DAVIS, Calif. — UC Davis Athletics celebrated another memorable year of Aggie achievement Sunday evening as student-athletes, coaches, staff and supporters gathered inside the University Credit Union Center for the annual Aggie Awards.
The evening recognized the hard work and commitment that fueled the 2025-26 academic year while celebrating the individuals, performances and moments that defined another successful season for Aggie Athletics. Awards honoring excellence in competition, academics, leadership, resilience and community impact were presented throughout the night, with student-athletes earning both department-selected and peer-voted honors.
"The Aggie Awards are an opportunity to step back and appreciate everything our student-athletes invest into this experience," said Director of Athletics Rocko DeLuca. "There's so much work that happens behind the scenes — the early mornings, the setbacks, the leadership, the commitment to teammates and to this university. Nights like this give us the chance to celebrate not only what our student-athletes accomplished, but how they accomplished it. We are incredibly proud of the way they continue to represent UC Davis."
2026 AGGIE AWARDS
DEPARTMENT AWARDS
W.P. Lindley Award (Scholar-Athlete of the Year)
The W.P. Lindley Award is the highest individual honor a UC Davis student-athlete can receive, recognizing excellence in academics, athletics and leadership.
This year's recipient embodied all three. A selfless leader who consistently put her team first, Jade Light helped author one of the greatest seasons in UC Davis Volleyball history while simultaneously excelling in one of the university's most demanding academic paths.
Light earned Big West Player of the Year honors, surpassed 1,000 career kills and became UC Davis Volleyball's first All-American since 1996, all while double majoring in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering.
RECIPIENT – Jade Light (Volleyball)
Dr. Hubert Heitman Award (Female Athlete of the Year)
The Dr. Hubert Heitman Award is presented annually to the Aggie Female Athlete of the Year.
This year's recipient continued cementing her place among the top gymnasts in UC Davis history during another standout season in the Blue & Gold. Amelia Moneymaker qualified for NCAA Regionals while delivering some of the highest scores ever recorded in program history.
During the 2026 season, Moneymaker scored a 9.900 on floor and tied her career-high with a 9.950 against William & Mary — the second-highest floor score in program history. A team captain and consistent leader throughout her career, Moneymaker once again helped elevate the Aggies on the national stage.
RECIPIENT – Amelia Moneymaker (Gymnastics)
Colby E. "Babe" Slater Award (Male Athlete of the Year)
The Colby E. "Babe" Slater Award is presented annually to the Aggie Male Athlete of the Year.
This year's recipient captained UC Davis men's soccer while leading the Aggies in goals, assists and points during the 2025 season. A Hermann Trophy Watch List honoree and back-to-back All-Big West First Team selection, Cason Goodman continued establishing himself as one of the top players in the conference while helping guide the Aggies through another strong campaign.
Widely respected for his leadership and consistency, Goodman helped set the standard for a program that remained among the conference's best throughout the season. Alongside his brother Luke, the duo also became the first siblings in program history to earn All-Big West First Team honors in the same season.
RECIPIENT – Cason Goodman (Men's Soccer)
Sarah Sumpter Perseverance Award
The Sarah Sumpter Perseverance Award honors a current UC Davis student-athlete who has overcome significant adversity to return to competition.
During the 2025 season, Jadyn Wakita faced significant challenges that tested her resilience both on and off the competition floor. Despite multiple setbacks, she continued approaching every challenge with positivity, determination and an unwavering commitment to her team.
Her perseverance paid off during the 2026 season as she returned to competition and delivered some of the strongest performances of her career, including one of her top beam scores while continuing to contribute in the bars lineup throughout the postseason.
Wakita exemplified the resilience, positivity and determination that define the spirit of the Sarah Sumpter Award.
RECIPIENT – Jadyn Wakita (Gymnastics)
Marya Welch Award
The Marya Welch Award is presented annually to the women's team with the highest cumulative GPA.
RECIPIENT – Women's Golf (3.77 GPA)
Lysle Leach Award
The Lysle Leach Award is presented annually to the men's team with the highest cumulative GPA.
RECIPIENT – Men's Basketball (3.31 GPA)
STUDENT-ATHLETE AWARDS
New Aggie of the Year
Presented to the student-athlete who made an immediate impact while embodying Aggie Pride during their first year in the Blue & Gold.
A Davis native, Ella Ackerman won the Big West title in the 400 individual medley with a time of 4:15.47 and was named Big West Freshman of the Year. As the highest-scoring Aggie at the conference championships, she helped UC Davis to a runner-up finish, the program's best conference placement in a decade.
RECIPIENT – Ella Ackerman (Swimming & Diving)
Aggie Pride Award
Presented to the student-athlete who best exemplifies Aggie PRIDE through leadership, involvement, spirit and commitment to the UC Davis community.
A member of the women's water polo program, Sarah Ellis-Keeler was recognized for the leadership, involvement and spirit she demonstrated across the UC Davis community throughout the year.
RECIPIENT – Sarah Ellis-Keeler (Women's Water Polo)
Best Upset of the Year
Presented for the most unexpected and memorable victory of the year.
In a triple-overtime thriller, women's basketball outlasted UC San Diego 88-80, erasing a 13-point deficit and battling through 15 ties and 15 lead changes. Megan Norris pulled down 29 rebounds while Nya Epps and Avery Sussex led the Aggies in scoring.
RECIPIENT – Women's Basketball vs. UC San Diego
Moment of the Year
Presented for the most thrilling and unforgettable moment of the season.
Amelia Moneymaker earned the honor for her 9.950 floor routine against William & Mary, a score that matched the fourth-best floor mark in MPSF history and stood as the highest score in any event across the conference this season. With the Aggies trailing entering the final rotation, her performance helped lift UC Davis to the win.
RECIPIENT – Amelia Moneymaker (Gymnastics)
Women's Team of the Year
Presented to the women's program that demonstrated exceptional success while embodying Aggie Pride throughout the year.
Volleyball captured the program's first regular-season Big West title and posted its first undefeated home season, racking up 21 wins, including 16 in conference, as Jade Light, Mia Starr and Ximena Cordero Barr swept the conference's Player, Setter and Libero of the Year honors.
Equestrian swept its ECAC slate, earned the No. 1 seed and won the conference title with a championship-final victory over South Dakota State, with Lauren Kolbe and Mya Clader earning NCEA All-America honors.
RECIPIENT – Equestrian & Volleyball
Men's Team of the Year
Presented to the men's program that demonstrated exceptional success while embodying Aggie Pride throughout the year.
In just its third season in the Big West, men's water polo knocked off top-seeded, defending champion Long Beach State 12-11 to claim the program's first Big West title. Head Coach Daniel Leyson was named Big West Coach of the Year, and five Aggies earned All-Conference honors, led by Thomas Kiesling's first-team All-Big West and third-team All-America selections.
RECIPIENT – Men's Water Polo
ABOUT UC DAVIS ATHLETICS
UC Davis, ranked No. 2 among public universities by the Wall Street Journal in the value of a college degree, is home to 40,000 undergraduate students and 12,000 employees. Ranked top in the United States in agriculture and forestry as well as No. 1 in veterinary medicine, UC Davis is located in a true California college town nestled between world-class destinations such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Napa Valley and Lake Tahoe. Over 650 Aggie student-athletes compete in 25 Division I varsity sports, with 16 sports transitioning to the Mountain West Conference beginning in 2026–27.
For more information, visit https://ucdavisaggies.com/.
