Stewart earns coach of the year honors after historic season
By Anna Biondolillo | Sports writer
Celeste Stewart, coming off an historic season as women’s basketball coach, was named the Augusta University Dick Wallace Coach of the Year on Wednesday, April 29, at the Marriott Convention Center in downtown Augusta.
Stewart was honored at the annual AU Athletics Department banquet, where all AU sports teams came together to celebrate yet another successful year of competition. Stewart has directed the AU women to three straight 20-wins seasons, including the Peach Belt Conference tournament championship this past season. That earned the Jaguars an automatic berth in the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional.
AU finished with a 21-win season and won the PBC Tournament title for the first time in 33 years.
The banquet night revealed each team’s most valuable player award and the coach’s award.
For athlete of the year, the male award went to distance runner Nasrudin Mohamed, who during cross-country season was named PBC runner of the week three times and during track season runner of the week once.
“I wasn’t expecting to win this award; I’m grateful,” the senior from Grovetown said. “I would like to shout out to my coach, Jacob Burgamy.”
The top women’s athlete was shared by Quinasia Abercrombie from women’s basketball and Madison Thomas the cross-country and track . Both women contributed immensely to their teams this 2025-2026 season.
“I felt really honored that all my hard work paid off,” said Thomas, who was the PBC cross-country runner of the year and the winner of the 10,000-meter run on May 1 at the Peach Belt outdoor championships in the Daytona Beach, Fla. “It was a cool way to end my time at AU. Looking back at my freshman self, I never thought that would be me.”
Both Thomas and Abercrombie had a full load of accomplishments, which led them to win this esteemed university award. Thomas won PBC runner of the week three times and was recently named PBC runner of the year for track, while Abercrombie won PBC player of the week once, PBC conference tournament MVP and all-conference first team during the 2025-2026 season.
The other team MVPs and coach’s award winners included as follows:
Volleyball: MVP, Layne Witherspoon; coach’s award, Sydney Harrington.
Women’s cross-country: MVP, Thomas; coach’s award, Swaye Mohler.
Men’s cross-country: MVP, Mohamed; coach’s award, Noah Shepherd.
Women’s basketball: MVP, Abercrombie; coach’s award, Nadiyah Byard.
Men’s basketball: MVP, Elías Pálsson; coach’s award, Daniel Daramola.
Women’s indoor track and field: MVP, Gabby Jourdain; coach’s award, Janiya England.
Men’s indoor track and field: MVP, Avery Jaynes; coach’s award, Joshua Bowen.
Women’s tennis: MVP, Andrea Gonzalez; coach’s award, Priscillia Landi.
Men’s tennis: MVP, Arthur Valette; coach’s award, Alexis Bailhache.
Softball: MVP, Ansley Gibson; coach’s award, Chesney Miles.
Baseball: MVP, Nolan Turner; coach’s award, Aedan Cates.
Women’s golf: MVP, Puntita Pawichai; coach’s award, Sara Adams.
Women’s outdoor track and field: MVP, Thanna Davis; coach’s award, Ava Adams.
Men’s outdoor track and field: MVP, Dorian Chance; coach’s award, Devin Barolette.
Cheer: MVP, Kennedy McVean; coach’s award, Ja'Niayah Ellis.
Dance: MVP, Mya Pilger; coach’s award, Isabella Brown.
Additional awards:
Jaguar Team Service Award: Softball.
Gerald Daise Leadership Award: Jude King, baseball.
Roscoe Williams Women’s Freshman of the Year: Sofiia Snitsarevych, volleyball.
Roscoe Williams Men’s Freshman of the Year: Charlie McBeath, basketball.
Tommy Werrick Scholar-Athlete Award for Women: Marine Legentil, golf.
Tommy Werrick Scholar-Athlete Award for Men: Wyatt Talik, baseball.
Contact Anna Biondolillo at abiondolillo@augusta.edu.
Quinasia Abercrombie led AU to a 21-10 record and topped the Jaguars in points per game with a 17.2 average. At the top of the page, AU women’s basketball coach Celeste Stewart led the Jaguars to the PBC Tournament title, their first in 33 years. (photos by Lydia Williams/the Bell Ringer)
