Five Student-Athletes Earn 2025 Outstanding Academic Achievement Award
4/9/2025 8:44:00 AM | Men's Swimming and Diving, Gymnastics, Women's Rowing, Women's Volleyball, Cross Country
WASHINGTON – Five GW student-athletes have been honored with the 2025 Outstanding Academic Achievement Award. Grace Allread, Anna Golbus, Alexia Massoud, Benjamin Sosnowski and Rachel Katz were among the 216 GW undergraduate students who received the distinguished honor.
A way to honor academic excellence, the Outstanding Academic Achievement Award is presented to students who are in approximately the top two percent of their respective school, by grade point average, who have earned at least 60 college credits by the fall 2024 semester, with at least 30 being obtained at GW.
Allread, a Columbian College of Arts and Sciences student, is being honored for the second consecutive year after also earning the award during the 2023-24 academic calendar. Allread returned to GW's lineup in 2024 after missing the prior season due to injury. She made an instant impact, tallying 144 assists (4.25 per set), while also adding 48 digs.
A student of the Elliott School of International Affairs, Golbus is also being awarded for the second year in a row. Golbus has been a steady contributor to GW's rowing team, earning Second Team All-Atlantic 10 honors during the 2022-23 season while also leading the program to a team A-10 Championship and a V8 conference title in the same year. Golbus was also honored as a Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association Scholar-Athlete in 2023-24.
Massoud earns her first Outstanding Academic Achievement distinction through her work with the Elliott School of International Affairs. Massoud has been a consistent presence in multiple short-distance events for GW, including the 200, 300, 400, 500 and 800m races. During the 2023-24 indoor track season, Massoud set a then-program record time in the 500m dash, clocking a 1:22.07 at the Youree Spence-Garcia Meet.
Sosnowski completes the trio of student-athletes honored through the Elliott School of International Affairs, earning the award for the first time. A rising sophomore and two-time swim and dive team A-10 Champion, Sosnowski broke the Atlantic 10 record and won gold in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:56.23. He also added two bronze medals with a third-place finish in the 200-yard IM and the 400-yard IM at the 2024-25 conference championship meet.
Katz, a member of the Milken Institute School of Public Health, racks up her third consecutive honor dating back to the 2022-23 school year. Katz started in two events for GW's gymnastics program in all four years of her career, spending most of her time on the vault and bars. A two-time EAGL Champion in 2022 and 2025, Katz also served as GW's team captain during the 2024-25 season. She was also honored at the conference level as a four-time All-EAGL performer and All-EAGL Scholastic Team member.
