Florida Southern Athletics Announces 2024-25 Male and Female Athletes of the Year

LAKELAND, Fla. – The Florida Southern College Department of Athletics announced the recipients of the Hal Smeltzly and Lois Webb Awards which are presented annually to the top male and female athletes of the year at Florida Southern. Men's golf sophomore Colton Swartz received the Hal Smeltzly Award for Male Athlete of the Year while women's lacrosse graduate student Abby McFerren earned the Lois Webb Award for Female Athlete of the Year at Florida Southern.
 
Swartz is the ninth men's golfer in FSC history to earn the Male Athlete of the Year Award as he joins Jeff Klauk (1999-00 Honoree), Steve Sokol (2000-01 Honoree), Steve Paramore (2002-03 Honoree), Jude Eustaquio (2007-08 Honoree), Matt Stauch (2009-10 Honoree), Tim Crouch (2012-13 & 2013-14 Honoree), John Coultas (2015-16 Honoree), and John VanDerLaan (2016-17 & 2017-18 Honoree). McFerren, the third-straight Lois Webb Award honoree from women's lacrosse, becomes the seventh women's lacrosse student-athlete to earn the honor. The women's lacrosse program has earned eight of the last 10 awards. McFerren joins the elite group of Megan Asper (2014-15 Honoree), Gabby Barowski (2015-16 Honoree), Emily Santoli (2016-17 Honoree), Meghan O'Brien (2017-18 Honoree), Marina Jozokos (2019-21 Honoree*), and Jackie Stoller (2022-23 & 2023-24 Honoree) who have all represented women's lacrosse as the Female Athlete of the Year.
 
""Colton had a tremendous sophomore season for the Moccasins," said Drew Howard, Director of Athletics and Dean of Wellness. "He helped lead the men's golf team back to the top of the Sunshine State Conference while also coming just one stroke shy from being our 29th individual National Champion at FSC. We are excited to announce Colton (Swartz) as the 2024-25 Hal Smeltzly Male Athlete of the Year."
 
Swartz, a native of Fleming Island, Fla., led the Moccasins to the 2025 Sunshine State Conference Championship, the first since 2010 for the program. Swartz shot a final round 69 (-3) to help the Moccasins overcome a surge by Barry and Embry-Riddle. FSC led wire-to-wire, leading after every single round of the event. Following the SSC Championship, Swartz went on to finish tied for 24^th at the NCAA South/Southeast Regional while a birdie putt by Swartz in a two-team playoff versus USC Aiken locked up the seventh-place finish and trip to the National Championship for the Mocs. The sophomore saved his best golf for last as he had a stellar performance at the NCAA National Championship. He shot a three-round total of 211 (-5) including an opening round 67 (-5), one stroke off the best individual round of the tournament. His three round total put him just one stroke shy of an individual National Championship as he finished tied for second overall. He narrowly missed a 30-foot birdie putt on 18 to force a playoff but made tap in for par to finish tied for second individually. His performance earned him Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) PING First Team All-America and the sophomore finished the season as the No. 6 ranked golfer in NCAA Division II. Along with his First Team All-America nod, Swartz earned PING All-South Region, Sunshine State Conference Golfer of the Year and All-Sunshine State Conference First Team honors.
 
McFerren, a graduate student from York, Pa., led the women's lacrosse team to an impressive 18-3 overall mark including 6-1 in Sunshine State Conference action. The Moccasins concluded the season ranked No. 3 in the nation and advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals. Following the season, McFerren was named Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) First Team All-America while also earning an invite to the IWLCA Senior All-Star Game. She was a Second Team honoree last season. She was also named a USA Lacrosse All-American following her outstanding graduate season. She led the Moccasins in total points on the year with 97, while ranking first in assists (38) and second in goals (59). After ending the season in the NCAA quarterfinals, McFerren had a career-high of eight goals, which she scored in the last regular season game of the year (4/15), and has had 17 multi-goal games of the 20 games she's played. She ended her career on a streak of 44 straight games with at least one point in the contest; the last time she was held pointless was April 27, 2023 as a junior. In addition to her pair of All-America honors, McFerren was named IWLCA First Team All-South Region and First Team All-SSC. 
 
"Women's lacrosse has had an outstanding run of Lois Webb Female Athletes of the Year including taking home eight of the last 10 honors," stated Howard. "Abby (McFerren) is the most recent in the long list of talented women's lacrosse student-athletes to receive the honor following a strong final season for the Mocs. She is a two-time All-American and finished her career second on the list for all-time points at Florida Southern while tying for second in assists and sitting third in career goals scored."
 
