Lemongo and Smith Named Semanik Award Winners

PHILADELPHIA – Lorie Lemongo of the Drexel girls’s tennis group and Sebastian Smith of the Drexel males’s swimming and diving group have been named Drexel’s 2026 Mary and John Semanik Award Winners. The awards are given to Drexel’s prime feminine and male senior student-athletes who greatest exemplify the scholarship and athletic beliefs of the previous Directors of Athletics, Mr. and Mrs. Semanik. The awards have been offered on the Best of the Blue and Gold Awards on Thursday night within the Daskalakis Athletic Center.

Lemongo graduates from Drexel because the all-time wins leaders in program historical past after passing Kendra Bunch’s file of 65 wins in February. Lemongo has compiled a powerful file in her 5 years in University City, ending 73-41 in singles motion with 126 wins mixed between singles and doubles matches. The graduate scholar earned All-CAA Teams eight occasions, together with three All-CAA First Team Singles honors. Of the 222 matches Lemongo performed, she appeared within the prime spot 217 occasions. Lemongo represented Drexel at high-level occasions, qualifying for the ITA Women’s All-American Regionals each season. A constant group chief, she typically stepped up in crucial positions to assist Drexel, taking part in key roles within the Dragons advancing to the CAA semifinals 3 times. Off the court docket, the Yaounde, Cameroon native was named to the CAA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll 5 years at Drexel and can graduate with an MBA in enterprise analytics this summer season.

Smith concluded his profession at Drexel as a standout performer for the lads’s swimming and diving group, successful gold on the CAA Championships 11 occasions as a Dragon. He capped his profession with an outstanding senior marketing campaign, main the group in factors and rating third within the convention general. Smith certified for the NCAA Championships within the 100 fly, becoming a member of Theo Andreopoulos as the primary Drexel swimmers to qualify for the championships since Drexel joined the CAA. Overall, the Wappingers, N.Y., native earned six gold medals and one bronze on the CAA Championships this season. At the CAA’s, Smith broke the Drexel college file within the 100 free and was a part of a 400 free relay that set a CAA all-time file. In his junior season, Smith gained three gold medals on the 2025 CAA Championships. At the 2025 CSCAA National Invitational Championship, Smith gained the 100 IM (47.82). The Wappingers, N.Y. native will graduate with a level in train science.

Drexel’s Male Team of the Year award went to males’s rowing group after securing 5 gold medals on the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta, successful the lads’s factors championship for the fifth straight season, in addition to the general championship for the third straight season. The Varsity 8+, 2nd Varsity 8+, third Varsity 8+, Varsity 4+ and 2nd Varsity 4+ all took the highest spot as Drexel collected six medals general. The 5 gold medals have been essentially the most in program historical past. 

Field Hockey was named Female Team of the Year after capturing the CAA Championship for the primary time since 2012, advancing to the NCAA Tournament by taking down top-seeded Monmouth within the championship recreation. The Dragons compiled a 13-8 file, together with wins over the defending 2024 NCAA runner-ups No. 20 Saint Joseph’s and Louisville. Valentine Van Hellemont was named CAA Player of the Year for the second consecutive season and a NFHCA First-Team All-American, the primary in program historical past. Natali Foster was additionally given CAA Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors as six Dragons have been chosen to the All-CAA group.

The Coaching Staff of the Year was awarded to swimming and diving. Both packages mixed for 12 gold medals on the CAA Championships, qualifiing three athletes for the NCAA Championships. Theo Andreopoulos was named CAA Co-Swimmer of the Year, capturing six medals on the CAA Championships. Andreopoulos and Smith have been the primary Dragon swimmers to advance to the NCAA Championships since becoming a member of the CAA, as diver Lada Volkov additionally superior to the championships. Overall, 18 athletes obtained All-CAA recognition.

The Victory of the Year Award went to the sphere hockey group, which captured the CAA Championship with a 3–2 victory over top-seeded Monmouth, incomes this system’s first convention title since 2012. 

Men’s swimming and diving’s Theo Andreopoulos gained the Male Game Performance of the Year after being named CAA Swimmer of the Meet as he gained a complete of six gold medals, together with the 200 again in 1:42.00, setting a college file and reaching an NCAA customary to qualify for the NCAA Championships.

Valentine Van Hellemont of the sphere hockey group gained the Female Performance of the Year. She was named CAA Tournament MVP after totaling 4 factors throughout the semifinal and championship rounds.

The prime Play of the Year was awarded to Nate Schon of the wrestling group, who pinned the No. 1 seed from Army on the EIWA Championships to punch his ticket to the NCAA Tournament.

I Am A Dragon Award: Grace O’Neill, Women’s Basketball

SAAC Service Award: Mary Kubiak, Women’s Swimming and Diving

Dragon Cup: Field Hockey and Men’s Lacrosse

Spirit Team Performers of the Year: Faith Cruz (Cheer) / Sidni Tate (Dance)

National Strength and Conditioning Association All-Americans: Aboubakare Diaby (Wrestling), Maggie Hall (Women’s Soccer), Marti Sanabria (Field Hockey), Ben Weller (Men’s Soccer)

 

All-Dragon First Team

All-Dragon Second Team

All-Dragon Third Team

All-Mario Team