TicketsCINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati Department of Athletics celebrated its 2020 One Team Honors on Monday, May 18, 2020.
One Team Honors is an annual end-of-year event which celebrates the best of Bearcats Athletics. Led by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), Bearcats student-athletes and staff presented awards in a number of categories.
Monday's awards marked the first time the honors took place virtually. Bearcats fans can watch a replay of the event on the platform of their choice.
• Watch on GoBEARCATS.com HERE.
• Watch on YouTube HERE.
• Watch on Facebook HERE.
2020 AWARD WINNERS
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
• Awarded to a male and female student-athlete in their first year as Bearcats who have made the biggest impact on their respective teams.
Ellie Leather – Women's Cross Country/Track & Field
Ahmad Gardner – Football
NANCY HAMANT SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
• Awarded to the male and female senior student-athlete with the highest student-athlete cumulative GPA.
Libby Greenwell – Women's Soccer
• Health sciences major with a 3.98 cumulative GPA
Din Selmanovic – Men's Swimming & Diving
• Holds a 3.826 cumulative GPA in his neuroscience/neurobiology major
DR. SIMON ANDERSON FACULTY AWARD
• This award honors Dr. Simon Anderson, who worked as a professor in UC's College-Conservatory of Music for 41 years. This accolade is presented to a faculty member who demonstrates continued support of the educational advancement of UC student-athletes.
Dr. LaSharon Mosley
Dr. Mosley is an Associate Professor Educator in UC's College of Arts and Sciences in the Department of Biological Sciences. She was nominated by Michaela Wheeler from women's swimming and diving.
ONE TEAM STUDENT-ATHLETE AWARD
• The One Team Award is voted on by student-athletes and recognizes a fellow student-athlete who lives the department's One Team Culture every day and best represents the CPAW on their chest. The recipient of the award is someone who supports their fellow Bearcats in countless ways on the court and in the community and can be heard on the sidelines at games.
Trevon Scott – Men's Basketball
TOBLER TIME AWARD
The Tobler Time Award was created in 2016 to honor a student-athlete who makes a difference behind the scenes. This individual might be seen as the unsung hero of the team. Someone who is always looking out for the best interest of their team and consistently maintains a positive attitude. It is named for the inaugural winner of the award, former men's basketball player Zack Tobler.
Libby Greenwell – Women's Soccer
BEN FLICK MEMORIAL AWARD
• Former UC football players Grant Coleman and Mark Wilson created this award to honor the memory of teammate Ben Flick, who passed away in 2013. This award is granted to a freshman who has made an impact on the Bearcats Community and embodies the same characteristics of charisma, passion, and dedication that Ben displayed.
Kendall Battle - Women's Soccer
HELEN NORMAN SMITH & JIMMY NIPPERT AWARDS
• 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 AWARD
• 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.
Jordan Thompson - Volleyball
Thompson wrapped her storied career which saw her become the first AVCA First-Team All-American in school history in 2019. Thompson was also tabbed as the North Region Player of the Year, AAC Player of the Year and a CoSIDA Second-Team Academic All-American. She rewrote the UC and AAC record books and closed her collegiate career ranking seventh in NCAA career kills with 2,664. She graduated in May 2020 with a 3.533 GPA and earned a master's degree in criminal justice. Thompson is now a professional volleyball player in Turkey and a member of the U.S. National Team.
JIMMY NIPPERT AWARD
• 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.
Din Selmanovic – Men's Swimming & Diving
Selmanovic, a recipient of the 2020 UC Presidential Leadership Medal of Excellence, graduated this spring with a cumulative GPA of 3.826 with a degree in neuroscience. He was nominated this past fall for the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship. In the pool, Selmanovic broke numerous school records during his four-year career and ends with his name atop the 500 freestyle and 800 freestyle relay UC leaderboard. He was the 2019 American Athletic Conference Most Outstanding Male Swimmer after leading the Bearcats to their second straight AAC Championship. Selmanovic was the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee president and a team captain his senior year. He has been a strong advocate for mental health awareness, driving many initiatives in the athletic department and in the conference.
