ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The St. Catherine University athletic department hosted the annual Purple and Gold Awards on Monday afternoon. The yearly celebration honored student-athletes, coaches, and staff members for their contributions to the department this season and recognized the outstanding accomplishments achieved this year. 

Highlights of the awards ceremony included the announcement of the Rookie of the Year, the McCahill Athlete of the Year, the Sheila Brown Wildcat Award, and the Fleur-de-Lis Award. In addition to the prestigious annual awards, the department recognized both academic and athletic success throughout the event. 

The event kicked off with announcing recognizing the National college Athletic Honor Society, Chi Alpha Sigma Induction Class of 2025. The class of 30 junior and senior student-athletes were inducted prior to the event and junior soccer student-athlete Taylor Takeuchi was accepted as the rising Chapter President following in the footsteps of Greta Schimnowski. 

Each year, the department awards the team GPA award and also recognizes the scholarly accolades that our student-athletes bring to our community. Each member on an athletic team contributes to this award as well as other fantastic academic stats like the department's 3.567 GPA. Additionally, J Dombroski was named as one of this year's class Valedictorians and Lexie Petrick was named a Salutatorian.  In all, 23 student-athletes across our sports teams carry a perfect 4.0 GPA. In third place this year was the basketball team with a 3.646 team GPA. The runner-up was the volleyball team with a team GPA of 3.722 with in 0.001 of the department winner, softball garnering a team GPA of 3.723.

The annual rookie of the year award went to first-year hockey standout, Ana Myers. The rookie played in 25 games as a first-year center on the Wildcat hockey team. Ana's first year was the best from a St. Kate's hockey student-athlete in the past two decades, ranking second in the MIAC for goals scored, contributing 19. Ana is the program's first-ever hockey MIAC Rookie of the Year, leading all Wildcats in points with 22. The biology major from Lino Lakes carries a 3.916 GPA off the ice while balancing being a student and athlete. Dr. Pellignrini noted that Ana is constantly in the weight room working out and her coaches shared that Ana is a type of player everyone wants on their team. She's a hard worker on and off the ice, spending countless hours in the WTC shooting pucks.  Ana's 19 goals and 3 assists led all first-year skaters in the MIAC while ranking her 57th in Division III as a rookie. Ana's average of .76 goals per game was the sixth-best value in Division III and second in the MIAC. She tallied four power-play goals, one short-handed goal, while winning 222 face offs and adding two hat tricks.

Three senior student-athletes earned the Sheila Brown Wildcat Award from tennis, dance, and basketball. The Sheila Brown Wildcat Award recognizes senior athletes who have made a long-term contribution to the athletic program and who consistently exhibited a combination of athleticism, scholarship, dedication, sportsmanship and leadership. 

The first award was given to Kelsey Dorr, who will cap off a historic tennis career this season and was nominated as a Athlete of the Year finalist.. Playing every match at No. 1 singles and doubles, Dorr led the Wildcats to a 5th-place finish in the MIAC standings and the No. 5 seed in the conference playoffs. This fall, she made an impressive run to the semifinals at the 2024 ITA Midwest Regional Championship, earning her a national singles ranking of No. 31 in NCAA Division III and No. 8 in the Central Region. She posted a dominant 9-1 record at No. 1 singles during MIAC play—tied for the most wins at that spot in the conference—and went 6-4 in doubles. Her overall dual-match records of 16-2 in singles and 13-5 in doubles once again earned her All-Conference honors in both, reinforcing her reputation as one of the league's premier competitors.

Over the course of her career, Dorr became the first St. Kate's tennis player to qualify for the NCAA Division III Singles Championship three times. She was also the first Wildcat to reach the ITA Midwest Regional singles final and, alongside partner Sof Walker, won the ITA Regional doubles title—earning a spot in the ITA Cup and becoming the program's first All-Americans. A 10-time All-Conference honoree (five in singles, five in doubles), she also earned the 2022 MIAC Singles Player of the Year award, was named MIAC Athlete of the Week four times, and received 10 Fleur-de-lis Awards. Dorr holds the most dual-match wins in program history with 133, including a 69–13 singles record and 64–21 in doubles. She has held a national ranking for most of her career, reaching as high as No. 16 in singles and No. 14 in doubles, and played a key role in returning St. Kate's to the national spotlight. In addition to her athletic accomplishments, she earned a Bachelor of Science in mathematics in 2023 and will graduate with her MBA this spring, carrying a 3.877 GPA.

The next honor was presented to dance student-athlete, Trista Peitz. For four years, Peitz has been a cornerstone of the St. Kate's dance team, demonstrating unmatched commitment, resilience, and leadership. Her presence has shaped the team's culture, setting the standard through her hard work, enthusiasm, and unwavering support for her teammates. One of her most remarkable achievements was competing at the USA Collegiate Championships in Anaheim, California, where she played a key role in guiding her team to a fourth-place finish as a junior, the best finish in program history. This past season, Peitz led the team to a sixth-place finish.

Her dedication, drive, and spirit extend far beyond competition. She has been a mentor, a WSAAC leader, member of Chi Alpha Sigma and a true inspiration to those around her. Whether perfecting routines, motivating teammates, or representing St. Kate's with pride, Peitz has embodied what it means to be a Wildcat dancer. Peitz will graduate in the spring with a Bachelor's degree in Nursing.

