MANSFIELD, Mass. - As the NE10 continues to honor its best and brightest from the Spring 2024 season on Thursday, the Adelphi University Department of Athletics broke a program record with five of its student-athletes in one season being recognized as Sport Excellence Award winners. 

The spring's honorees were softball's Lindsey Hibbs, men's lacrosse's Jack Hipchen, along with Marko Jovanovic and Katarina Liedbeck from men's and women's tennis, and Filip Wetterqvist from men's golf. 

With four from earlier in the academic year, the Brown and Gold have set an additional department record with nine winners in 2023-24, breaking the previous record of six set in 2021-22. 

Hibbs and Jovanovic now become the ninth and tenth Panthers to be bestowed the honor twice, noting the first time since 2020-21 two student-athletes have earned two-time recognition. Hibbs followed up last year's campaign of 397 strikeouts with 260 in 2024, breaking the previous career program record of 790 and hanging up the cleats with a grand total of 995. In addition, she closed out her collegiate career with a 1.16 ERA, the best in the university's Division II era.

Jovanovic also comes off a historic season of his own, becoming just the second player in Panther history to be named a CSC Academic All-America Team Member of the Year. He was awarded NE10 Player of the Year for the second consecutive year as well, joining only Matteo Cannavera '18 in that respect. Both of these honors came off the back of cracking the ITA's Top 50 nationally-ranked Division II singles players through finishing 17-2 in No. 1 singles, including 8-0 in NE10 play. 

Hipchen's win marks the fourth time in the last five seasons that an Adelphi student-athlete takes home the award. The Hoffman Estates, Ill. native tallied 18 points en route to USILA and USA Lacrosse First Team All-American placements. Hipchen's play in the midfield with 48 ground balls and 16 caused turnovers also proved critical in the program's first national championship win since 2001. 

Liedbeck won a title of her own on the hardcourt, securing the school's first-ever ITA Division II East Region Doubles Championship, finishing in the Top 50 of the ITA nationally-ranked doubles teams. Her 10-1 record in No. 2 singles play earned her first career All-Conference honor on the First Team. Like Jovanovic, her CSC Academic All-American status put her in rarefied air, becoming just the third Adelphi women's tennis player to be named. 

Wetterqvist concludes his time at Adelphi redefining the men's golf program. After his second consecutive First Team All-Conference selection, he becomes the second Panther (Ryan Snouffer) to do so since 2013-14. His play at the NCAA Atlantic/East Super Regional earned him a tie for fourth, which became good enough to advance to the Division II National Championships as an individual. At Orange County National Golf Center and Lounge in Winter Garden, Fla., the Sweden native shot a total score of three-under 210, finishing in a tie for 12th. This was the highest finish in program history, beating Louis Kelly's mark at the 2014 championships. 

Spring 2024 NE10 Sport Excellence Award Winners
Baseball – Cory Bright, Bentley
Softball – Lindsey Hibbs, Adelphi
Men's Lacrosse – Jack Hipchen, Adelphi
Women's Lacrosse – Angelina Porcello, Pace
Men's Tennis – Marko Jovanovic, Adelphi
Women's Tennis – Katarina Liedbeck, Adelphi
Men's Golf – Filip Wetterqvist, Adelphi
Women's Golf – Kesinee Prukmathakul, Franklin Pierce
Men's Outdoor Track & Field – Hunter Dale, SCSU
Women's Outdoor Track & Field – Kristen Washington, New Haven