By GRANT TRAYLOR

Marshall Athletics

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Marshall Athletics hosted ‘The Marcos’ on Monday night at The Foundry Theater, located at Huntington City Hall on Fifth Avenue in Huntington.

 ‘The Marcos’, which are sponsored by the Marshall University Alumni Association, are an annual celebration of Marshall student-athletes in which they exhibited excellence in athletic performance, academic performance and contributions to the community.

“Three years ago, we launched The Marcos, and this student-athlete-led event – primarily derived from the leadership of our Student Athlete Advisory Committee – has turned into a truly special experience,” said Christian Spears, Marshall’s Director of Athletics. “So grateful to our alumni association for their sponsorship and support, as well as the lifelong connection they are helping us foster among our student-athletes. It was an awesome show last night!”

 For the first time ever, there was also an Original Music Performance by Rylie McKinney of Marshall Women’s Soccer, who performed a song that she wrote and composed about her time since coming to Huntington, West Virginia, to join the Herd Women’s Soccer team.

 Here is the list of award winners, along with a short description:

• Ed Starling Male Student-Athlete of Year – Mike Green, Football

Mike Green was named as a Reese’s Senior Bowl participant, an All-American by all major national media outlets and the 2024 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year  after he led the nation in sacks, sack yardage, tackle for loss yardage and tackles for loss per game in leading the Herd to the 2024 SBC Championship. Green put together one of the most dominant seasons in Sun Belt and Marshall history, compiling 84 tackles with 22.5 tackles for loss and 17 sacks.  

• Dr. Dorothy Hicks Female Student-Athlete of Year – Kylee Mastin, Women’s Track & Field

Mastin had one of the most decorated seasons in Marshall history, earning the distinction of Sun Belt Indoor Performer of the Year after winning the 1 mile and 3K titles in the Sun Belt Championships. She also helped her relay team to a school record, led Marshall to a conference cross country championship, earned NCAA All-Region honors and set numerous school records along the way. Her success across seasons and events solidifies her as one of the most accomplished athletes in Marshall history.

• Marshall’s Team Moment of the Year – Marshall Men’s Soccer

Marshall Men’s Soccer earned the distinction of ‘Team Moment of the Year’ for the second straight season after securing a 1-0 win over No. 1 overall seed Ohio State in the NCAA College Cup semifinals. The victory over the Buckeyes earned Marshall its second trip to a National Championship in program history.

• Team Performance of the Year – Marshall Football

Marshall Football won its final seven games of the 2024 season to finish 10-3 overall, including a 31-3 win over Louisiana in the 2024 SBC Championship to give the Herd its first football title since joining the Sun Belt Conference. The team featured Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year Mike Green, who broke Sun Belt Conference and Marshall records in sacks en route to being an All-American and Reese’s Senior Bowl invitee.

• Men’s Individual Athletic Performance of Year – Bryce Blevins, Baseball

Blevins took the Sun Belt Conference baseball scene by storm as a starting pitcher for the Herd, dominating against ranked opponents and top conference teams in the Sun Belt – one of the most heralded baseball conferences in the nation – en route to being named a First Team All-Sun Belt pitcher.

• Women’s Individual Athletic Performance of Year – Brooklyn Ulrich, Softball

Ulrich was named one of the Top 100 Softball Players to Watch in 2025 after a 2024 season in which she hit .394 with 69 hits, including 13 home runs, 48 RBIs and 19 doubles. Those numbers led Ulrich to Sun Belt First Team honors, as well as NFCA All-Region honors.

• The Herd Way Comeback Player of the Year – Male: Nate Martin, Men’s Basketball; Female: Sophia Hurrion, Tennis

This award is presented to the male and female student-athletes who have recovered from injury, illness or hardship and returned to make noteworthy contributions to their team’s success.

• Chad Pennington Leadership Award – Male: Ethan Bowens, Men’s Track & Field; Female: Peyton Ilderton, Women’s Basketball

This award was presented to the student-athletes who demonstrate the quality of leadership in each aspect of their lives – on the field, in the classroom and in the community.

• Marshall Rising Star Award – Bella Gerlach, Softball & Addison Painter, Men’s Track & Field

The Marshall Rising Star Award is presented to the women’s student-athletes who made an immediate impact in their intercollegiate competition.

• Marshall Impact Award – Marshall Softball

This award goes to the team who exhibits the greatest passion and dedication to Marshall through campus and community involvement and service.

• Marshall Community Service Award – Marshall Track & Field

This award goes to the team with the highest average of community service hours for the calendar year in 2024.

• We Are Marshall Award – Marshall Softball

This award was presented to the team who demonstrated the strongest commitment to making an impact in the community.

• Top Overall Academic Award – Women’s Golf (3.93) and Men’s Cross Country (3.38)

This award is given to the men’s and women’s teams with the top academic performance in Marshall Athletics during the 2024 year

• Green Heart Award – Niyah Mitchell, Track & Field

Mitchell has logged over 200 hours of track community service hours throughout 2024, including reading initiatives for the kids in her state, Marshall Football recruitment support and other roles during the 2024 calendar year.

The following athletes were also named the Marcos “Teammates of the Year” as voted on by their fellow student-athletes:

Baseball: Eddie Leon

Men’s Basketball: Ryan Nutter

Women’s Basketball: Peyton Ilderton

Men’s Cross Country: Donny Speas

Men’s Track & Field: Ethan Bowens

Women’s Cross Country: Jalynn Browning

Women’s Track & Field: Markayla Moore

Football: Logan Osburn

Men’s Golf: Joseph Kalaskey

Women’s Golf: Emily McLatchey

Men’s Soccer: Eijin Magota

Women’s Soccer: Emma Shields

Softball: Rielly Lucas

Swimming & Diving: Audrey West

Tennis: Emma Vanderheyden

Volleyball: Elli Barry

Cheer: Jaeden Fleenor

Dance: Katie Queen