EMU Athletics recently held its annual year-end awards ceremony to celebrate its student-athletes and teams along with their accomplishments over the past academic year. The ceremony recognized the recipients of the Royals Freshman Athlete of the Year award, the Royals Athlete of the Year award, and the President’s Award.
Royals Freshman Athlete of the Year
Female Freshman of the Year: Aliza Judd (softball)
Judd had an outstanding season for the Royals softball team and was one of just four players to start all 34 games. She hit .304, third-best on the team, while totaling 35 hits, second-most on the roster. In 115 at-bats, she struck out only nine times. Defensively, Judd posted a .985 fielding percentage with just two errors in 132 chances while playing first base, catcher, and the outfield.
“Aliza Judd … great attitude, and she brings it every day,” said head softball coach JD McCurdy. “She was our leadoff hitter and an immediate impact player. If you ever come to see her play, you’ll never know whether she’s 0-for-5 or 5-for-5; she’s ice cold. She checks all the boxes as a great player and a great leader.”
Male Freshman of the Year: Koran Rucker (men’s track and field)
Rucker burst onto the scene for EMU, placing ninth in the shot put and 12th in the weight throw at his first collegiate meet, the Liberty Kickoff, which featured many Division I and II programs. The following weekend, he won the shot put and finished second in the weight throw, beginning a dominant indoor season in which he consistently won events while climbing the EMU track and field record books. He set the program record in the indoor weight throw, ranks second in the indoor shot put, set the outdoor discus record, and ranks second in the outdoor hammer throw.
At the indoor ODAC Championships, Rucker earned Second Team All-ODAC honors in the shot put, and at season’s end he was named USTFCCCA All-South Region in both the shot put and weight throw. He followed with a stellar outdoor season, winning ODAC titles in the hammer throw and discus while finishing second in the shot put. He currently ranks 29th in Division III in the hammer throw and 50th in the shot put.
“I think one of the most impressive things about Koran is that, for the last couple of months, the throwers have had to pretty much coach themselves,” said Director of Cross Country, Track & Field and Triathlon Bob Hepler. “He’s shown a lot of character through his work ethic, and we are very blessed to have him.
Royals Athlete of the Year
Female Athlete of the Year: Leah Beachy ’26 (women’s soccer)
Beachy was named Female Athlete of the Year following arguably her best season as a Royal. She scored 10 goals in her senior campaign, including a two-goal performance in a 4–1 home win over Hollins on Senior Day. Beachy finished the season ranked seventh in the ODAC in goals, third in game-winning goals (5), and 11th in points (20), earning Third Team All-ODAC honors—the first All-ODAC selection for EMU women’s soccer since 2017.
Her on-field production and leadership helped guide EMU Women’s Soccer to one of its strongest seasons in recent years. The Royals finished 6–11–1 in 2025, recording their highest win total since 2019 and qualifying for the ODAC Women’s Soccer Tournament for the first time since that same year.
“It’s an honor to recognize Leah,” said Royals head coach Leo Alcoreza. “Her impact on our program goes far beyond stats. Come game day, Leah consistently delivered in the biggest moments, stepping up time and time again when we needed her most. As a team captain, she led by example every day. She’s not just an incredible athlete, she’s an even better teammate, person, and leader, and EMU is better because of her.”
Male Athlete of the Year: Aidan Miller ’26 (baseball)
A four-year starter for the Royals, Miller played in and started 38 games this season and delivered one of the best individual campaigns in EMU baseball history. He led the team with a .427 batting average, which ranked third in the ODAC for the 2026 season. Miller also paced the Royals and ranked second in the ODAC with 61 hits, the sixth-most in a single season in program history. On the bases, he stole 25 bags, leading the ODAC and tying the EMU single-season record.
He helped guide EMU to 14 regular-season wins, the program’s highest total since the 2019 season.
“Aidan should be getting his second All-Conference award later this month, and he’ll finish in the top 10 in multiple categories in our record book, but that stuff is really irrelevant to what he’s meant to our program,” said Royals head coach Adam Posey. “If you guys listen, his nickname right now is ‘Skip,’ as in skipper of the team. He’s very passionate about what he does and very loyal, and we’ll miss all of those things next year.”
President’s Award
Female President’s Award: Leah Beachy ’26 (women’s soccer)
Beachy is from Grants Pass, Oregon, and is a nursing graduate who achieved a 4.00 GPA during her time at EMU. She plans to work as a nurse on a medical-surgical floor and join an adult soccer league.
A four-year member of the women’s soccer team, Beachy was named Third Team All-ODAC in 2025. During her career at EMU, she played 5,391 minutes across 72 games. She led or co-led the team in scoring for three seasons, totaling 21 goals and eight assists. Beachy is the co-record holder for most single-game assists and points and ranks fifth all-time in career points (50) and sixth in career goals (21).
She was a four-year member of the Dean’s List and the All-ODAC Academic Team, a two-time VaSID Academic All-State selection, and a two-time CSC Academic All-District honoree. She was also a member of the Honors Program. Off the field, Beachy served as a Royal Ambassador, tour guide, peer tutor, and member of the Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society of Nursing and the Nursing Student Association. She also served as a student-faculty representative for the nursing program and as an Honors Program facilitator.
“EMU Athletics gave me the rare opportunity to play soccer while receiving a phenomenal nursing education, providing an outlet to exist purely as a competitor amid the demands of college,” Beachy said. “The joys and challenges of athletics expanded my capacity to serve and lead not only as a teammate, but also as a nurse, friend, and community member. I leave EMU Athletics with precious relationships, lasting memories, and a deeper love for the game. It has been a true privilege.”
Male President’s Award: Dylan Hall ’26 (baseball)
Hall is from Chesapeake, Virginia, and is a health and physical education graduate with minors in kinesiology, exercise science, and coaching. He achieved a 3.74 GPA during his time at EMU and plans to pursue a career in physical education.
A four-year member of the baseball program, Hall played in 103 games for the Royals. He holds a career batting average of .278 with 87 hits, 17 doubles, and 46 RBI. In 2024, he was hit by a pitch 25 times, and he has been hit 47 times in his career, both EMU baseball records.
Academically, he was named to the Dean’s List five times, the All-ODAC Academic Team four times, and is a CSC Academic All-District honoree. Off the field, he was a member of Every Nation Campus.
“EMU Athletics is more than a season, more than a game, more than a practice, more than a result, and more than a feeling,” Hall said. “It is an outlet, it is a community, it is cherished moments and friendships that will last a lifetime. I felt at one point that I was defined by results. Coach Posey has helped me find my identity—not in results, not in statistics, but in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. EMU Athletics has been a place where myself and others can grow in our faith and develop our foundation on a Kingdom that is everlasting.”
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