Haines, Janecke honored with McCoy Award

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Levi Haines, a two-time individual NCAA champion on the men’s wrestling team, and Tessa Janecke, an Olympic gold medalist and forward on the women’s ice hockey team, have been selected as the 2026 recipients of the Ernest B. McCoy Memorial Award.

The Ernest B. McCoy Memorial Award annually recognizes one male and one female student-athlete who have combined successful athletic participation with academic excellence. Ernest B. McCoy was dean of Penn State’s College of Physical Education and the University’s athletic director from 1952 to 1970.

Levi Haines

Haines, majoring in recreation, park and tourism management in the College of Health and Human Development, capped off his senior campaign with a 26-0 record and earned the individual NCAA title at 174 pounds. He also helped the Nittany Lion wrestling team claim the 2026 NCAA wrestling championship on March 21 in Cleveland, Ohio, marking Penn State's fifth consecutive national title.

Haines ends his Penn State career as a four-time All-American and a two-time individual NCAA champion — also winning the 2024 championship at 157 pounds. He posted a 99-4 career record.

Haines’ accolades include:

• Four-time NCAA team champion (2023, 2024, 2025, 2026)
• Two-time individual NCAA champion (2024, 2026)
• NCAA individual national runner-up (2023)
• Four-time Big Ten individual champion (2023, 2024, 2025, 2026)
• Four-time Big Ten team champion (2023, 2024, 2025, 2026)
• Four-time All-American (2023, 2024, 2025, 2026)
• Big Ten Freshman of the Year (2023)
• NWCA National All-Academic Team (2023, 2024, 2025)
• CSC Academic All-American (second team, 2024)
• Academic All-Big Ten (2024, 2025)

Haines also earned a silver medal at the 2025 World Wrestling Championships and gold at the 2025 U23 Pan American Championships.

His parents are Aimee and Ken Haines.

Tessa Janecke

Janecke, who is majoring in nutritional sciences in the College of Health and Human Development, helped the U.S. women’s ice hockey team win its third gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. She’s also a two-time world champion with Team USA, earning gold at the 2023 and 2025 IIHF World Championships, including scoring the overtime game-winning goal in the gold medal game in 2025.

Janecke helped the Penn State women’s hockey team reach the Frozen Four for the first time in program history in 2026. She netted two goals during the national semifinal against Wisconsin on March 20 at Pegula Ice Arena to reach 201 career points, the most by any men’s or women’s ice hockey player in University history.

Janecke was named a 2026 CCM/AHCA First Team All-American, becoming the first woman in program history to achieve the honor. The senior captain also was the program’s first top-three finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, which is given annually to the top player in NCAA Division I women's ice hockey.

She is a four-time All-Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) First Team selection and three-time AHA Player and Forward of the Year. In addition to her First Team All-American status this season, Janecke earned Second Team All-American recognition by CCM/AHCA and U.S. College Hockey Online the previous two years of her career.

Janecke was selected to Atlantic Hockey America’s All-Academic Team the past three seasons. She also was awarded the Frances D. DiGeso Leadership Award in the College of Health and Human Development. Twice she participated in the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, known as THON.

Her parents are Andrew and Kari Janecke.