Army West Point Athletics
Ethan Ellis, Julia Farris & Olivia Farris Named April Scholar-Athletes by Center for Enhanced Performance
May 01, 2024 | Baseball, General, Softball
WEST POINT, NY - The Army West Point Athletics Association's Academic Support team has selected its scholar-athletes for the month of April, recognizing baseball sophomore Ethan Ellis and softball juniors Julia Farris and Olivia Farris.
Olivia & Julia Farris
There must be something in the water in Newark, Delaware, hometown for Cadets Olivia and Julia Farris, to produce not just one but two phenomenal leaders of character and softball players. Cadet Julia Farris, a junior and starting third baseman on the Army West Point Women's Softball team, has emerged as a change agent and leader both on and off the field. Cadet Olivia Farris, also a junior and pitcher for Army Softball, has led the squad as Team Captain and thrived as a mentor to the team's underclassmen. Julia and Olivia are forces to be reckoned with because of their determination, poise, and work ethic, and their consistent performances as scholars and athletes make them stand-out leaders on the team.
Since the season began, Julia has anchored the season at third base. Defensively, she has assisted 29 putouts and leads the team with 73 assists. With games left in the spring season, she has already doubled her hits and pulled off 10 RBIs. Julia's continuous growth on the field attests to the confidence she brings to the defense as a veteran in the infield and speaks to her tremendous commitment to being a leader. Coach Jen Consaul described Julia as "a hard worker who continually strives for excellence in all the pillars here at West Point: Academics, Military, and Softball. Julia has grown tremendously over her three years here at West Point and has truly stepped up as a leader both on and off the field." In practice and in games, Julia is a vocal leader whose boundless enthusiasm for softball brings out the best in her teammates.
Julia is committed to maintaining standards and discipline, and she serves as a role model for her teammates as an athlete-scholar as she strives for excellence in the classroom. Julia has consistently earned an academic average at or near 3.0 for the last five semesters and is positioned to close out the spring semester stronger than ever. A Systems Engineer major, Julia thrives in her interdisciplinary coursework and works hard to excel within her major courses.
Julia's military leadership skills set her above her peers. She is consistently praised by her instructors, chain of command, peers, and subordinates for her selfless service and willingness to help others. She was recognized as the Best First Sergeant last summer for her exceptional performance as a cadre member for new cadets during Cadet Basic Training. Olivia Farris shared how much she loves to watch Julia's former trainees come up to her to share updates about their military training and academic progress. "You can really see how much they respect and admire her leadership," Olivia observed. As a result of Julia's tremendous work ethic and outstanding personal discipline, she was selected as the commander for Cadet Candidate Basic Training for the Cadet Candidate Class of 2028, where she'll oversee the cadet cadre responsible for training the cadet candidates reporting to the United States Military Academy Preparatory School in the summer of 2024.
Olivia's steadiness and focus on the mound make her a reliable starting and relief pitcher. She managed a season-high of seven strikeouts in a game against Central Connecticut State in mid-April, bringing her to a total of strikeouts of the season to 47 and a Season ERA of 4.29. Coach Consaul praised Olivia as "the living example of what we preach here at West Point," noting her steadfast leadership and exemplary resilience in games and in practice. Olivia is a fierce competitor on the mound, but she's also a spirited supporter of her teammates, amplifying and celebrating individual and collective successes and pushing everyone on the team to achieve their potential.
As a Life Science major, Olivia has achieved the Dean's List for five consecutive semesters, a testament to her commitment to academic excellence. Officer Representative LTC Ashlie Christian attributes Olivia's tremendous academic performance to her mastery of time management and her unparalleled intellectual agility, attributes that make her both an effective scholar and highly capable team leader. "She quickly comes up with common sense solutions to problems that arise," comments LTC Christian, and there's no doubt that Olivia's intellectual dexterity will serve her well as she pursues medical school after graduation.
