CCRI Student-Athletes and Notable Trailblazers Honored at this Year’s State Scholar-Athlete Awards

05/07/2025

Warwick, RI – Ten student-athletes from the Community College of Rhode Island were honored last week for their athletic and academic achievements as part of the annual Scholar-Athlete Awards held in House Chamber of the Rhode Island State House.

The Legislative Awards are designed to provide public recognition for student-athletes from CCRI, Rhode Island College, and the University of Rhode Island for significant achievements in their academic and athletic pursuits. The honorees have also demonstrated exemplary citizenship and community service. 

In addition, Class of 1992 graduate and former men’s basketball standout Brendan Murphy earned the Athletic Alumnus Award while former CCRI Athletics Compliance Officer and softball coach Bev Wiley won the second annual K. Joseph Shekarchi Award, which is presented to an individual who has made significant contributions to the athletic program.

“It is a tremendous honor to celebrate the accomplishments of our outstanding CCRI student-athletes who exemplify excellence in the classroom, in competition, and in our communities. These ten students, along with Brendan Murphy and Bev Wiley—two remarkable individuals who have left an indelible mark on our college—remind us of the power of perseverance, leadership, and service. I want to thank Speaker Shekarchi for his enduring commitment to recognizing our best and brightest student-athletes and for his steadfast support of public higher education and the CCRI community,” said Dr. Rosemary A. Costigan, Interim President of the Community College of Rhode Island.

“It was an honor recognizing 10 of our student-athletes at the 27th annual Scholar-Athlete Awards Ceremony for their extraordinary work both on and off the playing surfaces,” said CCRI Director of Athletics, Recreation & Wellness Ashley Casiano. “I thank them for their dedication and exceptional representation of our institution.”

The scholar-athletes honored this year are:

• Kathryn Motta; softball; Warwick, RI; 4.0 GPA
• Jaiden Harding; softball; West Kingston, RI; 3.98 GPA
• Tyler Pendergast; men’s soccer; Coventry, RI; 3.72 GPA
• Brooke Dibenedetto; volleyball; Warwick, RI; 3.45 GPA
• Brianna Grenier; softball; Cumberland, RI; 3.49 GPA
• Kylie Brito; women’s soccer; Coventry, RI; 3.33
• Tyler Reall; baseball; Coventry, RI; 3.25 GPA
• Tatiana Pereira; Providence, RI; 3.17 GPA
• Sebastian Velez; men’s soccer; North Providence, RI; 3.01 GPA
• Connor Chambers; men’s basketball; Cranston, RI; 2.93

Brito wrapped up her CCRI career with a strong sophomore season, finishing fourth on the women’s soccer team 11 points (three goals, five assists) as the Knights went undefeated in Region XXI play for the second year in a row and won back-to-back conference champions to advance to the NJCAA Division III National Championships. Also on the pitch this fall, Velez led the men’s program with a tremendous 2024 season, leading the Knights with eight goals and a team-high 17 points. Pendergast finished with three goals, including one of the Knights’ four game-winners during 2024.

Dibenedetto’s 2024 included 71 digs, 22 blocks, and 29 kills in addition to a team-high 85 service aces as the volleyball team finished 13-4 and advanced to the semifinals of the Region XXI Tournament. 

On the basketball court, Chambers started 16 games during the 2024–25 season, averaging 9.8 points per game and 9.9 rebounds; in 15 conference games, he averaged a double-double with 10.5 points and 10.5 rebounds. Pereira starred 26 of 28 games for the women’s team and finished third in points with 11.5 per game, including 12.5 points per game in conference play, and averaged 2.7 assists as the Knights won the Region XXI Tournament and advanced to the NJCAA Division III National Championships for an unprecedented fourth year in a row. 

With CCRI’s softball team entering the stretch run, Motta has been one of the team’s top hitters this season with a .493 batting average – fourth on the team – in her first 23 games in addition to 23 RBI. Through 23 games, Grenier ranked second on the team with five home runs and tied for second with a .500 batting average while Harding has provided a solid, all-around performance through her first 15 games with 12 RBI and a .429 slugging percentage. In eight regular-season appearances on the mound for CCRI’s baseball team, Reall logged 18.1 innings with 16 strikeouts, including one start. 

Murphy, a Smithfield, RI, native, earned this year’s Athletic Alumnus Award for his record-setting performance on the court between 1990–92. He ranks second in program history with 1,398 points and owns the college’s record for most three pointers in a season (110) and in his career (212). The sharpshooter helped lead the Knights to the NJCAA Division III National Championship game in 1991 and a year later earned NJCAA D-III Player of the Year honors in addition to being named a First Team All-American. He eventually transferred to Hawaii Pacific University, where he helped lead the Sharks to the 1992–93 NAIA national championship and was named the NAIA National Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He is now a world-renowned contemporary artist with his work found in private collections which include the likes of Warren Buffet, Serena Williams, Ryan Gosling and Novak Djokovic.

Wiley, a Warwick, RI, native, is a well-known trailblazer in women’s athletics who served CCRI student-athletes both on and off the playing field. She is the college’s all-time winningest softball coach with 108 victories, which includes three consecutive Region XXI titles during an 11-year span. Wiley also served as a Student-Athlete Academic Support Program Advisor at CCRI and later became the college’s first Compliance Officer in 2009, a role in which she ensured the college followed regulations and guidelines and complied with NJCAA Title IX and gender equity policies. Outside of CCRI, Wiley has served as Commissioner of USA Softball Rhode Island since 1992, implementing the rise of girls fast-pitch softball in Rhode Island and leading a new era of success on the national level in the 1990s.

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