RICHMOND, Va. – Senior pitcher Gracie Ellis (New Kent, Va./New Kent) of the Randolph-Macon softball team was voted Female Athlete of the Year and the Yellow Jacket baseball squad earned Team of the Year at the 2024 RVA Sports Awards, held on Saturday, Feb. 8 at the Altria Theater in Richmond.

The RVA Sports Awards, presented by the Richmond Region Tourism Foundation, recognizes local athletic achievements from the past year and honors those who aim to better the Richmond Region through sport. Olympic track and field legend Jackie Joyner-Kersee served as guest host of the event.

Ellis was All-America Second Team, All-Region First Team, State Pitcher of the Year, All-State First Team, All-ODAC First Team and Academic All-District in 2024. She made 26 appearances with 22 starts, posting a 20-2 record with an ERA of 1.41. She also had a WHIP of 0.84 and registered a pair of saves. Ellis recorded 18 complete games with eight shutouts, with both numbers leading the conference. She also topped the ODAC with 201 strikeouts and with 149.1 innings pitched, her third consecutive season with at least 200 strikeouts. Ellis was third in the nation in strikeout-to-walk ratio at 12.56, surrendering just 16 free passes. She tallied 60 more strikeouts than the closest pitcher in the ODAC. Ellis now owns the top career marks in program history with 679 strikeouts and seven saves.

Other finalists for Female Athlete of the Year were Addie Budnik from University of Richmond Women's Basketball, Carmen Gullickson from Vintage Boxing, and Gillian Smith from the Irish National Lacrosse Team.

Ellis is the second straight RMC softball standout to be named Female Athlete of the Year at the RVA Sports Awards. Rilee Baughan claimed the honor a year ago.

Under the direction of head coach Ray Hedrick, the Yellow Jacket baseball team reached the Division III World Series for the second time in program history in 2024. RMC went 3-0 in the Harrisburg, Pa. Regional and 2-1 over Adrian in the Ashland, Va. Super Regional to advance to the World Series in Eastlake, Ohio. The Yellow Jackets finished No. 10 in the final D3baseball.com/NCBWA Top 25 and No. 11 in the ABCA Coaches' Poll. RMC won the ODAC regular season title with a 16-6 conference mark, its fourth regular season crown in the past six full seasons. The Yellow Jackets posted 33 victories, the third-highest win total in program history.

The other finalists for Team of the Year were University of Richmond Football, Virginia Commonwealth University Baseball, and Virginia Union University Football.

RMC baseball was also a finalist for Moment of the Year and Hedrick was a finalist for Coach of the Year. Jack Smith, an All-American for the Yellow Jacket men's lacrosse team, was a finalist for Male Athlete of the Year.

Congratulations also to Hunter Leemon '00, Chief Executive Officer at Sportable. The Event Impact of the Year award went to Sportable for successfully hosting the National Wheelchair Basketball Association Championships at the Henrico Sports & Events Center.

Click here to view video clips of each winner