HOUGHTON, N.Y. -- Houghton's annual Night of Excellence banquet Thursday was highlighted by the selection of
Amanda Burrichter and
Malachi Yeager as the recipients of the Student-Athlete Excellence Awards. The honors go to those who have regularly exhibited excellence in the areas of athletic performance, academic achievement and Christian character during their time as Highlander student-athletes.
The women's award is called the Velma H.M. Hewson Excellence Award and the men's award is called the Dr. Marvin H. Eyler Excellence Award. Both Mrs. Hewson and Dr. Eyler were outstanding Christian student-athletes during their time at Houghton and continued to live by the ideals that these awards honor throughout their time after college.
The awards recognize student-athletes who have lived according to the department's motto: Excellence for the Glory of God. The awards have been described as recognizing the "ideal Houghton athlete."
Burrichter became the third athlete to earn the award for a second time (David Wessells, Jesse Toth). The senior is a four-time Empire 8 All-Conference selection in cross country, and claimed the 2022 E8 title last fall. She has won eight Empire 8 individual or relay track titles during her four-year career.
She was named the 2022 and 2023 Indoor E8 Female Track Athlete of the Meet, and following the 2022 season was recognized as the E8 Indoor Track Athlete of the Year. She is in the top 10 in Houghton history in seven events.
In the classroom, Burrichter's performance is equally impressive. She holds a 3.70 GPA in Exercise Science and is a three-time E8 President's List and NCCAA All-America Scholar-Athlete honoree. She has also been named to Houghton's President's List and Dean's Honor List.
She serves her community as a church youth group leader at Crosstown Alliance Church, has volunteered as the Red Cross Blood Drive, has been a CIA and SAAC representative and has been serving as the SAAC president during this academic year.
Yeager capped his final year as a Highlander with impressive performances in track and field. He set the Houghton record in the heptathlon (4,464 points) while claiming the 2023 Empire 8 Indoor Championship title. He is a 10-time podium finisher at E8 indoor and outdoor championship meets. He is also the program record-holder in the 4x100 relay. He holds 12 Houghton top-10 marks, including second all-time in the decathlon, indoor high jump and indoor shot put.
Yeager holds a 3.78 overall GPA with a 4.0 in his biology major. He won the 2022 Award for the Outstanding Student in Research and the Outstanding Student in General Biology I & II. He is a multiple honoree for the Dean's List, Dean's Honor List and President's List, and is an NCCAA All-America Scholar-Athlete selection.
He served as a big brother through Allegany County Outreach, was a resident assistant for three years, was on the Pre-Health Professions Club, and has served a number of years on the Student Government Association. He was a president of the class of 2022 during his junior year and was the Houghton student body president during the 2022 academic year.
See past Excellence Award recipients.
