Hannah Weiss

Trunzo, Wrather, Weiner, Selected as Finalists for 2025 Roman-Canning Award

4/16/2025 12:53:00 PM | By: Joe Ginley '16, SID

All three Blue Streaks have cultivated a culture of service at John Carroll

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS – For the fourth time, the Roman-Canning Award for Student Athlete Community Service will be awarded to an outstanding John Carroll senior student athlete.

In June 2021, John Carroll Football alumni Matt Canning '95 and Greg Roman '94 established the award. In the years since, the distinction has become a prestigious honor for student athletes devoted to service. Drawing on the lasting impact of serving others, Roman and Canning created the award to foster and celebrate our student athletes commitment to serving others and the wider community.

The award is given out on a yearly basis to a deserving senior student athlete who has demonstrated a dedication to community service and a commitment to the Jesuit ideal of being Men and Women for Others. The student athlete will receive a $2,500 grant, while the awardee's athletic team will receive a $2,500 gift from the fund to support future community service initiatives and recognize the team's culture of service.

The finalists for the 2024-2025 award have been selected: Kendall Trunzo (Softball), Meghan Weiner (Women's Lacrosse), and Matt Wrather (Football).

The winner will be announced at the 2025 JCU SAAC (Student Athlete Advisory Committee) Blue Carpet Awards on Sunday, April 27, presented by The Blue Gold Club and Barons Bus. Canning will be on hand to announce the winner.

Learn more about the finalists:

Kendall Trunzo

The JCU Softball star has been a leader on campus at John Carroll for the last four years, especially in the area of mental health.

Trunzo is the President of JCU's chapter of Morgan's Message, guiding an organization dedicated to ending the stigma regarding mental health with student athletes. The Pittsburgh native has been a key part of the initiative to create positive change in this area, steering campus dialogue and awareness on this important issue.

During this past fall semester, Trunzo spent time at the Northeast Reintegration Center with female prisoners as part of the Inside-Out class. During this experience, the Sociology & Criminology major talked with inmates about modern societal problems and the issues they are facing. During the fall 2023 semester, Trunzo went to the Cuyahoga County Detention Center as part of a forensic psychology class. She talked to the young females in the facility about creating a sense of power in one's self and overcoming challenges. Also during the last four summers, Trunzo has Volunteered for the Pittsburgh Pirates Charities Family Walk.

During her time at John Carroll, the two-time Academic All-OAC recipient has worked for the Equipment & Facilities team as well as for the Recreation Department as an aquatics lifeguard.

Meghan Weiner

The Women's Lacrosse standout has also worked heartily to promote student athlete mental health. Weiner serves as the Vice President of Morgan's Message, working particularly with her team on this initiative. This past fall, Weiner spoke at the Athletics Wellness Walk, sharing her experience. The Rochester native has received the HRT (Healthy Relationship Topics) certification, as promoted by the JCU Wellness Committee.

This past fall, the Psychology and Clinical Counseling major worked with the 2nd and 7 Reading program, which promotes reading by by providing free books and positive role models to
kids in need. Weiner regularly read to second grade students, bringing her teammates to assist. Also alongside her team, Weiner aided with the Cleveland Heights Youth Lacrosse Clinic last year.

Weiner is a member of the Leadership Scholars Program at JCU. The Pittsford Mendon High School grad has been involved with the Student Athlete Advisory Committee for all four years.

In addition, Weiner has worked in the sports information department for the past three years. Weiner has helped in a number of ways, such as with statistics, PA announcing, music, and much more.

Matt Wrather

The All-American football player has compiled a lengthy list of accolades and awards. Most prominently off the field, Matt Wrather secured a spot on the prestigious 2024 AFCA Allstate Good Works Team, one of just 22 student athletes from across all divisions of college football to make the cut. Wrather represented John Carroll at the 2025 Sugar Bowl, participating in community service during the trip.

The Powell, Ohio native has been heavily involved in service at John Carroll, most especially through Jesuit Day of Service, an annual tradition that takes place at Jesuit educational institutions worldwide. The two-time OAC Offensive Lineman of the Year was a member of the core team last spring, helping to organize 350+ JCU community members from 40+ student organizations, athletic teams, and on-campus groups around Cleveland and sent them to 8 different community partners. Activities included spring clean up projects, painting projects, sorting and organizing activities and other meaningful work determined by our community partners. In the previous year's outing, Wrather served as the student leader of a service site and coordinated over 90 participants into different jobs and tasks. Wrather and his small army of Blue Streak volunteers supported the Fatima Family Center, a local non-profit community center by beautifying the grounds. Wrather will be heavily involved again this year, as he is working to train the next group of student leaders to take his place.

The Academic All-American also co-founded the John Carroll University Student Alumni Association in 2023, aiming to bridge the gap between students and alumni. Wrather, the Vice President of Finance, and the executive team recruited over 200 alumni and 150 students while sponsoring seven successful events over the past year.

Another important experience was Wrather's work with Carroll Ballers. Wrather and fellow Blue Streaks spent a semester working with incarcerated youth at the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Center, playing basketball while forming meaningful connections.

His other activities include volunteering for 2nd and 7 Reading, the Mental Health Day Fair, More than Food (the organization founded by Bricker Thiel '24 to combat hunger), Night to Shine (hosted by the Tim Tebow Foundation), Build the Bridge football camp, and the Cleveland Browns High School Showcase.

About Matt Canning and Greg Roman:

Matt Canning graduated from John Carroll University in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications and a Bachelor of Science in psychology. A leader on the football team, Canning played cornerback and was also a member of the track & field team. After graduation, he served on Coach Tony DeCarlo's staff as an assistant coach. He has worked for Henkel (formerly Manco) for the last 28 years and is currently the VP of North American Sales. Canning has proudly worked with (and hired) several John Carroll student athletes and alumni during his time with the company.

Greg Roman is a member of the class of 1994 at John Carroll University, graduating with a degree in Political Science. Greg was an All-OAC defensive tackle on the football team at JCU. He has worked at the upper echelons of collegiate and professional football for over 25 years, holding coaching positions with the Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans, Stanford University, Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, and now the Los Angeles Chargers. From 2011-2014, as Offensive Coordinator of the 49ers, he led the team to three straight NFC Championship games as well as Super Bowl XLVII in 2012. Roman enters his second season as the Offensive Coordinator for the Chargers.

Previous Winners

2022: Alex Heishman, Women's Lacrosse
2023: Rachel Halapchuk, Women's Swimming
2024: Zach Brinks, Men's Golf

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