Bucknell’s McCormick, Colgate’s Qian and Navy’s Ryan Earn Patriot League Award of Outstanding Leadership and Character

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Bucknell field hockey’s Clara McCormick, Colgate men’s track and field’s Bryan Qian and Navy women’s lacrosse’s Charlotte Ryan were named the recipients of the 2022-23 Patriot League Award of Outstanding Leadership and Character. McCormick, Qian and Ryan were selected by the administrators of the League’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
 
Bucknell’s McCormick and Navy’s Ryan are the second Patriot League student-athletes to tie for the honor. McCormick is the eighth Bison to receive the award, while Ryan is the first Midshipman to claim the honor. Qian is the third Raider to earn the award.
 
The Patriot League established the Award of Outstanding Leadership and Character to recognize individuals who demonstrate excellence in leadership and service while participating in Patriot League athletics. One male and one female student-athlete have been recognized since the award’s inception in 2011-12, with ties for the women’s accolade in the last two academic years.
 
Provided the minimum conduct standards are met, any Patriot League student-athlete or team is eligible for the award. The definition of leadership and character for this award includes but is not limited to any of the following ideals: demonstrated leadership on the “field” of competition and within the campus community; promotes a leadership vision for the betterment of one’s team or teammates; mentorship of teammates; role model on campus; active participation in on-campus and/or community service projects; perseverance in overcoming hardships; demonstration of trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.
 

Clara McCormick
Bucknell Field Hockey
McCormick, a three-year starting goalkeeper for the Bucknell field hockey team, proved impactful on and off the field.  
 
“Clara is the epitome of what an outstanding student-athlete is,” Bucknell field hockey head coach Kelsey Kolojejchick said. “To be a Scholar of Distinction three years while balancing her athletic commitments and her extracurricular activities is beyond impressive.  She was the Director of Initiatives for the Bucknell Athletics SAAC and was heavily involved in many events for the school and local community.  She led by example and influenced other teammates to become more involved within the organization and helped others branch out away from just being on a field hockey team.  She is the true example of someone who puts their mind to something they will be successful in everything that they do. Her composure and hard work made her a force to be reckoned with on and off the field.  I am so proud of all of Clara’s accomplishments on and off the field and look forward to all of her future successes.”
 
She led the Bison to a Patriot League Championship during the Spring 2021 season, earning All-Tournament honors before taking her team to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Tournament. The Pittsburgh, Pa. native ultimately helped Bucknell capture a spot in the four-team Patriot League Championship field in her three seasons as a starter. The goalkeeper also excelled in the classroom, twice earning Academic All-Patriot League in addition to being a three-time National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Scholar of Distinction. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa with her bachelor’s degree in political science and creative writing and a 3.94 cumulative GPA. McCormick collected the Alvin F. Jackson Jr. Memorial Scholarship Award, presented for outstanding academic and athletic achievement and future promise as a Bucknell alum.
 
Though her work in the Bucknell campus community more than matched her athletic and academic achievements. McCormick served as the Director of Initiatives for Bucknell’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), where she helped organize events across campus, including Mental Health Week and glow-in-the-dark yoga, while partnering with other campus groups for community service initiatives. 
 
McCormick worked to develop herself as a leader, taking on the role of mentor for other SAAC representatives in her capacity on the SAAC Executive Board. She was also selected as a Bucknell Athletics Leadership Institute Summer LEAD Fellowship member, participating in comprehensive leadership development and focusing on identifying personal values, emotional intelligence and mental resilience to aid her growth as a leader. She represented Bucknell at the 2023 Naval Academy Leadership Conference.
 
In addition to her work within the Bucknell Athletics Department, McCormick also was a four-year writer for The Bucknellian, Bucknell’s student newspaper, where she started as a senior writer in February 2020 before earning the role of sports editor for the 2022-23 academic year. 
 
Beyond campus, McCormick has been active in the Lewisburg, Pa. community, participating in initiatives like Read to Lead, the Turkey and Trimmings Thanksgiving Canned Goods Drive, Toys for Tots and Bucknell’s Black History Month Reading Initiative in partnership with local Kelly Elementary School. 
 

Bryan Qian
Colgate Men’s Track & Field
A potentially career-ending injury threatened Qian’s senior season and his role as Co-President of Colgate’s SAAC. But his tireless work to return to action helped spur personal career bests in the discus (40.61m), javelin (46.25m) and a rise in enthusiasm, production and accountability within Colgate’s SAAC.
 
“(Qian) was frustrated with SAAC in the past because even when he thought there was a good meeting, there was not much follow-up,” said Meghan Kovac, Colgate’s Assistant Athletics Director of Student-Athlete Development. “He wanted to ensure that in his role, he was letting people know just how crucial their job is so that they understood why they should work for the student-athlete population, and we saw so much growth because of that.”
 
