MEADVILLE, Pa. -- The executive board of the Allegheny College Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) has voted Cassady Bouthet (Vernon, Conn./Rockville) of the men's lacrosse team and Olivia Kraus (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) of the women's swimming and diving team winners of the College's 2023-24 SAAC Athlete of the Year awards.

Bouthet is the first-ever men's lacrosse student-athlete to win the award in the team's five years as a varsity program. Kraus is the first swimmer to earn Female Athlete of the Year honors since 2008-09 when Erin Ham Steehler '09, who was recently announced as part of Allegheny's Hall of Fame Class of 2024, was recognized.

The men's lacrosse team set a program record with 10 wins and advanced to the PAC title game for the first time, and Bouthet's performance was an integral part of the Gators' success. Crowned the 2024 PAC Defensive Player of the Year, the senior long pole ranked 12th nationally and first in the conference with 3.12 caused turnovers per game, and his 53 caused turnovers set a new Allegheny single-season record. He also collected a career-best 96 ground balls, the second-most ever by a Gator, while anchoring a defensive unit that ranked among national leaders in numerous categories. As a result, Bouthet was tabbed a United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) All-America Honorable Mention, the first All-American in team history, and he named First Team All-PAC and All-Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC).

A four-time Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) champion, Kraus won both the 50- and 100-yard freestyle championships for the second year in a row in 2023-24. As a result, she was named to the All-PAC First Team for the second time in as many seasons. She also graduated with four program records to her name, including both freestyle sprints, the 100-yard butterfly, and the 100-yard individual medley. Her time of 51.38 seconds in the 100-yard freestyle during the PAC prelims set new PAC Championship and facility record at Grove City College's James E. Longnecker Competition Pool, and qualified as an NCAA "B" standard. In addition to SAAC Female Athlete of the Year honors, Kraus was also tabbed one of Allegheny's 2023-24 Senior Achievement Award winners.