TicketsCINCINNATI – The American Athletic Conference today announced its annual scholar-athlete of the year honors for each sport with four University of Cincinnati student-athletes earning top honors in their respective sports. The four honorees include Damien Berthenet (men's indoor track & field), Antoinette Miller (women's basketball), Din Selmanovic (men's swimming & diving) and Jordan Thompson (volleyball).
Selections for the AAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards are made by the Faculty Athletic Representatives on the basis of academic credentials and athletic performance. Each school was permitted to nominate one student-athlete who has achieved senior academic standing as determined by the institution. A winner was chosen from each of the conference's 22 sponsored sports in addition to men's and women's at-large selections from sports not sponsored by the AAC.
// QUICK NOTES ON THE AWARDS
• The four awards earned this year are the second-most for UC as members of the American behind the seven earned in the 2017-18 academic year.
• This year marked the third time in seven years multiple men were honored at UC following the four awards collected in 2017-18 and two in 2014-15.
• With Berthenet earning the men's indoor track & field honor, the UC track & field program has now earned at least one scholar-athlete of the year accolade in six of the seven years the AAC has awarded accolades and at least one in each of the last four years.
• Thompson's selection is the first for a UC volleyball player in the AAC era while Miller's selection is the first for a basketball player at UC, both men and women, in the AAC era.
• Selmanovic's honor makes him the second man (Chris Bready in 2017-18) and third swimmer (Jacqueline Keire in 2015-16) to be honored in program history
// AWARD RECIPIENT: BERTHENET
Berthenet was to compete in his first NCAA Championships event the end of the indoor season (March), but the meet was canceled because of the pandemic. Despite the cancellation, the Frenchman's work throughout the indoor season earned him USTFCCCA All-America accolades for the first time in his career, joining his current volunteer coach Alex Bloom as the only two indoor All-Americans in the heptathlon in men's program history. To reach the national meet, Berthenet scored a PR 5,693 points to win the title at the American Athletic Conference Championships and post the #10 mark of the year nationally, which also earned him earlier the AAC Male Most Outstanding Performance Award. Berthenet, who also broke the school record in the event as well as the heptathlon shot put mark while posting two other marks that ranked #2 all-time at UC, was to become the second UC man to compete in the heptathlon at the NCAA Indoor Championships after Bloom, who was the previous record holder before Berthenet's big meet in Birmingham. Academically, Berthenet was previously named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic team as well.
// AWARD RECIPIENT: MILLER
Miller's senior season saw her continue to post improved numbers as the team's floor general averaged 15.6 points per game while dishing out 4.4 assists per contest as well as she guided the Bearcats to the AAC final, the program's first conference tournament final in 17 years. For her efforts, she (along with IImar'I Thomas) earned WBCA All-America Honorable Mention honors, the first for a player in the program since 2003 and just the second ever. The second of three Bearcats to reach 1,000 career points during the season, Miller entered and exited the season in similar fashion as she was named AAC All-Conference Second Team in both releases. A three-time selection to the AAC's weekly Honor Roll during the season, Miller averaged over 34 minutes played in all three tournament games to help the Bearcats to a runner-up showing while making their first conference final appearance in 17 years. Miller tallied her first career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds against Ball State earlier in the season and nearly picked-up her second in the tournament opener with Memphis as she finished with 15 points and nine assists. All told, the senior scored in double figures in 20 of her 28 games played while scoring 20 or more in eight of those contests. Miller recently signed a professional contract and will venture to Sweden to begin play in October.
// AWARD RECIPIENT: SELMANOVIC
Prior to his selection as the scholar-athlete of the year, Selmanovic was selected as the male recipient of the 2019-20 AAC Commissioner's Postgraduate Leadership Award. the award is another in a long list for Selmanovic. He was a 2020 CoSIDA All-District First Team At-Large honoree, he received UC's 2020 Presidential Leadership Medal of Excellence and was given the Jimmy Nippert Award at the 2020 One Team Honors. He also earned the Nancy Hamant Scholar-Athlete Award for the department. Selmanovic 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 leader board. 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 leaves UC to pursue a PhD in neuroscience.
