GORHAM, Maine –  Senior Rona Scott (Beverly, Mass.) of the softball team, and graduate student Nick Ritmo (Niskayuna, N.Y.) of the men's ice hockey team have been selected to represent the Class of 2024 at the 25^th Annual University of Southern Maine Seniors Honors Banquet sponsored by Norway Savings Banks, Yankee Ford, Gorham House of Pizza and Army ROTC.
 
An annual year-end celebration, the Huskies' Senior Honors Banquet brings together University Athletics staff, members of the student-athlete community, and their families to celebrate the significant contributions, academic achievements and outstanding playing careers of USM's senior student-athletes from the Huskies 22 NCAA Division III intercollegiate athletic teams. The event will be held at the Italian Heritage Center on Sunday, April 28 (6:00 pm) in Portland, Maine.
 
Both standouts in competition, in the community and in the classroom, Scott and Ritmo will address their peers individually.  Ritmo, a five-year member of the Huskies' men's ice hockey team, is completing his Master's degree in Teacher Leadership.  Serving as team captain during his playing career, Ritmo leads both on and off the ice for the Huskies. A three-time New England Hockey Conference All-Academic Team member and a four-time William B. Wise, Ritmo is a Resident Assistant with Student Life, and a Campus Ambassador for University Admissions.  In 2020 he received the Residence Life Fish Philosophy "Choose Your Attitude" Award, which is given to an RA who takes responsibility for how they react to what life throws at them and how their choices affect others, and in 2023, Ritmo was awarded the Senior Husky Achievement Award – presented to a student who serves in a variety of leadership roles, served as a role model for peers and demonstrated pride in USM.
 
A five-year member of the Huskies' softball team and member of its leadership group for the last three seasons, Scott was a 2023 recipient of the department's Hodgdon Leadership Award.  Serving as an officer in the Huskies' Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) for the last three years, Scott is known for her service-leadership both on and off the field.  A participant in numerous NCAA sponsored leadership academies, Scott has helped create and establish the Huskies' Career Closet, and has been an advocate for Diversity and Equity issues in athletics and beyond.  A three-time All-LEC selection at first base and a four-time William B. Wise Scholar-Athlete, Scott is completing her degree in Elementary Education.
 
As part of the evening's celebration, student-athletes and their families along with members of the Athletic Department and University administration, including President Dr. Jacqueline Edmondson, will enjoy a dinner, and departing seniors will receive a keepsake honoring their commitment to their student-athlete endeavors as well as graduation cords signifying their affiliation with Athletics.
 
"University of Southern Maine student-athletes are known for their outstanding sportsmanship, scholarship, integrity and their significant contributions beyond the playing field within the local community and campus life," noted Director of Athletics Al Bean.  "The Athletic Department's Honors Night is one of our staff's favorite events to attend. It is truly a moment of great celebration that allows us a chance to reflect upon and thank our student-athletes for their time, hard work, commitment and for their unwavering ability to represent the University of Southern Maine with distinction."
 
During the 2024 Senior Honors celebration, Huskies' Athletics will also recognize several student-athletes for their exceptional academic, athletic and community service contributions with its annual leadership award presentations: Paula D. Hodgdon Leadership Award; Roland Wirths Memorial Award, Mike Beveridge Humanitarian Award, Kimberly M Turner Employee Award and the Albert D. Bean Leadership Award.
 
Presented annually to the to a female student-athlete, the Paula D. Hodgdon Leadership Award recognizes a student-athlete who exemplifies the qualities of the former USM field hockey coach/administrator.  A pioneer in women's athletics, Hodgdon was synonymous with loyalty, leadership, dedication, mentorship and commitment.
 
Eleven women from nine programs were nominated for the 2024 Hodgdon Leadership award including Scott, women's soccer's Bre Atwood (Franklin, Mass.), women's tennis Maggie Brock (Plymouth, Mass.), women's lacrosse's Anna Byers (Milford, Conn./Joseph A. Foran) and Rachel Shanks (Naples, Maine/Lake Region), women's ice hockey's Jordan Colbert (Manomet, Mass./Plymouth South), field hockey's Jordan Cumming (Auburn, Maine/Edward Little), Mary Keef (Westbrook, Maine) and Julianna Kiklis (York, Maine), track & field's Olivia Jalbert (Auburn, Maine/Edward Little), and women's basketball's Franny Ramsdell (Wells, Maine).
 
The Wirths Award, established in 1980, is named in honor of the former Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram sportswriter who was a strong supporter of USM Athletics.  Wirths often wrote about the overachiever, the person small in stature who made a big difference, stories of the heart, people who made a real difference and was an inspirational leader.  Each year the award is given to a student-athlete who best fulfills that narrative.
 
