Hockey player, runner named top senior male athletes
John Hayden, a National Hockey League player and former collegiate all-conference player, and record-breaking runner James Randon have been selected as co-recipients of the 2017 William Neely Mallory Award, the most prestigious athletic award given to a senior male at Yale. Their awards were presented on May 21 at Class Day ceremonies by Tom Beckett, athletics director.
John Hayden
Hayden, a three-time All-Ivy League pick at forward for the Yale men’s hockey team, helped the Bulldogs win two league championships and earn two trips to the NCAA Tournament.
The Greenwich, Connecticut native played for the Chicago Blackhawks after earning All-ECAC Hockey honors and finishing seventh in the nation in goals per game. Hayden, who got better each season in New Haven, finished with a team-high 21 goals last winter as team captain.
Hayden is a political science major in Morse College, who was a galvanizing force for his teammates and anyone who he dealt with on the Yale campus.
James Randon
Randon, the first Yale athlete to run a mile under four minutes (2016 indoors) is a classic middle-distance runner who made major contributions to the Bulldogs’ cross country and track & field teams. His distinctions include first-team All-America, seven-time All-Ivy League and four-time Ivy League champion, just to name a few. He holds the school record for the mile and the 1,500 meters.
He was the first male at the school to win the Ivy League Cross Country Championship since 1989 when he took top honors last fall. Randon, the captain of the 2016 team, led the Bulldogs in every race last season and earned all-region honors after taking fifth at the NCAA Northeast event. He also qualified for NCAA post-season competition his last three cross country campaigns.
Randon, who has garnered four scholar-athlete awards, earned All-America honors in 2015-2016 with an eighth-place finish in the 1,500 meters at the NCAA Division I Track & Field Championships.
The New Canaan, Connecticut native is a history major in Morse College who is highly respected by all his teammates. Randon will continue his running career as he attempts to qualify for the 2020 United States Olympic Trials.
