Men's Basketball
The Drexel men’s basketball team, playing in their first season as a member of the Philadelphia Big 5, rattled off 20 wins for the first time in more than a decade and for only the 11th time in school history. Head Coach Zach Spiker's squad made its first Big 5 win a memorable one by knocking off No. 18 Villanova in front of more than 15,000 spectators at the Wells Fargo Center. It was the team’s first win against a nationally ranked team since 2010.
Drexel had an outstanding regular season in Coastal Athletic Association play. The Dragons earned a two-seed in the CAA Championships after a 13-5 regular season conference record. It was the third straight year Drexel won at least 10 league games, the first time the Dragons achieved that feat since the 2011-12 season. The Dragons had their best start ever in CAA play by winning seven straight conference games to start the year. They closed the year with a 13-game winning streak at the Daskalakis Athletic Center, the longest home winning streak since 2012, and they were undefeated at home in CAA games (9-0). Overall, the Dragons finished the season with a 20-12 record.
Amari Williams became the first player in CAA history to be named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in three straight seasons. He once again led the league in blocks and ended his career ranked fifth on Drexel’s all-time list for blocked shots. Williams was a First Team All-CAA pick in each of his last two seasons. Justin Moore was named a Third Team All-CAA selection.
Women's Basketball
Women’s Basketball pieced together a seven-game win streak, including three victories to conclude the regular season and four wins in the CAA Championship in Washington, D.C., to capture the third CAA title in program history.
The Dragons defeated No. 10 Delaware, 57-55, No. 2 Monmouth, 58-56, and No. 6 Towson, 69-68 to reach the title game. In the championship, the Dragons shot 11-for-19 from behind the arc to defeat top-seeded Stony Brook, 68-60. Drexel was the only team in the past 25 years to have three wins by two points or fewer in a single conference tournament. In the NCAA Tournament, Drexel drew the top-seeded Texas Longhorns in the first round and traveled to Austin to close the historic season.
Amaris Baker ended her first season in Philadelphia with 12 straight double-digit performances and scored 198 points in that stretch. The junior was named the Most Outstanding Player of the CAA Tournament and was named to the All-Tournament team alongside Brooke Mullin and Chloe Hodges. Hodges, Hetta Saatman, and Grace O’Neill were named to the CSC Academic All-District team for their efforts in the classroom and their performance on the court.
In June, it was announced that the team would join the coveted Philadelphia Big 5 and compete against La Salle and Temple in a round-robin format to determine the matchups in a tripleheader in December to compete for the Big 5 championship
Field Hockey
The field hockey team had another strong season, posting a record of 14-6. It was the second straight 10-win season for the Dragons and the most wins in a season for the program in 11 years. Drexel qualified for the CAA Championships, marking the third time in the last four seasons Denise Zelenak’s team advanced to the postseason. Eline Di Leva concluded her outstanding career by being named Drexel’s Coastal Athletic Association's Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year. She was a four-time All-CAA First Team selection and a four-time NFHCA All-Mid-Atlantic Region pick.
Val Van Hellemont of the Drexel field hockey team was named the CAA Rookie of the Year, just the second Dragon to win the award. In addition to that honor, Van Hellemont was an All-CAA First Team and All-Rookie Team selection. Megan Hadfield and Natalie Foster made the All-CAA Second Team, while Pien Elsen joined Van Hellemont on the All-Rookie team.
Coach Zelenak was also named Head Coach of the USA Field Hockey Masters team for the 2023 Pan Am Continental Championships. The O-60 Women's team competed in Buenos Aires, Argentina from December 6-14. As a player, Zelenak was selected to compete for the U.S. Women's Masters Indoor Team at the 2024 World Masters Hockey Indoor World Cup in Nottingham, England from March 26 - April 1. This was Zelenak's fourth World Cup as a player and second as a coach.
Golf
The golf team received national attention for its play during the 2023-24 season. Head Coach Ben Feld’s squad won all four of its fall tournaments and was the only team in all of Division I to finish the fall season undefeated. The Dragons won five events in 2023-24, which set a school record.
