LAKELAND, Fla. – The Florida Southern College Department of Athletics came together Tuesday night (April 22) to celebrate the outstanding achievements the coaches and student-athletes at Florida Southern College have accomplished over the last year. The annual awards banquet, which was re-branded as the MOCSYS prior to the 2022 event, is put together by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) along with FSC Athletics Administration. Tuesday night's event was held inside George W. Jenkins Field House.
 
Several honors were handed out Tuesday night including the Pat McFadden Scholar-Athletes of the Year, Moment of the Year, Comeback Players of the Year, Newcomers of the Year, Freshmen of the Year, Best Team Spirit, Community Service Award, Support of Excellence honor, as well as the Iron MOC Award. Also the Trippy Award was handed out, which goes to a student-athlete that is a true warrior on and off the field Someone that fights against all odds, always has a positive attitude, and an infectious smile. Someone who inspires others to be at their best no matter their circumstances. The ultimate team player! Someone who puts the team before themselves. A teammate that will give you a pat on the back or give up their spot on the field if it were what was best for the team. If there were real life superheroes, this person would come to mind.  The award was created in honor of Nicholas "Trippy" Nugent who was a special member of the Florida Southern College community.
 
The Department also held a special Senior Walk prior to the event where all the coaches, administrators and fellow student-athletes could honor the 2024-25 seniors.
 
Prior to the first award being handed out the inaugural class of inductees into Chi Alpha Sigma, the National College Athlete Honor Society, were introduced.
 
The opening award handed out was the Academic Award for each program which is given to the student-athlete on each team with the combination of the most credit hours and highest GPA. The recipients were as follows: David Butz (baseball), JC Barrott (DT baseball), Riley Buccino (men's basketball), Sydney Gomes (women's basketball), Madeline Sanders (beach volleyball), Amber Haldas (cheerleading), Chris Colavita (men's cross country/track), Caitlin Beery (women's cross country/track), Olivia Brown (equestrian), Shane Geraghty (e-sports), Tyler Mistretta (men's golf), Marissa Cardenas (women's golf), Wayne Aarts (ice hockey), Brydon Robichaud (men's lacrosse), Charlie Laye (women's lacrosse), Felix Aakerberg (men's soccer), Haley Thomassy (women's soccer), Cat Buckner (softball), Brandon Wilson (men's swimming), Olivia Miles (women's swimming), Edoardo Melindo (men's tennis), Vivien Charvatova (women's tennis), Madison Fowler (volleyball), William McLaughlin (men's water ski) and Olivia Chute (women's water ski). 
 
The ceremony continued with the announcement of the Iron MOC male and female winners which were given to the athletes with the highest combined total squat, bench and dead lift. The winner on the men's side was junior Colby Rice from baseball and the women's honoree was senior Kelsey Kadlub of softball. 
 
The show then turned its attention towards community service where several teams excelled in 2024-25. The top four teams were announced with fourth place going to baseball who averaged over 20 hours per student-athlete on the roster. The developmental baseball team came in third as the student-athletes averaged over 22 hours of community service this past year. Water ski held the second spot with 23 hours averaged per student-athlete. The winner of the 2024-25 Community Service Award was women's lacrosse who averaged over 24 hours of community service per student-athlete this past year!
 
The next award was a break from the more serious honors being handed out as the Mocs celebrated the top MOCward Moments of the Year with the top honor going to women's cross country and track student-athlete Rachel Hockenberry who earned the honor for a fall she took during a steeplechase race this season.
 
As the night continued, the Mocs handed out the Best Team Spirit honor which went to the team who went above and beyond to support their fellow Mocs. The baseball team came out on top under new Head Coach Rick O'Dette.
 
The next several awards then began focusing on individual achievements as the first of those awards to be handed out was Freshmen of the Year. The award is given to a freshman student-athlete who has excelled beyond what is expected in their first season at Florida Southern. They set the tone for his/her career as a member of the Moccasin Family. The women's winner was women's tennis freshman Emily Jennewein while the men's award went to men's cross country and track freshman Eli Zuppa. Jennewein has an impressive 12-6 singles record while holding down the No. 4 and No. 5 spots. Her consistency carried over into doubles play, where she and her partner went 13-4 at the No. 2 position. With poise beyond her years and a competitive edge that shined all season, she proved to be a key contributor on and off the court. Zuppa competed in four cross country meets for the Mocs, finishing 23rd overall at the SSC Championship. During the indoor track season, he set new freshman records in both the 3K and 5K, including a victory in the 5K at the RADD Sports College Invitational. Although the outdoor season is still underway, he has already broken the freshman 5K record and currently holds the fourth-fastest 5K time and third-fastest 10K time on the team.
 