Her appointment to Team Captain as a junior is a testament to Olivia's commitment to steward and enforce standards and place the needs of others above her own. Serving as a Team Captain is certainly no easy task, yet Olivia's ability to foster a competitive yet charismatic culture while also supporting her teammates in their own pursuit of academic, athletic, and military success marks her as the epitome of a selfless leader. She cares about the success of those around her, whether on the field or in the classroom, and this is evident in the interpersonal relationships she builds with her teammates and classmates. It isn't unusual to find her talking and advising her fellow cadets about their classes, majors, and on leadership. In the past academic year, Olivia has served as a leader in her cadet company and during summer training and as a regimental and brigade leader in the Academy's ACT Program, an initiative led by cadets to conduct peer-led education and manage prevention initiatives to address sexual assault and harassment and foster a culture of trust in the Corps.  Â
Julia and Olivia Farris's commitment to excellence both on and off the field distinguishes them as players who live by the Academy's motto "Duty, Honor, Country" and as a leaders of character. Â
Ethan Ellis '26
Cadet Ethan Ellis is in the Class of '26 who is studying as an Operations Research Major, and is a key offensive threat and superb outfielder for the Army Baseball team who exemplifies excellence across all pillars at West Point.
Army Baseball Coach Chris Tracz describes him as extremely hard working, poised, fearless, and essential talent for the Army's outfield defense. In addition, his .344 on base percentage and slugging percentage of .359 with five home runs on the season consistently makes him a catalyst for the offense. Ethan provides a calm leadership on the field and makes those around him better.Â
In addition to his contributions as an emerging leader for the baseball team, CDT Ellis has excelled in the classroom in his core and rigorous curriculum of the Operations Research major. His academic cumulative average of 3.955 places him at the top 15% of the class of 2026 and he continues this excellence even while in season. He continues to achieve the Dean's List in every term at West Point. Ethan regularly inspires this excellence among teammates while on the road through his study hall habits and helping teammates in need. These efforts have contributed to a very steady and impressive performance across the team academically despite the game tempo of the spring term schedule.Â
CDT Ellis is also a young leader in the Corps of Cadets and primed to hold key positions during Cow and Firsties years for the Corps of Cadets.  As the consummate team player of unwavering character, he has helped his lead fellow Cadets militarily as well with a 3.2 military program and receives very high scores in physical education coursework including an A in survival swimming. Together, his academic, military, and physical pillar commitment to constant improvement and excellence set a sterling example for peers and subordinates alike in all facets of his West Point experience.Â
In conclusion, CDT Ellis' performance across all pillars speak to his consistently excellent performance throughout his first four academic terms at the Academy. He has earned the genuine respect and trust of his peers, teammates, and coaches—and he is poised to leave a lasting impact on the Army Baseball program the remainder of this season and as a rising leader amongst his teammates in the years to come!Â
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Olivia & Julia Farris
There must be something in the water in Newark, Delaware, hometown for Cadets Olivia and Julia Farris, to produce not just one but two phenomenal leaders of character and softball players. Cadet Julia Farris, a junior and starting third baseman on the Army West Point Women's Softball team, has emerged as a change agent and leader both on and off the field. Cadet Olivia Farris, also a junior and pitcher for Army Softball, has led the squad as Team Captain and thrived as a mentor to the team's underclassmen. Julia and Olivia are forces to be reckoned with because of their determination, poise, and work ethic, and their consistent performances as scholars and athletes make them stand-out leaders on the team.
Since the season began, Julia has anchored the season at third base. Defensively, she has assisted 29 putouts and leads the team with 73 assists. With games left in the spring season, she has already doubled her hits and pulled off 10 RBIs. Julia's continuous growth on the field attests to the confidence she brings to the defense as a veteran in the infield and speaks to her tremendous commitment to being a leader. Coach Jen Consaul described Julia as "a hard worker who continually strives for excellence in all the pillars here at West Point: Academics, Military, and Softball. Julia has grown tremendously over her three years here at West Point and has truly stepped up as a leader both on and off the field." In practice and in games, Julia is a vocal leader whose boundless enthusiasm for softball brings out the best in her teammates.
Julia is committed to maintaining standards and discipline, and she serves as a role model for her teammates as an athlete-scholar as she strives for excellence in the classroom. Julia has consistently earned an academic average at or near 3.0 for the last five semesters and is positioned to close out the spring semester stronger than ever. A Systems Engineer major, Julia thrives in her interdisciplinary coursework and works hard to excel within her major courses.