The Dragons opened the fall with a win at the Temple Invitational. The following week, Drexel won the J.T. Poston Invitational, a 16-team event hosted by Western Carolina. In their next outing, the Dragons once again won the Big Five, formerly the City Six Championship. It was their fourth straight victory in the event. They closed the fall by winning the ODU/OBX Intercollegiate. Feld’s squad picked up another win in the spring at the Dragon Match Play Invitational and added two second place finishes in the spring. The first came at The Peoples Golf Championship in St. Simons Island, Ga., and the other at the Monument Golf Oldfield Invitational in Okatie, S.C. The Dragons finished sixth at the CAA Championships.
Drue Nicholas had another stellar season and was named Second Team All-CAA. He had the third best single season scoring average in Drexel history at 71.2. Nicholas was medalist at the ODU/OBX Intercollegiate and led the team with five top-10 finishes. Graduate student Oscar Maxfield tied for medalist honors at the Big Five Championship. Griffin Mitchell had a 71.5 scoring average which featured three top five finishes during the year.
Men's Lacrosse
The Drexel men’s lacrosse team once again qualified for the CAA Championships. It was the fifth straight season that the Dragons qualified for the postseason. Drexel finished the year with a 6-9 overall record, including overtime victories against UMBC and Albany and a conference win against arch-rival Hofstra.
Gavin Kelly had a stellar first season in West Philadelphia. The rookie from Maryland became Drexel’s first freshman to be named First Team All-CAA. He had 14 goals and 16 assists in 2024. Luke Tomak and Collin Gucwa were each named to the CAA’s Second Team. Tomak, who scored 27 goals, was also a Second Team All-CAA pick a year ago. Kelly and Pat Lyman were named to the CAA’s All-Rookie Team.
Max Semple led the team with 31 goals and will enter his final season with 99 career points. Sophomore Conor Hooley had a team-best 17 assists and finished the year with 32 points. Drew McGill saved 52 percent of the shots he faced. The Dragons will return with all their CAA selections in 2025 and have six of their top seven goals scorers back for next season.
Drexel University Head Men's Lacrosse Coach Brian Voelker announced his retirement from college coaching after leading the Dragons for the last 15 seasons.
"We'd like to thank Brian Voelker for his dedication to Drexel University for more than a decade," said Maisha Kelly, Drexel's Director of Athletics. "He was a driving force in the elevation of Drexel Men's Lacrosse, having led the program to a pair of CAA Championships and multiple appearances in the CAA postseason tournament. His presence around the department will surely be missed. He has impacted hundreds of student-athletes during his time at Drexel. We wish him and his family nothing but the best going forward and appreciate all that he has done for Drexel."
Voelker is the second-winningest coach in program history compiling a career record of 114-98. During his tenure, the Dragons won two CAA Championships and made four appearances in the CAA title game. Drexel advanced to 12 of 14 CAA tournaments during Voelker's tenure, the most of any CAA school during that time, and won 10 or more games four times.
Following a national search, Steve Boyle was named the next head coach of the Men's Lacrosse program. Coach Boyle has been an assistant with the Dragons for the last 10 seasons and was a National Champion & All-American student-athlete at Johns Hopkins University. During his time on the sidelines for the Dragons, the team has qualified for eight out of nine Coastal Athletic Association postseason tournaments, including the last five in a row. He was instrumental in the program’s 2021 CAA title to advance to their second-ever NCAA Tournament
Women's Lacrosse
The women’s lacrosse team earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive year, the first team to do so in Drexel history. The team finished with a 13-6 record and reached the CAA Championship game for the third time in program history. Drexel also posted a 7-1 record in the CAA, the most wins ever in the conference. The Dragons had multiple victories over ranked opponents, including taking down No. 25 Penn State at Vidas Field and sinking No. 16 Navy on the road. Drexel received national recognition during the season, finishing No. 21 in the ILWomen/IWLCA Division I poll.
Jenika Cuocco was named CAA Goalie of the Year and earned All-American selections from USA Lacrosse, Inside Lacrosse and the IWLCA. Cuocco finished the season first in the NCAA in save percentage (.569) and in saves (224). Corinne Bednarik also earned recognition, as she was named the CAA Attacker of the Year and was an Honorable Mention All-American selection. Overall, six Dragons were selected to the All-CAA teams.
