ITHACA, N.Y. — Officially ending its 2024 season, the Cornell sprint football team announced its team awards at its annual end of season awards banquet.
Here are the 2024 Cornell sprint football team awards and recipients:
The Lt. Donald Sussman Most Valuable Player Award:
The Lt. Donald Sussman Most Valuable Player Award is given to the (two) player(s) who has (have) distinguished himself (themselves) as excellent football players. The 2024 recipients of this award are Evan Nicholas for the offense and Ian Applegate for the defense.
Nicholas was the offensive MVP due to his well-rounded play in offense as a quarterback, running back and wide receiver for the Big Red. He went 38-for-78 for 322 yards and three touchdowns in the quarterback position, rushed for 458 yards on 77 attempts and had 14 catches for 186 yards. Nicholas also earned All-CSFL Second-Team honors this season.
Applegate earned the defensive MVP nod. He had 26 solo tackles, eight assisted tackles, .5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, three pass breakups and one forced fumble on the season.
The Al Baldini (Outstanding Senior) Award:
The Al Baldini (Outstanding Senior) Award is given to the outstanding (senior) player who has contributed the most to the team over his Cornell sprint career. The 2024 recipient of this award is Elijah Biddlecom.
Biddlecom over his four-year career with sprint football has totaled 46 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and four sacks.
The Rick Casselman Coaches Award:
The Rick Casselman Coaches Award is given to the (senior) player who has exhibited unselfish dedication to the Cornell sprint football program throughout his career. The 2024 recipient of this award is Charles Snajdr-Trinch.
Snajdr-Trinch has served as a back-up quarterback and punter throughout his four-years with Cornell sprint football. In his freshman year, he saw a few snaps under center. In his sophomore year, Snajdr-Trinch punted 34 times for an average of 30.71 yards and also attempted three passes against the Navy Midshipmen, completing one for 12 yards. In his junior year, he earned All-CSFL academic honors, threw for 188 yards and a touchdown and punted 45 times for 1,319 yards with a long of 52 yards.
The Clayton Axtell Most Improved Player Award:
The Clayton Axtell Most Improved Player Award is given to the (senior) player who has demonstrated the greatest improvement as a player over the course of his Cornell sprint football career. The 2024 recipients of this award are Quintin Pezzino and Kevin Lopez.
Pezzino is an offensive lineman who has played snaps each of his four years with the team. He earned CSFL All-Academic Team honors in his sophomore season and earned All-CSFL Second-Team honors this season.
Lopez has been a part of the sprint football team for the past two years. In his junior season, he had 11 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and one sack. In his senior season, he moved to the offensive side of the ball and took on the running back role for a majority of the season and rushed 62 times for 179 yards.
The Paul N. Hunt Citizenship Award:
The Paul N. Hunt Citizenship Award is given to a (senior) player who simultaneously exemplified the qualities of both a model citizen and student-athlete. The 2024 recipient of this award is Josh Kim.
Kim has been a part of the offensive line for the Big Red for the past two seasons and has exemplified qualities of both a student-athlete and model citizen over his time with the program.
The Tom McGory Award:
The Tom McGory Award is given to the senior who exemplified the hard-nosed style of play that distinguishes himself as a Tom McGory type of player. The 2024 recipient is Carson Kotecki.
Kotecki became a member of the Cornell sprint football team's offensive line this season and has used his role as the center to exemplify a hard-nosed style of play, earning this award.
The A.L. Morris Award for Diligence:
The A.L. Morris Award for Diligence is given to a (senior) player in recognition of his inspirational spirit and determination throughout his Cornell sprint career. The 2024 recipient is Zach Glenn.
Over his two seasons with the program, Glenn has 47 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, one broken up pass and three blocked kicks. Glenn earned All-CSFL Academic honors last season and All-CSFL Second Team honors this season.
