Wayne State University Athletics

General 1/22/2026 3:32:00 PM Jeff Weiss, Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Media Relations

Four Winter Sports Student-Athletes Named NACDA Good Works Nominees

Ayrault, Cotter, Mancini and Muccioli recognized for work in the community.

DETROIT -- Wayne State University student-athletes Annabel Ayrault (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. / Grosse Pointe North), Richelle Cotter (Mt. Morris, Mich. / Flint Carman-Ainsworth), Ludovica Mancini (Rome, Lazio, Italy / Liceo Linguistico Niccolò Machiavelli) and Diana Muccioli (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. / Grosse Pointe North) have been named as nominees for the Allstate National Association of Collegiate Director of Athletics (NACDA) Good Works Team for winter sports.

The four Warriors were among 103 female nominees and four of the six from the NCAA's Midwest Region, along with Northern Michigan's Jacy Weisbrod and Indianapolis' Emma Gaston.

NACDA Release
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Allstate and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) today announced the 180 student-athlete nominees for the 2025-26 Allstate NACDA Good Works Team (Winter), recognizing male and female student-athletes across all divisions and sports who go above and beyond in their commitment to community service, academic achievement and athletic performance.

Meet the winter sport nominees
The 2025-26 Allstate NACDA Good Works Team (Winter) nominees represent 15 collegiate sports, including basketball, bowling, indoor track & field, swimming and diving and wrestling. Nominees and their primary community service causes include:

Lillian Avalos: Vanguard University | Women's Wrestling | Serving Senior Citizens
JaPatrick Blackmon: Huston Tillotson University | Men's Basketball | Army Veteran Giving Back
Sean Conway: University of Chicago | Men's Wrestling | Youth Leadership Development
Audi Crooks: Iowa State University | Women's Basketball | Youth Empowerment
Ashtin Elder: Illinois Wesleyan University | Men's Indoor Track & Field | Faith-Based Community Outreach
Flau'jae Johnson: LSU | Women's Basketball | Adaptive Sports
Ludovica Mancini: Wayne State University | Fencing | ESL Education
Emma Pickering: RIT | Women's Ice Hockey | Youth Mentorship
Jack Rivera: Cypress College | Men's Basketball | Youth Empowerment
Gunnar Travis: Boston College | Skiing | Inclusion & Belonging

A distinguished selection committee of athletics directors, former student-athletes and industry leaders will choose the final 20-member team — 10 female and 10 male student-athletes — set to be announced in early February. One student captain will also be named to represent the group.  Click here to view the full list of nominees for the 2025-26 Allstate NACDA Good Works Team (Winter).

Expanding recognition across all sports
The Allstate NACDA Good Works Team recognizes 60 student-athletes annually across fall, winter and spring seasons. The initiative surpassed 500 nominees during its inaugural year.

Past honorees include Penn State golfer Jami Morris, who launched Hit Fore Hope, a cancer research fundraiser; Auburn gymnast Sophia Groth, who supported student parents through nonprofit advocacy with Baby Steps; and Loyola Chicago goalkeeper Aidan Crawford, who founded Special Olympics Loyola University Chicago to support adults with disabilities. These three student-athletes were recognized as Allstate NACDA Good Works Team captains for their leadership and dedication.

About the Allstate NACDA Good Works Team:  The Allstate NACDA Good Works Team was established in 2024 to recognize male and female student-athletes across all collegiate sports and divisions for their leadership in community service, academics and athletics. Building on the legacy of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®, which has honored college football players since 1992, this expanded initiative highlights the impact of student-athletes who go beyond the game to serve others.

About NACDA:  Now in its 61st year, NACDA is the professional and educational Association for more than 24,000 college athletics administrators at more than 2,300 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. NACDA manages 19 professional associations and four foundations. In addition to virtual programming, NACDA hosts and/or has a presence at seven major professional development events in-person annually. The NACDA & Affiliates Convention is the largest gathering of collegiate athletics administrators in the country. For more information, visit www.nacda.com.

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Players Mentioned

#40 Annabel Ayrault: G; 5' 11"; Junior

Ludovica Mancini: Foil; 5' 4"; Senior

Richelle Cotter: Hurdles; 5' 5"; Graduate Student; 2-Indoor/2-Outdoor

Diana Muccioli: Distance Free; 5' 5"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#40 Annabel Ayrault
: 5' 11"; Junior
: G

Ludovica Mancini
: 5' 4"; Senior
: Foil

Richelle Cotter
: 5' 5"; Graduate Student; 2-Indoor/2-Outdoor
: Hurdles

Diana Muccioli
: 5' 5"; Senior
: Distance Free