Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Lee, Vattiato take home top honors at the 14th annual RCA Show
5/1/2025 8:49:00 PM | General
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Golf's Abbie Lee and football's Nicholas Vattiato were the big winners at the 14th Annual Raiders' Choice Awards on Thursday night. The year-end "Academy Awards" style show at Tucker Theatre highlighted all the academic and athletic accomplishments of the Blue Raider student-athletes for the 2024-25 academic year.
Lee and Vattiato were honored with the True Blue President's Award, which is the highest honor bestowed upon a current MTSU student-athlete who epitomizes all that is good in intercollegiate athletics. Presented annually to one male and one female student-athlete, the President's Award recognizes outstanding academic and athletic accomplishments, university/community service and leadership.
Both excelled in the classroom, community and on the court/field. Lee, who is coming off her best year on the course, carries an impressive 4.0 GPA in her major of Mechatronics Engineering. With a 73.41 stroke average, Lee ranks third in program history for a single season and led the team with seven rounds at or below par this season. The Glasgow, Ky., native also serves as the SAAC President where she has organized numerous community service events.
Vattiato carries a 3.9 GPA and this past season he became just the second player in MTSU history to record multiple 3,000-yard passing seasons. The Plantation, Fla., native ended the year ranked 17th nationally in completions per game, 19th in passing yards per game and 24th in total passing yards. A CUSA All-Academic selection, Vattiato was also an AFCA All Good Works Team nominee for his community service, academics and performance on the field.
Academically, the Student-Athlete Enhancement Center awarded the highest Team GPA honors for the spring 2024 semester and the fall 2024 semester. The spring 2024 honor went to women's golf (3.72), while the fall 2024 award went to women's tennis (3.74).
In the individual categories, basketball standout Essam Mostafa was voted Male Athlete of the Year, while women's basketball star Anastasiia Boldyreva was named the Female Athlete of the Year winner. In his lone season with the Blue Raiders, Mostafa earned CUSA Newcomer of the Year honors after leading MTSU and the league in rebounding, offensive rebounds per game, rebounds per game and double-doubles. Boldyreva, a 6-7 standout from Moscow, Russia, dominated on both ends of the floor throughout the season. She led the nation in total blocks (128) and blocks per game (3.7), anchoring the nation's top-ranked defense. Boldyreva, the CUSA Defensive Player of the Year, also averaged 14.6 points per game – third in the league – and was second in rebounding (10.1 rpg).
The Male and Female Newcomer of the Year awards went to Allan Kiplagat from cross country and Odilia Jepchumba from cross country and Jana Want from softball. In his debut season of cross country with the Blue Raiders, Kiplagat achieved the best finish in MTSU history at the NCAA National Championship, placing 19th. He also crossed the line as the first freshman to crown him the NCAA's fastest freshman in the 10k.
Jepchumba won the individual title at the CUSA Cross Country Meet and went on to earn CUSA Athlete of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors. Want, who had a walk-off home run against WKU, leads the team in batting average, hits, RBI, walks, slugging percentage and on-base percentage.
The Breakout Performer of the Year awards went to Lexi Medlock (softball) and Clay Badylak (baseball). Between her sophomore and junior seasons, Medlock has increased her batting average by over 30 points, her slugging percentage by 60 percent, and has raised her on-base percentage by over 50 percent. Badylak has made a significant leap at the plate this season, raising his batting average by 132 points—from .175 to an impressive .307.
Fans determined the winners of the Play of the Year, Performance of the Year, and the Game/Event of the Year by voting on GoBlueRaiders.com. The Play of the Year was Eston Snider's diving catch to end the game against Oakland and preserve Drew Horn's no-hitter. The Performance of the Year award went to pitcher Drew Horn for his no-hitter against Oakland that was just the fifth one recorded in MTSU history. The Game/Event of the Year was split between the softball program's upset at No. 19 Mississippi State and last year's men's tennis upset of Georgia Tech in the NCAA Regional.
The Blue Raider Impact Award went to Steve and Denise Smith.
Numerous athletes were also recognized for their academic honors, All-American accolades and individual championships.
2025 RAIDERS CHOICE AWARDS
May 1, 2025
PRESIDENTS AWARD (MALE): Nicholas Vattiato, Football
PRESIDENTS AWARD (FEMALE): Abbie Lee, Golf
MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Essam Mostafa, Basketball
FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Anastasiia Boldyreva, Basketball
MALE NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Allan Kiplagat, Cross Country
FEMALE NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Odilia Jepchumba, Cross Country; Jana Want, Softball
FEMALE BREAKOUT PERFORMER OF THE YEAR: Lexi Medlock, Softball
MALE BREAKOUT PERFORMER OF THE YEAR: Clay Badylak, Baseball
ALL-AMERICANS: Allan Kiplagat (cross country), Holden Willis (football), Zach Clayton (football), Purity Sanga (track, 2024), Savannah Wheeler (basketball)
TEAM GPA AWARD/SPRING 2024: Women's Golf (3.721)
TEAM GPA AWARD/FALL 2024: Women's Tennis (3.744)
COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD: Soccer
GAME/EVENT OF THE YEAR: Softball win at No. 19 Mississippi State when Ava Tepe hit a go-ahead RBI single in the seventh inning; and Men's Tennis win over No. 30 ranked Georgia Tech in the 2024 NCAA Regionals
PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR: Baseball's Drew Horn tossed a no-hitter against Oakland, which was just the fifth no-hitter in school history
PLAY OF THE YEAR: Baseball's Eston Snider got a perfect jump on a softly hit ball to shallow center and made a spectacular diving catch to end the game—securing the fifth no-hitter in MTSU history for pitcher Drew Horn.
