Buffs Celebrate With 16th Annual CUSPY Awards

Photo by: CUBuffs.com

April 27, 2016 | Neill Woelk

By: Neill Woelk, Contributing Editor

BOULDER — College athletes are accustomed to the spotlight. It's simply part of the equation that comes with the game.

But once a year, University of Colorado athletes from every sport — along with trainers, managers and coaches — have the chance to get together for an evening of celebration, and they have the night to themselves. No media, no fans and no pressure.

Rather, it's an opportunity for a year-end gathering in a red-carpet setting that offers them the opportunity to celebrate their accomplishments with teammates and friends from every other sport — and the only spotlight is the one they choose to shine on themselves.

It's the annual CUSPY Awards Program, a night for the students and by the students. It includes good food, good company, plenty of lighthearted moments and one last chance for every athlete to spend time with her/his Buff family before the school year is over.

Tuesday night's affair at the Coors Events Center was the 16th at Colorado. Since its inception in 2001, dozens of other schools around the nation have followed suit.

“It's billed as one of the first in the country to be run by the students,” said CU associate director of compliance Jo Marchi, who helps the student-athletes with the organizational details of the event. “They make the decisions and they do all the work for it — the programs, the skits, everything. It's unique in that aspect. There are always a couple of awards that they decide, and they have the opportunity to make those decisions and they get to enjoy it.”

Unlike specific end-of-season team awards banquets, the tone of the CUSPYs is anything but serious. Tuesday, probably the most popular award of the night proved to be the team lipsyncing contest — won by the cross country team.

“It's a fun, lighthearted evening for the students, by the students,” Marchi said. “It's an internal thing — student trainers, equipment managers — all the people that the student-athletes spend their time with. They all get to celebrate together.”

And, while most of the acceptance speeches had the correct amount of thoughtfulness, a few winners couldn't resist injecting a little humor.

When volleyball player Cierra Simpson won the Sports Performance award, she noted that she was inspired by her teammates constant reminder of a favorite hashtag: #summerbod. When Nordic skier Mads Stroem was named Male Athlete of the Year, he cracked a joke, then deadpanned with a shake of his head: “Europeans.”

Many of the athletes took the opportunity to outfit themselves in wardrobes definitely fit for a Hollywood red carpet affair. Others chose more “traditional” garb (cross-country runner Pierce Murphy, a native of Hawaii, naturally chose a Hawaiian shirt).

There were also hundreds of selfies taken, hundreds of stories traded — and more than a few goodbyes as well. For the CU seniors, it was the last time they would have the chance to gather with so many of the athletes from across the department.

The theme for the evening was celebration. The tone was lighthearted, an evening of fun. But senior golfer Alexis Keating, who along with volleyball player Nicole Edelman won the Female Career Achievement award, may have summed up the evening best when she said, “I'm so honored to be a part of this Buffalo family. Thank you all.”

AWARD WINNERS

Female Freshman Athlete of the Year: Kennedy Leonard, basketball. Other finalists: Naghede Abu, volleyball; Dani Jones, cross country; Sarah Kinzner, soccer; Tonje Trulsrud, alpine skiing.

Male Freshman Athlete of the Year: John Dressel, cross country. Other finalists: Rick Gamboa, football; Ola Johnasen, alpine skiing; Ross Macdonald, golf; Petter Reistad, Nordic skiing.

Moment of the Year: Men's and women's cross country Pac-12 Championships sweep. Other finalists: Football overtime victory over CSU, men's basketball win over No. 9 Arizona.

Student Athlete Advisory Committee Service Award: All senior student-athletes who served on the committee.

Female Sports Performance Award: Cierra Simpson, volleyball.

Male Sports Performance Award: Stephane Nembot, football.

Staff Member of the Year: Dr. Chris Bader, counseling and sports psychologist. Other finalists: Chris Howlett, academic coordinator; Ryan Kataoka, academic coordinator.

Support Award: Sports Medicine. Other finalists: Administration, Sports Video.

Female Athlete of the Year (co-winners): Erin Clark, cross country/track and field, and Esther Lee, golf. Other finalists: Alexis Austin, volleyball; Petra Hyncicova, Nordic skiing; Nuria Ormeño Ruiz, tennis.

Male Athlete of the Year: Mads Stroem, Nordic skiing. Other finalists: Chidobe Awuzie, football; Pierce Murphy, cross country/track and field; Jeremy Paul, golf; Josh Scott, basketball.

Female Career Athletic Achievement (co-winners): Nicole Edelman, volleyball, and Alexis Keating, golf. Other finalists: Jessica Honkonen, alpine skiing; Sarah Lautman, lacrosse; Jamee Swan, basketball.

Male Career Athletic Achievement (co-winners): Pierce Murphy, cross country/track and field, and Josh Scott, basketball. Other finalists: Henrik Gunnarsson, alpine skiing; Philip Juel-Berg, golf; Nelson Spruce, football.