BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Colgate women's basketball's Nia Ahart and men's basketball's David Maynard were selected as the 2020-21 Patriot League Sportsmanship Award recipients when the League office announced honors on Tuesday. Ahart and Maynard were chosen by administrators of the League's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
 
Ahart and Maynard are the fourth and fifth Colgate student-athletes to receive the League-wide honor, joining 2019-20 recipients Taylor Wright (women's rowing) and Milan Williams (men's basketball), in addition to 2009-10 honoree Susan Fortkiewicz (women's track & field).
 
The Patriot League Sportsmanship Award is in its 16th year after being created to honor student-athletes that uphold the principles on which the League was founded – fairness, equality and excellence in academics and athletics. Each of the League's 10 full member institutions is eligible to nominate one male and one female student-athlete for the honor.
 
CLICK HERE for more about the Patriot League Sportsmanship Award.
 
Nia Ahart, Colgate University Women's Basketball
The career of Colgate guard Nia Ahart shadowed the strong upward trajectory of the Raiders' women's basketball program through her first three seasons in Hamilton, N.Y. But through a difficult, injury-riddled 2020-21 season for the program, the three-year starter and team captain's legacy was cemented as a dedicated teammate, leader and role model, despite not setting foot on the court due to injury.
 
Ahart became an immediate starter upon her arrival on campus in 2017-18. The Raiders showed marked improvement in 2018-19, finishing 8-10 in the League and jumping four teams in the standings from the previous season. While injuries limited Ahart as a junior, she still managed to play in 25 games, starting 21, while helping to lead the Raiders to an 11-7 League record and 19-11 overall mark – both program-record win totals – en route to a third place finish and Patriot League tournament appearance. As a senior in 2020-21, Ahart was named a team captain and garnered the Thomas M. Wilson '67 Memorial Endowed Leadership Award. During her four-year Colgate career, Ahart appeared in 84 games, including 71 starts, while averaging 4.8 points and 2.1 rebounds per game.
 
Through the uncertain times, Ahart remained a consistent positive voice for her teammates and with her classmates where her impact was just as deeply necessary.
 
"Working through the injuries, losses and everything else going on, Nia was someone everyone on the team was able to turn to," said Colgate Director of Student-Athlete Development Meghan Kovac. "She accepted this role of being the one to turn to with pride, knowing that she could use her past experiences to help her teammates get through whatever they were going through now."
 
 "Nia is one of the strongest people I know," freshman guard Ariel Loiter commented. "Having an unpredictable year due to COVID-19 alongside being unable to play this year due to injuries, Nia consistently led our team with unmatched energy and passion from the sideline day in and day out. She did the same thing in terms of her work ethic. She put in countless hours every week to get closer to being able to get on the court."
 
Ahart's work on the basketball court was only part of her story at Colgate. The Detroit, Mich. native became an integral part of bringing the work of the Patriot League Basketball Social Justice Coalition to campus, while also serving as a Raiders of Color Connect (ROCC) Ambassador. In those roles she partnered with different areas of the athletics department and campus to provide opportunities for student-athletes to engage in conversations and education about social justice issues. Ahart partnered with Colgate's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and the Colgate Vote Project to provide educational resources and foster conversation in the lead-up to the 2020 election.
 
"Being an international female athlete and a person of color, Nia has helped me find my voice and speak my mind which I had not had the confidence to do in the past," Loiter said. "I have seen Nia stand up for her community and fight tirelessly to ensure students-athletes of color receive the resources they need to feel comfortable and part of the community."
 
She also proved to be a tireless worker as the Career Ambassador from the women's basketball team to the Career Services department. In her role, Ahart improved engagement between her team and the Career Services Department by taking a personal approach to distributing information to her teammates, and helping them to meet their individual goals. Ahart also went above and beyond, setting up specific programming for her teammates and members of the men's basketball team.
 
"Nia has been an inspiration to me and the rest of the team in more aspects than one by leading the team by example and pushing me to be the best version of myself every day," Loiter continued. "She was dedicated to bringing the best out of me whether that is as a teammate, player, or in the classroom."
 
"Nia could care less about having her name in lights," Kovac said. "She would rather individuals remember how she impacted them on a personal level. She understands, from personal experience, that a kind word, even from someone you don't fully know, can do a lot for someone when they are going through something. Because of this, she spent her time at Colgate providing an open door for others. She has the unique ability to talk about life and hardships, and to shift one's perspective to a positive outlook on how we can keep moving forward. Colgate student-athletes, staff and faculty have been very fortunate to have Nia in the department. I'm so thankful to have been able to witness her sportsmanship, compassion and dedication to others up-close and I know she will continue to do this through her life."
 