BLUE RAIDER IMPACT AWARD: Steve and Denise Smith
Lee and Vattiato were honored with the True Blue President's Award, which is the highest honor bestowed upon a current MTSU student-athlete who epitomizes all that is good in intercollegiate athletics. Presented annually to one male and one female student-athlete, the President's Award recognizes outstanding academic and athletic accomplishments, university/community service and leadership.
Both excelled in the classroom, community and on the court/field. Lee, who is coming off her best year on the course, carries an impressive 4.0 GPA in her major of Mechatronics Engineering. With a 73.41 stroke average, Lee ranks third in program history for a single season and led the team with seven rounds at or below par this season. The Glasgow, Ky., native also serves as the SAAC President where she has organized numerous community service events.
Vattiato carries a 3.9 GPA and this past season he became just the second player in MTSU history to record multiple 3,000-yard passing seasons. The Plantation, Fla., native ended the year ranked 17th nationally in completions per game, 19th in passing yards per game and 24th in total passing yards. A CUSA All-Academic selection, Vattiato was also an AFCA All Good Works Team nominee for his community service, academics and performance on the field.
Academically, the Student-Athlete Enhancement Center awarded the highest Team GPA honors for the spring 2024 semester and the fall 2024 semester. The spring 2024 honor went to women's golf (3.72), while the fall 2024 award went to women's tennis (3.74).
In the individual categories, basketball standout Essam Mostafa was voted Male Athlete of the Year, while women's basketball star Anastasiia Boldyreva was named the Female Athlete of the Year winner. In his lone season with the Blue Raiders, Mostafa earned CUSA Newcomer of the Year honors after leading MTSU and the league in rebounding, offensive rebounds per game, rebounds per game and double-doubles. Boldyreva, a 6-7 standout from Moscow, Russia, dominated on both ends of the floor throughout the season. She led the nation in total blocks (128) and blocks per game (3.7), anchoring the nation's top-ranked defense. Boldyreva, the CUSA Defensive Player of the Year, also averaged 14.6 points per game – third in the league – and was second in rebounding (10.1 rpg).
The Male and Female Newcomer of the Year awards went to Allan Kiplagat from cross country and Odilia Jepchumba from cross country and Jana Want from softball. In his debut season of cross country with the Blue Raiders, Kiplagat achieved the best finish in MTSU history at the NCAA National Championship, placing 19th. He also crossed the line as the first freshman to crown him the NCAA's fastest freshman in the 10k.
Jepchumba won the individual title at the CUSA Cross Country Meet and went on to earn CUSA Athlete of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors. Want, who had a walk-off home run against WKU, leads the team in batting average, hits, RBI, walks, slugging percentage and on-base percentage.
The Breakout Performer of the Year awards went to Lexi Medlock (softball) and Clay Badylak (baseball). Between her sophomore and junior seasons, Medlock has increased her batting average by over 30 points, her slugging percentage by 60 percent, and has raised her on-base percentage by over 50 percent. Badylak has made a significant leap at the plate this season, raising his batting average by 132 points—from .175 to an impressive .307.
Fans determined the winners of the Play of the Year, Performance of the Year, and the Game/Event of the Year by voting on GoBlueRaiders.com. The Play of the Year was Eston Snider's diving catch to end the game against Oakland and preserve Drew Horn's no-hitter. The Performance of the Year award went to pitcher Drew Horn for his no-hitter against Oakland that was just the fifth one recorded in MTSU history. The Game/Event of the Year was split between the softball program's upset at No. 19 Mississippi State and last year's men's tennis upset of Georgia Tech in the NCAA Regional.
The Blue Raider Impact Award went to Steve and Denise Smith.
Numerous athletes were also recognized for their academic honors, All-American accolades and individual championships.
2025 RAIDERS CHOICE AWARDS
May 1, 2025
PRESIDENTS AWARD (MALE): Nicholas Vattiato, Football
PRESIDENTS AWARD (FEMALE): Abbie Lee, Golf
MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Essam Mostafa, Basketball
FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Anastasiia Boldyreva, Basketball
MALE NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Allan Kiplagat, Cross Country
FEMALE NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Odilia Jepchumba, Cross Country; Jana Want, Softball
FEMALE BREAKOUT PERFORMER OF THE YEAR: Lexi Medlock, Softball
MALE BREAKOUT PERFORMER OF THE YEAR: Clay Badylak, Baseball
ALL-AMERICANS: Allan Kiplagat (cross country), Holden Willis (football), Zach Clayton (football), Purity Sanga (track, 2024), Savannah Wheeler (basketball)
TEAM GPA AWARD/SPRING 2024: Women's Golf (3.721)
TEAM GPA AWARD/FALL 2024: Women's Tennis (3.744)
COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD: Soccer
GAME/EVENT OF THE YEAR: Softball win at No. 19 Mississippi State when Ava Tepe hit a go-ahead RBI single in the seventh inning; and Men's Tennis win over No. 30 ranked Georgia Tech in the 2024 NCAA Regionals
PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR: Baseball's Drew Horn tossed a no-hitter against Oakland, which was just the fifth no-hitter in school history
PLAY OF THE YEAR: Baseball's Eston Snider got a perfect jump on a softly hit ball to shallow center and made a spectacular diving catch to end the game—securing the fifth no-hitter in MTSU history for pitcher Drew Horn.
BLUE RAIDER IMPACT AWARD: Steve and Denise Smith
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