Commodores Recognized at 56th LCCC Honors and Awards Convocation
May 22, 2025 - - Seven student-athletes were among those honored during Lorain County Community College's 56th Honors and Awards Convocation on May 7.
Jack Zagrans Award
Awarded to a male athlete who displays sportsmanship, athletic ability, and an exemplary grade point average.
Michael Couture – Men's Cross Country
Michael Couture (Lorain, Ohio/Open Door Christian HS) placed 17th out of 134 runners at the NJCAA DIII Championships with a time of 27:51, earning All-American honors from the NJCAA Cross Country Coaches Association for the second consecutive year. At the NJCAA Region 12 DIII Championships, he secured 2nd place among DIII runners (27:17.0), finishing 22nd overall. He was also named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team with a GPA of 3.4.
The George M. Day Award
Awarded to a female athlete who displays sportsmanship, athletic ability, and an exemplary grade point average.
Madison Palmer – Women's Cross Country
Madison Palmer (Sheffield Village, Ohio/Brookside HS) concluded her stellar career by placing 4th at the NJCAA DIII National Championships (20:04), tying the highest-ever finish for an LCCC runner. She repeated as NJCAA Region 12 DIII Champion and placed 7th overall among all divisions (19:40.4). Madison also earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors. Palmer graduated from LCCC with a degree in Physical Therapy and a 4.0 GPA.
Ava Haddix – Volleyball
Ava Haddix (Amherst, Ohio/Marion L. Steele HS) was named NJCAA DIII Second Team All-American and the Ohio Community College Athletic Conference's Setter of the Year. She led the conference in total assists (812) and assists per set (10.02), finishing in the top 10 nationally. Haddix earned two OCCAC Player of the Week awards and was instrumental in the Commodores' success during the 2024 season.
Cheryl Allen Sportsmanship Award
Presented in memory of Cheryl Allen, a former LCCC student-athlete, to individuals who embody sportsmanship, character, and academic excellence.
Ally Winnen – Women's Basketball
Ally Winnen (Lorain, Ohio/Elyria Catholic HS) shattered records throughout the season, most notably her 378 rebounds for the season, and ranked second in single-season scoring. She led the OCCAC in multiple statistical categories and earned NJCAA DIII Second Team All-American honors, four OCCAC Player of the Week awards, and Player of the Week honors from the NJCAA.
Rayan Zaidi – Men's Cross Country
Rayan Zaidi (Amherst, Ohio/Marion L. Steele HS) has been a stellar teammate the past two years - a constant at practices, always looking to improve, dedicated to the team. He genuinely cares for his teammates--checking in with teammates who were dealing with school, work, and other issues. Rayan has suggested improvements, feedback on how to make our team even better to help make a lasting impact on the LCCC Cross Country program. –Jim Powers, Head Coach Men's Cross Country
Chris Ritchey Leadership Award
Presented to club sports athletes who demonstrate leadership, strength of character, and academic dedication. Preference is given to soccer athletes.
Erica Baldoza – Women's Club Soccer
Erica Baldoza (Grafton, Ohio/Midview HS) was the leading scorer for the women's soccer team, Erica stood out through leadership and consistent positive influence. She is majoring in Engineering Technologies.
Dustin Andolsek – Men's Club Soccer
Dustin Andolsek (Wellington, Ohio/Wellington HS) was a key defensive leader, Dustin helped build a strong team foundation. He had a 3.67 GPA while majoring in Engineering Technologies.
2024–25 LCCC Athletics Special Mention
Men's Cross Country
Michael Couture: NJCAA DIII All-Region XII Team, OCCAC All-Academic
Women's Cross Country
Madison Palmer: Region 12 DIII Champion, NJCAA National Qualifier (4th overall), NJCAA 1st Team All-American, All-Region XII, OCCAC All-Academic
USTFCCCA All-Academic Team
Men: Grayson Belles, Michael Couture, Brady Hurst, Braylon Miller, Owen Thornsbury
Women: Isabella Morales, Madison Palmer
Volleyball
Ava Haddix: NJCAA DIII Second Team All-American, OCCAC Setter of the Year, First Team All-OCCAC
Men's Basketball
Deonte Benejan: NJCAA Region XII DIII Player of the Year, All-Region XII, Second Team All-OCCAC
Dennis Pettis, Jr.: NJCAA DIII All-Region XII Team
Women's Basketball
Abigail Schmitz: First Team All-OCCAC, NJCAA All-Region XII, OCCAC All-Academic
Ally Winnen: NJCAA Second Team All-American, OCCAC Player of the Year, First Team All-OCCAC, NJCAA All-Region XII, OCCAC All-Academic
Esports
Robert Rogers: 5th Place – NJCAAE Tier 1 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Spring), Top 20 – NJCAAE Tier 1 (Fall), LCCC record – 36 consecutive rounds won
Colby Cabrera: 7–0, 28–0 in rounds – NJCAAE Tier 2 Playoffs (Fall), Top 6 Finish (Spring)