HAVERFORD, Pa. – As has been well documented with the senior awards throughout this week, Haverford student-athletes excel in both the academic and athletic spectrums. Another reinforcement of that fact was announced on Thursday as the three Fords were named repeat winners of the Centennial Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year award in their sport. Brandon Jenkins (baseball), Ashley Sisto (softball), and Clara Farrehi (women's tennis) each garnered that prestigious accolade in their respective sport.
The three Haverford student-athletes selected were the most of any school in the conference during the spring season. That trio represents three of just 20 scholar-athletes in the history of the Centennial Conference to earn this award twice. Looking to the past, six of the conference's 20 two-time Centennial Conference Scholar-Athletes of the Year competed for the Fords.
The Centennial Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year is awarded in each sport to a member of the junior or senior class with the highest cumulative GPA on the All-Centennial Team. Since no all-conference honors were presented this spring, the award was determined between all junior and senior student-athletes who had previously been named to the all-conference team.
Clara Farrehi was named Haverford's William W. Ambler '45 Award recipient for holding the highest cumulative GPA among senior student-athletes at Haverford in addition to her second CC Scholar-Athlete of the Year award. She graduates from Haverford with a degree in chemistry, concentrating in biochemistry. Farrehi was a second-team All-Centennial Conference selection in doubles during the 2019 season and added four more doubles wins to her career total this spring to finish with 35 doubles victories over her four seasons with the Fords.
Before the spring season was cut short, Farrehi was on pace to become one of the top 15 players in women's tennis history for combined wins between singles and doubles. She was a steady contributor throughout her career at Haverford and added 25 career singles wins to her total. Included in those victories was a career-best 7-3 mark in singles play during her senior campaign. Farrehi was also named to the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area team following the 2019 season.
Brandon Jenkins graduates from Haverford with a double major in economics and mathematics. During the abbreviated 2020 campaign, Jenkins was named CC Pitcher of the Week in his final week on a collegiate mound. He struck out eight in just four innings of work while the Fords were in Florida, and did not allow a hit as the Haverford went 6-1 to cap the trip. Over his seven innings of work across those four appearances in 2020, the senior southpaw tallied a win and two saves with 12 strikeouts, four walks, and no hits allowed.
Jenkins was an honorable mention All-Centennial Conference selection in 2019 after emerging as a shutdown lefty out of the bullpen. He appeared in seven conference contests and racked up four saves in 17 innings of work during those games while striking out 17 batters and holding opponents to just a .197 batting average. The Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area team selection did not allow an earned run in those appearances and surrendered just one extra-base hit in a Centennial game. Jenkins notched saves in three of his final four conference outings that season as his four saves overall were the most for a Haverford reliever since Patrick Falkoff '14 had seven during his senior season.
Ashley Sisto graduates from Haverford with a chemistry major while concentrating on biochemistry. A four-year starter in centerfield for the Fords, Sisto started all 110 games of her career and was a second-team All-Centennial Conference performer in 2019 after garnering honorable mention recognition during her first-year with the Fords. Sisto was seemingly on pace to add to that legacy as she led the Fords in hits (12), at-bats (38), triples (1), home runs (2), and total bases (23) during her abbreviated senior season while ranking second on the team in slugging percentage (.605), runs scored (9), RBI (12), and walks (3). Haverford capped its week in Florida by winning each of its last six games with Sisto helping to lead that charge.
Also named the Centennial Conference Player of the Week on one occasion during each of her all-conference campaigns, Sisto graduates from Haverford ranked among the top 20 players in program history in 11 different statistical categories. Some of those categories include stolen bases, doubles, runs scored, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage. Sisto was hitting .316 during her senior season and blasted a pair of home runs against Geneva during a career-high five RBI game.