BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – Point Park cross country and track & field standouts
Cassondra O'Connor and
Jannik Windelband have been named finalists for the Mountain East Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards, the league announced on Wednesday afternoon.
O'Connor, a sophomore from Pittsburgh, earned MEC Runner of the Year in cross country in the fall, before winning the 10,000m conference championship at the MEC Outdoor Championships in the spring. In all, O'Connor was an all-region selection in four events and earned All-MEC recognition five times during the 2024-25 indoor and outdoor track & field campaigns. She currently holds the school record in the women's 10,000m event.
In the classroom, O'Connor has a 4.0 grade-point average as an accounting major at Point Park.
Windelband, a senior from Germany, finished runner up in the 3000m steeplechase event this spring, earned second team All-MEC and USTFCCCA All-Region accolades in the event. He also turned in Top 10 finishes in the 1500m outdoor event and mile run indoor event. He currently holds three Point Park track & field records, including the 3000m steeplechase (outdoor), 1000m (indoor), and 3000m (indoor).
In the classroom, Windelband has a 3.96 grade-point average as a engineering major.
Each institution in the MEC selected one female and one male as finalists for the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, which recognizes outstanding academic and athletic performance for the previous academic year. Each finalist will receive a plaque. The criteria to be nominated are: (1) a 3.30 cumulative grade-point average; (2) participated in at least 50 percent of the team's contests in a MEC-sponsored sport; (3) minimum of one year in residence at the institution.
The female finalists are:
Madison Woolwine (Charleston, Track & Field);
Sydney Tucker (Concord, Soccer);
Rebecca Rodrigues (Davis & Elkins, Swimming & Diving);
Katey Koehl (Fairmont State, Acrobatics & Tumbling);
Emilee Weakley (Frostburg State, Basketball);
Delaney Warnick (Glenville State, Softball);
Cassondra O'Connor (Point Park, Track & Field and Cross Country);
Ashley Cudnik (West Liberty, Volleyball);
Sara Paris Filter (West Virginia State, Soccer);
Kendall Stoffel (West Virginia Wesleyan, Softball); and
Jade Miller (Wheeling, Swimming & Diving).
The male finalists are:
Nicolai Gundersen (Charleston, Soccer);
Ryker Brown (Concord, Football);
Brycen Sechler (Davis & Elkins, Baseball);
Patrick Fubio (Fairmont State, Swimming & Diving);
Owen Butler (Frostburg State, Wrestling);
Gabe Onorato (Glenville State, Wrestling);
Jannik Windelband (Point Park, Track & Field and Cross Country);
Ryan Talbert (West Liberty, Baseball);
Miguel Martinez (West Virginia State, Basketball);
Jonathan Norton (West Virginia Wesleyan, Track & Field); and
Salem Mwelwa (Wheeling, Soccer).
The Scholar-Athlete of the Year award winners are determined by a vote of the administrators in the Mountain East Conference and the league office. The winners will be announced on Thursday, June 26.
