LATHAM, N.Y. - The United East has announced its 2026 Spring Senior Scholar Athlete Award winners that consists of 11 student-athletes from seven different member institutions. This award recognizes a senior who truly represents the student-athlete model by performing in competition, in the classroom and around the community.
Gallaudet University senior
Mohamed Elsheikh (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates) was selected as the men's outdoor track and field honoree. Elsheikh is joined by fellow Bison senior
Citrine Lummer (Frederick, Md.), who was selected as the women's flag football recipient. The Bison duo join
Ella Gamble (women's volleyball) as United East Senior Scholar Athlete Award honorees this school year (2025-26) from GU. Elsheikh is the second honoree to represent Gallaudet men's track and field and Lummer picks up the first honor for GU's women's flag football program.
Lummer and Elsheikh join previous Gallaudet honorees in
Ella Gamble (2025 - women's volleyball),
Cotis Martinez (2025 - men's track and field),
Blessed Mbogo (2024-25 men's basketball),
Liam Painter (2024 - men's track and field) and
Cassidy Perry (2023-24 - women's basketball). Perry is the only Bison to earn the conference's Senior Athlete of the Year honor, when she claimed the 2023-24 Female Senior Athlete of the Year.
Elsheikh has demonstrated exceptional dedication to academics and athletics throughout his time at Gallaudet University. An Information Technology major with a 3.66 GPA, Elsheikh has earned numerous academic distinctions, including College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honors, multiple United East Scholar-Athlete selections, and induction into the Chi Alpha Sigma Athletic Honor Society. He was also recognized as one of Gallaudet's top graduating seniors through the Bison Scholar-Athlete Award.
A versatile athlete, Elsheikh has contributed across three different sports during his collegiate career. In addition to competing in men's outdoor track and field in the 800-meter and 1,500-meter events, he appeared in 44 games for Gallaudet's men's soccer program and also competed in men's cross country. His willingness to contribute across multiple programs highlights his commitment to athletic participation, teamwork, and representing the university community.
"It was an absolute honor to have the opportunity to work with Mohamed these past few years. I am happy to see that he has won this award as he was a very deserving candidate and I wish him well in his future endeavors," said Gallaudet men's and women's cross country and track and field coach
Byron Moore.
The other award honorees from the United East spring sports include; Penn State Harrisburg's Fisher Druck (baseball), Penn State Abington's Bernard Popky (men's golf), St. Mary's College of Maryland's Adam Martin (men's lacrosse), Penn St. Harrisburg's Colin Flack (men's tennis), Wilson College's Jacob McCoy (men's volleyball), Penn State Brandywine's Kaylee Mushinski (softball), Wilson's Riley LeMay (women's lacrosse), Lancaster Bible College's Natalie Hoover (women's tennis) and St. Mary's Savannah Owens (women's outdoor track and field). Gallaudet, Penn St. Harrisburg, St. Mary's (Md.) and Wilson had two honorees each.
For this award, a graduating senior student-athlete is selected based on a combination of their academic success, athletic success and service. An institution may nominate one student-athlete from each sport and the winner will be selected by a voting group. GPA for nominations will encompass the student-athletes cumulative GPA. Fall and Winter student-athletes will exclude their final semester GPA. Criteria for the awards is as follows: I.) A student-athlete must have a senior or graduate student class standing. II.) A student-athlete must be at least in his or her second year of competition at their current institution in any sport. III.) Must be a leading contributor to a team's success throughout the duration of his or her career. IV.) Must have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher. V.) Evidence of active leadership and community service involvement throughout collegiate career.
The United East began the Senior Scholar Athlete Award in 2022-23.
UNITED EAST SENIOR SCHOLAR ATHLETE AWARD - GALLAUDET'S HONOREES
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