ATHLETE OF THE FALL/WINTER
Jordan Thompson - Volleyball
Thompson, the first AVCA First-Team All-American in program history, led the Bearcats to a historical 2019 season as the team advanced to NCAA Regionals for the first time ever after a win at No. 6 national seed and AVCA No. 2 ranked Pitt. As a First Team All-American, Thompson is recognized as one of the top 14 players in the country. For the second-straight season, she led the nation in kills, kills per set, points and points per set. Her 6.38 kills per set in 2019 breaks her 2018 UC and American Athletic Conference single-season records. Thompson is the UC and AAC leader in career kills, single-season kills and single-match kills. She became the sixth player in NCAA history to achieve 50 or more kills in a match, doing so on her senior day.
Trevon Scott – Men's Basketball
Scott enjoyed the best season of his career and earned a trio of American Athletic Conference Awards, tabbed as the AAC Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player Award and the winner of the Sportsmanship Award in addition to his First-Team All-AAC honor. He averaged 11.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Scott gathered 13 double-doubles on the year, including 11 during league play. He is the first UC player to average a double-double since Dwight Jones averaged 16.6 points and 10.1 rebounds in 1982-83. Scott's 10.5 rebounds are the most at UC since Pat Cummings averaged 11.3 rebounds during the 1978-79 campaign.
TEAM OF THE FALL/WINTER
Volleyball
The volleyball team ended the season ranked No. 19 in the final American Volleyball Coaches Association poll for the first time in program history. UC finished the 2019 season 27-7, won the AAC regular season title, earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Championship and made it to the regional round for the first time in program history.
ONE TEAM STAFF AWARD
• Each year, a male and female member of the athletics staff who fits UC's One Team mantra is honored. Staff members are nominated by their peers for going above and beyond their duties and being great representatives of the guiding principles of respect, integrity, determination, excellence, and togetherness.
Sports Medicine Staff
• Senior Associate AD/Medical Services Bob Mangine and his staff have maintained a safe and healthy environment in the Richard E. Lindner Center and have helped all Bearcats teams, student-athletes, coaches and staff through the management of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati athletics, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow Cincinnati Athletics on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
One Team Honors is an annual end-of-year event which celebrates the best of Bearcats Athletics. Led by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), Bearcats student-athletes and staff presented awards in a number of categories.
Monday's awards marked the first time the honors took place virtually. Bearcats fans can watch a replay of the event on the platform of their choice.
• Watch on GoBEARCATS.com HERE.
• Watch on YouTube HERE.
• Watch on Facebook HERE.
2020 AWARD WINNERS
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
• Awarded to a male and female student-athlete in their first year as Bearcats who have made the biggest impact on their respective teams.
Ellie Leather – Women's Cross Country/Track & Field
Ahmad Gardner – Football
NANCY HAMANT SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
• Awarded to the male and female senior student-athlete with the highest student-athlete cumulative GPA.
Libby Greenwell – Women's Soccer
• Health sciences major with a 3.98 cumulative GPA
Din Selmanovic – Men's Swimming & Diving
• Holds a 3.826 cumulative GPA in his neuroscience/neurobiology major
DR. SIMON ANDERSON FACULTY AWARD
• This award honors Dr. Simon Anderson, who worked as a professor in UC's College-Conservatory of Music for 41 years. This accolade is presented to a faculty member who demonstrates continued support of the educational advancement of UC student-athletes.
Dr. LaSharon Mosley
Dr. Mosley is an Associate Professor Educator in UC's College of Arts and Sciences in the Department of Biological Sciences. She was nominated by Michaela Wheeler from women's swimming and diving.
ONE TEAM STUDENT-ATHLETE AWARD
• The One Team Award is voted on by student-athletes and recognizes a fellow student-athlete who lives the department's One Team Culture every day and best represents the CPAW on their chest. The recipient of the award is someone who supports their fellow Bearcats in countless ways on the court and in the community and can be heard on the sidelines at games.
Trevon Scott – Men's Basketball
TOBLER TIME AWARD
The Tobler Time Award was created in 2016 to honor a student-athlete who makes a difference behind the scenes. This individual might be seen as the unsung hero of the team. Someone who is always looking out for the best interest of their team and consistently maintains a positive attitude. It is named for the inaugural winner of the award, former men's basketball player Zack Tobler.