// AWARD RECIPIENT: THOMPSON
The 2019 season saw one of the most dominant performances in program history turned in by Thompson as the redshirt senior made a name for herself both on the collegiate and international stages. With the Bearcats, Thompson helped the team to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time in program history and the #19 final ranking in the AVCA Coaches' Poll to end the season ranked for the first time ever. Individually, Thompson was named to the 2019 AVCA All-America First Team after being selected the AVCA North Region Player of the Year and the AAC Player of the Year. A CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team honoree, Thompson ended her career ranked seventh all-time in kills in the NCAA after leading the nation in kills, points, kills per set and points per set as a senior. Included in that tally was a 50-kill performance against ECU, making her just the sixth player in NCAA history to record 50+ in a match.
A member of the U.S. National Team that won the Volleyball Nations League over the summer to qualify Team USA for the Olympic Games, Thompson also was active in her community away from the court. A three-year member of SAAC (2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20), Thompson was a student leader with campus ministry and conducted student-athlete Bible studies throughout her time at UC. Following her career, she was honored with UC's Helen Norman Smith Award, which annually honors a female senior student-athlete who demonstrated over the course of her career academic achievement, outstanding contributions and/or excellence in athletic performance in their sport and documented community service.
// CINCINNATI'S ALL-TIME AAC SCHOLAR-ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
2019-20
Damien Berthenet • Men' Indoor Track & Field
Antoinette Miller • Women's Basketball
Din Selmanovic • Men's Swimming & Diving
Jordan Thompson • Volleyball
2018-19
Loretta Blaut • Women's Indoor Track & Field
Austin Squires • Men's Golf
2017-18
Davis Baxter • Men's Golf
Loretta Blaut • Women's Outdoor Track & Field
Chris Bready • Men's Swimming & Diving
Vanessa Gilles • Women's Soccer
Lauren Hudson • Lacrosse (at-large)
Connor McVey • Baseball
Adrian Valles • Men's Indoor Track & Field *
2016-17
Adrian Valles • Men's Track & Field *
2015-16
Jacqueline Keire • Women's Swimming & Diving
Ryan Leahy • Football
2014-15
Brian Barney • Men's Track & Field *
Ian Happ • Baseball
2013-14
Olivia Dose • Women's Golf
Kaitlyn Good • Women's Indoor Track & Field
Eric Lefeld • Football
* named overall AAC Men's Scholar-Athlete of the Year (for all sports)
Selections for the AAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards are made by the Faculty Athletic Representatives on the basis of academic credentials and athletic performance. Each school was permitted to nominate one student-athlete who has achieved senior academic standing as determined by the institution. A winner was chosen from each of the conference's 22 sponsored sports in addition to men's and women's at-large selections from sports not sponsored by the AAC.
// QUICK NOTES ON THE AWARDS
• The four awards earned this year are the second-most for UC as members of the American behind the seven earned in the 2017-18 academic year.
• This year marked the third time in seven years multiple men were honored at UC following the four awards collected in 2017-18 and two in 2014-15.
• With Berthenet earning the men's indoor track & field honor, the UC track & field program has now earned at least one scholar-athlete of the year accolade in six of the seven years the AAC has awarded accolades and at least one in each of the last four years.
• Thompson's selection is the first for a UC volleyball player in the AAC era while Miller's selection is the first for a basketball player at UC, both men and women, in the AAC era.
• Selmanovic's honor makes him the second man (Chris Bready in 2017-18) and third swimmer (Jacqueline Keire in 2015-16) to be honored in program history
// AWARD RECIPIENT: BERTHENET
Berthenet was to compete in his first NCAA Championships event the end of the indoor season (March), but the meet was canceled because of the pandemic. Despite the cancellation, the Frenchman's work throughout the indoor season earned him USTFCCCA All-America accolades for the first time in his career, joining his current volunteer coach Alex Bloom as the only two indoor All-Americans in the heptathlon in men's program history. To reach the national meet, Berthenet scored a PR 5,693 points to win the title at the American Athletic Conference Championships and post the #10 mark of the year nationally, which also earned him earlier the AAC Male Most Outstanding Performance Award. Berthenet, who also broke the school record in the event as well as the heptathlon shot put mark while posting two other marks that ranked #2 all-time at UC, was to become the second UC man to compete in the heptathlon at the NCAA Indoor Championships after Bloom, who was the previous record holder before Berthenet's big meet in Birmingham. Academically, Berthenet was previously named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic team as well.