Bednarik had a historic year in her final season in a Drexel uniform. The fifth-year student-athlete tied the all-time Drexel scoring record with 292 career points. She also set the single-season points record with 99 and tied the single-season assist record with 41. In the CAA semifinal game against Hofstra, Bednarik collected a single-game record 11 points, scored a hat trick and added another single-game record with eight assists. The Mary Semanik Award winner matched the record she previously set in the season opener at Binghamton and became the second women in CAA history to score 11 points twice in a season.
Men’s Rowing
The Dragons continued their traditional winning ways under the helm of new head coach Matt Weaver. The team captured the men’s championship title at the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta for the third consecutive season and alongside the women’s team, DU also won the overall championship. The Varsity 8+ took home its third straight gold medal at the Dad Vail, the first team to do so in 23 years at the regatta. The 3V8+ and 4V8+ teams took home gold medals as well in the event.
Drexel’s Varsity 8+ boat took gold at the Bergen Cup for the third straight season. The Dragons then closed out the year with a 15th overall finish at the IRA Nationals, matching their best result at the event. Drexel had two boats place in the top-16 nationally, with all boats beating or matching their ranking coming into the event. The Varsity 8+ team crossed the line in fourth place in the Third Final and 16th overall. The Third Varsity 8+ team had the best result of the regatta, besting the teams of Navy, Oregon State and Georgetown in the Third Final for a 14th overall finish.
Josh Diggons was named an IRCA Second Team All-American and Damian Lis was an honorable mention selection. Sam Valigorsky and Daniel Yurcisin were named Philly-SIDA Academic All-Americans while 13 Dragons were named IRCA Scholar Athletes.
Women’s Rowing
The Drexel women’s rowing team, under the leadership of new Head Coach Katie Lane, placed third overall at the 85th Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta. The Varsity 8+ team once again took home the gold in the Grand Final, as DU saw all four boats qualify for the grand finals. The team, combined with the men’s team, gave Drexel rowing the overall team points trophy at the event.
Earlier in the season, the Dragons Varsity 8+ boat raised the Lela H. Kerr Cup for the sixth consecutive season on the Schuylkill River. The team cruised to a six-second victory in the regatta over second place La Salle. Drexel has now taken home the Cup 16 out of the last 21 years of the event.
The highlight of the season came overseas, as the Varsity 8+ qualified for the Island Challenge Cup at the prestigious Henley Royal Regatta in Henley-on-Thames, England. It was the first time in program history the team qualified for the Cup. The crew advanced to the Cup after being one of the final 13 boats to qualify in the time trials.
Julianna Rogers and Chloe Speciale were named CAA All-Conference, as the Varsity 8+ team was named the CAA Boat of the Week twice during the season. Mollie Knoff was also recognized for winning the CAA Leadership and Sport Excellence Award for rowing for her contributions to the community.
Men’s Soccer
Men’s Soccer completed its season with its highest winning percentage since 1990. The Dragons were 9-2-5 and went undefeated at Vidas Field. Drexel was 3-2-3 in CAA play and qualified for the conference championships for the fourth consecutive season. Youri Senden, the 2024 John Semanik Award winner, captained the back line and helped the team hold opponents to just 17 goals. The CSC Academic All-American also scored a goal and helped Drexel post its highest team goal total since 1994. The Dragons closed the regular season with a 6-0 victory against FDU. It was the first time the team had scored six goals in a single contest since 2009. The team’s starting goalkeeper, Alessandro Capogna made 45 saves and posted a save percentage of .804 with five clean sheets.
Senden became the first Drexel player in program history to be named CAA Defensive Player of the Year. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Men’s Soccer Performer of the Year was also a First Team All-CAA selection. Joining Senden on the CAA’s postseason first team was Antonio Illuminato. Patrick Short represented Drexel on the All-CAA Third Team, while Isaiah Whittaker-Francis and Julian Jordheim each notched All-Rookie Team honors.
Women’s Soccer
The Drexel women’s soccer team posted a 6-2-1 record at home, the most wins since the 2017 season. They finished the season with a 7-8-3 record and 3-6-3 overall in the CAA. Drexel had six victories come via the shutout, including a 3-0 win against Saint Joseph’s. It was the first time in school history that the Dragons defeated the Hawks.
