Watch The Awards Ceremony on Demand
HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College Department of Athletics celebrated the Class of 2023 at its annual Senior Student-Athlete Award Ceremony, held in Marshall Auditorium at Roberts Hall on the Haverford College campus late Tuesday afternoon.
Director of Athletics Danielle Lynch and Haverford College President Wendy Raymond each welcomed everyone in attendance and the many more watching online via the livestream.
Always one of the highlights of the awards ceremony, the senior student-athlete tribute video was the first big event of the evening, and that annual tribute can be viewed via the link at the top of this article. The top 10 moments from the 2022-23 were also profiled, as that video was also unveiled prior to the rest of the award announcements. A link to that video is also available via the top of this release.
Senior Katharine Ference of the women's lacrosse team started the night with a reflection of lessons learned and memories made over her career as a Haverford athlete, giving the keynote speech of the evening.
Before the Senior Student-Athlete Awards were presented, seniors who had broken a significant Haverford College record during their time with the Fords were highlighted.
Senior record holders from the Class of 2023 included Alyssa Saito (women's soccer), Cortlyn Morris (women's basketball), Kayla Robinson (women's basketball and women's track & field), Ryan Kredell (men's track & field), Katharine Ference (women's lacrosse), Sam Silverman (women's lacrosse), Kaila Uyeda (softball), Abby Marquis (softball), and Jahsaiah Moses (track & field).
Lynch then closed out the night with the unveiling of the 2023 senior student-athlete award winners, as determined by the athletic department staff and presented to the senior athletes by their respective coaches.
First up, the A.W. "Pop" Haddleton Award was given for perseverance, dedication, and loyalty, recognizing senior student-athletes for outstanding contribution to an athletic team but who may not have received the recognition that, for example, a regular starting player does. Nate Rose (men's lacrosse), also this year's Ambler Award recipient, earned the award for his unwavering commitment, leadership and dedication to the men's lacrosse squad during his four years at Haverford, overcoming injury and adversity to be a shining example for the department.
The Stephen G. Cary '37 Award, which is given to the senior who has made the greatest overall impact on the Haverford athletic program through a combination of athletic participation and achievement, leadership, sportsmanship, and off-field athletic department involvement, was presented to Celia Page of women's soccer and Kaila Uyeda of Softball. Page has been a stalwart of the Haverford women's soccer program, as she earned Second-team All-Centennial Conference honors a season ago, completing a string of four consecutive All-Conference nods. A two-time CSC Academic All-District selection and member of the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area team, she has 20 career goals and 11 career assists, including six game winners. Off the field, Page is a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), a team-captain, a campus tour guide, and a representative on various athletics and college panels.
Uyeda, the 2022 Gold Glove Award winner in the Centennial Conference and 2022 statistical champion for hardest to strikeout in all of Division III softball, is not only a captain of the Fords squad but also a member of Athletics of Color Coalition, the Student Council Co-Vice President, holds various roles throughout her four years in the Customs program, and serves as a senior interviewer within the admissions advising committee. In admissions, she is also a tour guide and host. Uyeda is also a member of Haverford's Athletics Facilities and Gameday Operations student staff.
The Gregory Kannerstein '63 Award, formerly the Alumni-Varsity Club Award, was presented to four Haverford student-athletes: Katharine Ference (women's lacrosse), Abby Marquis (softball), Jamie Moreland (men's track & field), and Jahsaiah Moses (women's track & field).
Ference has logged a memorable four-year career with the Fords as she was a vital leader both on and off the field for a nationally-ranked team that reached the NCAA tournament a season ago. Starring as one of the best attacking forwards in the nation over the past two seasons, Ference made her presence felt as she holds the Haverford career record for draw controls per game (3.9) and was recently named a First-team All-CC selection on the attack for a second consecutive season, proving to be one of the most vaunted offensive threats in the Centennial Conference.
Marquis left an indelible mark on the Softball program, as she will graduate Saturday holding the title of one of the best players in program history. Marquis, a member of the All-Conference team and a National Player of the Year watchlist candidate, obliterated Haverford records this season as she is the career leader in slugging percentage (.715) and single-season slugging (.778) while also holding the single-season marks for RBI (42), doubles (20), home runs (8), and total bases (91).
Moreland has put together a truly illustrious track & field career as he was named the Centennial Conference Track Athlete of the Year during the indoor season and also earned Centennial Conference Performer of the Meet at the outdoor championships this past weekend after delivering gold in both the 800 meters and 1,500 meters.
One of the fastest middle distance runners in the nation, Moreland also has an indoor performer of the meet award from the 2019-20 season, and was named a track & field All-American in both 2020 and 2022. The Centennial Conference Rookie of the Year in 2018 for Cross Country, he was named an All-Metro Region selection for cross country last fall and has twice been named to the All-CC second team.
Moses was honored for her exceptional athletic and leadership skills as she has consistently performed at the top level in both indoor and outdoor track events, holding several event records, including top 10 all-time records for Haverford in both seasons and the top spot on the outdoor 4x100 meter relay.
She scored in every Centennial Conference championship event she entered and has also been recognized with a slot on the Centennial Conference All-Sportsmanship Team. She has been named an USTFCCCA All-Region selection, and has been a member of the Centennial Conference Honor Roll in each season of eligibility. Moses displayed exceptional leadership qualities as the captain of the Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Team, She has provided stability and guidance, leading workouts, mentoring first-year and sophomore athletes, and taking care of logistics for the team. Moses' unwavering dedication and leadership have been instrumental in the team's success.
Ryan Kredell and Kayla Robinson were the final award winners of the evening as the duo earned the Varsity Cup as the most outstanding athlete of the senior class.
Kredell is in the midst of a standout career across all three running seasons. A Cross Country All-American a season ago, he was named the USTFCCCA Metro Region Athlete of the Year, the Centennial Conference Runner of the Year, and the PhillySIDA Academic All-Area Performer of the Year a season ago.
On the indoor track, he was an All-Metro Region selection in the 3,000 meters and the 5,000 meters in each of the last two seasons while also earning four All-Region certificates on the outdoor track so far during his career. Kredell has been named CC Athlete of the Week three times in the past two seasons.
Both the Centennial and Haverford records fell in the 5,000 meters at the Terrier Classic in Boston as Kredell crossed in 14:02.37, which ranked third in Division III at the time, and was the fifth all-time individual mark within Division III.
Robinson, a two-sport standout at Haverford, earned Centennial Conference Defensive Player of the Year a season this past season as she led all of Division III with 21 double-doubles and finished the season ranked third in the nation for total rebounds (371), and third in rebounds per game (14.3). The Fords returned to the Centennial Conference playoffs behind the leadership of Robinson both on and off the court.
She graduates as Haverford's career leader in offensive rebounds (299) while holding the single-season record for total rebounds (371) and offensive rebounds (163). Robinson also holds the single-game rebounding record (27 vs. Muhlenberg on February 21, 2023).
In Track & Field, Robinson is also a team captain and led the team to its best finish at a CC meet since the 2016 season, winning gold in the heptathlon for the second consecutive season, and silver in the long jump. Robinson is Haverford's new record holder in the long jump (5.75 meters) and the triple jump (11.46 meters), and she is also part of the squad that broke the 4x100 meter relay school record (48.57).