TicketsCINCINNATI - The office of Student-Athlete Support Services (SASS), along with members of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), brought together all University of Cincinnati athletics teams for its annual ONE Team Honors event Wednesday (April 18) evening with several Bearcats being recognized with awards. The event was held in conjunction with the baseball team's game at Marge Schott Stadium against crosstown rival Xavier with honors being announced during inning breaks of a game that UC would win, 10-7.
The event opened with SAAC President Jaashir Morris (track & field) and SAAC Vice President Alex MacAffer (lacrosse) presenting the Bearcats Most Likely Awards, which are fun awards that the current student-athletes voted. Those awards included such categories as Most Likely to be Instafamous (famous on Instagram) and Most Likely to be on Reality Television. Those awards were followed by recognitions of UC's 50 first-time letter winners from the Fall 2017 semester and recognition of all the 2017-18 senior student-athletes.
// TOBLER TIME
Created in 2015-16, the Tobler Time Award is given to honor a student-athlete whom makes a difference behind the scenes and is always motivating, supportive and focused on the goals and vision of the team as a whole. This year's winner was Kaleigh Piscioneri (women's soccer).
Previous Honorees
2017-18: Kaleigh Piscioneri (women's soccer)
2016-17: Abby Lord (lacrosse)
2015-16: Zack Tobler (men's basketball)
// BEN FLICK MEMORIAL AWARD
The Ben Flick Memorial Award was created by members of the UC football team and given in the memory of Flick, a football student-athlete who passed away in 2013. The award is given to a freshman who has made an immediate impact on the Bearcats Community and embodies the same characteristics of charisma, passion and dedication that Ben displayed. This year's honoree is Constance Stormzand (lacrosse), who joins Marquis Smith (football) as the first two recipients of the award.
Previous Honorees
2017-18: Constance Stormzand (lacrosse)
2016-17: Marquis Smith (football)
// DR. SIMON ANDERSON FACULTY AWARD
The award, which was created for the 2016-17 academic year, is named after Dr. Simon Anderson, who worked as a professor in CCM for 41 years and is presented to a faculty member who demonstrates continued support of the educational advancement of the student-athletes at the University of Cincinnati. This year's award, which was selected from a list generated by UC student-athletes' nominations, was presented to Dr. Daniel Carl, an Associate Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences in UC's College of Allied Health Sciences.
Previous Honorees
2017-18: Daniel Carl, PhD (Health Sciences)
2016-17: Sue Bourke (Criminal Justice)
// NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Created for the 2016-17 academic year, the Newcomer of the Year recognizes the standout contributions of a Bearcats student-athlete in his/her first year at UC. The award, which is eligible to be won by a freshman or transfer student-athlete, was shared by one of each this year as true freshman Dominic Polling (men's swimming & diving) and junior transfer Cane Broome (men's basketball) were both selected for the award.
Previous Honorees
2017-18: Dominic Polling (men's swimming & diving) & Cane Broome (men's basketball)
2016-17: Monica Borzillo (lacrosse)
The final four awards of the night will be publicly awarded Wednesday, April 25, as the Athletics Department will come together at 10:45 a.m. inside the Lindner Athletics Building for the 2018 Spring Graduation Celebration. Each recipient will be honored before the Department awards each of this semester's graduating Bearcats with their student-athlete stole.
// HELEN NORMAN SMITH & JIMMY NIPPERT AWARDS
The Helen Norman Smith Award (women) and the Jimmy Nippert Award (men) are given each year to a senior student-athlete who has demonstrated academic achievement and outstanding contributions in their sport and community throughout their careers. This year, the Helen Norman Smith Award will be presented to Sara Wanasek (women's swimming & diving) while the Jimmy Nippert Award will be presented to Alex Bloom (men's track & field). Since the 2013-14 academic year, Wanasek will be the first swimming & diving student-athlete to earn either of the awards while Bloom will become the fifth member of the track & field/cross country program to be honored, including the third man.
Previous Honorees (Smith / Nippert)
2017-18: Sara Wanasek (WS&D) / Alex Bloom (MT&F)
2016-17: Juliana Madzia (WXC/T&F) / Pedro Diaz (MSOC)
2015-16: Meg Gulmi (LAX) / Shaq Washington (FB)
2014-15: Frida Akerstrom (WT&F) / Michael Nwankwo (MT&F)
2013-14: Olivia Dose (WGolf) / Josh Dangel (MT&F)
// NANCY HAMANT SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Each year, one graduating male and one graduating female student-athlete are selected for the award that is giving to a student-athlete whom has excelled in the classroom and has the highest cumulative GPA among all graduating student-athletes. This year, the recipients are Vanessa Gilles (women's soccer) and Adrian Valles (men's track & field), both of whom were named AAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for their respective sports earlier this year. Since the 2013-14 awards, Gilles is the second women's soccer player to earn the honor while Valles is the third from the track & field/cross country program.
