Kelly, Carey and Pisarchuk named Athlete of the Year; Powell 1W1 inducted into Athletic Hall of Fame
In a historic move, not one, not two but three Williamson student-athletes were named the 2023-24 Walter G. McCarty 3W7 Athlete of the Year at the college's 57th annual Sports Awards Ceremony. Seniors Joe Kelly, Brandon Cairy and Talon Pisarchuk all were presented with the award, the highest honor that can be bestowed a Williamson student-athlete.
In addition to those three being honored, Eric Powell 1W1, the only three-time wrestling All-American in school history, was inducted into the college's Athletic Hall of Fame.
In a year that saw unprecedented achievements across the board by multiple Williamson sports teams and individuals, it only seemed appropriate that Williamson would do something unprecedented in awarding the highest athletic honor.
"We had plenty of incredible individual achievements this year, but what Brandon, Joe and Talon accomplished was historic. There really was no way to separate the three and pick one as 'the best', when all three were more than deserving. So, we decided all three would receive the honor," explained long-time Williamson Director of Athletics Dale Plummer.
"It is important to note that we are not saying they are co-winners. We are saying that each is the winner of the award. They each deserve it and so each received that honor, rather than sharing it."
Brandon Carey set Williamson soccer history his freshman year, as he was the first freshman in Williamson history to earn USCAA All-American status. He then set history his second year, when he was named USCAA All-American status again, becoming the first Williamson soccer player to earn All-American twice in his career. Then in 2023, he set school history again, as he was named a first team All-American, becoming the only player in school history to earn soccer All-American status three times. He also is the only person in school history to earn all Eastern States Athletic Conference (ESAC) first team all-conference status three times.
"What Brandon achieved is beyond comprehension," shared Plummer. He is a once in a generation type player and I'm not sure we will ever see anything like him again."
The same could be said for Joe Kelly. In being named the 2023 Seaboard Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Year, he became the first Williamson football player to earn such status three times! He won the award outright as a freshman and was co-winner again in 2022. In addition, in 2023 he was named the overall league Co-MVP, the first Williamson football player to achieve such an award. He was a three-time first team all-conference selection and set the school record for sacks in his final game with 31.5 for his career. He also was an outstanding baseball player, earning first team all ESAC honors this Spring.
"Again, as with Brandon, I'm not sure Williamson will see another defensive player as dominant as Joe was. Teams would game plan around him and they still could not stop him. It could be a long time before we see anything like him around here again, if ever."
What Talon Pisarchuk did on the wrestling mat is something no one could have truly foreseen, nor could they have fathomed a Williamson wrestler achieving such success. After having his freshman season cut-short due to COVID, he came back with a vengeance his junior year and took the wrestling world by storm. He won multiple tournaments and then claimed the 2023 NCWA Mid-East Conference championship at 174 lbs. to advance to the NCWA national championships, where he took the nation by storm, advancing all the way to the national final at 174 lbs. Though he lost in the final, he became just the second Williamson wrestler in school history to advance to a national championship bout. Not satisfied with a second-place finish at nationals in 2023, he then repeated his success during the 2023-24 season, once again winning the MEC championship, this time at 165 lbs. In doing so, he became the first Williamson wrestler to win a conference championship multiple times. He then took the nation by storm at nationals once again, advancing to the national final. Though he lost in the finals again, to make it to the national championship bout once is unthinkable. To make it two straight years is unthinkable. And yet, he did just that. He leaves Williamson with an astounding 51-7 career record.
"We have had many great wrestlers come through Williamson, but we have never seen someone as dominant and as successful as Talon. He had a nationwide reputation as one of the toughest wrestlers in any weight class in the country the past two years. Every time he took to the mat, it wasn't a question as to if he would win, the only question was by how much or how quickly he would win. Again, I'm not sure we will ever see someone like that here for a long, long time."
On a night when Pisarchuk' s achievements on the mat were celebrated, it seemed only fitting that this year's Athletic Hall of Fame inductee was indeed an outstanding wrestler himself. Eric Powell 1W1 was, and remains, the only 3-time wrestling All-American in Williamson history.
Powell surprised everyone his freshman year, as not only did he qualify for nationals, but he earned All-American status, finishing sixth at the event at 157 lbs. Surprising no one his junior year, he once again was dominant on the mat. After qualifying for nationals yet again, he finished fourth this time at 157 lbs. Not to be outdone, he then qualified for his third national tournament, and this time made it to the national semi-finals before eventually coming home with a third-place finish, again at 157 lbs.
"Eric was one tough wrestler on the mat. He was focused. He wasn't there to be your friend-he was there to win the match and make it as far as he could at nationals. And boy did he do that!" exclaimed Plummer.
"In addition to being the only Williamson wrestler in school history to earn All-American status three times, I think another amazing thing about that was that he did it at the same weight class, 157 lbs., all three years. That in itself is amazing, let alone earning All-American status all three years.
Those awards were part of a ceremony that honored 181 student-athletes with a varsity letter, the largest amount in school history as well.
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