Four UC Davis athletes attend Black Student-Athlete Summit in Chicago
Tristan, Larison take home top UCD awards, Aggie football No. 5 in preseason rankings, Big West adds new member
Four UC Davis athletes participated in the prestigious Black Student-Athlete Summit last week in Chicago, helping to celebrate the 10th anniversary of this increasingly popular event.
Along with football players Damon Wrighster and Zaire Collier were track and field standout Kadidja Sangare and women's basketball star Ryann Bennett.
The gathering attracted nearly 1,500 athletes from across the country, representing all levels of intercollegiate athletics and virtually every sport offered.
"Seeing the great diversity of sports and athletes from some of the major schools and some of the smaller HBCU universities was surreal for me," noted Zaire, a talented 6-3, 300-pound offensive lineman for the Aggies.
"The format was pretty cool and made for a great experience," Zaire explained.
"There were motivational speakers, plus a lot of opportunities and spaces created for us that helped give me a new perspective and new energy. We were able to discuss a lot of issues facing Black athletes in an open and honest and vulnerable way. It was an incredibly valuable experience."
Added Zaire, "One of the major issues discussed was mental health. This gave us the chance to open up and really dig deep. I had the chance to meet a lot of good people and this showed us how powerful and impactful we can be when we're united. Ego and pride were left at the door, which allowed for a lot of love and positivity. It felt like one continuous beautiful day."
Zaire pointed out that while there are great differences between the student-athlete experience at a small HBCU compared to an SEC school, there are also a number of similarities.
He was also intrigued by the wide variety of athletes represented, including fencers from Notre Dame, crew members from Iowa and football players from LSU.
"Every Black student-athlete should have the experience that we were able to have. Our days were so full and exciting that I didn't get a lot of sleep," he said with a laugh.
Zaire, a Sociology major with minors in both African-American Studies and Communications, hosts a local podcast at onthelinez.com.
As for the upcoming 2025 football season, Zaire says it's important to look ahead and not over the shoulder at the great accomplishments of the 2024 UC Davis team that reached the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs.
"We can build on last year, for sure, but this year's team is not last year's team," he said.
"We have to focus on improving in all areas, but I'm excited about the possibilities. The defense is hungry, the offense is explosive at every position and we're ready for whatever comes our way."
IN OTHER AGGIE NEWS: UC Davis opens fall camp July 23 in anticipation of the nationally televised season opener against Mercer in the FCS Kickoff Classic August 23 in Montgomery, Alabama.
The Aggies are listed No. 5 in the preseason FCS Coaches Poll, while Mercer, out of Macon, Georgia, is No. 7.
Defending national champion North Dakota State is No. 1, followed by defending Big Sky champion Montana State, South Dakota State and South Dakota.
Other Big Sky teams in the poll are No. 8 Idaho, No. 13 Montana and No. 22 Northern Arizona.
UC Davis opens its home schedule September 20 in a non-conference game against Southern Utah.
Other home games include Weber State (Sept. 27), Northern Arizona (Oct. 11), Idaho State (Nov. 1) and Sacramento State (Nov. 22).
TRISTAN, LARISON HONORED AS TOP AGGIE ATHLETES: Women's soccer star Sam Tristan was presented the Dr. Hubert Heitman Award as UC Davis' Female Athlete of the Year, while running back Lan Larison earned the Colby E. "Babe" Slater Award as the Aggie Male Athlete of the Year.
Tristan was the first Aggie women’s soccer player ever to be named as the Big West Offensive Player of the Year. She started all 20 games for the Aggies and led the Big West with 24 points and 26 shots on goal.
Larison led the nation with 2,387 all-purpose yards while scoring 23 touchdowns, 17 on the ground and six as a receiver.
In other awards, volleyball star Ximena Cordero Barr was the recipient of the New Aggie of the Year honor and Brody Crouch of men's water polo won the Aggie Pride Award.
The Best Upset went to women's soccer for a thrilling win over SEC power LSU, and the Best Moment went to men's soccer player Cason Goodman who scored two goals in UCD's 2-0 win over UC Santa Barbara in the Big West championship game.
The Sarah Sumpter Perseverance Award went to equestrian Kylie Jacobson, the Marya Welch Award for women's team highest GPA went to water polo (3.48) and the Lysle Leach Award for highest men's team GPA went to men's basketball (3.29).
The W.P. Lindley Award to UCD's top scholar-athlete went to Niko Rocak of men's basketball.
The Women's Team of the Year went to gymnastics and the Men's Team of the Year went to soccer.
BIG WEST CONFERENCE EXPANDS EVEN AS IT CONTRACTS: Utah Valley University out of Orem will join the Big West Conference as a full member beginning with the 2026-27 academic year, just as UC Davis is leaving the Big West to join the Mountain West for most sports, with the notable exception of football, which will remain in the Big Sky Conference.
Earlier this year the Big West added Cal Baptist, a private school in Riverside.
The Aggies will compete in the Big West for the final time during the 2025-26 academic year.
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OK, I clicked "comment" and hope that works. I guess I should click "Post" so will do so.
Great article🤛 Happy to hear how rewarding the Summit was for them.
Congrats to all the award winners🏆