Established in 1999-2000, the Hal Smeltzly Award is named for the Moccasins' long-time baseball coach and athletics director. He was the Moccasins' baseball coach from 1958-76, winning three national championships, with a total of 391 wins. As Director of Athletics from 1972-2000, he oversaw a Moccasin program that produced 21 National Championships. He retired in 2000. Smeltzly was a member of the ABCA, Royal Dutch Sports, Florida Sports, Polk County Sports, Sunshine State Conference, FSC Baseball and FSC Athletics Halls of Fame and his baseball uniform, number seven, is retired. Smeltzly passed away in 2018 at the age of 86.

Established in 2017-18, the Lois Webb Award (previously also the Hal Smeltzly Award) is named for the Mocs' longtime volleyball coach and athletic director. Webb led the volleyball program from 1977-2000, compiling a record of 747-272 while leading Florida Southern to 16 NCAA Tournament appearances, including fourth place finishes in 1981, 1989 and 1991. She served as the athletic department's Senior Woman Administrator under Smeltzly and took the reigns as Director of Athletics in 2000 before retiring in 2008. During her time as the athletic director, Florida Southern won three NCAA National Championships. She also served as the head women's basketball coach from 1978-82 and was the first-ever women's golf coach at Florida Southern. Webb was inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame as part of its inaugural class in 2003. She is also a member of the Polk County Sports, Sunshine State Conference, and Florida Southern Athletics Halls of Fame.
 
Hal Smeltzly Athlete of the Year Award Winners
Male
1999-00 – Jeff Klauk (Golf)
2000-01 – Steve Sokol (Golf)
2001-02 – Justin Hancock (Baseball)
2002-03 – Steve Paramore (Golf)
2003-04 – Chris Brooks (Basketball)
2004-05 – Nick Diyorio (Baseball)
2005-06 – Nick Diyorio (Baseball)
2006-07 – Michael Knoedler (Tennis)
2007-08 – Jude Eustaquio (Golf)
2008-09 – Rob Eldridge (Basketball)
2009-10 – Matt Stauch (Golf)
2010-11 – Jeb Halfacre (Swimming)
2011-12 – Jeb Halfacre (Swimming)
2012-13 – Tim Crouch (Golf)
2013-14 – Tim Crouch (Golf)
2014-15 – Kevin Capers (Basketball)
2015-16 – John Coultas (Golf)
2016-17 – John VanDerLaan (Golf)
Female
1999-00 – Lisa Cave (Golf)
2000-01 – Rachel Bell (Golf)
2001-02 – Jana Peterkova (Golf)
2002-03 – Lucresia West (Basketball)
2003-04 – Megan Brown (Softball)
2004-05 – Lucresia West (Basketball)
2005-06 – Megan Brown (Softball)
2006-07 – Megan Brown (Softball)
2007-08 – Heather Burgner (Golf)
2008-09 – Sara Lovestrand (Softball)
2009-10 – Senka Softic (Tennis)
2010-11 – Mary O'Sullivan (Swimming)
2011-12 – Michaela Hawley (Basketball)
2012-13 – Alli Crenshaw (Swimming)
2013-14 – Alli Crenshaw (Swimming)
2014-15 – Megan Asper (Lacrosse)
2015-16 – Gabby Barowski (Lacrosse)
2016-17 – Emily Santoli (Lacrosse)
 
Hal Smeltzly Male Athlete of the Year Award Winners
2017-18 – John VanDerLaan (Golf)
2018-19 – Jonathan Lawton (Basketball)
2019-21 * – Brett Hanson (Basketball)
2021-22 – Jeff Atlas (Lacrosse)
2022-23 – Matteo Zampese (Swimming)
2023-24 – Kyle Micallef (Swimming)
2024-25 – Colton Swartz (Golf)
 
Lois Webb Female Athlete of the Year Award Winners
2017-18 – Meghan O'Brien (Lacrosse)
2018-19 – Camille Giardina (Basketball)
2019-21 * – Marina Jozokos (Lacrosse)
2021-22 – Valentina Gonzalez (Water Ski)
2022-23 – Jackie Stoller (Lacrosse)
2023-24 – Jackie Stoller (Lacrosse)
2024-25 – Abby McFerren (Lacrosse)
 
*2019-20 and 2020-21 Seasons combined due to COVID-19