RICHMOND, VA – Four Monmouth University student-athletes were honored as the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) released its 2022-23 CAA Leadership and Sport Excellence Award winners.
 
The Hawks honored were Louis DiLaurenzio (men's cross country), Dalton Yuest (men's outdoor track and field), Sydney Squier (women's indoor track and field) and A'Liah Moore (women's soccer).
 
The award mimics the Chuck Boone Leadership Award in football and the Dean Ehlers Leadership Award in men's and women's basketball. One student-athlete, who represents the highest standards of teamwork, integrity, leadership and sportsmanship in his or her academic and athletic achievements, was selected in each of the other 21 sports sponsored by the Conference.
 
Here's a closer look at the Monmouth Honorees:
 
Louis DiLaurenzio, (Men's Cross Country) – DeLaurenzio is pursuing a Master's degree in Criminal Justice (intelligence analysis) after completing his undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice with a 3.845 GPA. A three-year team captain, he is a member of the Chi Alpha Sigma Athletics Honor Society and has served as a volunteer with Special Olympics and the annual beach clean-up project. DiLaurenzio earned All-CAA honors in cross country after a 13^th-place individual finish at the 2022 conference championship with a time of 25:20. He added all-conference accolades in indoor track after winning the mile race at the CAA Championships (4:06.15) and outdoor track following a third-place effort in the 1500 meters.

Sydney Squier, (Women's Indoor Track and Field) – Squier is pursuing a Master's degree in Criminal Justice Intelligence after completing her undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice and Psychology with a 3.95 GPA. She served as President of the Monmouth Psychology Club, Vice President of the Guardian's Club and has worked as an Orientation Leader and Peer Transition Leader. An ACL injury stopped Squier from competing during the 2022-23 season, but she played a key role on the Hawks' MAAC championship teams in 2021 and 2022. She ran the 200 and 400 meters for Monmouth as well as participating on several relay teams. Squier was Monmouth's NJAIAW Woman of the Year nominee in 2023.

Dalton Yeust, (Men's Outdoor Track and Field) – Yeust is working on a Master's degree in Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship after completing his undergraduate degree in Marketing Management with a 3.53 GPA. A team captain, he has volunteered his time to coach club pole vault and also works as a teacher's assistant in a ceramic studio. Yeust had an outstanding season, earning CAA Men's Indoor Field Athlete of the Year after capturing the pole vault at league championship with a school-record mark of 5.10m (16-08.75). He was also the CAA champion in the pole vault at the Outdoor Championships with a mark of 5.11m (16-09.25) to post the top performance at the meet since 2016.

A'Liah Moore, (Women's Soccer) – Moore is pursuing a Master's degree in Communications - Interactive Digital Media after achieving a 3.65 GPA while completing an undergraduate degree in Communications with a concentration in media studies and production. A member of the CAA's Diversity and Inclusion Committee, she has spent countless hours working for the NAACP Youth & College Division organizing food drives, toy drives and scholarship fundraisers. Moore has conducted her own Diversity, Equity and Inclusion workshop to help advance social change at Monmouth and in the community. She started 14 games and tallied five goals and three assists in 2022 for a Hawks' women's soccer team that captured the CAA regular-season title. The two-year team captain also won three tournament titles in the MAAC.