Libby Greenwell – Women's Soccer
BEN FLICK MEMORIAL AWARD
• Former UC football players Grant Coleman and Mark Wilson created this award to honor the memory of teammate Ben Flick, who passed away in 2013. This award is granted to a freshman who has made an impact on the Bearcats Community and embodies the same characteristics of charisma, passion, and dedication that Ben displayed.
Kendall Battle - Women's Soccer
HELEN NORMAN SMITH & JIMMY NIPPERT AWARDS
• 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 AWARD
• 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.
Jordan Thompson - Volleyball
Thompson wrapped her storied career which saw her become the first AVCA First-Team All-American in school history in 2019. Thompson was also tabbed as the North Region Player of the Year, AAC Player of the Year and a CoSIDA Second-Team Academic All-American. She rewrote the UC and AAC record books and closed her collegiate career ranking seventh in NCAA career kills with 2,664. She graduated in May 2020 with a 3.533 GPA and earned a master's degree in criminal justice. Thompson is now a professional volleyball player in Turkey and a member of the U.S. National Team.
JIMMY NIPPERT AWARD
• 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.
Din Selmanovic – Men's Swimming & Diving
Selmanovic, a recipient of the 2020 UC Presidential Leadership Medal of Excellence, graduated this spring with a cumulative GPA of 3.826 with a degree in neuroscience. He was nominated this past fall for the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship. In the pool, Selmanovic broke numerous school records during his four-year career and ends with his name atop the 500 freestyle and 800 freestyle relay UC leaderboard. He was the 2019 American Athletic Conference Most Outstanding Male Swimmer after leading the Bearcats to their second straight AAC Championship. Selmanovic was the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee president and a team captain his senior year. He has been a strong advocate for mental health awareness, driving many initiatives in the athletic department and in the conference.
ATHLETE OF THE FALL/WINTER
Jordan Thompson - Volleyball
Thompson, the first AVCA First-Team All-American in program history, led the Bearcats to a historical 2019 season as the team advanced to NCAA Regionals for the first time ever after a win at No. 6 national seed and AVCA No. 2 ranked Pitt. As a First Team All-American, Thompson is recognized as one of the top 14 players in the country. For the second-straight season, she led the nation in kills, kills per set, points and points per set. Her 6.38 kills per set in 2019 breaks her 2018 UC and American Athletic Conference single-season records. Thompson is the UC and AAC leader in career kills, single-season kills and single-match kills. She became the sixth player in NCAA history to achieve 50 or more kills in a match, doing so on her senior day.
Trevon Scott – Men's Basketball
Scott enjoyed the best season of his career and earned a trio of American Athletic Conference Awards, tabbed as the AAC Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player Award and the winner of the Sportsmanship Award in addition to his First-Team All-AAC honor. He averaged 11.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Scott gathered 13 double-doubles on the year, including 11 during league play. He is the first UC player to average a double-double since Dwight Jones averaged 16.6 points and 10.1 rebounds in 1982-83. Scott's 10.5 rebounds are the most at UC since Pat Cummings averaged 11.3 rebounds during the 1978-79 campaign.
TEAM OF THE FALL/WINTER
Volleyball
The volleyball team ended the season ranked No. 19 in the final American Volleyball Coaches Association poll for the first time in program history. UC finished the 2019 season 27-7, won the AAC regular season title, earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Championship and made it to the regional round for the first time in program history.
ONE TEAM STAFF AWARD
• Each year, a male and female member of the athletics staff who fits UC's One Team mantra is honored. Staff members are nominated by their peers for going above and beyond their duties and being great representatives of the guiding principles of respect, integrity, determination, excellence, and togetherness.
Sports Medicine Staff
• Senior Associate AD/Medical Services Bob Mangine and his staff have maintained a safe and healthy environment in the Richard E. Lindner Center and have helped all Bearcats teams, student-athletes, coaches and staff through the management of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati athletics, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow Cincinnati Athletics on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.