PRINCETON, N.J. – Several Ivies are set to be recognized at the NCAA Convention taking place from Jan. 14-17 in Nashville.
 
Former Harvard football star Isaiah Kacyvenski (Silver Anniversary), Harvard men’s skier Rémi Drolet (Today’s Top 10) and Penn men’s track and field athlete Marc Anthony Minichello (Today’s Top 10) will be honored at the NCAA Convention Welcome and Awards Presentation on Tuesday from 6-7:30 p.m. ET. The event will be live streamed here.
 
Former Penn women’s track and field star and Paris Olympian Isabella Whitaker is one of nine finalists for the NCAA Woman of the Year, which will be presented on Wednesday during a ceremony from 6-7 p.m. ET. The event will be livestreamed here.
 
SILVER ANNIVERSARY AWARD
The Silver Anniversary Award recipients are recognized on the 25th anniversary of the conclusion of their college athletics careers.
 
Isaiah Kacyvenski, Harvard ’00
Kacyvenski was a four-year starting linebacker for Harvard's football team and a three-time All-Ivy first-team honoree. He set the program's single-season and career records for tackles and helped lead the Crimson to an Ivy League championship in 1997. In his senior year, Kacyvenski earned first-team All-America honors and was named Harvard's Male Athlete of the Year. Kacyvenski became the first player in Harvard football history to start all 40 games of his career, and he graduated cum laude in 2000.
 
After being selected in the fourth round of the 2000 NFL draft by the Seattle Seahawks, Kacyvenski enjoyed an eight-year NFL career. This included serving as special teams captain of the Seahawks and playing in Super Bowl XL. After his retirement, Kacyvenski co-founded the Sports Innovation Lab and Will Ventures, focusing on sports technology and athlete health. A trailblazer for brain injury research, Kacyvenski was among the first NFL players to agree to donate their brains to the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy to help advance research on concussions and brain health.
 
TODAY’S TOP 10 AWARD
The award recognizes former student-athletes for their exceptional athletic and academic achievements, as well as their contributions to their campuses and communities. 
 
Rémi Drolet, Harvard ’24
Drolet, a team captain, finished his college skiing career as a three-time All-America honoree. He also won the NCAA title in the 20-kilometer classic in 2023 and represented Canada at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Drolet graduated magna cum laude. He also earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-America honors twice and was inducted into Harvard's chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. Drolet contributed to research projects on quantum field theory and wave turbulence and the development of a self-assembly platform.
 
Marc Anthony Minichello, Penn ’22
Minichello won NCAA national championships in the javelin in 2022 and 2024. He earned multiple All-America honors and also won a pair each of Southeastern Conference and Ivy League championships in the event. Minichello earned All-Academic honors in 2019 and 2022 from the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. He has been involved in various leadership roles, including being a team captain at Georgia, serving on the campus Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and participating in the campus Student-Athlete Leadership Academy. His community service includes volunteering for the Special Olympics and local elementary schools.
 
WOMAN OF THE YEAR
Established in 1991, the award is rooted in Title IX and recognizes female student-athletes who have completed their undergraduate studies and distinguished themselves in their community, in athletics and in academics throughout their college careers. 
 
Isabella Whittaker, Penn ’24
Whittaker claimed eight Ivy League titles as a member of the indoor and outdoor track and field teams. She earned five separate All-America honors and holds eight program records. In June, she placed fifth in the 400m at the NCAA outdoor championships with a time of 50.17 to mark her highest finish at an NCAA championship. 
A communication major, Whittaker graduated with 3.81 cumulative grade point average, while being heavily involved in the community. Whittaker served as alumni relations chair (2021-22) and later vice president (2023-24) of Black Student Athletes at Penn. She helped kickstart Penn’s Athlete Ally chapter and held the role of finance chair. Whittaker also volunteered and held leadership positions with Young Quakers Community Athletics, Friars Senior Society and Make a Play Foundation. 
At the U.S. Olympic Trials, she placed sixth in the 400m, helping her earn a spot on the Team USA roster. She was an alternate for the women’s 4x400m relay, which went on to post the second fastest time ever in the event.