Celebrating Committee Award Winners

June 4, 2025 by Lydia Hicks
Celebrating Our 2025 Committee Award Winners

Congratulations to this year’s NATA committee award winners! Learn more about NATA’s awards and attend the 76th NATA Clinical Symposia & AT Expo June 24-27 in Orlando, where many of these recipients will be recognized.

 

Athletic Training Education Journal

2024 Athletic Training Education Journal Award for the Outstanding Manuscript
Cailee Welch Bacon, PhD, ATC, Sara Nottingham, EdD, ATC, and Tricia Kasamatsu, PhD, ATC
Development and Validation of an Active Educational Resources To Address Quality Gaps Regarding Clinical Documentation”

 

Career Advancement Committee

Career Advancement Committee National Distinction Award
Kelly Ellis, MS, LAT, ATC

 

Early Professionals’ Committee

Early Professionals’ Excellence Award
Joseph Eberhardt, MEd, LAT, ATC 

 

Ethnic Diversity Advisory Committee

Bill Chisholm Professional Service Award
Kysha Harriell, PhD, LAT, ATC

René Shingles EDAC Apple Award
Florida International University, Department of Athletic Training

Barnes/Horton/Johnson EDAC Entrepreneurship Award
Ronald Wagner, PhD, LAT, ATC  

Marsha Grant-Ford EDAC Distinguished Research Award
Shane Caswell, PhD, LAT, ATC

Frank Walters EDAC Trailblazer Award
Andrea Durham, MS, LAT, ATC

 

Executive Council for Education

Preceptor of the Year Award
Jonathan Jenkins, MS, LAT, ATC

Professional Development Excellence Award
Aric Warren, PhD, LAT, ATC

Emerging Educator Award
Zachary Winkelmann, PhD, ATC

 

Government Affairs Committee

William T. Griffin Award for Outstanding Leadership in Legislative Advocacy
Anna August, MS, LAT, ATC

Daniel L. Campbell Legislative Award Class I
Arkansas Athletic Trainers’ Association
California Athletic Trainers’ Association
Kansas Athletic Trainers’ Society

Honorable Mention
West Virginia Athletic Trainers’ Association

 

Intercollegiate Council for Sports Medicine

Head Athletic Trainer of the Year Award: Division I
Melanee Johnson, MS, LAT, ATC

Head Athletic Trainer of the Year Award: Division III
Jessica Rhodes, MEd, LAT, ATC

Head Athletic Trainer of the Year Award: NAIA
Kara Werner-Sanders, MAC, LAT, ATC

Staff Athletic Trainer of the Year Award
Trev Muth, MS, LAT, ATC

Doug Boersma New Horizon Award
Steve Hillmer, ATC

 

Historical Commission

Pioneer Athletic Trainer Legacy Award
James Robinson – 1881
Wallace Denny – 1899
Frank Kavanaugh – 1937
 

International Committee

NATA International Committee International Service Award
Mark Gibson, MSEd, MS, AT Ret.

 

Journal of Athletic Training

2024 Journal of Athletic Training Kenneth L. Knight Award for the Outstanding Research Manuscript
Johna Register-Mihalik, PhD, ATC, Kevin Guskiewicz, PhD, LAT, ATC, Stephen Marshall, PhD; Karen McCulloch, PhD, PT, Jason Mihalik, PhD, ATC, CAT, Martin Mrazik, PhD, Ian Murphy, MBChB, MBA, Dhiren Naidu, MD, Shabbar Ranapurwala, PhD, Kathryn Schneider, PhD, PT, Paula Gildner, MPH, Danielle Salmon, PhD, Brandon Auton, BS, ATC, Thomas Bowman, PhD, ATC, Eric Hall, PhD, Loriann Hynes, PhD, CAT, Elizabeth Jewell, MA, ATC, Caroline Ketcham, PhD, Caroline Wesley Siler, MS, ATC, S. John Sullivan, PhD, AT Ret., Vasiliki Kostogiannes, MA, ATC; and Michael McCrea, PhD
“Symptom Exacerbation and Adverse Events During a Randomized Trial of Early Stage Rehabilitation After Sport-Related Concussion: Safety Outcomes From the Active Rehab Study”

2024 Journal of Athletic Training Clint Thompson Award for the Outstanding Clinical Practice Advancement Manuscript
Alli Gokeler, PhD, PT, Filippo Tosarelli, MD, Matthew Buckthorpe, PhD, Francesco Della Villa, MD
“Neurocognitive Errors and Noncontact Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries in Professional Male Soccer Players”

 

LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee

LGBTQ+ Award for Inclusive Excellence
Rebecca Lopez, PhD, LAT, ATC
Amy Schork, MBA, LAT, ATC

 

Secondary School Athletic Trainers’ Committee

Athletic Trainer of the Year
District One: Kelly Griffin-Brown, MS, NHLAT, ATC        
District Two: Gina Harris, MS, ATC, CES             
District Three: Sheila Gordon, MEd, LAT, ATC   
District Four: Chris Hall, MEd, LAT, ATC             
District Five: Alicia Wells, MS, LAT, ATC,             
District Six: Trent Cox, MS, LAT, ATC     
District Seven: Monica Orti, MAT, LAT, ATC        
District Eight: Karin Carido, MS, ATC    
District Nine: Kyle Southall, PhD, LAT, ATC        
District Ten: Taylor Purchio, MAT, LAT, ATC        

Servant’s Heart Award
District One: Kyle Peckham, MS, ATC  
District Two: Carla Pasquarelli, ATC     
District Three: Jessica Shanks, MS, LAT, ATC    
District Four: Elizabeth Miotke, PTA, LAT, ATC  
District Five: Michael Pelton, MS, LAT, ATC       
District Six: Shaketha Pierce, MEd, LAT, ATC    
District Seven: Bart Peterson, MSS, LAT, ATC   
District Nine: Larry Ullery, MS, ATC       
District Ten: James Capp, MS, LAT, ATC              
District Eleven: Jenna Arnold, LAT, ATC

 

State Association Advisory Committee

Emerging Leaders Award
Samantha Scarneo-Miller, PhD, LAT, ATC – West Virginia
Zachery Richards, MS, LAT, ATC – South Carolina

Excellence in Leadership Award
Shelly Fetchen-DiCesaro, PhD, LAT, ATC – Pennsylvania
Valerie Moody, PhD, LAT, ATC – Montana
 

Student Leadership Committee

Chuck Kimmel First-Time Attendee Award
Hailey Calkins 
Audrey Cannon 
Gabrielle Curtis 

Bobby Gunn Student Leadership Award
District One: Stephen Woods
District Two: Sharese Johnson
District Three: Landon Murray
District Four: Sara Grossniklaus
District Five: Hayley Bassett
District Six: Dominic Fraire
District Seven: Collins Vinacco
District Eight: Nikoles Geraci-Medina
District Nine: Brielle Liverman