West Long Branch, NJ – Monmouth University Athletics has announced its 2024-25 Paul G. Gaffney II Athletes of the Year, with track and field standout Yasmeen Tinsley repeating as Female Athlete of the Year and decorated quarterback Derek Robertson collecting Male Athlete of the Year.
 
Tinsley is the first back-to-back winner of Monmouth's Female Athlete of the Year award since 2000-2001, when lacrosse's Heather Bryan won consecutively. Tinsley completed one of the best careers in school history with Second Team All-American honors after qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships in the 400-meter hurdles. She became the sixth woman in program history to earn an All-America honor, and the first since Olympian Allie Wilson in 2019, and just the second to do so in the 400-meter hurdles, joining Rachel Watkins (2013).
 
Tinsley was recently named the CAA Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year, and leaves MU with 10 program records, including the 100m, 200m, 400m, 100m hurdles, and 400m hurdles on the indoor side. Outdoors, Tinsley holds school marks in the 60m, 200m, 300m, 400m, and 60m hurdles. She has been named to the CAA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll in all eligible semesters since coming to Monmouth, and has qualified for the NCAA First Round the last two years.
 
Robertson was named an All-American by the Associated Press, STATS Perform and Sports Illustrated's FCS Football Central and was the CAA Offensive Player of the Year. He led FCS Football in total passing yards with 3,937 and passing yards per game with 328.1. He broke program records in passing yards and passing touchdowns with 31, a number that was third in the FCS. He also led the country in total offense per game with 325.3 yards per contest, and had at least one touchdown pass in every game.
 
A finalist for the Walter Payton Award, Robertson was a First Team All-CAA selection and was a two-time CAA Offensive Player of the Week. He set a career-best with 536 yards passing in the season finale, the second of consecutive ranked victories over No. 20/18 Stony Brook after topping No. 8/9 Villanova the week prior. Robertson also helped lead Monmouth to its first ever win over an FBS opponent, throwing for 361 yards and two touchdowns in a 45-42 win at FIU.
 
Tinsley is the fifth muiltiple time winner of Monmouth's Female Athlete of the Year honors, joining soccer's Jeannette Goepfert (1991-92), soccer's Christie Pearce (1996-97), softball's Danae Stillitano (1998-99) and lacrosse's Heather Bryan (2000-01). She is the 11^th member of the track and field program to earn the accolade.
 
Robertson is the ninth football player to earn Monmouth's Male Athlete of the Year, and third ever quarterback, joining Dan Sabella (1998) and Kenji Bahar (2020).
 
Nominees for the Paul G. Gaffney II Female Athlete of the Year were: Kailyn Bloch (bowling), Damaris Rodriguez (basketball), Jess Tucker (field hockey), Lauren Bruno (soccer), Emily Simko (cross country) Veronica Chainov (outdoor track and field), Ava Lozito (golf), Katie Sullivan (lacrosse), Faith Sadgrove (tennis), Jensen Ritter (swimming), and Sam Staubach (rowing).

Nominees for the Paul G. Gaffney II Male Athlete of the Year were: Ethan Lee (golf), Abdi Bashir Jr. (basketball), Gabe Dahlin (soccer), Mateo Bivol (tennis), Declan McDonnell (cross country), David Strong (indoor track and field), Ahmad Brock (outdoor track and field), Jay Bant (baseball), and Victor Pottier Ibanez (swimming).