// AWARD RECIPIENT: MILLER
Miller's senior season saw her continue to post improved numbers as the team's floor general averaged 15.6 points per game while dishing out 4.4 assists per contest as well as she guided the Bearcats to the AAC final, the program's first conference tournament final in 17 years. For her efforts, she (along with IImar'I Thomas) earned WBCA All-America Honorable Mention honors, the first for a player in the program since 2003 and just the second ever. The second of three Bearcats to reach 1,000 career points during the season, Miller entered and exited the season in similar fashion as she was named AAC All-Conference Second Team in both releases. A three-time selection to the AAC's weekly Honor Roll during the season, Miller averaged over 34 minutes played in all three tournament games to help the Bearcats to a runner-up showing while making their first conference final appearance in 17 years. Miller tallied her first career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds against Ball State earlier in the season and nearly picked-up her second in the tournament opener with Memphis as she finished with 15 points and nine assists. All told, the senior scored in double figures in 20 of her 28 games played while scoring 20 or more in eight of those contests. Miller recently signed a professional contract and will venture to Sweden to begin play in October.
// AWARD RECIPIENT: SELMANOVIC
Prior to his selection as the scholar-athlete of the year, Selmanovic was selected as the male recipient of the 2019-20 AAC Commissioner's Postgraduate Leadership Award. the award is another in a long list for Selmanovic. He was a 2020 CoSIDA All-District First Team At-Large honoree, he received UC's 2020 Presidential Leadership Medal of Excellence and was given the Jimmy Nippert Award at the 2020 One Team Honors. He also earned the Nancy Hamant Scholar-Athlete Award for the department. Selmanovic 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 leader board. 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 leaves UC to pursue a PhD in neuroscience.
// AWARD RECIPIENT: THOMPSON
The 2019 season saw one of the most dominant performances in program history turned in by Thompson as the redshirt senior made a name for herself both on the collegiate and international stages. With the Bearcats, Thompson helped the team to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time in program history and the #19 final ranking in the AVCA Coaches' Poll to end the season ranked for the first time ever. Individually, Thompson was named to the 2019 AVCA All-America First Team after being selected the AVCA North Region Player of the Year and the AAC Player of the Year. A CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team honoree, Thompson ended her career ranked seventh all-time in kills in the NCAA after leading the nation in kills, points, kills per set and points per set as a senior. Included in that tally was a 50-kill performance against ECU, making her just the sixth player in NCAA history to record 50+ in a match.
A member of the U.S. National Team that won the Volleyball Nations League over the summer to qualify Team USA for the Olympic Games, Thompson also was active in her community away from the court. A three-year member of SAAC (2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20), Thompson was a student leader with campus ministry and conducted student-athlete Bible studies throughout her time at UC. Following her career, she was honored with UC's Helen Norman Smith Award, which annually honors a female senior student-athlete who demonstrated over the course of her career academic achievement, outstanding contributions and/or excellence in athletic performance in their sport and documented community service.
// CINCINNATI'S ALL-TIME AAC SCHOLAR-ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
2019-20
Damien Berthenet • Men' Indoor Track & Field
Antoinette Miller • Women's Basketball
Din Selmanovic • Men's Swimming & Diving
Jordan Thompson • Volleyball
2018-19
Loretta Blaut • Women's Indoor Track & Field
Austin Squires • Men's Golf
2017-18
Davis Baxter • Men's Golf
Loretta Blaut • Women's Outdoor Track & Field
Chris Bready • Men's Swimming & Diving
Vanessa Gilles • Women's Soccer
Lauren Hudson • Lacrosse (at-large)
Connor McVey • Baseball
Adrian Valles • Men's Indoor Track & Field *
2016-17
Adrian Valles • Men's Track & Field *
2015-16
Jacqueline Keire • Women's Swimming & Diving
Ryan Leahy • Football
2014-15
Brian Barney • Men's Track & Field *
Ian Happ • Baseball
2013-14
Olivia Dose • Women's Golf
Kaitlyn Good • Women's Indoor Track & Field
Eric Lefeld • Football
* named overall AAC Men's Scholar-Athlete of the Year (for all sports)