Previous Honorees
2017-18: Vanessa Gilles (WSOC) / Adrian Valles (MT&F)
2016-17: Juliana Madzia (WXC/T&F) / Deyshawn Bond (FB)
2015-16: Hannah Wille (WTN) / Mitch Patishall (BSB)
2014-15: Megan Cravenor (WSOC) / Brian Barney (MT&F)
2013-14: Emily McIntyre (VB) / Chase Bechmann (MXC/T&F)
// ONE TEAM STUDENT-ATHLETE AWARD
The ONE Team Student-Athlete Award is awarded to the student-athlete whom lives the ONE Team culture every day and best embodies and represents the CPAW. This year's honoree is Gary Clark (men's basketball).
Previous Honorees
2017-18: Gary Clark (men's basketball)
2016-17: Samantha Wolkoff (women's swimming & diving)
2015-16: Nathan Anderson (men's swimming & diving)
The event opened with SAAC President Jaashir Morris (track & field) and SAAC Vice President Alex MacAffer (lacrosse) presenting the Bearcats Most Likely Awards, which are fun awards that the current student-athletes voted. Those awards included such categories as Most Likely to be Instafamous (famous on Instagram) and Most Likely to be on Reality Television. Those awards were followed by recognitions of UC's 50 first-time letter winners from the Fall 2017 semester and recognition of all the 2017-18 senior student-athletes.
// TOBLER TIME
Created in 2015-16, the Tobler Time Award is given to honor a student-athlete whom makes a difference behind the scenes and is always motivating, supportive and focused on the goals and vision of the team as a whole. This year's winner was Kaleigh Piscioneri (women's soccer).
Previous Honorees
2017-18: Kaleigh Piscioneri (women's soccer)
2016-17: Abby Lord (lacrosse)
2015-16: Zack Tobler (men's basketball)
The first award of the night, the #ToblerTime Award, goes to @GoBearcatsWSOC's Kaleigh Piscioneri.#Bearcats pic.twitter.com/xGIq4kGpB8
— Cincinnati Bearcats (@GoBEARCATS) April 18, 2018
// BEN FLICK MEMORIAL AWARD
The Ben Flick Memorial Award was created by members of the UC football team and given in the memory of Flick, a football student-athlete who passed away in 2013. The award is given to a freshman who has made an immediate impact on the Bearcats Community and embodies the same characteristics of charisma, passion and dedication that Ben displayed. This year's honoree is Constance Stormzand (lacrosse), who joins Marquis Smith (football) as the first two recipients of the award.
Previous Honorees
2017-18: Constance Stormzand (lacrosse)
2016-17: Marquis Smith (football)
The second award of the night, the Ben Flick Memorial Award, goes to @GoBearcatsLAX's Constance Stormzand.#Bearcats pic.twitter.com/Dwek7qwDwk
— Cincinnati Bearcats (@GoBEARCATS) April 18, 2018
// DR. SIMON ANDERSON FACULTY AWARD
The award, which was created for the 2016-17 academic year, is named after Dr. Simon Anderson, who worked as a professor in CCM for 41 years and is presented to a faculty member who demonstrates continued support of the educational advancement of the student-athletes at the University of Cincinnati. This year's award, which was selected from a list generated by UC student-athletes' nominations, was presented to Dr. Daniel Carl, an Associate Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences in UC's College of Allied Health Sciences.
Previous Honorees
2017-18: Daniel Carl, PhD (Health Sciences)
2016-17: Sue Bourke (Criminal Justice)
Our third award of the night, the Dr. Simon Anderson Faculty Award, goes to Dr. Daniel Carl.#Bearcats pic.twitter.com/7KGbpbx2sJ
— Cincinnati Bearcats (@GoBEARCATS) April 18, 2018
// NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Created for the 2016-17 academic year, the Newcomer of the Year recognizes the standout contributions of a Bearcats student-athlete in his/her first year at UC. The award, which is eligible to be won by a freshman or transfer student-athlete, was shared by one of each this year as true freshman Dominic Polling (men's swimming & diving) and junior transfer Cane Broome (men's basketball) were both selected for the award.