Next up was Newcomer of the Year. The award is given to a first-year student-athlete who excelled beyond what was expected. Baseball graduate student Mikey Scott earned the men's honor while women's swimming sophomore Sam Hunter took home the honor for the women. Scott's been a powerhouse at the plate, leading the team in nearly every major offensive category — batting average, OPS, runs scored, hits, triples, home runs, total bases, and slugging percentage. His standout performance earned him both NCBWA South Region Player of the Week and SSC Player of the Week honors earlier this season. Hunter wasted no time establishing herself as a top competitor, qualifying for the NCAA Championships in the 100 free and contributing to four relay events at nationals. Her standout performances included a 16th-place finish in the 100 free and the 800 free relay, helping solidify her as a powerful new addition to the program.
 
The next honorees were given the Comeback Players of the Year Awards. Giana Murphy, a senior on the women's lacrosse team, overcame a meniscus repair that sidelined her for the entire 2024 season, returning stronger than ever to lead the third-ranked Mocs to a regular season conference title. A dominant presence on the field, she leads the team in goals, points, and shots, making an undeniable impact every time she plays. Her grit, consistency, and leadership also earned her National Player of the Week honors. Jadin Booth, a graduate student on the men's basketball team, earned the male honor. Booth had ACL and MCL reconstruction after playing just two games the previous season. He committed himself to an intense 10-month recovery, returning to the court stronger than ever. This season, he led the team in scoring during their postseason run and was recognized with several prestigious honors. He earned First Team All-Sunshine State Conference, was named an All-South Region member, and received D2CCA All-American honors for his outstanding performance on the court.
 
The attention then turned to the Support of Excellence Award which is given annually to an assistant coach or staff member who goes above and beyond behind the scenes to support excellence in athletics at Florida Southern. The honor went to Associate Athletics Director, External Relations Al Green. Green has worn many hats during his time at Florida Southern — serving in roles ranging from assistant athletic director, head athletic trainer, associate director for marketing, to director of external relations. His impact on the athletic community extends far beyond campus, earning him induction into not just one, but three prestigious halls of fame: the National Athletic Trainers' Association, the Southeastern Athletic Trainers Association, and the Kentucky Athletic Trainers' Association. His dedication, leadership, and service have left an indelible mark on our institution and the profession.
 
Following the presentation of the award, Director of Athletics & Dean of Wellness Drew Howard announced the Support of Excellence Award will now be named the Al Green Support of Excellence Award for his many years of dedicated service to Florida Southern College.
 
The 2024-25 Moment of the Year was next on the docket with several top plays/moments vying for the top spot but it was men's cross country and track capturing its second-straight Sunshine State Conference Cross Country Championship before going on to win the inaugural Sunshine State Conference Outdoor Track Championship.
 
The attention then turned to the Trippy Award, an award created prior to the 2024 MOCSYS. Head Men's Tennis Coach Rhett Rollyson and Head Women's Lacrosse Coach Kara Reber served as the presenters of the award but invited Trippy's parents to the stage, Nick and Katie Nugent, to hand out the award. Beach volleyball senior Madeline Sanders took home the honor.
 
The Pat McFadden Student-Athletes of the Year Awards were the final awards of the night. The awards are given to the top male and female scholar athletes annually at Florida Southern College. Established during the 1991-92 school year, the award is named for former Florida Southern athletics academic counselor Pat McFadden, and is presented to the male and female student-athletes with the best combination of athletic and academic success. Emma Mussante of women's cross country and track took home the women's honor. She maintains an impressive GPA while pursuing her degree at Florida Southern. On the track, she's a decorated athlete with numerous school records and top-10 times spanning from the 1500 to the 10K. She became the first in program history to run a sub-17-minute 5K and has also posted a provisional qualifying time in the 10K. For the men, it was Chris Fok Kow of men's tennis receiving the award. He became the first ITA All-American in his program since 2010, is a two-time All-SSC First Team selection, an ITA Scholar-Athlete, and a CSC Academic All-Region honoree. He also ranks in the top 10 in program history for both career singles and doubles wins.