LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Occidental College Athletics Department is proud to announce that the inaugural recipients of the Larry Layne '71 Athletic Achievement Award are Greta Nagy of tennis and James Buellesbach of track & field.
 
The award honors the legacy of Larry Layne, a former student-athlete who had great love for both football and rugby and embodied the true spirit of perseverance, compassion and belief in others. It is presented to the two student-athletes, one men's sport and one women's sport recipient, who in the previous academic year, exhibited outstanding athletic achievement while contributing positively to their program and its culture through character, determination and all attributes that make a complete athlete.
 
Both student-athletes received All-American status as sophomores in 2025-26, succeeding on both the conference and national stage.
 
GRETA NAGY | JUNIOR | WOMEN'S TENNIS
Nagy went as far as the ITA Cup – college tennis' premiere fall tournament, recognizing the best singles and doubles players in the nation – semifinals alongside her partner Elina Shalaev. The duo was a tiebreaker set away from playing for the title.
 
As a team player, Nagy is grateful to those who have supported her across her first two full years as a student-athlete at Oxy.
 
"There have been multiple people who have supported me throughout my two years as a student-athlete at Oxy so far, including my coaches, teammates, and friends," Nagy said. I see this honor as a reflection of their support as well."
 
Nagy was stellar on the singles court as well, going 9-6 on the season against some of the best competition in the nation – SCIAC tennis is notoriously strong. Most notably, Nagy captured a victory over No. 26-ranked Vassar early in the season.
 
A step up from her first-year campaign among the national ranks, Nagy noted her in-season preparation both physically and mentally as a pivotal factor to her success.
 
"I focused on training, conditioning, and spending time on the court improving the weaker parts of my game. I also put a lot of work into being mentally ready for the upcoming season," she said. "Tennis has been a part of my life since I was four years old, so seeing the years of sacrifice and competition pay off was rewarding."
 
As she looks ahead to the future in what life after being a standout student-athlete will pose, the experiences she's garnered as both a member of the women's tennis team and as a student at Occidental give her motivation for what is ahead.
 
"Being away from home and having many responsibilities simultaneously has pushed me to become more independent and organized," Nagy said. "Throughout my semesters at Oxy, I have met so many great friends and professors who have motivated me to continue challenging myself academically and to surround myself with talented and driven people. I believe Oxy has helped me build a strong foundation in my future career and has taught me to embrace challenges and push myself out of my comfort zone." 
 
JAMES BUELLESBACH | JUNIOR | TRACK & FIELD
Buellesbach earned Second Team All-America honors in the 110 hurdles at the 2026 NCAA Division III Track & Field Championships in May. His time of 14.65 earned him 13^th in the nation, with the top 16 runners in each event notching All-American status.
 
One of three All-Americans at Occidental last year, Buellesbach felt he didn't quite comprehend how stellar his season was – balking at the likes of teammates Shane Kawakami-Williams (SCIAC Track Athlete of the Year) and Delphine Way (multi-time medalist at the SCIAC meet) – until finding out he was the recipient of the award.
 
"It's actually kind of unbelievable to me," Buellesbach said. "There's a little bit of pressure with this award. I'm the first, which means I'm the standard against which future athletes who win this award will be compared. I hope future winners look back at the inauguration of this award and consider themselves to be in good company."
 
Buellesbach noted that he's excited to help set a trend of excellence at Oxy and hopes to build on his legacy with two more seasons to go.
 
For the, now, junior hurdler the goals he has set from year one to year two and now for his third year have propelled him to the next level, despite setbacks along the way.
 
"I knew coming into my sophomore year that nationals was a real possibility. That meant that through the offseason and preseason, I obsessed over nationals, which was definitely the wrong move in the long run," Buellesbach said. "Because when track season came around, I started off well, but then I got stuck in a rut, focusing too much on nationals and not enough on the individual races. I struggled for a while, but thankfully by the end of the season, after numerous conversations with my coach, I was able to get my head into the right place in order to win SCIACs and qualify for nationals."
 
He continued to explain how his love for racing in the hurdles helped ease his mind heading into his race that inevitably put him in the mix for the national championships. Buellesbach mentioned clearing his mind and racing for the pure love of the sport.
 
And, although he loves it, Buellesbach will not feel content as he says, "top eight and First Team All-American are not too far away."
 
With two years of competition and classes to go, Buellesbach reflects on what he's learned on the track, in the classroom and as a tutor, but looks forward to what the future holds.
 
"I still have two more years to learn from incredible people like Coaches Bartlett and Yamaguchi, Professors Goffredi and Sekhon," he said. "I know that James Buellesbach who leaves Occidental college will be vastly different than the James Buellesbach who walked on to this campus two years ago, and I can't wait to see what he looks like."
 
Nagy and Buellesbach will receive the first-ever Larry Layne '71 Athletic Achievement Award on October 4 at the Occidental College Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony alongside the six great Tigers being inducted into the athletics hall of fame that day.
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