As the end of the year approaches, we are proud to celebrate the accomplishments of our teams and student-athletes who have a significant impact on their sport and their community. The annual Club Sports Awards are peer-nominated and staff selected awards that are presented during the Michigan Difference Student Leadership Award event.

This year’s recipients include:

• Outstanding Club Sport – Running (MRun)
• Janet K. Wells Outstanding Leader Award – Lidia Cappelletti, Taekwondo
• Club Athletes of the Year – Aaron Bartlett, Men’s Ultimate Frisbee & Gillian Ciak, Women’s Club Soccer
• Club Sports Coach of the Year – David Reitz, Taekwondo

You can learn more about the recipients and their accomplishments below. Thank you to all of them for the impact they make on our program!

Outstanding Club Sport

The Club Sports Team of the Year Award recognizes student-athletes and Club leaders who have demonstrated excellence in athletics and sportsmanship. This award takes into account team achievements, team visibility, and interactions with members of the campus community.

This year, Michigan Running Club (MRun) followed up their two national championship titles in 2024-2025 with a men’s win at NIRCA Cross Country Nationals. The women’s team also had a strong showing with a third place team finish in the championship division. This marked the eighth year in a row that the Michigan Running Club has brought home a Cross Country National Championship and marked the first championship for the men’s team since 2023.

The team of over 300 members fosters a supportive community, prioritizing mutual support and community engagement, actively participates in volunteer events, and works to keep team costs low through fundraising. The dedicated student-athletes have represented the University of Michigan with pride on and off the race path. Congratulations to the Michigan Running Club, this year’s Club Sport Team of the Year.

Club Sport Community Service Award

The Club Sport Community Service Award is awarded to the club that has contributed to the University of Michigan and Ann Arbor community and beyond, with outstanding efforts in community service projects and events.

The Michigan Running Club (MRun) prioritizes community engagement by working with Special Olympics Michigan basketball practices and raising over $20,000 with their Race Across Michigan (RAM). Additionally, they support local running events, park beautification projects, and teach other members of the Club Sports community hands-only CPR skills. Congratulations to the Michigan Running Club, this year’s Club Sport Community Service Award winner.

Janet K. Wells Outstanding Leadership Award

The Janet K. Wells Outstanding Leadership Award is our highest individual award given to a club officer who has established themselves as a leading administrator and who is committed to their club’s development and improvement.

This year’s recipient is Lidia Cappelletti, Michigan Taekwondo Club. Following her role as Treasurer in 2024-2025, Lidia was elected President and has hit the ground running. Michigan Taekwondo Club Vice President Ameilia Chung said, “She has always had a strong vision and goals, always striving for a betterment of Michigan Taekwondo.” She helps the club remain a home away from home, and brings us all closer, regardless of belt rank, experience level, or year.” She has worked with the club’s Social Chair to coordinate events to welcome new members into the fold and bring returning members closer to one another. She makes an effort to know all 130+ members on their club roster, to introduce herself and learn their names in turn.

Behind the scenes, Lidia has completely transformed the way that executive board runs. Every meeting is a question of “how can I help?” because no project should have to be solely shouldered by one person. In the short two months of her presidency, Lidia has established herself to be a guiding force within Michigan Taekwondo, for her officers and members alike. She has taken on the additional role of safety officer so that she can be of aid if there is ever an emergency situation. She is also calm and collected when plans go awry, even if it means needing to turn a trip around due to severe weather. She communicates well with club officers, coaches, and Club Sports staff, keeping the club in great standing. Congratulations to Lidia Cappelletti, the Janet K. Wells Outstanding Leadership Award recipient.

Club Athletes of the Year

Club Athlete of the Year awards are given to two athletes who most exhibit exceptional athletic ability, leadership, dedication, and sportsmanship. This year, we are pleased to announce our Athletes of the Year are Aaron Bartlett, Men’s Ultimate Frisbee and Gillian Ciak, Women’s Club Soccer.

Aaron Bartlett, a veteran of the Men’s Ultimate Frisbee Club, has not only been a driving force on the field but also a beacon of support and encouragement. His teammate Charlie Rosenfeld said, “He is always willing to give advice at practice whether that is about field positioning, throwing mechanics, or other techniques.”

He has consistently been ranked as a top four player in the country by various ultimate media sources. In addition to his individual performance at the college level, he has excelled at the club, semi-pro, and world levels. He was selected for Team USA and thus competed in and won the U24 world championships in Logrono, Spain last summer. In 2024, he was the club national offensive player of the year and in 2025 was the runner-up. He has won three consecutive national championships in the club season and has led the university club to success throughout the season with a strong display of athleticism and sportsmanship.

 

Gillian Ciak is a standout member of the Women’s Club Soccer team, contributing significantly to the team’s success at the national level. As a forward, Gillian consistently delivered in the most critical moments over her career. She scored multiple game-winning goals this season, including the decisive penalty in the Sweet Sixteen against Ohio State. Her ability to perform under pressure while leading the team in goals during her senior year demonstrates not only her technical ability, but her composure and competitive mindset.

Gillian’s journey reflects extraordinary dedication and resilience. Beginning her career as a practice player her freshman year, she developed into a key contributor over the next three seasons. This growth is a testament to her relentless work ethic, coachability, and commitment to continual improvement qualities that embody the spirit of this award.

Coach Mo Hijazi said, “A two-time team president and captain, Gillian is the heartbeat of our program. She leads by example through her preparation, accountability, and consistency, while also serving as a unifying presence in the locker room. Her influence extends far beyond her goalscoring, she sets the standard for culture, competitiveness, and character within our team.”

 

Club Sport Coach of the Year

Coach Dave Reitz has been a coach for the University of Michigan’s Taekwondo Team for 8 years serving as the Head Coach for 7 of them. Coach Reitz holds a 5th degree black belt in Taekwondo and was previously ranked #2 nationally for his sparring weight class. Just as he excelled as an athlete, Coach Reitz has also excelled as a coach.

This year Coach Reitz was recognized by the Eastern Collegiate Taekwondo Conference by being invited to attend the All-Star Seminar in Stanford and Berkeley California. This invitation is lucrative and is only extended to select coaches across the league who have made significant contributions to their team’s competitiveness, placing multiple athletes on the All-Star team. Under Coach Reitz’s guidance, the University of Michigan for the first time placed two athletes on the All-Star team – a recognition reserved for four male and four female athletes per discipline (sparring and poomsae) across 26 schools and over 700 athletes. As a part of this experience, Coach Reitz sought ways to further elevate our team bringing back drills and various other components of other schools’ curriculum.

Beyond enabling athletes to achieve at the highest levels, Coach Reitz has also fostered an environment where beginners thrive. Our C-team (white belt to green belt) athletes have continually medaled at each of the various competitions this year in both the Midwest Collegiate Taekwondo Conference (MCTC) and the Eastern Collegiate Taekwondo Conference (ECTC).

Most importantly, Coach Reitz is an excellent role-model for each and every athlete he coaches. He works to set an environment of inclusivity where individuals with zero martial arts experience, all the way to US National Team Members, are able to find a place to learn and grow, both as athletes and people. He takes the time to work with new members, teaching them basic skills and preparing them for their first competitions so that they are comfortable and confident when they first step out to compete. For the more seasoned athletes, he focuses on fine-tuning, pushing each person to reach for higher heights.