Previous Honorees
2017-18: Dominic Polling (men's swimming & diving) & Cane Broome (men's basketball)
2016-17: Monica Borzillo (lacrosse)
For our fourth award of the night, we have co-winners!
— Cincinnati Bearcats (@GoBEARCATS) April 18, 2018
The Newcomer of the Year goes to @GoBearcatsSWIM's Dominic Polling & @GoBearcatsMBB's Cane Broome.#Bearcats pic.twitter.com/CocUozCgGd
The final four awards of the night will be publicly awarded Wednesday, April 25, as the Athletics Department will come together at 10:45 a.m. inside the Lindner Athletics Building for the 2018 Spring Graduation Celebration. Each recipient will be honored before the Department awards each of this semester's graduating Bearcats with their student-athlete stole.
// HELEN NORMAN SMITH & JIMMY NIPPERT AWARDS
The Helen Norman Smith Award (women) and the Jimmy Nippert Award (men) are given each year to a senior student-athlete who has demonstrated academic achievement and outstanding contributions in their sport and community throughout their careers. This year, the Helen Norman Smith Award will be presented to Sara Wanasek (women's swimming & diving) while the Jimmy Nippert Award will be presented to Alex Bloom (men's track & field). Since the 2013-14 academic year, Wanasek will be the first swimming & diving student-athlete to earn either of the awards while Bloom will become the fifth member of the track & field/cross country program to be honored, including the third man.
Previous Honorees (Smith / Nippert)
2017-18: Sara Wanasek (WS&D) / Alex Bloom (MT&F)
2016-17: Juliana Madzia (WXC/T&F) / Pedro Diaz (MSOC)
2015-16: Meg Gulmi (LAX) / Shaq Washington (FB)
2014-15: Frida Akerstrom (WT&F) / Michael Nwankwo (MT&F)
2013-14: Olivia Dose (WGolf) / Josh Dangel (MT&F)
Our seventh award, the Helen Norman Award, goes to @GoBearcatsSWIM's Sara Wanasek!#Bearcats pic.twitter.com/PNWlKHaiAQ
— Cincinnati Bearcats (@GoBEARCATS) April 25, 2018
Our fifth award, the Jimmy Nippert Award, goes to @GoBearcatsTFXC's Alex Bloom!#Bearcats pic.twitter.com/3OCJaUZwJk
— Cincinnati Bearcats (@GoBEARCATS) April 25, 2018
// NANCY HAMANT SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Each year, one graduating male and one graduating female student-athlete are selected for the award that is giving to a student-athlete whom has excelled in the classroom and has the highest cumulative GPA among all graduating student-athletes. This year, the recipients are Vanessa Gilles (women's soccer) and Adrian Valles (men's track & field), both of whom were named AAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for their respective sports earlier this year. Since the 2013-14 awards, Gilles is the second women's soccer player to earn the honor while Valles is the third from the track & field/cross country program.
Previous Honorees
2017-18: Vanessa Gilles (WSOC) / Adrian Valles (MT&F)
2016-17: Juliana Madzia (WXC/T&F) / Deyshawn Bond (FB)
2015-16: Hannah Wille (WTN) / Mitch Patishall (BSB)
2014-15: Megan Cravenor (WSOC) / Brian Barney (MT&F)
2013-14: Emily McIntyre (VB) / Chase Bechmann (MXC/T&F)
For our sixth award we have two recipients!
— Cincinnati Bearcats (@GoBEARCATS) April 25, 2018
The Nancy Hamant Scholar-Athlete Awards go to @GoBearcatsWSOC's Vanessa Gilles & @GoBearcatsTFXC's Adrian Valles.#Bearcats pic.twitter.com/2J4rLh3Bks
// ONE TEAM STUDENT-ATHLETE AWARD
The ONE Team Student-Athlete Award is awarded to the student-athlete whom lives the ONE Team culture every day and best embodies and represents the CPAW. This year's honoree is Gary Clark (men's basketball).
Previous Honorees
2017-18: Gary Clark (men's basketball)
2016-17: Samantha Wolkoff (women's swimming & diving)
2015-16: Nathan Anderson (men's swimming & diving)
Our final award, the ONE Team Student-Athlete Award, goes to @GoBearcatsMBB's Gary Clark!#Bearcats pic.twitter.com/ePASboEAQ8
— Cincinnati Bearcats (@GoBEARCATS) April 25, 2018