Boldt and Taylor Named AAA Award Winners

WEST POINT, N.Y. – Army West Point men's soccer standout Winston Boldt and women's tennis star Elle Taylor were recipients of the Academy's highest athletic honor on Friday when they were presented with the Army Athletic Association Award during the annual Awards Convocation at Eisenhower Hall.

The trophy is awarded annually to the male and female cadet-athletes who display the "most valuable service to intercollegiate athletics during a career as a cadet."

This year marks the 111th anniversary of the AAA Award, which was first presented to football player Horatio Hackett in 1904.

Boldt becomes the fourth men's soccer player to draw the honor and the first since Dan Scioletti received it in 1971. Taylor is the third member of the women's tennis program to land the award and becomes the first since Marissa Limsiaco in 2005.

A native of St. Louis, Mo., Boldt is set to graduate as one of the top men's soccer goalkeepers in Academy history. He stands atop the leader board in a number of team goalkeeping records to include career shutouts (24), single season shutouts (12) and career saves (249).

A team captain during his junior and senior campaigns, Boldt earned National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Division I All-America second team and Capital One Academic All-America second team honors in 2013. He became the first Army West Point men's soccer player to garner both awards during the same season.

Boldt established a program record with 12 shutouts as a junior and helped lead the Black Knights to their first Patriot League Tournament appearance since 1996. His 12 clean sheets tied for second nationally at the end of the season, while his save percentage of .888 ranked third and his .521 goals against average stood fifth.

The 2013 squad concluded the season with a 12-3-3 overall record, tying for the second-most victories in team history. Along with his All-America honors, Boldt capped his junior season as the Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year, Men's Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was named to the conference's All-Tournament Team.

A three-time Academic All-Patriot League honoree and a three-time selection to Top Drawer Soccer's National Team of the Week, Boldt earned preseason recognition heading into his senior season, as he was named a Senior CLASS Award finalist and was selected to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List as one of the top players in the nation.

Boldt registered eight shutouts in 2014 to rank fourth on Army West Point's single-season list and passed Lucas Rice (USMA '93) for first in the team's career shutouts rankings with a two-save effort during a 1-0 overtime win at Binghamton.

Boldt earned his second Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year honor following the regular season before stopping five shots in the league quarterfinals at third-seeded American, helping Army West Point prevail for a 4-3 win in the ensuing penalty kick shootout. The Black Knights advanced to the league semifinals, where Boldt made a career-high 10 saves in an eventual double-overtime setback to regular-season champion Boston University.

Aside from his role on the soccer team, Boldt serves as the Deputy Brigade Commander, which ranks second in the Corps of Cadets, under the First Captain. He is an International Relations and Portuguese major with a cumulative grade point average of 3.436.

Taylor, who hails from Redondo Beach, Calif., graduates among the greats in the Army West Point women's tennis record book. Taylor accumulated 152 career victories, with 92 of those coming from doubles and 60 in singles. She ranks third in career doubles wins after winning 26 matches in her senior season to total 92.

During her senior campaign, Taylor was named the team co-captain and earned Academic All-Patriot League honors. She boasted 35 victories, 26 in doubles and nine in singles, to secure her spot in the record books.

As a junior, Taylor tied her single-season doubles record with 27. She authored a 27-11 mark in doubles and went 25-10 in singles to help the Black Knights reach the Patriot League Championship match for the third consecutive year.

In her sophomore and rookie seasons, Taylor took on a larger role than the other freshmen on the team. She was consistently in the lineup at both singles and doubles, including when the Black Knights won two Patriot League Championship titles over Navy and earned back-to-back NCAA appearances.

During the 2012-13 season, Taylor coasted through conference play with a 5-0 mark and led the team to a win over Navy and a Patriot League title. In singles, Taylor went 3-0 in conference contests with 13 total singles wins.

As a freshman, Taylor jumped into the record books with 27 single-season doubles wins alongside her older sister and teammate, Della Taylor. Elle boasted 27 doubles wins at the No. 1 flight and 18 singles victories as a rookie. She was part of the team that defeated Navy in the conference title match and played in the NCAA Tournament.

Taylor ranked second on the squad in total wins with 45 as a freshman and closed-out the year with an unbeaten singles streak of nine matches.

Outside of tennis, Taylor was a part of the Officers' Christian Fellowship her freshman and sophomore years. She is a member of Phi Sigma Iota, the Foreign Language Honor Society, and was the recipient of the Spanish Language Scroll Award. Taylor has also volunteered at Arthur Ashe Kids Day at the U.S. Open for the past four years.

Taylor is a Systems Engineering major with a cumulative grade point average of 3.547. She has been on the Dean's List since her freshman year and will graduate with honors.

Boldt and Taylor will receive their second lieutenant pins to officially begin their respective Army careers in a commissioning ceremony following graduation Saturday morning at Michie Stadium.

Army West Point Athletics

Boldt and Taylor Named AAA Award Winners

Players Mentioned

Winston Boldt

Della Taylor

Elle Taylor

Elle Taylor

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