TEMPE– Sun Devil Lacrosse's Berit Brookfield, and football's Melquan Stovall were named Kajikawa winners for the 2024-25 school year, given annually to one male and one female graduating senior student-athlete in recognition for his and her contributions at Arizona State University in honor of legendary Sun Devil Bill Kajikawa.
Sun Devil Athletics selects the Kajikawa Award recipients based on demonstrated academic excellence, athletic accomplishment, leadership, and service in the community.
ABOUT BERIT BROOKFIELD
Brookfield was one of two team captains for lacrosse in 2025, as she led the team to a second place finish in the Big 12 with a program-record 11 wins this season and posted career-high numbers for ground balls, draw controls, and caused turnovers this season. The defender transitioned to the position after spending the first 3.5 seasons in the Maroon & Gold as a midfielder and is top-10 in starts in the program's history. She is set to graduate with her Masters in Sports Law and Business after graduating with her BS in Management in just three years, also being on the Dean's List every semester. Off the field, Brookfield coaches youth lacrosse, is a mentor through Athlete to Athlete, and is involved in Sports Sitters through Sun Angel Collective. Brookfield is the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) President, a member of the Tip of the Fork program, and chapter president of Morgan's Message, a mental health awareness club. She was picked as ASU's representative for the Big 12 student-athlete career tour before representing the department at the NCAA student-athlete Leadership Forum last fall.
ABOUT MELQUAN STOVALL
Stovall played in a career-high 14 games in 2024 during the Sun Devil Football run that saw the team earn the Big 12 Title, eventually falling in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl. The wide receiver played 26 games in the Maroon & Gold, and tallied 42 receptions good for 494 yards. In 2024, he led the team with 85 punt return yards on only eight attempts and had the fourth-most all-purpose yards on the team with 411. Off the field, Stovall has been recognized for his academic achievements, as he was named to the 2024 Fall Academic All-Big 12 Team after posting a 4.0 semester GPA. He's a member of the Pat Tillman Leadership Council and has volunteered for Feed My Starving Children, as well as participated in youth camps in his home state of California. Stovall will finish his education with two master's degrees — one in organizational leadership, the other in global security, after receiving his undergraduate degree from Colorado State in business administration.
RECENT BILL KAJIKAWA AWARD WINNERS
2024: Ryggs Johnston (men's golf) Lindsay Looney (women's swimming)
2023: Grant House (men's swimming) and Audrey Ernst (triathlon)
2022: Jackson He (football) and Emma Nordin (women's swimming)
2021: Remy Martin (men's basketball)/Olivia Mehaffey (women's golf) and Cairo Leonard-Baker (gymnastics)
2020: Kyle Williams (football)/Silja Kansakoski (women's swimming)
2019: Zylan Cheatham (men's basketball)/Heather Udowitch (gymnastics)
2018: Mason Ford (men's track)/Maggie Ewen (women's track)
2017: Hunter Atha (men's diving)/Alexandra Osborne (women's tennis)
2016: Mike Bercovici (football)/Elisha Davis (women's basketball)
Sun Devil Athletics selects the Kajikawa Award recipients based on demonstrated academic excellence, athletic accomplishment, leadership, and service in the community.
ABOUT BERIT BROOKFIELD
Brookfield was one of two team captains for lacrosse in 2025, as she led the team to a second place finish in the Big 12 with a program-record 11 wins this season and posted career-high numbers for ground balls, draw controls, and caused turnovers this season. The defender transitioned to the position after spending the first 3.5 seasons in the Maroon & Gold as a midfielder and is top-10 in starts in the program's history. She is set to graduate with her Masters in Sports Law and Business after graduating with her BS in Management in just three years, also being on the Dean's List every semester. Off the field, Brookfield coaches youth lacrosse, is a mentor through Athlete to Athlete, and is involved in Sports Sitters through Sun Angel Collective. Brookfield is the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) President, a member of the Tip of the Fork program, and chapter president of Morgan's Message, a mental health awareness club. She was picked as ASU's representative for the Big 12 student-athlete career tour before representing the department at the NCAA student-athlete Leadership Forum last fall.
ABOUT MELQUAN STOVALL
Stovall played in a career-high 14 games in 2024 during the Sun Devil Football run that saw the team earn the Big 12 Title, eventually falling in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl. The wide receiver played 26 games in the Maroon & Gold, and tallied 42 receptions good for 494 yards. In 2024, he led the team with 85 punt return yards on only eight attempts and had the fourth-most all-purpose yards on the team with 411. Off the field, Stovall has been recognized for his academic achievements, as he was named to the 2024 Fall Academic All-Big 12 Team after posting a 4.0 semester GPA. He's a member of the Pat Tillman Leadership Council and has volunteered for Feed My Starving Children, as well as participated in youth camps in his home state of California. Stovall will finish his education with two master's degrees — one in organizational leadership, the other in global security, after receiving his undergraduate degree from Colorado State in business administration.
RECENT BILL KAJIKAWA AWARD WINNERS
2024: Ryggs Johnston (men's golf) Lindsay Looney (women's swimming)
2023: Grant House (men's swimming) and Audrey Ernst (triathlon)
2022: Jackson He (football) and Emma Nordin (women's swimming)
2021: Remy Martin (men's basketball)/Olivia Mehaffey (women's golf) and Cairo Leonard-Baker (gymnastics)
2020: Kyle Williams (football)/Silja Kansakoski (women's swimming)
2019: Zylan Cheatham (men's basketball)/Heather Udowitch (gymnastics)
2018: Mason Ford (men's track)/Maggie Ewen (women's track)
2017: Hunter Atha (men's diving)/Alexandra Osborne (women's tennis)
2016: Mike Bercovici (football)/Elisha Davis (women's basketball)