McKeon and Roberts Recognized with Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship AwardMcKeon and Roberts Recognized with Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship Award

McKeon and Roberts Recognized with Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship Award

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Penn State student-athletes Mark McKeon of men's lacrosse and Katelyn Roberts of women's ice hockey were among the 36 honorees named Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship Award winners for the 2025-26 academic year, as announced by the conference office Thursday. The pair were chosen from a group of 31 Penn State students honored throughout the academic year who had displayed positive sportsmanship.

One member of each varsity sports team on every campus was chosen by his or her institution as a Sportsmanship Award honoree, and two Outstanding Sportsmanship Award winners were then selected from each institution. All of the Sportsmanship Award winners have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. In addition, these honorees must be in good academic standing and must have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.

Announced alongside the Outstanding Sportsmanship Awards was the Big Ten At-Large Sportsmanship Awards, recognizing athletes who compete in varsity athletics in sports the Big Ten does not formally sponsor. Penn State's 2026 recognizees are Matthew Luoma (men's volleyball), Katelyn Roberts (women's hockey), Neil Lilov (men's fencing), and Eden De La Cruz (women's fencing). Luoma and Robert's each helped their programs win a conference tournament title while Lilov and De La Cruz helped PSU post a top ten finish at the 2026 National Fencing Championships this past March.

Mark McKeon

Named Mr. Penn State at the 2026 Nittanys, McKeon was the heart of the Penn State men's lacrosse program. Most recently, he recognized as Penn State’s honoree for the inaugural Liam Gleason Humanitarian Award recognizing exemplary leadership, unwavering support for teammates and staff, outstanding sportsmanship, and meaningful community involvement.
McKeon was known to lead the charge for most Penn State Lacrosse community initiatives. In a program that has led the department the last three seasons in cumulative community service hours, McKeon could be found out at local schools reading to kids or at the YMCA helping sort and pack foods for those in need. In preparation for his postgraduate plans, he spent last summer working with the Radnor Police Department, getting a hands-on experience in the law enforcement sphere.
During his time off the field at PSU, he was mentored by Captain Cagney of the State College Marine Corps Officer Program. Her guidance and his experiences set him up for Officer Candidacy School following his graduation, where after a three step program, and about a year’s time, he will be an officer in the Marines.
Roberts' Big-Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship recognition comes after ending her career on a historic note. As an alternate captain in her senior season, Roberts earned All-AHA Second Team recognition. She appeared in all 39 games for the Nittany Lions and recorded her 100th career point in the regular-season finale against RIT on February 14. She became just the sixth student-athlete in program history to reach the milestone. She also set a Penn State single-season record with seven game-winning goals, the most in the AHA and tied for second nationally. Roberts also added a career-high five power-play goals, tied for fifth in the AHA.
Roberts also earned Penn State's Ms. Nittany Lion Award at the 2026 Nittany's Athletic Award Ceremony. Known as the Above and Beyond Award, it is presented annually to one outstanding female and one outstanding male senior student-athlete who embody the true spirit of "WE ARE" through qualities such as school spirit, caring, encouragement, humility, honesty, kindness, patience and humor.
Off the ice, Roberts earned 2025-26 CSC Academic All-District honors after maintaining at least a 3.50 grade-point average and competing in at least 50% of her team's games.

Penn State Among the Nation's Most Comprehensive and Successful Athletic Programs

Under the leadership of Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Patrick Kraft, Penn State has one of the nation's most comprehensive and successful athletic programs, featuring nearly 800 student-athletes across 31 varsity programs (16 men's, 15 women's). The Nittany Lions' 31 programs are tied for the fourth-highest number of sports sponsored by a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) institution.

Penn State student-athletes earned a record-tying 93% NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) and 13 programs earned perfect 100% ratings in the 2025 report. This is the ninth consecutive year the Nittany Lions have posted a record or record-tying performance in the classroom. Penn State is one of only eight schools that have won at least 10 NCAA Championships since the 2015-16 academic year and earned at least a 90 percent Graduation Success Rate (GSR) in the 2025 NCAA report (Florida, North Carolina, Stanford, Texas, UCLA, USC, Virginia).