The Cal Athletic Study Center hosted its annual Academic Honors Luncheon on Monday at the Field Club At California Memorial Stadium, honoring a variety of accomplishments by an impressive cross-section of Cal student-athletes.

Neveah DeSouza of Cal's women's gymnastics team took home two prestigious awards – the Tom Hansen Medal as the top female senior student-athlete at Cal and the Walter A. Haas, Jr. Community Service Award. Reece Whitley of the men's swimming & diving team was Cal's male winner of the Tom Hansen Medal.

DeSouza helped the Bears to one of their top seasons ever in 2023 while earning her sixth career All-American honor. Cal advanced to the NCAA Championships for the second time in four years and scored the highest mark of any team in the NCAA Regionals. The Bears also twice this season set a program record for top all-around score at a single meet.

Whitley, who also served as the guest student-athlete speaker at the luncheon, helped the Bears win three NCAA team championships and four Pac-12 championships during his time in Berkeley, and earned a staggering 19 All-American honors. He also became just the 14th swimmer in conference history to win an individual championship in the same event four years in a row (100-yard breaststroke).

Below is the complete list of award-winners from the luncheon:
 
Tom Hansen Conference Medal
The Thomas C. Hansen Conference Medal is presented to one outstanding senior male and one outstanding senior female student-athlete at each Pac-12 institution.

• Reece Whitley (men's swimming & diving)
• Neveah DeSouza (women's gymnastics)

Neufeld Scholar-Athlete Awards
The Neufeld Scholar-Athlete Awards are given to the graduating male and female student-athletes with the highest cumulative grade-point averages. The award was established by Cal Hall of Famer William Neufeld Sr. in honor and memory of his son, William Jr., who ran track at Cal before his untimely death in a boating accident.

• Male – Matthew Westly (men's soccer)
• Female – Sara Stone & Cato Knipping (field hockey) 

Jake Gimbel Prize and Anna Espenschade Award
The Jake Gimbel Prize and Anna Espenschade Award were established in the 1930s and 1987, respectively, to recognize a graduating male and female student-athlete for successful integration of academic and athletic pursuits. The winners of these awards exemplify the true "Golden Bear" spirit.

• Male – Max Schumacher (rugby)
• Female – Evelien Lutje Schipholt (women's basketball)

Joseph McDonnell Kavanagh Award
This award recognizes a student-athlete who has holistically demonstrated poise, patience, and persistence in his or her journey at Cal. The University's endearing phrase, Fiat Lux ("Let there be light,") is appropriate for this award, because there's always light at the end of the tunnel.

• Kuany Kuany (men's basketball) and Nicole Weber (women's rowing)

Walter A. Haas Jr. Community Service Award
The Walter A. Haas Jr. Community Service Award was created to honor Walter A. Haas Jr. for his commitment and service to the University and larger community. This award is given annually to a student-athlete for his or her outstanding contribution to community service.

• Neveah DeSouza (women's gymnastics)
• Sona Halajian (softball)
• Maya Griffin (women's soccer)

Jonathan and Judy Hoff Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year
The Jonathan and Judy Hoff Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year award recognizes a football student-athlete who has dedicated himself to a holistic approach toward academic, athletic and personal development by demonstrating consistent daily routines, persistent community outreach and collaborative leadership ability.

• Brian Driscoll (football)

Athletic Study Center Scholar-Athlete of the Year
The ASC Scholar-Athlete of the Week program honors a student-athlete for academic development and achievements developed through practice, study habits, course performance and leadership. From those recipients, one student-athlete is chosen Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

• Keely Roy (women's soccer) 

Golden Bear Team Award (Highest Team GPA)

• Women's Tennis (3.69)

Big C Most Improved Team GPA Award

• Women's Water Polo

Golden Bear Achievement Award

The Golden Bear Achievement Awards are presented to the student-athlete with the highest GPA on his or her respective team.

• Baseball: Joseph Donnelly (Economics)
• Men's Basketball: Lars Thiemann (Nutritional Science)
• Men's Rowing: Tommy Barrell (Business Administration)
• Men's Cross Country: Ethan Bersley (Chemical Engineering)
• Football: Hunter Barth (Intended Business Administration)
• Men's Golf: Aaron Du (Public Health)
• Men's Gymnastics: Aidan Giusti (Legal Studies)
• Rugby: Matt Vranesh (Economics)
• Men's Soccer: Matt Westly (Business Administration)
• Men's Swimming & Diving: Evan Petty (Mechanical Engineering)
• Men's Tennis: Lucas Magnaudet (Political Economy)
• Men's Track & Field: Michael Gupta (Computer Science)
• Men's Water Polo: George Chalkias (Intended Economics)
• Women's Basketball: Alma Elsnitz (Political Economy)
• Beach Volleyball: Alex Young (Media Studies)
• Women's Rowing: Katie McDermott (Public Health)
• Women's Cross Country: Kalinda Reynolds (Spanish & Portugese)
• Field Hockey: Sara Stone (Social Welfare) and Cato Knipping (Economics & Cognitive Science)
• Women's Golf: Cristina Ochoa (Economics)
• Women's Gymnastics: Jordan Kane (Intended Nutritional Science)
• Lacrosse: Kaitlyn Rothman (Political Science)
• Women's Soccer: Hannah Cooper (Data Science)
• Softball: Anna Reimers (Intended Data Science)
• Women's Swimming & Diving: Emily Gantriis (Economics)
• Women's Tennis: Katja Wiersholm (Intended Business Administration)
• Women's Track & Field: Adriana Ellard (Intended Public Health)
• Volleyball: Sam Taumoepeau (Philosophy)
• Women's Water Polo: Sydney Hammill (Business Administration)