Drexel Athletics 2022-2023 Annual Report | Honors & Awards

Washington and Knudsen Named Semanik Award Winners

Keishana Washington and Matias Knudsen were named the recipients of the 2023 Mary and John Semanik Awards. The honors are given to Drexel's top female and male senior student-athletes who best exemplify the scholarship and athletic ideals of the former Directors of Athletics.

An honorable mention All-American by the WBCA, AP and USBWA, Washington earned CAA Player of the Year and First Team honors. A five-time conference Player of the Week, she was a finalist for both the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year and Naismith Hall of Fame/WBCA Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year awards. She ranked third nationally with 27.7 points per game and was one of two players this season to score 40 or more points in a game four times, including a career-high 43 at Fordham in the WNIT. The Pickering, Ontario native was recognized for her efforts in the classroom earning Second Team Academic All-America and was Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Performer of the Year honors. Following the season, she signed a contract with the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx, before pursuing a professional career in Europe.

A CSA First Team All-American and Mid-Atlantic Squash Conference First Team honoree, Knudsen posted a 15-4 overall record and his 14 victories in the number one position are the second most in a single-season in program history. A finalist for the Skillman Award, the top honor in men's collegiate squash, he helped Drexel to its best-ever finish at the Potter Cup. Hailing from Bogotá, Colombia, he graduates as one of only five players in school history with 50 or more victories and his career winning percentage of .769 ranks fourth all-time. Off the court, he was named a CSA Scholar Athlete, MASC All-Academic and was the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Men's At-Large Performer of the Year.

Five Inducted Into Athletics Hall of Fame

Hosting its first enshrinement ceremony since 2017, five former student-athletes were inducted into the Janet E. and Barry C. Burkholder Family Athletics Hall of Fame in January in conjunction with this year’s Homecoming festivities. The Class of 2023 included Bill Baer ’72 (football), Robert Battle ’03 (men's basketball), Christina Mastropaolo ’11 (field hockey), Rebecca Murphy ’97 (women's tennis) and Mike Pellegrini ’93 (men's soccer). In addition, the Athletic Director's Legacy Award was presented to former faculty athletic representative Hazem Maragah and two-sport standout Chuck Vincent ’57 for their contributions to our student-athletes.

Keishana Washington Selected as CAA Nominee for NCAA Woman of the Year Award

Keishana Washington was named as one of two conference level nominees by the CAA for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award. The three-year women's basketball team captain graduated with her bachelor's degree in psychology, maintaining a 3.74 GPA, and was one of eight students admitted to Drexel's psychology master's program in 2022. In addition, she was a three-year SAAC representative and participated in multiple community service initiatives. On the court, Washington earned CAA Player of the Year accolades, as well as Honorable Mention All-America and Second Team Academic All-America in 2022-23. She ranks second all-time in Drexel history with 2,363 career points.

DiCamillo Awarded CAA Leadership and Sport Excellence Honor

Lauren DiCamillo from Women's Swimming and Diving was named among 21 recipients of the prestigious CAA Leadership and Sport Excellence Award. The honor is bestowed upon a student-athlete from each CAA sponsored sport who represents the highest standards of teamwork, integrity, leadership and sportsmanship in his or her academic and athletic achievements. A biological sciences major with a 3.71 GPA, DiCamillo was a two-year team captain, as well as serving terms as the Drexel SAAC President.

Active in community service, she participated in the Vidas Play Day for local elementary school students, a canned food drive, the MLK Day clean up and the Drexel Dance Marathon that raised money for the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. In the pool, she posted the Dragons' fourth-best times in the 50, 100 and 200 back.

Pennimpede Represents CAA At NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum

Men’s swimmer Tommy Pennimpede was among just two student-athletes selected to represent the CAA and Drexel University at the 2023 NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum from April 13-16 in Baltimore, Md. Participants engaged in discussions on leadership and its components, gained insight from diverse perspectives, learned about the workings of the NCAA, heard from resonant keynote speakers and took part in a community service project. Majoring in business and engineering with a minor in marketing and a concentration in mechanical engineering, Pennimpede has been a member of the Dean's List and the CAA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll. He serves as a peer leader/mentor in Drexel's Lebow College of Business and is the Executive, Communications Chair for Drexel's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

Damion Lee ’15 Named to Drexel's Forty Under Forty

Former men's basketball standout Damion Lee ’15 was named to Drexel Magazine's Forty Under Forty. Lee, alongside his mother Michelle Riddick, started the L.E.E. Way Foundation (Leveraging Excellence through Experience) which provides a sense of community and a safe environment for local youth. Lee, who graduated from Drexel is 2015 with a communication degree, is entering his seventh year in the NBA. He won a World Championship with the Golden State Warriors in 2022 and is currently with the Phoenix Suns.

Baylor Henry Makes History by competing in First Black, All-Female 8+

Sophomore Baylor Henry competed in a boat entered by Rowing in Color at the 2023 Head of the Charles Regatta that made history, as It is believed to be the first Black, all-female 8+ boat. Rowing in Color is a podcast that is dedicated to amplifying the voices of people of color in rowing.

"It's really to show everyone that we are just as capable as everyone else and to show that Black excellence is a thing; that Black women can be in a boat, compete and be fast," said Henry.

Henry has appeared on the podcast previously and has an Instagram page called Black Girls Row that spotlights Black athletes and women in rowing.

"For me, it's kind of emotional," continued Henry. "When I was 15 at my high school program, it didn't look like there would be a possibility to see a women's Black 8. To know that I'm in it, leading it, stroking it, it's beautiful and inspirational and I'm very excited for the future, especially to know it won't be the last time."

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