General | 2/11/2026 7:00:00 PM

ERIE, Pa. – Junior Olivia Cernuto (Scottdale, Pa./Southmoreland) & Sophomore Mason Kemp (Shawnee, Kan./Mill Valley) were named the recipients of the 2025-26 Rand Garrity Sportsmanship Award on Wednesday.
 
Cernuto and Kemp were recognized between the Gannon women's and men's basketball games against Edinboro at the Highmark Events Center. The award has been given to one female and one male basketball player since the 2001-02 season.
 
The award is dedicated to longtime Gannon employee and supporter Rand Garrity, who passed away in the summer of 2001. He had taken tickets at the front door for numerous years and spent 20 years as a Gannon employee. He was also one of Gannon's most devoted fans.
 
The award honors student-athletes who have demonstrated strategies that foster greater acceptance of the values of respect, caring, fairness, civility, honesty, and fair play. Both award winners have excelled in the classroom, have consistently demonstrated good sportsmanship and ethical behavior during their daily participation in intercollegiate athletics, and have demonstrated good citizenship outside the sports competition setting.

Rand Garrity's son, Aaron Garrity, along with Gannon University President Dr. Walter Iwanenko and Director of Athletics Meghan Morphy were on hand for the award presentation.