UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; April 7, 2025 – Three Penn State student-athletes were honored by the University for their accomplishments as part of the 2025 University-Wide Undergraduate Awards Ceremony. Women’s volleyball’s Jess Mruzik and football’s Tyler Warren are the recipients of the Ernest B. McCoy Memorial Award. The McCoy Award is presented annually to one senior student-athlete who has combined successful athletic participation with academic excellence. Field hockey’s Julienne van Bekkum was the athletics recipient of the John W. Oswald Award, given annually to the graduating seniors who have provided outstanding leadership in at least one of several areas of activity.
Mruzik earned her MBA from Penn State and is now pursuing a graduate certificate in business analytics. She was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship after leading Penn State to its eighth national title overall and first since 2014. She picked up All-America status in each of her two seasons at Penn State. She was a second-team All-American in 2023, earning the award despite carrying the workload of a one-year MBA program. She finished her career with more than 2,000 kills, 1,100 digs, 250 blocks, and 100 aces. She is just the third player that ever donned a Penn State jersey to eclipse 2,000 career kills. Including her three seasons at Michigan, Mruzik was a three-time All-American and four-time first-team All-Big Ten honoree.
Warren helped the No. 4 ranked Nittany Lions advance to the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Orange Bowl against the No. 5 ranked Notre Dame. Warren broke Penn State records in the tight end spot with 22 total touchdowns (16 receiving, 6 rushing). He ranks fifth among FBS tight ends in career touchdown receptions (15) and 10th in yards per reception (11.9). He’s 11th all-time at Penn State in touchdown receptions (15). Warren was named a first-team All-American, Mackey Award winner, Paul Hornung Award finalist and a semifinalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year award. He was also named the 2024 Kwalick-Clark Big Ten Tight End of the Year. Warren graduated in Fall 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in advertising/public relations and is pursuing a second degree in telecommunications.
Van Bekkum was named a National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Scholar of Distinction, the all-academic team and named a Big Ten distinguished scholar and was a first-team NFHCA All-Region selection this past season. Van Bekkum was honored for her impact on the campus community outside of athletics, as well. The Netherlands native volunteers with RePlay and THON. She is the first field hockey student-athlete to win the Oswald Award since Kirsten Gochnauer in 2017.