played the game hard, never skipped a workout and showed up for his teammates day in and day out.
On the women's side, Kylie Jones of women's soccer was the 2026 recipient. Jones earned a degree in Kinesiology and established herself as a fearless leader within her program. A captain of her team, Jones served on the E-board of two organizations, was a kinesiology ambassador, nutritionist assistant and more. She was a First Team All-SCIAC recipient as a senior and led her team to the SCIAC tournament semis for the first time since 2018. Coach Lydia Mitchell described Jones as having an incredible gift for leadership and noted that each of her teammates can refer to a time when Jones pushed them to become greater.
PAT YEOMANS AWARD
The Yeomans Award honors Pat Yeomans, who is considered the greatest tennis player in Occidental History. This award is given to one male and one female student-athlete who, in the opinion of the department, excelled in an individual sport while also shining in the classroom.
The men's Yeoman's Award recipient was Ace Andres of men's tennis. Andres graduated with a degree in Economics. He was named to the Dean's List every semester at Oxy and was selected to the SCIAC All-Academic team. On the court, he was a two-time All-SCIAC selection, amassing 34 wins in singles across his career with the Tigers, and in doubles was ranked in the top 10 in the West Region multiple times throughout his career. On campus, he was on the E-Board of the Album Club and a part of Phi Beta Kappa. Coach Stephen Perkins described him as a good team player who fosters a positive team culture.
On the women's side, Rachel Aujero took home the award. She was a three-time All-SCIAC selection and the recipient of this year's SCIAC Sportsmanship Award. She led her nationally ranked team as its captain in her senior season to the team's highest ranking in program history. Outside of her sport, Aujero is a peer tutor and teaching assistant. She conducted research at Occidental and held an internship in Rome while studying abroad. Coach Will Morris described her as a dependable, smart, proactive and thoughtful leader who serves as a great mentor to younger student-athletes.
GRANT DUNLAP AWARD
The Dunlap Award honors Grant Dunlap, who contributed to Occidental in the roles of coach, professor, and athletic director. This award is given to one male and one female student-athlete, who in the opinion of the department, excelled in a team sport while also shining in the classroom.
The men's recipient was Aiden Aley from men's soccer. Aley graduated with an economics degree and served as a team captain in his time with the program. He was a two-time All-SCIAC selection and key member of men's soccer's two SCIAC tournament and regular season championships over the last four years. No slouch in the classroom, Aley has been twice selected as Academic All-SCIAC, and is a four-time Dean's List recipient. He was involved across Oxy and in the community, as a member of Occidental's Catan Club and off campus as a volunteer coaching soccer and working at his church. Coach Rod Lafaurie described him as one of the hardest workers in the history of his program.
On the women's side, Olivia Okamoto of women's lacrosse took home the Dunlap Award. She received a degree in Biochemistry. On the field she was a four-time All-SCIAC selection, twice on each team, and ended her career third in Oxy women's lacrosse history in goals scored and points and is one of four players to eclipse 200 total points. In the classroom she's a published author for research she conducted and graduated with a 3.93 GPA. She was on the dean's list in each semester at Oxy and has been an Academic All-SCIAC recipient every year. Coach Sierra Slack described her as someone who has grown year in and year out and as an honor to coach for the last four years.
ROY DENNIS SCHOLAR ATHLETE AWARD
The Roy Dennis Scholar-Athlete Award is the highest honor bestowed by the athletic department and honors Roy Dennis, a former coach and athletic director of Occidental College. The award is given annually to the senior male and female student who, in the opinion of the department, achieved the most in athletics and academics.
The men's recipient of the Roy Dennis Award was Vicente Navarro who was a member of the men's soccer team and graduated with a degree in Economics. He was a two-time First Team All-SCIAC honoree and member of the second team once. His play and leadership helped his team to great success with two SCIAC titles and four SCIAC tournament appearances in each of his four years with the Tigers. He started in 71 of the 73 games he appeared in, playing the most minutes of anyone in the program while the team amassed a record of 44-17-17 in that span. This season, he and his fellow seniors finished off their careers with their second run to the NCAA Tournament and an unforgettable SCIAC title game victory over Redlands on home turf. According to coach Rod Lafaurie, Navarro is a passionate, disciplined and respectful leader who was one of the most impactful and decorated players in his program's history.
Eliza Hawley was named the women's recipient of the Roy Dennis Award. She graduated from Oxy with a degree in Sociology. Hawley's impact was felt on the track as an athlete, leader and in the classroom as a multi-time Dean's List and SCIAC All-Academic recipient. She was a five-time All-SCIAC selection, two-time SCIAC Champion and was this year's recipient of the SCIAC's Jennifer Stary Award, given to a senior that exemplifies traits of high character. Hawley ended her career ranked in the top 10 all-time in Oxy program history in the 100, 200, 400 and both 4-by-1 and 4-by-4 relays. She's been named USTFCCCA All-Region West and a Second Team All-American. Coach Tyler Yamaguchi describes her as a dream athlete – she works hard, is team oriented and cares deeply about her teammates, yet is humble and takes success and setbacks in stride.
The 2026 OXYS put a bow on the careers of all 88 Occidental Athletics senior student-athletes.
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