Maxwell Kirsch Earns Three Senior Awards from Claremont McKenna

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Senior men's basketball player Maxwell Kirsch earned three major honors from ClaremontMcKenna Senior Awards for the Class of 2020, the college announced today.

Kirsch won Claremont McKenna's H.N. Berger Prize, which is given each year to the Outstanding Senior Man in the entire student body. He also earned the William Dickinson Award, given to the student-athlete who typifies those qualities of athletic participation which are beneficial to the student body in campus life as well as on the athletic fields, and he shared the Brian Walkenbach Award for Outstanding Resident Assistant.     

Kirsch served as a team captain for the men's basketball program for the last two seasons, after helping the Stags to two SCIAC titles in his first two years. He emerged as one of the top scorers on the team this winter, averaging 9.5 points in 22.2 minutes, and had an impressive assist to turnover ratio of 96 assists and 42 turnovers over the last two years. Over his four seasons, he helped CMS to a combined record of 81-27, including 52-12 in SCIAC contests.

In addition to his athletic accomplishments, Kirsch was a dual major in chemistry and economics, served as a first-year guide, and worked as a resident advisor in the senior apartments. He earned the Ross Donnelly Award from the Robert Day School for kindness, humor, compassion and loyalty, and served as a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for two years.

"Max is a great communicator who cares about other people," said Head Coach Ken Scalmanini. "He had a relationship with all 19 players on the team. If you asked Max the major of any player, he would know. If his Stag teammates were upset/hurting after a game, he would be the one uplifting and caring for that individual. He led with his strong voice, but also led by example. His incredible discipline shows in his strong academic achievements, hard work in his sport, and his work with the Dean of Students Office as a Resident Advisor in support of fellow students."

The Claremont McKenna Senior Awards are typically presented at an awards banquet prior to graduation, but the coronavirus pandemic led to a delayed announcement this year.