Honoring our standout 2025/26 student employees across every area and announcing the staff-selected All Star of the Year.

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All-Star of the Year

The All-Star of the Year is the highest individual honor for student staff within USC Recreational Sports. This recipient was selected from the pool of All-Star of the Month winners and voted on by the full professional staff panel for their dedicated service and department-wide impact.

• Award Recipient: Maliek Redmond

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Area Recognition

We are proud to honor the following students for their hard work and initiative within their specific departments.

Aquatics

• Outstanding Trojan Award: Jolina Dantz

• Rising Star Award: Kennedy Holley

Club Sports

• Outstanding Trojan Award: Sydney Bruce

• Rising Star Award: Zachary Tuller

Facility Operations (HSCFC)

• Outstanding Trojan Award: Allison Schachter

• Rising Star Award:  Yash Prakash Bhise

Facility Operations (LRC)

• Outstanding Trojan Award: Maliek Redmond

• Rising Star Award: Jazmin Nickerson

Facility Operations (VFC)

• Outstanding Trojan Award: Jamie Klinkowize

• Rising Star Award: Chantry Fultz

Group Exercise Instructor

• Outstanding Trojan Award: Cameron Weinstein

• Rising Star Award: Moath Alsayar 

Intramural Sports

• Outstanding Trojan Award: Riley Rodriguez

• Rising Star Award: Ashwin Hariharan

Marketing

• Outstanding Trojan Award: Maria Leyva-Hernandez

• Rising Star Award: Jordyn Flores

Office Assistants

• Rising Star Award: Eli Medina Velasco

Personal Training

• Outstanding Trojan Award: Chase Dinkel

• Rising Star Award: Alessandra Smith 

Special Events

• Rising Star Award: Tasha Sy

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About the Awards

The Outstanding Trojan Award

Recognizes a student employee who has demonstrated consistent excellence, leadership, and a deep commitment to the mission of Recreational Sports throughout their tenure.

The Rising Star Award

Honors a newer team member who has shown exceptional initiative, a proactive attitude, and a high level of potential within their specific area.

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Congratulations to all our winners, and thank you for your dedication to keeping the Trojan Family active and engaged.

Fight On!

WRITTEN BY: MARIA LEYVA-HERNANDEZ

REVIEWED BY: SCOTT TEVES, MPH, NASM-CPT

Finals season is here! This usually means long study hours, packed schedules, and rising stress levels. It’s easy to feel like there’s no time to work out, let alone prioritize your well-being.

But staying active during finals doesn’t have to mean long gym sessions or intense workouts. In fact, even small amounts of movement can help you feel better and perform better.

Exercise has been shown to reduce stress, improve cognitive skills, and support memory retention—especially cardio-based movement. So instead of putting your routine on pause, here are six simple, realistic ways to stay active and take care of yourself during finals.

1. Find Simple Ways to Stay Active

If your schedule is tight, even small moments of activity can help break up long periods of studying and give your mind a reset. That might look like:

• Walking between study sessions
• Taking a short break to move around
• Standing or pacing while reviewing notes

If it feels manageable, even 10k steps a day can be sufficient to see positive effects. Any movement you can fit in counts.

2. Keep Workouts Short & Efficient

If you do want something more structured, shorter workouts can be a helpful option during busy weeks.

For example, 45-minute F45-style workouts are designed to be efficient, giving you a full session without taking up your entire day.

At USC Recreational Sports, F45 classes are available if you’re looking for a guided, supportive environment where you can just show up and move without planning anything.

If that doesn’t fit your schedule, that’s okay too—this is just one option among many.

3. Maintain What You Can 

If you are worried about not having time to maintain your gains, we have some good news: maintaining your strength doesn’t require as much time as building it.

A general guideline from our trainers:

• 2–4 sets per muscle group once per week can help maintain muscle mass
• Training each muscle group once a week is enough
• Twice a week is great, if it works for you

This can be a helpful way to stay connected to your routine without adding extra stress.

4. Make the Most of the Time You Have

If you’re working with limited time and still want to incorporate strength training, full-body workouts can be a flexible option.

They allow you to:

• Work multiple muscle groups in one session
• Keep your routine simple and efficient

Some students find it helpful to structure their week like:

• Twice a week: Full-body workouts
• Weekends: Optional HIIT

5. Choose Lower-Intensity Options When Needed

On days when your energy is lower, you might consider:

• A long walk
• Light upper body movement
• Stretching or mobility work
• Mindfulness or breathing exercises

You can also try incorporating “movement snacks”—short, low-effort breaks during studying. Check out this poster by USC MoveWell for detailed examples of:

• Desk stretches
• Core movements
• Foam rolling options

…and more! These small moments can help you reset without interrupting your workflow.

6. Rest, Recover, and Use What’s Available to You

If you’re feeling tired, overwhelmed, or stretched thin, choosing rest can be just as valuable as choosing movement. Rest is an important part of taking care of yourself, especially during high-stress times.

If you’re looking for support, USC Rec Sports offers spaces and programs designed with this in mind:

Finals Reset Zone
A drop-in space designed to help you reset during finals week.

It will take place in the Queen Ax Room in the Village on:

• May 8th | 12–2 PM
• May 11th | 12–2 PM

USC Rec Sports members can unwind with NormaTec boots, foam rollers, massage guns, and manual stretching led by our trainers. No reservation is required—just drop in whenever it works for you (first come, first served). Register for event reminders and updates.

Physical Therapy
If you’re dealing with discomfort or just want extra support…

USC Rec Sports offers physical therapy at no cost to students—available to everyone, not just club sport athletes—and located in the Physical Therapy room at the Lyon Center.

 

By: Maria Leyva- Hernandez

USC Recreational Sports oversees roughly 50 club teams, each contributing to campus life in unique ways. Founded in 1886, Trojans Rugby is the oldest, and this season it enters a new chapter. Senior Hallie Hunt and junior Isshin Enta shared how the team is building on nearly 140 years of tradition as it steps into Division I competition.

Because Trojans Rugby is student-run, leadership and players manage much of the operation, including scheduling practices, organizing travel, planning matches, and fundraising. Players commit roughly 5 to 7 hours per week for practices and lifting sessions, plus travel time for away games. That level of investment means the program recruits for attitude and reliability first. Coaches and captains value commitment, teamwork, and coachability over prior experience. All the dedication and hard work led Trojans Rugby to move up to the CRAA Division I-AA Southwest Conference for the 2026 season. “We already face top teams, like UCLA and Cal, which shows the level we’re up against. Those games are winnable with commitment. New

players, even beginners, can potentially earn starting spots and compete at a high level quickly,” Enta said.

When asked what the wins represent beyond trophies, Hunt emphasized the cultural gains. “It became really clear that just wanting to win wasn’t enough,” she said. The title, she explained, came from “complete trust in our teammates” and from playing collectively rather than individually. For the squad, the championship is proof of progress and a boost in confidence that they hope will translate to greater campus recognition.

For those who have ever considered trying a club sport but hesitated, Trojans Rugby holds rolling tryouts, meaning students can join at any point throughout the semester rather than waiting for a single recruitment window. With an emphasis on commitment and growth over prior experience, newcomers are welcomed into a program that values effort and team culture just as much as results. Hunt also noted that the club is actively reorganizing to build a women’s rugby team after it disbanded following COVID-19, creating even more opportunities for students to get involved in the sport.

Students interested in exploring other options can find the complete list of USC Recreational Sports club teams on the Club Sports page of the USC Recreational Sports website.