WORCESTER, Mass. – Holy Cross student-athletes and teams were honored for their outstanding achievements on Monday night, during the annual Crusader Awards which took place at the Hart Center at the Luth Athletic Complex.

The awards ceremony brought together all Holy Cross student-athletes, coaches and staff for one night, to recognize everything which has been accomplished this school year.

For the second straight year, the Varsity Club presented two winners — one men's, one women's — for Crusader of the Year. 

The 2026 Crusader Award winners follow.

WOMEN'S BREAKTHROUGH ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Aubrey Haesche, Women's Soccer
Haesche was named Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year and also earned First Team All-Patriot League honors in her first season on the hill. She set the single season record for goals against average, recording six shutouts across 19 matches. A three-time Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week, Haesche guided the Crusaders to their first playoff berth since 2019 as they hosted a Patriot League Tournament game for the first time in program history.

MEN'S BREAKTHROUGH ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Archie Hatcher, Men's Soccer
Hatcher was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Year, in addition to earning second team All-Patriot League honors. He led the squad in scoring this season with 15 points on a team-high six goals and three assists. Hatcher finished the year ranked third in the Patriot League in points, while standing fourth in goals scored.

JIM KAVANAGH COACHING STAFF OF THE YEAR
Women's Ice Hockey
Head coach Katie Lachapelle and her staff, including Janine Weber, Christina Putigna and Ed Kesell, led the Crusaders to one of the best seasons in program history. Holy Cross advanced to the Hockey East semifinals for the first time ever, after breaking school records with 10  Hockey East victories and 37 Hockey East points (37). The Crusaders also spent four weeks ranked in the Top 15 in the country, becoming the first women's program in school history to earn a national ranking. Following the season, Lachapelle was named both the Hockey East Coach of the Year and New England Coach of the Year, while finishing as the runner-up for National Coach of the Year honors.

BEST INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE
Jack Greiner, Men's Swimming and Diving at Patriot League Championship
Greiner totaled a team-best 78 individual points during the Patriot League Championship, tying for the 12th-most points in the conference. He placed third in the 400-yard individual medley, fourth in the 200-yard butterfly and fifth in the 200-yard individual medley, while setting school records in all three of those events and the 100-yard backstroke. Greiner was also a member of four relay teams that broke school records during the Patriot League Championship.

BEST DRESSED AWARD 
Softball
As selected by a panel of judges including Dr. Tita Feraud-King, Director of Inclusive Excellence; Dr. Robert Baumann, Professor of Economics & Accounting; and Dr. Jorge Santos, Associate Professor of Multi-Ethnic Literatures of the U.S.

CRUSADER IN THE COMMUNITY
Katie Russell, Volleyball
Russell has been extremely involved in the Holy Cross and Worcester communities since arriving on The Hill as a student-athlete. A valued member of SAAC, she was also a spring break immersion leader, held the Engaged Athlete Fellowship, and worked with the 2024 Election Forum Working Group, Big Brothers Big Sisters, SPUD, and was a two-year co-chair of the Political Science Student Advisory Committee.

MOMENT OF THE YEAR
Men's Rowing at Head of the Charles
During October's Head of the Charles Regatta, Holy Cross men's rowing defeated 41 entries to win the world's largest three-day competition, marking their first-ever win in the Collegiate 8+. The Crusader rowers defeated second-place Tufts in the Collegiate 8+ by an astonishing 13 seconds.

GAME OF THE YEAR
Women's Basketball at Boston College | Nov. 3, 2025
Trailing by a point with 2.8 seconds remaining, Kaitlyn Flanagan delivered a perfectly placed inbound pass to Simone Foreman, who fought through contact and banked in the game-winning shot against the Eagles for a 72-71 win. The victory marked Holy Cross' first against an ACC team since 2019 and first road win at Boston College since 1997.

LARRY DOYLE 90-WIDE MENTOR OF THE YEAR
Brendan Candon '10
A defender on the men's lacrosse team from 2006-2010, Candon has been instrumental in organizing the men's lacrosse fall alumni golf outing and the spring New York City career day. Candon mentors current players during the career exploration process and helps to streamline the process of connecting mentors and student-athletes.