"Nia has a warmth about her that you just can't find many places," said Johna Joseph Jr., a senior on the men's track and field team and fellow ROCC Ambassador. "The energy she carries into her life and her compassion for her fellow humans is something that I know will lead her to great success."
 
David Maynard, Colgate University Men's Basketball
David Maynard has played a role in the winningest stretch in the history of Colgate University men's basketball, including helping the Raiders to a pair of Patriot League Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances, in addition to four trips to the League title game. But Maynard's on-court impact was surpassed by his perseverance, character and dedication to the community away from the court.
 
The Herriman, Utah native earned bachelor's degrees in molecular biology and Spanish in May, two months after helping Colgate make its second NCAA Tournament appearance in four years. But the three-time Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selection will be remembered by others for very different reasons.
 
Through his work with the Hamilton interfaith service group, Maynard worked with Hispanic farmers from around the Madison County community, helping collect books, clothing items and hygiene products for farm workers and their families, in addition to helping provide meals and spend time with the farm workers.
 
"It's always amazing to me when you have someone like David who seemingly has it all going for them, yet continues to try to do more and keep giving back," Kovac said. "He is one of the most reliable student-athletes in the department who, whenever you need something, will either be there to step up or he will find someone who would be great to take the role on. As I came to learn more and more about all David did that was never talked about, I grew more and more thankful that we had him and that he was in Hamilton, N.Y., making a tremendous impact on the community."
 
Maynard's work was far from limited to the farm. He was an instrumental part of the Colgate SAAC's philanthropy subcommittee, helping organize in-person and virtual events throughout his career for One Shirt One Body, Pathfinder Village, and the Bob Woodruff Foundation 5K. He was also part of the group that brought Brenda Tracy and "Set the Expectation" to campus during the 2017-18 school year to initiate conversations on sexual assault and domestic violence. During the 2020-21 basketball season, Maynard also served as the point of contact in the team's Adopt-a-Classroom effort, ensuring the team found new and exciting ways to engage with the area's youth, despite not being able to visit in person.
 
"Dave is the epitome of what it means to be a "well-rounded" student-athlete," Colgate women's rower Victoria Pino said. "He dedicates himself to all those around him, including his friends, teammates, coaches, professors and wife."
 
His basketball career at Colgate was not always easy. He appeared in just seven games during his freshman season on an experience-laden Raiders' team. The best performance of his first season came during the Raiders' postseason matchup against San Francisco in the CBI, where he scored eight points in 14 minutes. It would not be until the 2019-20 season that he returned to the court after suffering an Achilles injury. Maynard worked his way into Head Coach Matt Langel's rotation during his junior season, playing in 29 games and shooting 40.5 percent (15-for-37) from 3-point range, but it was his character and work ethic that earned him a role as a captain for his senior season.
 
"Dave's character is unmatched by anyone I have ever met before," Pino said. "His devotion to his team is unparalleled. Whether he played five minutes or 40 minutes, Dave always gives 110% during every single second. All he wants is for his team to come off that court and say "we put it all out there". Dave cheers for every point scored, and supports every single one of his teammates when they get knocked down. David Maynard plays the game with heart. His love of the sport, and his team, is unlike anything I have ever witnessed."
 
Maynard's impact on the basketball program can be found in the box scores, but the co-captain's numbers may not tell the full story of his impact, particularly during his senior season.
 
"Between the cancellations and constant schedule adjustments, it was very easy to get discouraged or frustrated," Kovac said. "Fortunately, they had David to keep them on track. His leadership was exactly what they needed to keep the focus on this year and fight for every single play: because as the previous year taught so many people, you truly never know when you're going to play your final game."
 
"David is a remarkable young man. He is mature beyond his years in many ways," Colgate Head Coach Matt Langel said. "His commitment to hard work in the classroom and on the court is unparalleled. From the first day I met him, it was clear that David was confident and comfortable with who he is and what he believes in. Having his beacon of consistency has been a huge part of our successes over his career and I know it's something we will not replace easily."
 
Patriot League Sportsmanship Award Nominees
Other nominees for this honor included Logan Book (Navy women's lacrosse), Kristina Dzhandzhapanyan (Navy women's soccer), Tommy Moyer (Loyola Maryland rowing), Owen Quinn (Lehigh men's golf) and Nicole Rivas (Loyola Maryland women's soccer).
 
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League's athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.