The third honor was awarded to basketball student-athlete Greta Schimnowski. The nursing major from Mahtomedi, Minnesota and two-time captain competed in 98  games for the purple and gold over four years. Schimnowski scored 820 points for the Wildcats, ranking her 15th all time. She earned MIAC All-Conference and All-Playoff team honors in her junior season, while ranking sixth overall in the Division III for three-point percentage. She holds the program record for most three-point field goals made and ranks second all-time in a single game with seven and is first in program history for three-point field goals made in a season with 68 last year. She was awarded four Fleur-de- Lis Awards in her time at St. Kate's, is a eight-time Dean's List selection, and she is the current president of Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society and the Wildcat Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. As a first-year she was a St. Kate's Rookie of the Year finalist and has earned CSC Academic All-District and MIAC Academic All-Conference honors twice in her career. Schimnowski serves as one of the St. Catherine representatives on the MIAC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and has spearheaded multiple campus-wide initiatives, including the Gift of Life Campaign this fall. She will graduate this week with a nursing degree and begin her career at St. John's Hospital in Maplewood, Minnesota. 

Each year, we honor one student-athlete who truly embodies everything the Fleur-de-lis represents—excellence in competition, leadership with integrity, and unwavering dedication. This year's honoree exemplifies all of that and more. It is my great honor to present the Fleur-de-lis Award to Lexie Petrick.

A four-year starter and senior outside hitter, Petrick has left a lasting legacy on St. Kate's Volleyball and the entire Wildcat community. As a tri-captain this past season, she helped lead the Wildcats to their best MIAC finish ever—going 9-2 in conference play, earning a first-ever playoff bye, and hosting the MIAC Championship match for the first time in program history. She appeared in all 29 matches and 109 sets, leading the team in six major statistical categories, including 296 kills, 41 service aces, and 481 digs. Her standout performance earned her MIAC All-Conference honors, AVCA All-Region Honorable Mention recognition, and the prestigious MIAC Elite 22 Award. 

Petrick finishes her career as the program's all-time leader in service aces (137), ranks in the top 10 in multiple categories—including kills, digs, blocks, and attack attempts—and set the single-season record for attack attempts with 1,021 in 2024. She also became just the fifth player in program history to record over 1,000 career digs, ending her career with 1,295 and a finalist for the McCahill Athlete of the Year Award this year.

Off the court, Petrick excellence continued. She is a three-time MIAC All-Academic honoree, a two-time AVCA Academic All-District selection, a two-time CSC Academic All-District honoree and the Salutatorian of this year's graduating class. 

The 2024-25 McCahill Athlete of the Year was given to golfer, Kyra Venne, for the second time in her career. The senior golfer from Woodbury had her best season on record, ranking 32nd in Division III and winning her second individual MIAC title this fall. Her stroke average of 73.6 after 22 rounds ranks her first in the MIAC. Venne carded a low round of 69 twice this season and was named MIAC Women's Golfer of the Year for the second time in her four years. Venne had five first-place finishes, with nine of her ten events in the top ten.  She has been a dominant force in collegiate golf, earning multiple individual titles, including two MIAC championships and an impressive eleven career individual wins—the most in program history. Her ability to rise to the occasion, whether sinking birdies under pressure or leading her team to victory, has made her one of the most decorated golf athletes in St. Kate's history. She is a two-time MIAC Women's Golf Player of the Year and a two-time Women's Golf Coaches Association All-American, proving that her talent extends far beyond our conference. Her impact goes beyond the scorecard. She embodies the spirit of leadership, sportsmanship and dedication that define what it means to be a Wildcat. Her commitment to her trade and the team make her a true role model for future Wildcat student-athletes.

The other finalists for rookie of the year included first-year golfer, Caylin Cantwell and rookie soccer standout Jaidyn Ricther. 

Cantwell competed in 16 rounds in her rookie season at St. Kate's with a scoring average of 78.6. In her first year, Cantwell carded three top ten finishes with a low round of 71 at the Wartburg Spring Invite on April 4. Cantwell is ranked 11th in the MIAC this year and 32nd in the region, making the line-up for the 2025 NCAA Division III Women's Golf Championships this week. 

Richter appeared in 20 games as a defender for the Wildcats' championship soccer team. Playing almost 1,500 minutes, helping the team to a 14-3-4 season while going undefeated against conference teams, Jaidyn was named the MIAC Rookie of the Year. Jaidyn scored one goal with one assist for three points overall.

In addition to Dorr and Petrick being finalists for McCahill Athlete of the Year, junior soccer student-athlete Natalie Pfleger was also selected as a finalist this year. Pfleger delivered a career-best year, helping to lead the soccer team to the MIAC regular season co-championship. Natalie finished the season tied for the team lead with 10 goals and 3 assists, appearing in 21 games in 1034 minutes on the pitch, proving her ability to both score and create opportunities for her teammates. Her impact was undeniable in clutch moments with four game-winning goals, including her first collegiate career hat trick against St. Scholastica on October 1st while also netting an important goal in the team's fourth consecutive MIAC playoff title. Her consistency earned her a well-deserved spot on the United Soccer Coaches All-Central Region Third-Team and recognition as a MIAC offensive player of the week this season. 

The Wildcat Cup was awarded to the St. Catherine cross country and track & field teams with most points earned during the 2024-25 academic year.