NORTON PRIZE
Abby Hornung, Women's Ice Hockey
Hornung was named a Hockey East All-Star during both her junior and senior years, becoming the first two-time All-Hockey East selection in school history. She posted a 12-10-2 record as a senior with 627 saves and three shutouts, while ranking in the top 15 in the nation in save percentage and goals against average. She finished her career with a .936 save percentage, the best mark in program history. In the classroom, Hornung owns a 3.65 cumulative grade point average with a double major in international studies and sociology.

JR Long, Men's Lacrosse
Long, who started all 14 games this season, finished the season with a 6-8 record, .469 save percentage, and 12.17 goals-against average. Long made a career-high 136 saves, including a season-high 20 against No. 8 Army, and picked up 20 ground balls. In the classroom, Long carries a 3.98 cumulative grade point average as an economics major, and was an Academic All-Patriot League honoree.

LAWLOR MEDAL
Ben Stone, Men's Cross Country / Track & Field 
Stone has recorded a 3.98 cumulative GPA as a psychology and health studies double major.

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD
Jay Broadhurst, MD 
Serving as a team physician since the early 1990s, Dr. Broadhurst's impact extends far beyond his Monday afternoon clinics — often lasting well into the evening to ensure every athlete has been well cared for. He has been a trusted presence for our student-athletes, a resource for coaches and their families, and a familiar face on the sidelines of countless games and competitions.

ALLEN SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
Christian Ross, Football
Ross served as a team captain for the Crusaders in 2025, and received the team's Rick Carter Memorial Award, presented annually to the senior whose sportsmanship and dedication to the game of football represent the highest ideals of athletics. He persevered through a season-ending injury as a freshman, and has started every game at defensive end since, totaling 100 career tackles and 12 TFLs in 35 career contests.

COONEY AWARD
Anna Brait, Softball
Brait has shown resiliency on and off the diamond throughout her four years on The Hill. A 2025 Second Team All-Patriot League selection, she ranks sixth in career doubles and holds top 10 all-time single-season records for hits, RBI, walks and at-bats.

MEEGAN AWARD (MEN'S)
CJ Egrie, Baseball
Egrie, the 2025 and 2026 Patriot League Player of the Year and 2025 Patriot League Champion, is a true all-around player for the baseball program, impacting the game with his bat, fielding and speed. Egrie is the Crusaders ' all-time leader in career stolen bases with 92, which ranks third in Patriot League history, setting the record in only three seasons after missing the majority of his sophomore year due to injury. He has the top two single-season steal marks in program history, as well as the single-season runs scored record.

MEEGAN AWARD (WOMEN'S)
Racheli Levy-Smith, Women's Lacrosse
Levy-Smith was named the 2026 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year and was a three-time All-Patriot League selection. She broke every school record for draw controls, while setting a new single-season mark during her sophomore, junior and senior seasons. As a senior, Levy-Smith led the team with 191 draw controls, 41 caused turnovers and 41 ground balls. She finished her collegiate career with 475 draw controls, 111 ground balls and 88 caused turnovers in 61 games played.

CRUSADER OF THE YEAR (MEN'S)
Liam Lyons, Men's Cross Country / Track & Field
Lyons has established himself as one of the region's top runners over the course of the 2025-26 season. He ranked as high as third in the nation in the 1,500m and is currently 10th in the East Division. He holds school records in the 1,000m, 1,500m, mile, and 3,000m. Lyons secured a top-15 finish at the Patriot League Cross Country Championships and earned two medals at the Patriot League Indoor Championships this year. He has been named All-Patriot League and Academic All-Patriot League in both cross country and indoor track.

CRUSADER OF THE YEAR (WOMEN'S)
Kaitlyn Flanagan, Women's Basketball
Flanagan capped off an incredible four-year career with the Crusaders, winning her third Patriot League Championship and being named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. A two-time team captain, she holds the program record for career starts with 131, starting every game of her collegiate career. Flanagan is just the third player in program history to record 1,000 career points and 500 assists. She also earned second team All-Patriot League, Academic All-Patriot League, and CSC Academic All-District honors.

TEAM OF THE YEAR
Women's Basketball
Women's basketball won its third Patriot League Tournament Championship in four years, and its first under the direction of head coach Candice Green, this past March. The Crusaders posted a 23-10 record overall, securing their fourth 20+ win season in the last five years. Holy Cross won their 14th overall championship, adding to their Patriot League-leading total.

FOLLOW THE CRUSADERS 
Be sure to follow all things Crusader Athletics on social media!
X - @goholycross
Instagram - @goholycross
Facebook - Holy Cross Athletics
YouTube - GoHolyCross