FOREST, Va. --- Shenandoah University and Washington and Lee University are represented by this season's ODAC high honors recipients with field hockey star Mairead McKibbin collecting the second straight Marjorie Berkley Award for the Hornets program and men's lacrosse standout Hillis Burns earning the first Harry G. "Doc" Jopson Award for the Generals since 2019.

A Shenandoah athlete is the recipient of the Berkley Award for the third time in four seasons, which marks each of SU's honors. The Hornets swept last year's two plaudits with former baseball star Gavin Horning earning the school's first Jopson Award. McKibbin joins SU women's basketball alum Olivia Weinel in 2022 and current teammate -- and graduate student -- Elise Velasquez in 2024 as Shenandoah's Berkley Award honorees.

Burns may be the first General to earn the Jopson Award in six seasons, but he is far from the first overall with WLU's record-total of men's honors increasing to 16 accolades. Burns is the second Generals men's lacrosse player to earn this recognition, joining Harry St. John in 2009. Combined, Washington and Lee student-athletes have lifted 29 Jopson and Berkley trophies, topping that chart as well as the Berkley Award (13) table.

Inaugurated in 1984 and 1981, respectively, the Marjorie Berkley and Harry G. "Doc" Jopson Scholar-Athlete Awards are given each spring to member institution seniors (or graduate students) and conference sport participants who exhibit the highest athletic, academic, and extracurricular achievements. Ms. Berkley began her collegiate teaching career at then Lynchburg College. Several years later, she moved to Hollins University where she coached tennis, field hockey, and soccer, and served as the athletic director for 30 years.

The Jopson Award is named in honor of the Bridgewater College professor and coach who retired in 1981 following 45 years at BC. Dr. Jopson, who initiated and directed the Eagles' cross country and track & field programs, led his teams to ODAC indoor track & field titles in 1979, 1980 and 1981, and outdoor crowns from 1978 through 1981.

“Throughout my academic career and athletic journey, I have learned that success is not defined by a single domain, but by the commitment to grow and lead across all areas of my life,” explained McKibbin in a written statement as part of her nomination for the Berkley Award. “I am grateful for the support of my coaches and professors for leading by example and instilling in me  discipline, resilience, and a deep sense of purpose that ultimately lead to my academic and athletic success as well as my dedication to my community.”

McKibbin, a native of Magnolia, Del., helped Shenandoah post a 3.83 team grade point average in 2024, the highest in Division III to earn the NFCA's National Academic Team Award. McKibbin, who twiced was recognized as a NFCA Scholar of Distinction, maintained a 3.93 GPA as a health and physical education major with a minor in coaching. During the all-conference awards process, she became the fourth player in program history to receive ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year recognition from the league's athletic communications personnel. The soon-to-be four-time All-ODAC Academic Team honoree received the Hattie M. Strong Scholarship for Student Teaching. She is a seven-time Shenandoah President's and Dean's List honoree.

On the field, the four-time All-ODAC First Team is a former ODAC Rookie of the Year (2021) and ODAC Offensive Player of the Year (2022). McKibbin is a four-time All-American, twice earning recognition from the NFCA and twice by Synapse Sports. Three times she was named to ODAC All-Tournament Team culminating in ODAC title game appearances the last two seasons and the program's second conference trophy this past fall.

Statistically, McKibbin registered 34 points on 14 goals and six assists in 22 games played this season. She is a former NCAA champion in assists per game (0.94 on 16 assists in 17 games in 2021) and is first or second in numerous career categories in Shenandoah's record book: first in points per game (2.28) and goals per game (0.87); second in points (178), goals (68), game winning goals (13), assists (42), and assists per game (0.54). McKibbin posted 34 points on 14 goals and 6 assists. She set the SU single-season record for goals scored with 27 markers in 2022.

The three-time team captain received the Shenandoah Athletic Directors Award for service to community, athletic, and academic accomplishments. McKibbin was a four-year member and secretary of SU's SAAC. She helped lead the Community Safety Fair and served as a volunteer for the Concern Hotline golf outing. She was a mentor for Girls on the Run and Orchard View Elementary. She organized an Adopt-a-Family initiative through the SU athletics department and aided SU's efforts in Bright Futures meal packing, The Hidden Opponent, Morgan's Message, Special Olympics virtual workouts, Warren County Coalition Celebrate Kids Day, and Winchester Rescue Mission meal serving.

