WORCESTER, Mass. — Fifth-year center Christo Kelly of the Holy Cross football team and senior Haley Murphy of the women's track and field team have been selected as the 2024-25 winners of the Crusader of the Year award. The Crusader of the Year is the most prestigious award presented to a Holy Cross student-athlete each year; it is given to the student who has excelled as a varsity athlete (60 percent), in the classroom (20 percent) and in campus and community activities (20 percent).

This marks the first time in school history that the Varsity Club presented two winners — one men's, one women's — for Crusader of the Year.

Kelly was one of 22 student-athletes across all of college football to be selected to the 2024 AFCA Allstate Good Works Team. He was the co-president of the Holy Cross Student-Athlete Advisory Committee this past fall, and is the Holy Cross co-founder of Uplifting Athletes. He was a team captain for the Crusaders, starting all 12 games this year at center and earning All-Patriot League, Academic All-Patriot League, and All-ECAC honors in 2024.

As a senior captain, Murphy is an eight-time Patriot League medalist who has broken five school records while on The Hill, currently holding the title in four of the five. She has broken the 400-meter hurdles record three times, including at the Patriot League Outdoor Championship on May 3 to set a League record and win the gold. She has also helped the outdoor 4x400m relay team break the school record twice, most recently at the New England Outdoor Championship on May 10 to take home the silver. While competing for the Crusaders, she also serves as the Vice President of the Holy Cross Chapter of Alpha Sigma Nu Jesuit Honor Society and partakes in research with the Holy Cross biochemistry lab on campus. Murphy is a First and Second Team All-Patriot League honoree, a three-time Patriot League Academic Team and three-time Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selection while picking up one CSC Academic All-District honor over her four-year career.

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FOLLOW THE CRUSADERS
Be sure to follow the Holy Cross track & field and cross country teams — and all things Crusader Athletics — on social media!
X - @HCrossTFXC | @goholycross
Instagram - @hcrossmxctf | @hcrossWXCTF | @goholycross
Facebook - Holy Cross Men's Track & Field | Holy Cross Women's Track & Field | Holy Cross Athletics
YouTube - GoHolyCross