BETHLEHEM, Pa. – American women’s volleyball’s Katie Putney, Army West Point women’s swimming and diving’s Angela Huang and Maya Amersi, and Lafayette men’s tennis’s Josh Wolfe were chosen as the 2022-23 Patriot League Sportsmanship Award recipients when the League office announced honors. Putney, Huang, Amersi and Wolfe were selected by administrators of the League’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
Putney is the third American student-athlete to receive the League-wide accolade. Huang and Amersi join a group of four Army West Point student-athletes to earn the award, while Wolfe is the third Lafayette student-athlete to receive the Sportsmanship Award.
The Patriot League Award is in its 18th year after being created to honor student-athletes that uphold the principles on which the League was founded – fairness, equality, and excellence in academics and athletics, in addition to the NCAA’s core principles of respect, fairness, civility, honesty and responsibility. The League’s 10 full-member institutions are eligible to nominate one male and one female student-athlete. Patriot League teams from associate members are also eligible to nominate for the annual honor.
Patriot League Sportsmanship Award
Maya Amersi and Angela Huang
Army West Point Women’s Swimming & Diving
As members of the Army West Point swimming and diving program, junior Maya Amersi and senior Angela Huang have demonstrated the Army values of carrying themselves with character, respect and integrity. This past December, those values were put to the ultimate test.
During Army’s annual meet against Navy, Mids’ freshman Yelin Tahk became unconscious during her race and was unable to swim. That is when Amersi and Huang sprang into action.
“Without hesitation and during the ongoing competition, these two Cadet-athletes jumped into the water and pulled the Navy swimmer to the side of the pool where she could be helped by medical professionals,” Army West Point swimming and diving head coach Brandt Nigro recounted. “These actions may have saved a life and are the ultimate display of respect and integrity towards an opponent on our field of friendly strife.”
“There are not enough words to express how grateful I am to Angela Huang and Maya Amersi. I don’t know where I would be if they hadn’t jumped in without hesitation and pulled me out of that pool,” Tahk said thankfully. “One of the greatest things we experience in this sport is although we compete against each other, this competition is also able to bring us together and shows us moments of incredible selflessness and courage. I wanted to thank both of these incredible women for showing me what incredible leadership, sportsmanship and care look like, and this gives me an incredible amount of faith in the fact there are always good people willing to help. Thank you so much. I am forever grateful.”
Katie Putney
American Women’s Volleyball
In Putney’s junior season, she ranked fourth on the American women’s volleyball team with 101 kills and third with 50 blocks. While the psychology major’s strong play on the court speaks for itself, her kindness, people and team-first mentality make her extraordinary.
“For our team, Katie is the glue,” says teammate Rachel Bennett. “She is someone everyone can trust and the person you go to when you need a positive shift in your day. She genuinely wants to see every person on the team succeed.”
Assistant coach Sarah Yiljep noted, “She is a good listener, which helps her teammates feel heard and valued. She helps create a standard for our team to act with integrity and respect.”
Last season, when an ankle injury forced Putney to the sidelines for five games, she became the team’s biggest cheerleader. Bennett explained, “She doesn’t let her personal situation bring the team down. In those difficult moments, she has shown with her words and actions she cares more about how the team performs than when she would feel better again.”
Putney’s acts of kindness are genuine and come from the heart. When a teammate suffered a concussion, she offered to sit with her in a dark room so she would not be alone. When another was having a tough week with exams, Putney showed up with an encouraging card. Bennett shared, “Katie frequently checks in on each person on the team. She always volunteers her time to make you feel supported.”
Off the court, Putney volunteers her time as well. In May, she traveled to Rwanda with the Eagles in Service and Courts for Kids project. While there, she and fellow students worked with community members to build a multipurpose sports court.
“Katie connects people and brings them together. She lifts people up.” Bennett said. “If you could spend five minutes with her, you would understand instantly why she is deserving of this award!”
Josh Wolfe
Lafayette Men’s Tennis
Wolfe, the Lafayette men’s tennis team captain, has started all four years for the Leopards playing as high as No. 1 singles and doubles. The economics major carries a 3.6 GPA and is a three-time Dean’s List recipient, Vice-President of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) and a College Peer Mentor. Though coaches and teammates point to his integrity, honesty and respectfulness that have made him an inspirational role model on and off the court.
“Josh is the heart and soul of our men’s team. He is a consummate sportsman and leader,” Lafayette men’s tennis Head Coach Ralph Van Ormer said.
Former teammate Ross Coleman recalls, “He was 100-percent focused, doing whatever he could to make himself a better player and teammate, and more importantly, help his teammates be the best people they could be.”
After an early season loss to Fairfield, Van Ormer felt the team needed to make sportsmanship a stronger point of emphasis for the rest of the season. At that time, Wolfe stood up and spoke out during a late-night team meeting.
“Josh articulated the type of team we could be, namely a group with integrity and a strong sense of fair play,” Van Ormer recounted. “Thanks to Josh’s effort and example, our young players have made major strides this spring. They’ll remember him long after he graduates.”
According to Van Ormer, the Atlanta, Ga. native is a fierce competitor driven by an unshakable moral compass. During the 2023 Patriot League Championship quarterfinal match against Army West Point, Wolfe overruled his own “out” call. He did not look to his coach or the referee to confirm his decision, he corrected the call and played on.
“That is what integrity looks like,” said Van Ormer.
Win or lose, Wolfe always conducts himself with grace and tremendous respect for his opponent.
“After every match throughout his four years, Josh would shake the opposing coach’s hand not once but twice; after his match and again after the final match,” former teammate Coleman said. “There is nobody who deserves this award more.”
Patriot League Sportsmanship Award Nominees
Other nominees for the 2022-23 Patriot League Sportsmanship Award include, Miles Brewster (Boston University men’s basketball), Athena Corroon (Navy women’s lacrosse), Anna Dechantsreiter (Boston University women’s rowing), Anna Harvey (Lehigh women’s basketball), Simone Hefting (Lafayette field hockey), Mari Kniezewski (Colgate field hockey), Tucker Richardson (Colgate men’s basketball) and Ben Talbot (Holy Cross baseball).
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.