By Piercen Young | Guest Writer
The University of Lynchburg is preparing to celebrate the accomplishments of its exceptional student-athletes at the upcoming annual sports awards ceremony. Organized by the Lynchburg Hornets Sports Network (LHSN) and the athletics department, the event honors team achievements and highlights excellence in academics, athletics and community involvement. This event will occur on Monday, May 5th in Turner Gymnasium.
What began as a simple banquet 11 years ago has grown into something special.
“We’ve been fortunate the last few years to develop it into an ESPY-style event,” said John Waters, director of athletics. “It’s a big undertaking involving athletic communications, digital media, Coach Smith, Mrs. Kelly and myself.”
The Lynchburg Hornets Sports Network team plays a key role in producing the event’s visual and audio experience.
“We make sure everything is as organized as possible so the show goes as planned,” said Ely Shilling, director of communications for LHSN.
“We started planning about a month ago, thinking about big milestones and putting together highlight videos,” added Joe Brennan, athletic communications assistant. “There’s a crunch with postseason coverage, but we want to include those moments.”
Coaches carry the responsibility of nominating and voting on student-athletes across every sport.
“This year we’ll likely recognize more than 250 student-athletes on stage in just an hour and a half, which is pretty amazing,” Waters said.
One standout award is the One Percent Better Award, created by Assistant Director of Athletics, Ed Smith.
“It honors a senior who’s made an impact across all areas—someone who’s led, contributed and may not have always gotten the spotlight,” Smith said.
Waters emphasized the event’s deeper meaning: “Our commitment to student-athletes is genuine. It’s a great moment to reflect and celebrate together.”
Lynchburg Hornets Sports Network (LHSN) is the official digital media team for Lynchburg Athletics. LHSN produces social media content, broadcasts, and graphics to showcase the talent and achievements of Hornet student-athletes.
For more information, visit Lynchburg Sports.