Evan Battey takes a selfie with some of the CUSPY award winners.
Photo by: Maggie Still
19th Annual CUSPY's Honor CU's Athletic Best
May 01, 2019 | General, Skiing
Over 300 attend SAAC's annual signature event
BOULDER — Several major awards were presented here Tuesday night as the University of Colorado honored its best in athletics at the 19th annual CU Sports Performers of the Year (CUSPY) Awards.
Over 300 student-athletes, coaches, staff and C-Club board members attended the year-end banquet at the CU Events Center, organized by CU's Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) to honor athletic accomplishments for the 2018-19 athletic year.
What has become the annual honor that is the toughest for the selection committee, the Female Athlete of the Year Award once again had the strongest field of candidates, with nine solid nominations that the committee narrowed down to four finalists. In the end, for just the second time in the seven years, a sole winner was selected as opposed to it being shared. Senior Dani Jones was the selection, as she led the Buffaloes to the NCAA Women's Cross Country title, CU's 29th national championship in its athletic history. Jones captured the individual titles in the NCAA and the Pac-12 meets, earned first-team All-American, All-Region and All-Pac-12 honors in addition to being named the college athlete of the year in the state by the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame.
Jones shared the honor as a sophomore and junior and joins Emma Coburn (cross country and track) as the second woman to be honored three times in the category since the award's inception for the 1984-85 school year. Jorge Torres won the men's three straight times last decade.
Naghede Abu (volleyball), Taylor Kornieck (soccer) and Miranda Stinson (lacrosse) were the other finalists.
CU's Male Athlete of the Year honor was shared between skier Eric Dengerud and track performer Joe Klecker, both of whom enjoyed milestone years in their respective sport.
Dengerud was the NCAA individual champion in the freestyle cross country event, earning first-team All-America honors in the process, a fairly rare achievement for a freshman to do so in his or her first NCAA race. He was also the conference champion in the same event (Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association) and earned the team's MVP honor when he was named the recipient of the Dick Schoenberger Award.
Klecker finished as the national runner-up in the indoor 5,000-meter run and took third in the 3,000, setting school records in both events over the course of the season in the process. In earning two first-team All-America honors, he scored 14 points for CU, the most ever by a performer at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
The other finalists were Laviska Shenault (football) and McKinley Wright (basketball).
Stinson was acknowledged as the recipient of the Female Career Athletic Achievement Award. Sure to be a two-time, first-team All-Pac-12 performer when the team is announced later this month, she is tied for second for the most points in school history (218), third in goals (166) and fourth in assists (52). Her 59 goals this season are the second-most in CU history, with her 74 points fourth (her 77 as a junior tied for the second-most). Her eight goals against Cal earlier this spring set a school record for the most in a single game.
Stinson emerged from a talented pool that produced three other finalists, Kennedy Leonard (basketball), Christina Rolandsen (Nordic skiing) and Alexa Smith (volleyball).
Rick Gamboa was the winner of the Male Career Athletic Achievement Award, as the four-year letterman and two-time captain who finished sixth in career tackles at Colorado with 388. He tied for 15th in solo tackles with 188, was 10th in third down stops (33) and tied for 27th in passes broken up (19). He played in 51 games over the course of his career, including starting in the last 49 in a row. He also earned the Buffalo Heart Award, given by the "fans behind the bench" to player who best exemplifies what it means to be a Colorado Buffalo.
The other finalists were Alvar Alev (Nordic skiing), Ryan Forsyth (cross country) and Max Luukko (alpine skiing).
Evan Battey of the basketball team won the Male Freshman of the Year honor. It has been well-documented that he suffered a stroke around Christmas 2017 and is still recovering from some of its effects; he came back from a devastating event, and for a teenager no less, to average 8.4 points and 4.4 rebounds in his first competitive action in two years. He shot 54 percent from the field during Pac-12 Conference play, had a career-high of 21 points in a win over USC in the regular season finale, and had his first double-double against Norfolk State in the NIT.
Other nominations included Dengerud, Colby Pursell (football) and John Paterson (golf).
Jenna Ewert of the volleyball team and Mikaela Tommy of the alpine ski team shared the Female Freshman Athlete of the Year Award. Ewert was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman team and was twice selected as the conference's freshman of the week. She tied the school record for blocks in a match and recorded just the second blocks-assists double-double in school history (and missed a triple-double by two digs). Tommy became the first women's skier in CU history to win three straight alpine races, finished in the top 10 in all eight races she finished (six top five), and earned first-team All-America honors in the slalom (third place at the NCAA's) and in the giant slalom (fourth place).
