WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Thursday, May 9, the Catholic University Athletic Department will hold its annual senior celebration in the Edward J. Pryzbyla University Center.

During the live event, the department will reveal the winners of its seven major awards. Over the coming days, the nominees for these will be announced, beginning today with the Martin Dowd Role Model Award. This award is presented to the male student-athlete who exudes graciousness in victory, humility in defeat and rallies his peers to consistently compete at a high level in athletics and beyond.

Student-athletes are nominated for these awards by their head coach and all nominees are voted upon by members of the department to decide a winner. The winners will be announced live on May 9.

The four nominees for this year's Martin Dowd Role Model Award are Jack Fitzpatrick, Allan Van Nostrand, Jack Walsh and Matthew Williams.

JACK FITZPATRICK

A native of Alexandria, Va., Fitzpatrick is a four-year member of the men's basketball team. A team captain as a senior, he appeared in 43 career games, shooting 33.3 percent from the field for his career. He also maintained a 1.95 career assist-to-turnover ratio and forced 22 career steals while helping the Cardinals to two regular season titles and a Landmark Conference Championship in 2023-24.

Off the field, the guard will graduate with a degree in business administration and sports management and has been named to the Dean's List both with highest honors and with distinction. He has also been extremely involved in the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) for three years, holding the vice president position as a senior.

"In my 18 years of college coaching, I have never coached a better teammate than Jack," says head coach Aaron Kelly. "Quite literally, Jack did not have a bad day of practice in four years. He always put the needs of the team above his own, and his behaviors always remained consistent regardless of his role on the team. He has served as a great mentor to everyone in our program, including the coaches."

ALLAN VAN NOSTRAND

A native of Jupiter, Fla., Van Nostrand is a four-year member of the men's tennis team. The team captain has featured in just shy of 50 competitive matches in Cardinal colors after suffering season-ending injuries during both his junior and senior campaigns. He was named Landmark Conference Rookie of the Year in 2021 and has been named to the Landmark Conference Second Team three times in his career, once for his play in singles and twice for his play on the doubles court.

Off the court, Van Nostrand will graduate with a degree in marketing and has been a contributing member of the team that has earned Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-Academic honors twice. He has been continuously involved with SAAC throughout his college career while consistently leading his team's service efforts at the annual MLK Day of Service.

"Allan has been one of the most talented and knowledgeable athletes I have coached," says head coach Nate Farlow. "While battling some difficult injuries, Allan has been able to demonstrate his true character. He has attended every match and has been the biggest supporter of our team. On match days, I have assigned Allan as a 'player coach,' and he has taken this role very seriously, having a positive impact on our top players in this role."

JACK WALSH

A native of East Lyme, Conn., Walsh is a four-year member of the men's golf team. The four-year point-scorer has never finished outside of the top 15 at the Landmark Conference Championships and helped the team to a conference championship during his freshman year in 2021. He is a two-time All-Landmark Conference First Team selection and has produced three career rounds of even par.

The Old Saybrook product has also contributed to the program-record single-round low 290 (+2) and two-day record low 592 (+16). He is pursuing a degree in finance with a specialization in accounting, and has been a regular participant in the Mother Theresa Day of Service and MLK Day of Service during this Catholic career.

"Jack is the best teammate I have coached," says head coach Ed Dolan. "He has displayed a commitment to his studies and a dedication to golf and his teammates. The spirit of the game of golf is to be enjoyable to play with. Jack has modeled that behavior on and off of the course, and is a true leader by his actions."

MATTHEW WILLIAMS

A native of Silver Spring, Md., Williams is a three-year member of the men's swimming and diving team. The captain during his junior season continued to improve throughout his career, posting his best times in all of his events during his senior campaign. Swimming freestyle and breaststroke events, he is a member of three-consecutive conference-championship-winning teams.

Williams is pursuing a degree in drama and has achieved Dean's List honors during his past two academic years. Outside of the classroom, he volunteers at the Lady of Sorrows Food Pantry and is a two-year member of the Dean of Students Advisory Council.

"Matt was an incredible person to have on our team," says head coach John Bodden. "After acting as a captain in 2022-23, he continued to be an example as the most positive, energetic and caring individual on our roster. There has never been a moment in time where Matt was not encouraging those around him, and he has definitely left his mark on the program.

Tomorrow, the nominees for the Jone Dowd Role Model award will be announced.