ELSAH, IL – Four standout senior athletes were honored by the Principia College Athletic Department this weekend during graduation festivities.
Damir Conci and
Carolina Rojas are the 2025 recipients of the Howard L. Mitchell Award, while
Tobin Blair and
Olivia Scott are the 2025 recipients of the Corde & Willard Hanzlik Award.
The
Howard L. Mitchell Award recognizes the highest standard of achievement in Principia's intercollegiate athletic program, and it is presented annually to senior athletes with superior ability that have performed at the highest level in their sport.
Damir Conci was a four-year member and four-year captain of the rugby team. He is the program's most decorated player in its history and captained the Thunder Chickens with distinction since he was a freshmen, leading a very diverse group of people from five different countries. After appearances at DII nationals in both 15s and 7s his freshman year, Damir led Principia to the DII 15s national championship in his sophomore year. He then successfully led the team in two DI seasons, reaching the quarter finals in one of these seasons. During both DI seasons, Damir was named a DI All-American by NCR in the fly half position. His impact on the team throughout his career has been immeasurable and is one of the biggest reasons behind the team's success.
Carolina Rojas was a four-year member and one-year captain of the Women's Basketball team. She left her mark on the women's basketball program as the captain of the only SLIAC championship-winning basketball team in school history. In the finals, her big rebound and game-winning assist on the buzzer beater will forever be remembered. Carolina was a powerful force on both sides of the ball and has long been the enforcer on team while enduring countless injuries that would have sidelined most players. She finished with 663 points and top ten in program history in career steals, minutes played, games played, and games started. Carolina's time at Principia has also been highlighted by her tremendous work academically as she earned a 4.0 GPA for five semesters and won Academic All-Conference three times.
The
Corde & Willard Hanzlik Award is presented annually to senior athletes who have contributed significantly to Principia's intercollegiate athletic program. Those chosen for this award are examples of the highest character, both in practice and competition as well as in the classroom and social settings. They demonstrate the qualities of discipline, perseverance, sportsmanship, living the Golden Rule, leadership, and teamwork. They play an invaluable role in the development and success of the team that they were a part of, and they stand out as role models for their teammates and other athletes.
Tobir Blair was a three-year member of the rugby team and four-year member of the track & field team. He joined the rugby team as a sophomore, never having played a contact sport previously. After playing limited minutes during the DII national championship season in 2022 and starting some games during the team's first DI season in 2023, Tobin was a regular starter his senior season as he became a highly effective player that the team could rely on. He took up a leadership role as a senior by leading warm-ups and teaching freshman rugby skills. Tobin also competed on the track & field team and was named SLIAC outdoor field newcomer of the year his freshman year thanks to winning the javelin at the conference meet. He went on earn to all-conference honors in multiple events in later years.
Olivia Scott was a four-year member and three-year captain of the women's soccer team. Not only was Olivia a starter each of her four years, she was also among the highest minutes played every year. Her consistency and reliability led to All-Conference nods for her in her junior and senior seasons, as well as several team awards. Statistics aside, Olivia was an incredible leader who would be the first to credit her teammates for their success, motivate them through frustrations, and hold the standards for effort and respect through challenging games. She also exemplified academic excellence (three-time Academic All-Conference winner), high character, and a readiness to serve throughout her time at Principia.
Senior basketball player, Charley Hoffman, also received this year's
Charles F. Buckwalter Award for the highest grade point average of the graduating athletes who completed four years of a single sport.
Congratulations to our award winners and the entire Class of 2025!
