DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle Athletics Department announced the winners of the Steve & Vicky Ridder scholarship at the 2021 Athletic Awards Ceremony on Thursday evening. Men's cross country and track & field athlete Ryan Szklany and women's basketball player Sydney Jones earned the department's highest yearly honor. Szklany and Jones were selected from a group of current Embry-Riddle student-athletes who submitted applications and were interviewed by a committee comprised of ERAU students, faculty and staff.
 
A commitment to academic achievement, campus and community involvement, personal holistic growth and a drive to excel in sport exemplifies the spirit of Steve and Vicky Ridder and the scholarship that bears their names. Each head coach is asked to submit a nominee that represents the ERAU athletics department ideal package - the student-person-player - and those nominees must then submit an essay describing the ways in which they exude the aforementioned characteristics.
 
Szklany completed his junior season with the ERAU men's cross country and track & field teams this season. He won the season-opening cross country meet against Florida Tech and placed fifth at the Sunshine State Conference Championships, earning a spot on the SSC All-Championship Team. After the season, Szklany was selected as an All-SSC first team performer. On the track, Szklany won the 5000m at the Embry-Riddle Invite and will compete in the 5000m and 10,000m at the Peach Belt Conference Championships this weekend.
 
Szklany boasts a 4.0 GPA with a major in Civil Engineering. A three-time Sunshine State Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll recipient, Szklany was also named a 2020-21 ERAU Athletics Eagles of Excellence Scholarship winner and was a 2019-20 CoSIDA Third Team Academic All-American. He has also been named to the Dean's List in each of his five semester at Embry-Riddle and has served as a study mentor with the Eagle Study Connection.
 
In addition to his academic and athletic achievements, Szklany serves as the Co-President of ERAU's chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He also works with Scott Kirschner of Christ the King Community Church to help host weekly Launch college church services on campus. Szklany also volunteers with Christ the King Community Church as a member of the praise band as well as helping with community outreach events, such as the church's first-ever Trunk-or-Treat event held in the fall of 2020.
 
"In all of my experiences with Ryan, I have found him to be down-to-earth, hardworking, intelligent, committed, disciplined, and grounded," ERAU Head Men's Cross Country and Track & Field Coach Mike Rosolino said. "He is a diligent student who prioritizes his academics and is involved in several research projects as well. As an athlete, Ryan has improved dramatically each season. His success in all areas is due to work ethic and prioritization. Ryan understands that his priorities are his faith, academics, and athletics. Everything else comes after that. Ryan is an excellent role model; I have seen the positive impact he has had on our younger runners, including my own son. He has done great things and will do even more amazing things in the coming seasons."
 
Jones just completed her junior season as a member of the ERAU women's basketball team, during which time the Eagles were unable to compete due to COVID-19 restrictions. As a sophomore in 2019-20, Jones started 26 of 27 games for the Blue and Gold, averaging 8.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. She shot .461 from the field, second-best on the team, and tallied 37 steals and 22 assists.
 
Jones carries a 3.625 GPA in Aerospace Engineering and was named to the SSC Commissioner's Honor Roll in 2019-20 and was an ERAU Athletics Eagles of Excellence Scholarship award winner in 2020-21. She has also been named to the Dean's List the past two semesters.
 
While at Embry-Riddle, Jones has served as an undergraduate research assistant for Team EASE (Engineering and Sports Engagement) under Dr. Leroy Long III, as well as working under Dr. Jeff Brown on a National Science Foundation grant for Ethics and Sustainability. Jones has also interned with some leading aviation companies, including GE Aviation and Collins Aerospace, and this summer she will be a Pneumatic Systems Engineering intern with Textron Aviation. Jones also served as the Vice President of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council and will be representing Embry-Riddle on the Sunshine State Conference's Diversity & Inclusion Committee.
 
"I truly feel Sydney embodies the Total Package of student-person-player," ERAU Head Women's Basketball Coach Lisa Wilson said. "As a student, she has overcome adversity and obtained internships in each of her three summers as a college student. She takes her academics extremely seriously and holds herself to a high standard in all that she does in the classroom. As a player, Sydney improved tremendously throughout her freshman season and became a trusted starter for us as a sophomore. If we had been able to play this season, she was set to be a huge impact in the Sunshine State Conference. Lastly, Sydney is an unbelievable person. She has a strong desire to be the best teammate she can be and serve her teammates and classmates at ERAU. She is an active member of four different clubs on campus and a student research assistant for two different areas on campus. She is also a member of our team's Leadership Council for a second year in a row and has been actively planning our team's community service this year to several places in the community as well as on campus. Sydney is an excellent representative of our women's basketball program, our athletic department, and of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University."