Julia's military leadership skills set her above her peers. She is consistently praised by her instructors, chain of command, peers, and subordinates for her selfless service and willingness to help others. She was recognized as the Best First Sergeant last summer for her exceptional performance as a cadre member for new cadets during Cadet Basic Training. Olivia Farris shared how much she loves to watch Julia's former trainees come up to her to share updates about their military training and academic progress. "You can really see how much they respect and admire her leadership," Olivia observed. As a result of Julia's tremendous work ethic and outstanding personal discipline, she was selected as the commander for Cadet Candidate Basic Training for the Cadet Candidate Class of 2028, where she'll oversee the cadet cadre responsible for training the cadet candidates reporting to the United States Military Academy Preparatory School in the summer of 2024.
Olivia's steadiness and focus on the mound make her a reliable starting and relief pitcher. She managed a season-high of seven strikeouts in a game against Central Connecticut State in mid-April, bringing her to a total of strikeouts of the season to 47 and a Season ERA of 4.29. Coach Consaul praised Olivia as "the living example of what we preach here at West Point," noting her steadfast leadership and exemplary resilience in games and in practice. Olivia is a fierce competitor on the mound, but she's also a spirited supporter of her teammates, amplifying and celebrating individual and collective successes and pushing everyone on the team to achieve their potential.
As a Life Science major, Olivia has achieved the Dean's List for five consecutive semesters, a testament to her commitment to academic excellence. Officer Representative LTC Ashlie Christian attributes Olivia's tremendous academic performance to her mastery of time management and her unparalleled intellectual agility, attributes that make her both an effective scholar and highly capable team leader. "She quickly comes up with common sense solutions to problems that arise," comments LTC Christian, and there's no doubt that Olivia's intellectual dexterity will serve her well as she pursues medical school after graduation.
Her appointment to Team Captain as a junior is a testament to Olivia's commitment to steward and enforce standards and place the needs of others above her own. Serving as a Team Captain is certainly no easy task, yet Olivia's ability to foster a competitive yet charismatic culture while also supporting her teammates in their own pursuit of academic, athletic, and military success marks her as the epitome of a selfless leader. She cares about the success of those around her, whether on the field or in the classroom, and this is evident in the interpersonal relationships she builds with her teammates and classmates. It isn't unusual to find her talking and advising her fellow cadets about their classes, majors, and on leadership. In the past academic year, Olivia has served as a leader in her cadet company and during summer training and as a regimental and brigade leader in the Academy's ACT Program, an initiative led by cadets to conduct peer-led education and manage prevention initiatives to address sexual assault and harassment and foster a culture of trust in the Corps.  Â
Julia and Olivia Farris's commitment to excellence both on and off the field distinguishes them as players who live by the Academy's motto "Duty, Honor, Country" and as a leaders of character. Â
Ethan Ellis '26
Cadet Ethan Ellis is in the Class of '26 who is studying as an Operations Research Major, and is a key offensive threat and superb outfielder for the Army Baseball team who exemplifies excellence across all pillars at West Point.
Army Baseball Coach Chris Tracz describes him as extremely hard working, poised, fearless, and essential talent for the Army's outfield defense. In addition, his .344 on base percentage and slugging percentage of .359 with five home runs on the season consistently makes him a catalyst for the offense. Ethan provides a calm leadership on the field and makes those around him better.Â
In addition to his contributions as an emerging leader for the baseball team, CDT Ellis has excelled in the classroom in his core and rigorous curriculum of the Operations Research major. His academic cumulative average of 3.955 places him at the top 15% of the class of 2026 and he continues this excellence even while in season. He continues to achieve the Dean's List in every term at West Point. Ethan regularly inspires this excellence among teammates while on the road through his study hall habits and helping teammates in need. These efforts have contributed to a very steady and impressive performance across the team academically despite the game tempo of the spring term schedule.Â
CDT Ellis is also a young leader in the Corps of Cadets and primed to hold key positions during Cow and Firsties years for the Corps of Cadets.  As the consummate team player of unwavering character, he has helped his lead fellow Cadets militarily as well with a 3.2 military program and receives very high scores in physical education coursework including an A in survival swimming. Together, his academic, military, and physical pillar commitment to constant improvement and excellence set a sterling example for peers and subordinates alike in all facets of his West Point experience.Â
In conclusion, CDT Ellis' performance across all pillars speak to his consistently excellent performance throughout his first four academic terms at the Academy. He has earned the genuine respect and trust of his peers, teammates, and coaches—and he is poised to leave a lasting impact on the Army Baseball program the remainder of this season and as a rising leader amongst his teammates in the years to come!Â
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