CLEVELAND - The National Alliance of Two Year College Athletic Administrators (NATYCAA) is proud to announce Elijah Palmer from Surry Community College and Rhiannon Walker from Clovis Community College as the 2026 NATYCAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year recipients sponsored by Risk Strategies.
"This award represents the very best of two-year college athletics, and Elijah Palmer and Rhiannon Walker exemplify what it means to succeed both in competition and beyond," stated NATYCAA 3rd Vice President Dominic DiMaggio, Director of Athletics & Head Men's Soccer Coach at Mohawk Valley Community College. "Both student-athletes distinguished themselves through exceptional athletic achievement, academic excellence, leadership, and service within their communities. Their dedication, character, and impact on those around them make them truly deserving of this recognition and outstanding representatives of two-year college athletics."
Elijah Palmer was a standout baseball student-athlete at Surry Community College whose success reflects excellence on the field, in the classroom, and in the community. A team captain at Surry, Palmer earned national recognition for his efforts in the classroom and on the field as noted below with his plethora of accomplishments.
He earned his Associate in Arts degree while posting an overall 3.67 GPA. His efforts on the field and in the classroom garnered him both an academic and athletics scholarship at Division I, St. Bonaventure University. Academically, Palmer distinguished himself as a NJCAA All-Academic honoree, multiple Region 10 All-Academic selection, and Surry Honor Graduate, earning repeated placement on the President's List. On the field, Palmer was named Region 10 Player of the Year and NJCAA All-American guiding Surry to a fifth-place finish in the 2025 NJCAA World Series.
Off the field, Palmer was deeply involved in community service through youth sports, elementary/middle school outreach, FCA, Special Olympics, Read Across America Day, and a multitude of holiday community specific initiatives to help provide assistance to those in need.
Academic Accomplishments
- 2024-2025 NJCAA All-Academic (Second Team)
- Two-time NJCAA All-Academic Team Member (Baseball)
- Two-time NJCAA Region 10 All-Academic
- 2024 NJCAA Region 10 All-Academic
- Four-time Surry Community College President's List
- Surry Community College Honor Graduate
Athletics Accomplishments
- 2025
- NJCAA Division III All-American (Second Team)
- ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Award
- NJCAA Region 10 Division III Player of the Year
- NJCAA Region 10 All-Region First Team, All-Tournament Team, All-Defensive Team
- NJCAA World Series (5th place)
- Mid-Atlantic District Champions
- NJCAA Region 10 Champions
- Surry Baseball Team Captain
- 2024
- NJCAA Region 10 All-Defensive Team
- NJCAA Region 10 Regular Season Champions
Community Service
- Surry County Sheriff's "Give a Kid a Christmas" Campaign
- Surry Community College FCA
- Surry County Schools Elementary School Volunteer
- Surry County Little League Volunteer
- Surry County Special Olympics Volunteer
- Read Across America Day Volunteer
- Surry Community College Foundation Golf Tournament Volunteer
Born and raised in the heart of California's Central Valley, Rhiannon Walker was a standout at Fresno High School prior to enrolling at Clovis Community College in the fall of 2023. During her time as a member of the Crush cross country and track & field program, Walker rewrote the record book during her historic career. She captured four total 3C2A State Championships, highlighted by the women's individual cross country crown in 2024, a season in which she was undefeated on the course. Rhiannon earned a total of seven All-America honors, and led her teams to three conference titles, two regional championships, and a pair of 3C2A State podium finishes.
Academically, Walker completed her time at Clovis with a 3.94 GPA as a kinesiology major. She finished her career at Clovis by being named the 2024-25 DLC ISE Female Student-Athlete of the Year and was also recognized as the 2025 3C2A Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Walker transferred to Division 1 Fresno State University, where her assault on the record book continues. In her first season with the Bulldogs, she established a new school mark in indoor 5k and recently moved to 4th all-time in the 3000m steeplechase.
Academic Accomplishments
- 2025 32CA Scholar-Athlete of the Year
- 2025 Magna Cum Laude Graduate
- Four-time Clovis Community College Dean's List
- 2024 Kiwanis 'Torch of Excellence' Chancellor's Award of Distinction
- 2024 Torch of Excellence President's Scholar
Athletic Accomplishments
- Seven All-America honors
- NorCal Regionals Track MVP
- All-CVC (Cross Country and Track & Field)
- Four-time 3C2A State Champion
- 3C2A Cross Country Title
- 3C2A State Title – 3,000 meter steeplechase
- 3C2A State Title – 10,000 meters
- Most Decorated Athlete in Clovis Community College History
Both individuals will be recognized at the upcoming NATYCAA Convention, June 7-10 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, NV.
About NATYCAA: Now in its 38th year, NATYCAA is the professional organization of two-year college athletics administrators and membership open to all two-year institutions from throughout the country. NATYCAA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 61st year. For more information on NACDA and the 19 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.