A record 17 student-athletes were nominated for the Wirths Memorial Award from 10 Husky teams: field hockey's Hannah Banks (Belfast, Maine), Brooke Carson (Bryant Pond, Maine/Oxford Hills), and Kiklis; men's soccer's Jack Brady (Jensen Beach, Fla.), women's basketball's Campbell Doughty (Ashland, Va./Hanover), and Liz Cote (Conway, N.H./Kennett), softball's Madi Day (Otisfield, Maine/Oxford Hills) and Hannah Shields (Buckfield, Maine), baseball's Lucas Francis (Lisbon, Maine/Lisbon Falls), women's soccer and lacrosse's Kiaya Gatchell (Portland, Maine/Deering), women's soccer's Aly Veilleux (Manchester, N.H./Manchester Memorial), men's ice hockey's Tanner McClure (Buxton, Maine/Bonny Eagle) and Ritmo, women's ice hockey's Haley McKim (Moncton, New Brunswick/Mount Academy) and Maddy Young (Westford, Vermont/Essex), and men's track & field's Ethan Shain (Sanford, Maine) and Jack Pecoraro (Westbrook, Maine).
 
The Kimberly M. Turner Award and the Albert D. Bean, Jr. Leadership Award are in their sixth year as department initiatives. The Turner Award is given annually to a student-employee or volunteer who has consistently made significant contributions to the USM Athletic Department and has demonstrated the many positive traits synonymous with Turner: work ethic, leadership, extraordinary commitment, respect, attention to detail, and compassion.
 
Volunteering or working in a variety of critical areas to support USM Athletics operations, 11 members of the Husky athletic community were nominated for the award.  Working in facility operations, equipment room, athletic communications, event management, or ice arena management the nominees are: Anna Byers, Kim Crory, Jordan Cote, Madi Day, Deja Driscoll-Smith, Hanni Johnson, Jesse Kamulandua, Meg King, Tanner McClure, Roger Plant, and Devin Witte. The nominees represent community members, student-athletes and general student-body populations.
 
The Bean Leadership award will be presented annually to the junior or senior male student-athlete who demonstrate the leadership qualities of compassion, respect, guidance, and worth ethic displayed by Al Bean. 
 
Twelve men from eight programs were nominated for the Bean Award: men's soccer Vincent Anderson (Anchorage, Alaska), wrestling's Nick Beebe (Brentwood, N.H./Exeter), men's basketball's Chance Dixon (Lake Worth, Fla./Santaluces) and Cody Hawes (Carmel, Maine/Hermon), men's track and field's Ben Drummey (Biddeford, Maine), Shain and Pecoraro, golf and men's ice hockey's Zach Ellsworth (Saranac Lake, N.Y./Northwood School), men's lacrosse's Nick James (Portland, Maine/Deering), men's ice hockey's Ritmo and McClure, and men's tennis' Ethan Rudnicki (Levant, Maine/Hermon).
 
The Mike Beveridge Humanitarian Award, is named in honor of the former long-time assistant ice hockey coach Mike Beveridge, who passed away in the fall of 2021.  Presented annually to a member of the University of Southern Maine hockey community who consistently displays the characteristics of care, compassion, generosity, and selflessness that were synonymous with Coach Beveridge. 
 
The 2024 USM Athletics Honors Banquet promises to be a joyful gathering, celebrating all of the accomplishments of Husky student-athletes while recognizing the conclusion of many outstanding academic and athletic careers. Eighty-eight of  USM's ~450 student-athletes who participate in one or more of the University's 22 Division III intercollegiate teams will be honored during the evening.
 
Proudly embracing the NCAA Division III philosophy, Huskies' Athletics places the highest priority on the overall quality of the educational experience and on the successful completion of all students' academic programs, maintaining an environment in which a student-athlete's athletic activities are conducted as an integral part of the student-athlete's educational experience. USM Athletics achieves this through the five key developmental areas: Academic Achievement, Athletic Performance, Personal Development, Career Development and Service to Community.  Twenty-nine majors are represented by the Huskies'  senior student-athletes with pursuits ranging from Studio Art to Social Behavioral Sciences, to Physics and Media Studies, and from Nursing to Mechanical Engineering.
 
 Collectively, the Huskies' ~450 student-athletes have an outstanding 3.23 grade point average and earlier this academic year a record 256 student-athletes were recognized this year as William B. Wise Scholar-Athletes. Each of the Huskies' 22 intercollegiate programs has representation among the 256 student-athletes that were honored.
 
 
 
 
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