Delaney Lappin, Annalena O’Reilly and Casey Touey each earned All-CAA Second Team honors for Ray Goon’s team. Lily Dunbar was also recognized, receiving Third Team honors. Lappin also became the program's all-time leading scorer with 64 points and set the single season assist record with nine. Dunbar also etched her name in the record books by handing out four assists in the win against Hampton.
Softball
Softball finished the 2024 season with 15 victories, including 10 in conference play. The Dragons, led by All-CAA First Team honoree Grace Abbonizio, finished the season with a 10-4 home record. Abbonizio had a .357 batting average and started in all 45 games for Drexel. The senior paced the team in doubles with seven and had a .496 slugging percentage. In addition, Abbonizio was named to the Philly-SIDA Academic All-Area Team.
Allison Hoppe threw the program’s 22nd no-hitter on March 26 against the Lafayette Leopards. The freshman struck out two batters and walked two in the effort, as Drexel was victorious, 2-1. It was the first no-hitter since 2021.
Men’s Squash
The Drexel men’s squash team ended the season ranked No. 7 in the country, finishing with a 9-8 record. The Dragons captured their first Middle Atlantic Squash Conference Championship in program history in the Holley Cup, defeating No. 9 Virginia 6-3. The team reeled off wins against eight top-15 opponents, including Virginia twice, Dartmouth and Western Ontario. Drexel ended its season in the quarterfinals of the Collegiate Squash Association National Championships.
Drexel closed out the year with success at the CSA Individual Championships. Nico Serna was named a Second Team All-American and narrowly missed earning First Team All-American status. Yuri Pelbart and Youssef Bastawy reached the semifinals of the B Flight Draw, which is the playoff for the top flight draw for All-Americans.
The Dragons swept the men's MASC major awards this past year. Head coach John White was named MASC Men’s Co-Coach of the Year, earning the honor for the fourth time and first time with the men’s program. Nico Serna was named the MASC Player of the Year, the first player in school history to earn the award. Serna also received Second Team All-American honors. Additionally, Youssef Bastawy made Drexel history by being named MASC Rookie of the Year, just the second Dragon to do so.
Six Dragons were named to All-MASC teams, with Serna, Bastawy, Haris Qasim and Yuri Pelbart being named to the First Team and Fritiof Jacobsson and Guido Lindner receiving Second Team honors. Nico Serna was named to the 2023-24 Philly-SIDA Academic All-Area Men's At-Large Team.
Women’s Squash
The Drexel women’s squash team finished the season ranked No. 9 in the country, with an 8-8 overall record. The team faced off against top competition, defeating notable opponents such as No. 11 Dartmouth and two victories against No. 9 Columbia. The Dragons swept Columbia, 9-0, to win the Consolation Bracket of the Howe Cup, placing ninth overall at the national championship.
Margot Prow had yet another stellar season for the Dragons. The London, England native, who now represents Barbados, had a 10-6 record in team play. She went 2-1 in the CSA individuals, making the Ramsay Cup Semifinals. Prow earned First Team All-American honors and cemented her place as one of the top four college squash players in the nation.
Sanya Vats also advanced to the semifinals of the Holleran North bracket. Karina Tyma and Prow each earned All-American distinction. Prow notched a First Team honors, while Tyma was named to the Second-Team.
Overall, four Dragons were named to the All-MASC Team. Prow and Tyma were named to the MASC First Team with Vats and Emma Bartley tabbed to the Second Team. It is the third time Prow and Tyma were both honored. Prow, Tyma, Claudia Adam and Maddie Laine were also named to the Academic All-MASC team.
Men’s Swimming and Diving
Men’s Swimming and Diving finished the 2024 CAA Championships with 11 medal finishes and set seven program records. Jakub Kwasny earned six medals and set a new CAA Championship record in the 100 fly after touching the wall in 45.61 seconds. The College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-America Second Team honoree also won the 200 fly in 1:43.77 to set the program record. Kwasny capped off his performance in the four-day event by winning silver in the 200-medley relay, the 200 free relay and the 400 free relay. He also had a bronze medal in the 400 free.
