ATLANTA, Ga. (July 11, 2025) - The Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) has announced the winner for the prestigious Man of the Year award. This award recognizes the top male student-athlete for their athletic, academic, service, and leadership involvement during the academic year.
Piedmont’s Yannick Wassmer Navarro has been named the 2025 CCS Man of the Year honoree. He is the third Lion to receive this honor.
“It is truly a privilege to honor this year’s CCS Man and Woman of the Year recipients, along with an exceptional group of nominees. The level of commitment, achievement, and leadership shown by these student-athletes is nothing short of inspiring. Their success both on the field and in their communities sets a powerful example for others,” said CCS Commissioner Beth Vansant. “I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Yannick Wassmer Navarro and Ellie Jones, as well as all the nominees, for their remarkable contributions and for raising the bar of excellence within our conference.”
A recent graduate as part of the 3+2 engineering physics program with Georgia Tech, Yannick has excelled not only in the classroom but also as a leader on the tennis courts and in his community.
Throughout his tennis career at Piedmont, Yannick’s skill and determination were undeniable. As a three-time All-CCS First Team selection and two-time CCS Academic All-Conference honoree, he combined athletic excellence with academic success. His academic rigor was matched by his leadership as team captain, where he helped lead the Piedmont men's tennis team to three consecutive CCS Tournament Final appearances, including an undefeated CCS Regular Season, earning a regular season title in 2024.
Yannick’s individual accomplishments are just as impressive. He played No. 1 singles for most of his career, earning CCS Player of the Week honors four times and CCS Rookie of the Week three times. This past season, Yannick also made a mark in doubles play, breaking Piedmont’s single-season record for doubles wins with 19 and earning three CCS Doubles Team of the Week nods three times.
Off the court, Yannick’s dedication to his peers and community is just as remarkable. He served as a tutor at Piedmont, assisting math and science majors as well as helping with Spanish tutoring. Yannick also volunteered for the Hogpen Hill Climb organized by Habitat for Humanity, showcasing his commitment to service and community.
Yannick’s next chapter begins this fall, as he will continue his studies at Georgia Tech, where he’ll pursue aerospace engineering. With his exceptional leadership, academic achievements, and service to others, Yannick embodies the core values of the CCS and Division III athletics.
Here’s what Yannick had to say about his journey from Madrid to Piedmont:
"Going to college in the United States has taught me many things. It has taught me how to be strong and resilient because being far away from home is not easy, but nothing worth it in life is, the most important thing is to remind ourselves of our goals and remember to push through so we can achieve them. Finally, thanks to the help that my friends and family have given me, I have realized how important it is to help others, because I know what it feels like to need it, and I want other people to feel the same way I did when I received help, because no matter how small it is, if everyone tried to help each other a little bit more, the world would be a much better place."
Here’s what others had to say about Yannick:
Matt Williams, Head Men's Tennis Coach
Yannick has been a leader for us since he arrived on campus. He embodies what Piedmont Tennis is all about - sacrificing the self for the betterment of others. I do not think the conference could have chosen a better representative.
Yannick's dedication to excellence in the classroom, on the court and in the community is the perfect example for any current or future student athlete. He will be missed by the Piedmont and Northeast Georgia community, but we cannot wait to see what he will accomplish in the future.
Jim Peeples, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics
Yannick is a great example of our coaches and student-athletes being committed to the pursuit of excellence and being students first and athletes second. He also represents the diversity in our student-athlete population and the impact that has for our student-athletes to learn and appreciate people from a global community. I think it is important to point out how Yannick gave back to all the students on campus serving as a peer tutor in math and physics in our campus learning center for three years. He is a great example for all our student-athletes in all the different ways he contributed to our campus outside of being a tremendous tennis player.
It is a great distinction that Yannick is now the third consecutive winner of this award in our conference. Our coaches work so hard in the recruiting process to bring exceptional student-athletes to our campus. It says a lot about the tremendous relationship and support we have with our faculty and the quality of our academic programs. The commitment that faculty, staff and coaches make to support student-athletes to pursue excellence in every part of their college experience. It is a privilege for all of us to serve such tremendous young people who make up our campus and Yannick is one of the best examples of that commitment.
ABOUT THE COLLEGIATE CONFERENCE OF THE SOUTH (CCS)
The CCS is an NCAA Division III athletic conference that began play during the 2022-23 academic year. The conference features nine member institutions (Agnes Scott College, Asbury University, Belhaven University, Covenant College, Huntingdon College, LaGrange College, Maryville College, Piedmont University, and Wesleyan College) and sponsors championships across 14 sports. In addition to sharing the member institutions' geographic identity, the name 'Collegiate Conference of the South' is indicative of a shared commitment to academic excellence, which is commensurate with the NCAA Division III philosophy.
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