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DETROIT (4/15/2015) -- Seniors Morgan Lear from the women's lacrosse team and Matt Ybarra of the men's soccer team were honored as this year's President's Award winners as the University of Detroit Mercy held its Annual Academic & Athletic Awards Dinner on Tuesday, inside historic Calihan Hall.
 
The President's Award is given to the most outstanding male and female seniors who best typify the image of the complete student-athlete. Ybarra's selection marks the third-straight year that a men's soccer player has won the prestigious accolade, while Lear is the second women's lacrosse player in school history to win the award.
 
Ybarra ended his four-year playing career with a selection to the NSCAA Division I Scholar All-North/Central Region Second Team. The senior midfielder was a standout for the Detroit men's soccer team for the past four years and helped UDM claim a share of the regular-season Horizon League title this past season and was a member of the 2012 team that won the regular season championship outright. A signature student-athlete, he was the first Titan since 2008 to earn Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-America honors. He holds a 3.92 GPA in business and is currently enrolled in the five-year MBA program at UDM. He is also the president of the Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), which he has been a member of for three years.
 
Lear has overcome two ACL injuries to be one of the best defenders on the team and in the Atlantic Sun. A team captain, during her tenure at Detroit, the Titans have made the championship game of the Atlantic Sun the last two years and have qualified for the post season in each of her campaigns. She was Second Team All-Atlantic Sun in 2014 and is a four-year member of the Athletic Director's Honor Roll with a 3.88 GPA as she is finishing her MBA.
 
The Titan Club Award, presented to a male and female student-athlete on the merits of athletic performance and academic excellence, went to Nathan Steinwascher of men's soccer and Hana Hunt of women's track and field. Steinwascher was the HL Goalkeeper of the Year, the Defensive Player of the Year and was voted First Team All-Horizon League last season, while Hunt was the Horizon League pentathlon indoor champion in 2015 and was also Second Team All-Horizon League in the heptathlon in 2014.
 
Thomas Sible of men's lacrosse and Kylie Birney of women's lacrosse were selected the Reverend Norbert Heutter Award, given to a male and female student-athlete who sets an example for others by their display of attitude, dedication and leadership.
 
Sible has been one of the captains for the Titans the past two seasons and has overcome perseverance from injuries, helping the Titans win their first-ever MAAC Championship and make the NCAA Tournament in 2013. Birney is also a team captain and was named to the Atlantic Sun All-Freshman Team in 2013 and was First Team All-A-Sun last year.  
 
The Athletic Department's male and female Newcomer of the Year, presented each spring to the athletes who competed during the previous academic year as incoming freshmen or transfer students on the basis of athletic and academic excellence, was awarded to men's tack and field runner Brandon Wilks and Sarah Thompson from the women's golf team.
 
Wilks was the Horizon League's fastest man last season winning the outdoor 100-meters and earning First Team All-Horizon League. He was the HL Outdoor Track Freshman of the Year and was Second Team All-Horizon League in the indoor 60-meters. Thompson was the Horizon League's Freshman of the Year in 2014 after finishing fourth on the team and 17th in the Horizon League in scoring average. She had four top-20 finishes and a pair of top-10 efforts, and was also a big part of Detroit winning its' second-straight conference championship.
 
The Dad Butler Award, given to the male and female student-athletes who show dedication to practice and having the ability to rehabilitate an injury to his or her fullest capabilities – went to Matt Harkema of the men's soccer team and Rosanna Reynolds of the women's basketball squad.
 
Harkema missed the entire 2013 season due to knee and shoulder injuries, but he came back to help lead Detroit to the top of the standings this past fall. He tied for the team lead with four goals and added an assist for nine points, which was tied for third best on the squad. Reynolds rebounded from a torn ACL that cost her all but three games in 2013-14 to earn Second Team All-Horizon League this past year. She led the team and was seventh in the Horizon League in scoring at 15.7 points per game and also ranked among the team leaders in a number of categories, including rebounding, assists, and three-point field goals made.
 
Reynolds and men's lacrosse's Greg Marzec were tabbed the Larry Bleach Award, winners, presented to a male and female student-athlete who sets the strength and conditioning standards for other student-athletes to follow.
 
Marzec exemplifies what a student athlete in the weight room should be. He has a relentless attack to every training session and works towards his goals without regard. He is a leader who never has excuses, and training is a must. Reynolds always does what is asked of her and puts forth an effort that guides her teammates to follow her lead. The weight room is all about using progressions and through her hard work in the weight room and the training room, she was able to progress and come back even stronger following her knee injury.
 
The 2015 Team Excellence Award, which recognizes the varsity team with the highest overall grade point average for the past academic year, was won by the women's soccer team with a cumulative grade point average of 3.700, while the men's golf team had the highest GPA on the men's side with a 3.507.
 
Meanwhile, one of the highest honors on the night is the Academic Excellence Award as 35 Titan student-athletes earned the accolade. Those achieved academic excellence during their time at Detroit as they have recorded at least a 3.0 GPA for every semester that they have participated in college athletics.
 
That academic list included, Zeinab Baydoun, Brandon Beauregard, Kaylah Berndt, Mike Birney, Haley Burtraw, Ellisha Crosby, Trevor Flynn, Joe Gifford, Jesus Ginez, Sam Henderson, Kat Hoffman, Ryan Hofsess, George Holman, Kelsey Hylen, Tessa Keuler, Katie Lang, Morgan Lear, Timothy Maley, Jessica Mallender, Rebecca Mallender, Shannon Marchant, Lexie McCormick, Olivia Richards, Cameron Roberts, Chris Shevins, Thomas Sible, Pat Smith, Victoria Sollestre, Nathan Steinwascher, Allayna Stolp, Sara Taylor, Abbey Troy, Alex Wilson, Matt Ybarra, and Sara Zawacki.
 
The Athletic Department would like to thank all of those in attendance and all the great student-athletes who achieved greatness in the classroom and in competition.