A recipient of the Teacher of Promise Award, McKibbin graduated early and started her career as a physical education teacher at a nearby middle school.

“While I may no longer have lacrosse every day to ground me in the present, the sport has shown me how valuable that mindset is,” expressed Burns in a written statement as part of his nomination for the Jopson Award. “Presence is now something I seek out in my daily life. My experience as a student-athlete pushed me to grow mentally, physically, and emotionally. It made me a better student, a better competitor, and ultimately, a better person.”

Burns, who hails from Louisville, Ky., maintained a 3.885 grade point average as a mathematics and business double major. The eight-time W&L Scholar-Athlete and soon-to-be four-time All-ODAC Academic Team honoree twice received the LK Johnson Rosasco Scholarship reserved for business and accounting students at WLU. He was recently named the W&L Athletic Department William McHenry Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He was tabbed the ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year as part of the all-conference process by the league's athletic communications personnel.

On the field, Burns is now three-time All-ODAC honoree who came into the season as a preseason All-America selection by the USILA, Inside Lacrosse, and USA Lacrosse Magazine. He lived up to that billing, earning All-America Second Team honors from the USILA and All-America Third Team laurels from USA Lacrosse Magazine for his work as a Generals attackman. Burns led the nationally 11th-ranked Generals with 72 points on 41 goals and 31 assists. He registered at least one point in 18-of-19 games played with at least five points six times including a career-high matching nine markers in a 20-6 win at Hampden-Sydney at the end of March.

Burns closes his career well-positioned in Washington and Lee's record books. The two-time ODAC champion registered 248 points on 152 goals and 96 assists in 67 games played (63 starts). He also came away with 79 ground balls. He is third all-time in assists and became the sixth General to crack 150 goals scored. He is ninth in career assists, powered by the third-best single-season total (31) this year. Four times he was recognized as an All-American.

Leadership and service to the campus was front-and-center for Burns in a multitude of ways. He was a Career Fellow in the Office of Career and Professional Development, providing peer-to-peer guidance for navigating job and internship searches. Burns was an accounting and calculus tutor as part of the W&L Academic Peer Tutoring Program. He also worked with the Connolly Entrepreneurship Society, where he was provided with exposure to consulting, venture capital, investing, and other entrepreneurial fields. Burns spent time as a youth lacrosse volunteer, working at free clinics and coaching in recreation skills sessions in the local Lexington community.

Burns held three internships overall including two with Access Holdings Management Company and one with Brown-Forman Corporation. Following graduation, it was his intention to begin working as an investment banking analyst at Houlihan Lokey in Washington, D.C.

2025 Marjorie Berkley Award Nominees

• Faith Bowlin, Averett University (lacrosse)
• Erica Nelson, Bridgewater College (softball)
• Jenna Weaver, Eastern Mennonite University (cross country/track & field/triathlon)
• Bri Bitz, Ferrum College (soccer)
• Ady Franken, Guilford College (soccer)
• Meredith Bowers, University of Lynchburg (soccer)
• Paige Scruggs, Randolph College (softball)
• Gracie Ellis, Randolph-Macon College (softball)
• Julia Bassett, Roanoke College (tennis)
• Mairead McKibbin, Shenandoah University (field hockey)
• Ana Patino Rojas, Sweet Briar College (tennis)
• Libby Ford, Washington and Lee University (lacrosse)

2025 Harry G. "Doc" Jopson Award Nominees

• Jaeden Mukkaladyil, Averett University (tennis)
• Jason Dwyer, Eastern Mennonite University (baseball)
• Zach Beckner, Ferrum College (wrestling)
• Evan Mendyk, Guilford College (golf)
• Adam Brazil, Hampden-Sydney College (basketball)
• Cooper Hurst, University of Lynchburg (cross country/track & field)
• Ethan Caldwell, Randolph College (lacrosse)
• Joshua McClary, Roanoke College (basketball)
• Steven Hugney, Shenandoah University (football)
• Hillis Burns, Washington and Lee University (lacrosse)