Upon taking the reins as Co-President of SAAC, Qian was a leader in ensuring the student-athlete voice was represented in discussions with Colgate’s administration and faculty. He communicated what student-athletes wanted to gain from meetings and worked with his peers to create a safe space for discussion. The result was more engagement from representatives from all of Colgate’s athletics teams.
 
Qian used the same inclusive, transparent approach with his coaches, teammates and peers on campus. Within the Raiders’ track and field team, Qian set up ways for his teammates to interact outside of practice and competition, providing a positive environment to help pursue their goals together. Around Colgate’s small campus community, he was willing and able to make everyone feel connected. His mature approach has enabled him to meet with faculty members in spaces not usually reserved for students.
 
“Bryan is someone we want to be involved in every conversation because he approaches it with maturity beyond his years,” Kovac said. “He is respected not just by his peers but those who advise him and have the opportunity to meet him, which is why he is one of the first people we call when we need a student-athlete perspective. His ability to put passion into reason is a major force behind SAAC taking great strides this year, within athletics and on campus as a whole.”
 
The Medfield, Mass. native also set a strong example with his work in the classroom. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Colgate in May with a bachelor’s degree in economics and a GPA of 4.00 and was a two-time Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selection.  
 
“Bryan is the epitome of servant leadership whose impact will be felt amongst his peers for future years,” Chelsea France, Colgate’s head coach for track and field and cross country said. “As Co-President of SAAC, Bryan created a space for increased student-athlete engagement and a platform for student-athletes to speak up about their experiences and frame new ways to better serve our community. Bryan’s leadership and character on and off the track embodies the holistic values of our team and the pillars we proudly represent in the Patriot League.”
 

Charlotte Ryan
Navy Women’s Lacrosse
Ryan, a captain and two-year starter at attack on the Navy women’s lacrosse team, developed into one of the Mids’ top offensive threats. Still, her leadership was just as important in helping a young squad knock off a pair of Top 25 teams during the 2023 regular season before advancing to the semifinals of the Patriot League Championship.  
 
“On and off the field, Charlotte Ryan is a leader,” Navy women’s lacrosse associate head coach Brooke Shriver said. “As an overwhelming choice for captain, she commands the respect of her teammates through her play, humility, and dedication. She leads through her dynamic play and on-field communication. Off the field, she is just as, if not more, organized for the team.” 
 
Ryan and her co-captain – All-League defender Athena Corroon – worked to inspire and motivate their teammates by developing accountability sheets and using the book The Hard Hat: 21 Ways to be a Great Teammate, as a guide. Before each game, Ryan and Corroon focused on one of the 21 ways to be a great teammate to help focus the minds of their teammates. 
 
She was instrumental in developing the team motto “Got Your Six,” referring to supporting each other on and off the field while taking time to selflessly tutor teammates and review sessions for the team’s freshmen before a cyber exam. During exam week, Ryan also took time to meet with her teammates individually to check in. 
 
“Charlotte truly leads by example,” Navy teammate and co-captain Corroon said. “She holds herself and those around her to an extremely high standard. She pushes herself and those around her to be better every day. Charlotte is an amazing leader and cares deeply for everyone she knows.”
 
The Tully, N.Y. native set a strong academic example, maintaining a 3.8 cumulative GPA in mechanical engineering while rising to Second Battalion Executive Officer, meaning she is second in line to leading, managing and being responsible for a battalion of nearly 800 Midshipmen. 
 
During the Fall of 2021, Ryan was named Midshipmen, an honor bestowed upon one of 1,051 students in each term who embodies the Naval Academy Mission to “develop Midshipmen morally, mentally and physically and to imbue them with the highest ideals of duty, honor and loyalty in order to graduate leaders who are dedicated to a career of Naval service and have the potential for future development in mind and character to assume the highest responsibilities of command, citizenship and government.”
 
“She is thoughtful, passionate, empathetic and respectful,” Shriver said. “Charlotte may be a bit soft-spoken, but when she speaks, her teammates listen. She is a true leader by example in all facets, and we are lucky to have her.” 
 
Patriot League Award of Outstanding Leadership and Character Nominees
Other nominees for the 2022-23 Patriot League Award of Outstanding Leadership and Character include, Carley Barjaktarovich (Lehigh softball), Katie Detwiler (Loyola Maryland women’s lacrosse), Lauren Drysdale (Army West Point women’s soccer), Aldrich Elvambuena (American men’s swimming), Eve Feuerbach (Holy Cross women’s cross country/track and field), Tyler Johnson (Boston University men’s soccer), Taylor Ludwick (Colgate softball), Carlo Pizzano (Loyola Maryland men’s golf), Rachael Potter (American women’s cross country/track and field), Walter Reynolds (Holy Cross football), Audrey Sellers (Boston University softball), Lineke Spaans (Lafayette field hockey), Alex Smith (Navy baseball), Evan Taylor (Lehigh men’s basketball) and Sebastian Varela (Lafayette men’s soccer).
 
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.