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The Helen Norman Smith and Jimmy Nippert Awards are given to the female and male senior student-athletes who have demonstrated over the course of their career academic achievement, outstanding contributions and/or excellence in athletic performance in their sport and documented community service.
HELEN NORMAN SMITH
Helen Norman Smith came to UC in 1922 as an instructor in health and physical education and rose to the rank of assistant professor in 1923 and associate professor in 1926. For much of her tenure, she served essentially as the athletics director for women's sports, which operated on a philosophy of broad-based participation. She organized the first certified health education course of studies at UC and was elected to UC's James P. Kelly Athletics Hall of Fame in 1979.
2000-01: Mimi Merrill, Women's Track & Field
2001-02: Christy Hoffman, Women's Soccer
2002-03: Trish Ladusaw, Volleyball
2003-04: Tasha Wagner, Women's Soccer
2004-05: Julie DuPont, Volleyball
2005-06: Karen Berling, Women's Track & Field
2006-07: Myanna Hellsten, Volleyball
2007-08: Monica Hundley, Women's Track & Field
2008-09: Kim Sykes, Women's Soccer
2009-10: Tamara Masters, Women's Cross Country/Track & Field
2010-11: Shelly Bellman, Women's Basketball
2011-12: Jenna Heaton, Women's Track & Field
2012-13: Mackenzie Fields, Women's Track & Field
2013-14: Olivia Dose, Women's Golf
2014-15: Frida Akerstrom, Women's Track & Field
2015-16: Meg Gulmi, Women's Lacrosse
2016-17: Juliana Madzia, Women's Cross Country/Track & Field
2017-18: Sarah Wanasek, Women’s Swimming & Diving
2018-19: Loretta Blaut, Women's Track & Field
2019-20: Jordan Thompson, Volleyball
2020-21: Hannah Markel, Women's Track & Field
2021-22: Maria Mallon, Volleyball
2022-23: Rylee Penn, Track & Field
2023-24: Hannah Jackson, Track & Field
JIMMY NIPPERT
Jimmy Nippert was a center on the 1922 and 1923 UC football team that became the namesake of UC's historic home facility. During the season-ending clash with rival Miami (Ohio) in 1923, Nippert sustained a spike-wound injury and died a month later from blood poisoning. His grandfather, James N. Gamble of Procter and Gamble, provided the funds needed to complete the horseshoe-shaped structure, and the James Gamble Nippert Memorial Stadium was dedicated on Nov. 8, 1924.
2000-01: Mike Yoder, Men's Track & Field / Matt Singer, Baseball
2001-02: Chris Camfield, Men's Track & Field/Cross Country
2002-03: Chris Hoeffer, Men's Track & Field
2003-04: Anders Cedergren, Men's Soccer
2004-05: Chris Smith, Men's Track & Field
2005-06: Matt Hayden, Men's Soccer
2006-07: Marcel Kleiner, Men's Swimming & Diving
2007-08: Ben Mauk, Football
2008-09: Jakub Carda, Men's Swimming & Diving
2009-10: Josh Schneider, Men's Swimming & Diving
2010-11: Stephen Cunningham, Men's Swimming & Diving
2011-12: Eric Finan, Men's Cross Country/Track & Field
2012-13: Tommy Marks, Men's Track & Field
2013-14: Josh Dangel, Men's Track & Field
2014-15: Michael Nwankwo, Men's Track & Field
2015-16: Shaq Washington, Football
2016-17: Pedro Diaz, Men's Soccer
2017-18: Alex Bloom, Men's Track & Field
2018-19: Austin Squires, Men's Golf
2019-20: Din Selmanovic, Men's Swimming & Diving
2020-21: Arthur Greenlee IV, Men's Track & Field
2021-22: Desmond Ridder, Football
2022-23: David DeJulius, Men's Basketball
2023-24: Tyler Wirth, Track & Field