Golden Eagle Award Winners

An honor created by members of the Tennessee Tech Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), a Golden Eagle Award is presented to each of Tech's 14 teams (indoor and outdoor track & field are combined), as well as the Golden Eagle cheer and dance teams. The teams each vote to select one member of the roster whom they would hold up with pride to represent the team, who is always positive and giving 110 percent, supporting their teammates, win or lose, and serving as the "heart" of the team, no matter whether they were a star or a seldom-used backup.

Following the inaugural show in 2016, Tech's SAAC voted to include both the Golden Eagle cheer and dance teams into the Golden Eagle Awards as a way to honor the two squads that support Tech Athletics year-round. With the addition of the beach volleyball program to the Athletics Department starting in the 2022-23 athletic year, one more Golden Eagle award was added to reflect the new team starting with the 2023 show. One winner is selected by the members of each team, adding up to a total of 16 winners each year. 

Below is a list of the all-time winners for each year and team.

2025 Golden Eagle Awards

Baseball – Jaxson Pease
Beach Volleyball – Brooke Amann
Men's Basketball – Mekhi Cameron
Women's Basketball – Peyton Carter
Men's Cross Country – Dante Torres
Women's Cross Country – Megan Forstner
Football – Daniel Rickert
Men's Golf – Haden Maxwell
Women's Golf – Reagan Stuke
Soccer – Maggie Conrad
Softball – Abby Shoulders
Tennis – Lukas Krause
Track & Field – Carolina Bannach
Volleyball – Jordan Karlen
Cheer – Kamyah Crowley
Dance – Hayden Michaelson

2024 Golden Eagle Awards

Baseball – Troy Baunsgard
Beach Volleyball – Bella Powell
Men's Basketball – Josiah Davis
Women's Basketball – Kiera Hill
Men's Cross Country – James Hyland
Women's Cross Country – Emma Bradford
Football – Daniel Rickert
Men's Golf – Haden Maxwell
Women's Golf – Reagan Stuke
Soccer – Katie Toney
Softball – Jordan Key
Tennis – Alex Alvarez
Track & Field – Cayla Johnson
Volleyball – Brooke Amann
Cheer – CJ Hunter
Dance – Faith Bettencourt

2023 Golden Eagle Awards

Baseball – Elijah Brooks
Beach Volleyball – Aleeya Jones
Men's Basketball – Ty Perry
Women's Basketball – Peyton Carter
Men's Cross Country – Carter Bradford
Women's Cross Country – Maddie Long
Football – Isaac Cross
Men's Golf – Mark McDearman
Women's Golf – Ainsley Simms
Soccer – Maggie Conrad
Softball – Callie Piper
Tennis – Jaime Paquet
Track & Field – Jalena Curbeam
Volleyball – Jordan Karlen
Cheer – Peyton Roach
Dance – Katie Luna

2022 Golden Eagle Awards

Baseball – Gabe Lacy
Men's Basketball – John Pettway
Women's Basketball – Megan Clark
Men's Cross Country – Chase Faudi
Women's Cross Country – Amanda Laboy
Football – Seth Carlisle
Men's Golf – Jackson Skeen
Women's Golf – Ainsley Simms
Soccer – Emily Carlevato
Softball – Sydney Love-Baker
Tennis – Jun Sasagawa
Track & Field – Cayla Johnson
Volleyball – McKenna Young
Cheer – Bailey Dozier
Dance – Rebekah Garber

2021 Golden Eagle Awards

Baseball – Cody Littlejohn
Men's Basketball – Maverick Smith
Women's Basketball – Megan Clark
Men's Cross Country – Ababu Mohamed
Women's Cross Country – Courtney McCowan
Football – Mike Rhoades
Men's Golf – Mark McDearman
Women's Golf – Arianna Clemmer
Soccer – Katie Bain Lancaster
Softball – Sydney Love-Baker
Tennis – Jun Sasagawa
Track & Field – Tieara Norman
Volleyball – Ashley Hand
Cheer – Michael Hesson
Dance – Jenna Luna

2020 Golden Eagle Awards

Baseball – Gavin Johns
Men's Basketball – Cade Crosland
Women's Basketball – Akia Harris
Men's Cross Country – Gabriel Kiprono
Women's Cross Country – Alexa Brugere
Football – Aderick Moore
Men's Golf – Bryce Beeler
Women's Golf – Heidi Lawson
Soccer – Katie Bain
Softball – Sydney Love-Baker
Tennis – Marc Mila
Track & Field – Lisa Wickham
Volleyball – Ali Verzani
Cheer – Jessica Garland
Dance – Haley Kramer

2019 Golden Eagle Awards

Baseball – Kevin Strohschein
Men's Basketball – Cade Crosland
Women's Basketball – Lacy Cantrell
Men's Cross Country – Brannon Cheplak
Women's Cross Country – Purity Sanga
Football – Josh Poplar
Men's Golf – Will Brooks
Women's Golf – Shelby Johnson
Soccer – Kaitie Shipley
Softball – Sydney Love-Baker
Tennis – Connor Golden
Track & Field – Lisa Wickham
Volleyball – Shealene Little
Cheer – Kelsea Giantonio
Dance – Kelsea Giantonio

2018 Golden Eagle Awards

Baseball – David Garza
Men's Basketball – Kajon Mack
Women's Basketball – Yaktavia "Shug" Hickson
Men's Cross Country – Brannon Cheplak
Women's Cross Country – Micayla Rennick
Football – Tim Collins
Men's Golf – Alexander Riddle
Women's Golf – Hollee Sadler
Soccer – Mary Francis Hoots
Softball – Bayli Cruse
Tennis – Eduardo Mena
Track & Field – D'Airrien Jackson
Volleyball – Shealene Little
Cheer – Kelly Bolton
Dance – Haley Kramer

2017 Golden Eagle Awards

Baseball – Ryan Flick
Men's Basketball – Kajon Mack
Women's Basketball – Yaktavia "Shug" Hickson
Men's Cross Country – Daniel Williamson
Women's Cross Country – Madison Stremler
Football – Tim Collins
Men's Golf – A.J. Wilkerson
Women's Golf – Haley Davidson
Soccer – Abi Gearing
Softball – Ashley McGowan
Tennis – Alberto Esteban
Track & Field – Na'Asha Robinson
Volleyball – Shealene Little
Cheer – Kelly Bolton
Dance – Haley Kramer

2016 Golden Eagle Awards

Baseball – Connor Goodspeed
Men's Basketball – Savonte Frazier
Women's Basketball – Samaria Howard
Men's Cross Country – Collin Gwaltney
Women's Cross Country – Sarah Brandt
Football – Zach Malone
Men's Golf – Mitch Thomas
Women's Golf – Hollee Sadler
Soccer – McKenzie McCloud
Softball – Amity Brown
Tennis – Alex Arovin
Track & Field – Na'Asha Robinson
Volleyball – Kennedy Wade