Sebastian Smith qualified for a chance to make the U.S. Olympic team after swimming the 100 Long Course Meters (LCM) fly in 53.51 seconds. He was the first male swimmer in program history to qualify for the Olympic Trials. At the CAA Championships, Smith won seven medals, including golds in the 50 free and the 100 free. The junior captured silver in the 200-medley relay, the 100 fly, the 200 free relay and the 400 free relay. He also anchored the 400-medley relay team which earned a bronze medal.
Women’s Swimming and Diving
Women’s Swimming and Diving captured five medals at the CAA Swimming and Diving Championships this past winter. Chelsea Gravereaux, the second CAA Swimmer of the Year in program history, won three gold medals, and was named the CAA Most Outstanding Swimmer at the CAA Championships. The graduate student swam a 22.29 in the 50 free, a 48.52 in the 100 free and a 1:47.22 in the 200 free. In addition, Gravereaux helped the 200 free relay team win bronze. Federica Nocera rounded out Drexel’s medals with a bronze in the 200 back after finishing the race in 1:57.66.
The Dragons finished the regular season by defeating Towson, 169-131, on Senior Day. Nocera led the Dragons with three first-place finishes. Overall, in the meet, Drexel captured the top spot in 11 of the events.
Gravereaux earned a spot on the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-America Second Team and was also chosen as the Philly-SIDA Academic All-Area Women’s Swimming and Diving Performer of the Year.
Men’s Tennis
Men’s Tennis finished the 2023-24 campaign with a 13-9 record overall. The team advanced to the quarterfinals of the CAA Tournament after blanking Hofstra, 4-0 in the first round.
Alan Jesudason led the team in the top spot this season, posting a 13-11 record overall in singles play to earn All-CAA Second Team honors. Jesudason paired with Alex De Sousa and finished the season with an 18-7 record in doubles play. The duo finished 15-5 in the No. 1 spot for Drexel and earned a spot on the All-CAA Second Team Doubles. The third player to earn postseason honors was newcomer Hussein El Tawil. The transfer finished with an 18-12 record and had a winning record in each of the top three spots. El Tawil was named All-CAA Third Team Singles for his efforts.
The Dragons picked up wins against city rivals Villanova, Saint Jospeh’s and Temple. They also defeated the College of Charleston for the first time in program history while garnering the 75th ranking in the country.
Women’s Tennis
Women’s Tennis capped its season with a 12-8 record. The Dragons won three of their five conference matches, including a win at UNCW. They advanced to the Championship and defeated Elon in the opening round before falling to Delaware in the quarterfinals.
Lorie Lemongo continued her outstanding career by finishing the season with an 18-9 record. She is now fourth in school history with 59 career singles wins, just six wins shy of the all-time record. Lemongo was named First Team All-CAA in singles play and was a Second Team All-CAA pick in doubles with her teammate Renata Lombera. Elisa Rigazio made an immediate impact in her first season with the Dragons. She was 19-7 in singles play and paired with Maddie Ricardo in the No. 2 doubles spot to win 14 matches. Rigazio was named to the All-CAA Second Team in singles and earned All-CAA Third Team Doubles recognition with Ricardo. The program also climbed as high as 66 in the national ITA Rankings.
Wrestling
The wrestling team posted an 8-10 record overall and finished 5-4 in the EIWA. The Dragons opened the season with stellar performances in the Battle at The Citadel and the PRTC Keystone Classic, finishing second and third, respectively. The team played a competitive non-conference schedule, hosting the likes of Wisconsin, Arkansas Little Rock and Stanford in the DAC, while also battling Maryland on the road in College Park.
DU gained national recognition throughout the season, with Kyle Waterman (133lbs), Luke Nichter (157lbs), Cody Walsh (165lbs), Mickey O’Malley (174lbs) and Jack Janda (174lbs) all receiving national rankings during the year by Intermat, FloWrestling and WrestleStat. Walsh finished the season ranked No. 33 in the nation. Three wrestlers advanced to day two of the EIWA Championships, with Walsh and Dom Findora finishing on the podium.
Drexel had another outstanding showing in the classroom during the 2023-24 season. The team earned a 3.5456 overall GPA, the third highest in Division I. The Dragons trailed only behind Harvard (3.6134) and Cleveland State (3.5706). Additionally, eight members of the Drexel wrestling team were named EIWA All-Academic honorees, with six receiving NWCA DI Scholar All-American honors.