COLLEGE PARK, Md. – On Thursday, the Big Ten Conference announced men's lacrosse's Shea Keethler and field hockey's Kylee Niswonger as Maryland's recipients of the Outstanding Sportsmanship Award for the 2024-25 season.
Keethler and Niswonger were selected from a pool of over 350 student-athletes recognized throughout the academic year for displaying exceptional sportsmanship.
Each varsity sports team at every Big Ten institution nominates one student-athlete for the Sportsmanship Award. From those honorees, each school then selects two student-athletes to receive the prestigious Outstanding Sportsmanship Award. These individuals consistently demonstrate integrity, respect, and ethical behavior both in and out of competition. Recipients must also be in good academic standing and exhibit strong character as citizens of their communities.
A 2025 graduate, Keethler was a standout both athletically and academically for the men's lacrosse program. He is a two-time Elite 90 Award recipient and the 2024 Geary F. Eppley Award winner, presented to the male student-athlete with the highest GPA across all sports at Maryland. A native of Columbus, Ohio, Keethler also earned CSC Academic All-District honors for his excellence in the classroom and on the field.
On the field, Keethler was a critical contributor at the faceoff X, appearing in all 18 games and finishing the season with a faceoff win percentage above .500. His performance helped lead the Terps to a national championship appearance. In the national semifinal against Syracuse, Keethler dominated at the X, winning 75% of his faceoffs.
Kylee Niswonger was a key contributor and consistent presence for the Maryland field hockey program in her senior season. She started all 20 games in 2024, showcasing her skill and reliability on both ends of the field. Niswonger recorded her first career multi-goal game with a standout three-goal performance against Lock Haven on September 15th, and added her first assist of the season in a Big Ten matchup against Michigan on October 19th. A 2025 graduate, she capped off her collegiate career with a strong and steady final season for the Terps.