The two other finalists were Holly Bent (cross country) and Charlie Rudy (lacrosse).
The selection committee annually leaves open the possibility that all of the above awards could be augmented once the spring sport seasons are complete in fairness to those sports (golf, lacrosse, outdoor track) that still have important portions of their seasons and/or NCAA events still ahead of them. Tennis has completed its season, men's and women's golf have individuals competing in the NCAA's, lacrosse will find out next week if its advances to the NCAA's while outdoor track is just barely half done with its year. For example, Gabby Scott has enjoyed quite an outdoor season to date.
SAAC members selected several award winners, including the staff member of the year, which went to trainer fellow Brady Baker, and the Student Athlete Support Award, which was presented to the Performance Nutrition Chefs and the Kitchen staffs.
In addition, SAAC members nominate and then select by vote on the CU's Sports' "Moment of the Year." From a list of solid choices, they selected the women's cross country team claiming the 2018 NCAA title and senior Dani Jones winning the individual crown. It was the eighth national championship, all in cross country, won by CU head coach Mark Wetmore. That moment edged out the football team winning the renewal of the rivalry with Nebraska last September, a 33-28 CU win in Lincoln on a 40-yard touchdown pass from Steven Montez to Laviska Shenault in the final minutes; and the women's lacrosse team first-ever win at Southern California, a 9-8 verdict in early April with Stinson and Samantha Nemirov scoring three goals each for the Buffs.
The SAAC Distinguished Service Award, presented to senior members who contributed significantly to the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee during their CU careers, was awarded to 11 student-athletes: Leonard, Scott, Smith, Olivia Aschman (lacrosse), Annabelle Andrinopoulos (tennis), Kaitlyn Benner (cross country), Wilson Belk (men's golf), Mackenzie Caldwell (cross country), Sarah Kinzner (soccer), Gillian Vance (women's golf) and Maja Wichhart-Donzo (track & field).
The Spencer Nelson Buffalo Spirit Award, formerly the Athlete's Choice Award and renamed for the CU skier who died in a tragic hiking accident in August 2010, was presented to Nancy Best, a senior on the soccer team. Nancy has endured and battled back from numerous knee injuries, and then unexpectedly lost her mother this past year; however, she has persevered despite these obstacles. The other nominees were Battey and Megan McGrew (alpine skiing), who is rehabbing from a second knee surgery as well as a ruptured appendix.
The Sports Performance Awards for strength and conditioning accomplishments were presented to Aschman and sophomore Tyler Bey (basketball).
The Ceal Barry Leadership Awards are given to those student-athletes who most effectively inspire their team, the CU campus and the community in general through their exemplary commitment, their composure in the way they represent themselves and in the integrity of their actions. The recipients were Battey, Smith, Scott and Wichhart-Donzo (track & field), Nick Fisher (football) and Dallas Walton (basketball).
Originally created in 2001, the annual event remains one of the most popular among the athletes, as they have tailored the function to be the final social gathering solely amongst themselves for the last time before finals and summer vacation, if not for a longer period of time for those graduating. It is believed to be one of the only events in the country almost entirely organized by the student-athletes, and certainly was among, if not, the first.
CU's SAAC would like to recognize and sincerely thank the food and beverage sponsors for the 19th Annual CUSPY's; all items were donated:
Bender's Bar & Grill
Chick-fil-A
Cosmos Pizza
Half Fast Subs
Hapa Sushi
Jimmy John's
K-M Concessions/Service Systems Associates
Mad Greens
Nothing Bundt Cakes
Pasta Jay's
Pepsi
Raising Cane's
Safeway
Zoe's Kitchen
Over 300 student-athletes, coaches, staff and C-Club board members attended the year-end banquet at the CU Events Center, organized by CU's Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) to honor athletic accomplishments for the 2018-19 athletic year.
What has become the annual honor that is the toughest for the selection committee, the Female Athlete of the Year Award once again had the strongest field of candidates, with nine solid nominations that the committee narrowed down to four finalists. In the end, for just the second time in the seven years, a sole winner was selected as opposed to it being shared. Senior Dani Jones was the selection, as she led the Buffaloes to the NCAA Women's Cross Country title, CU's 29th national championship in its athletic history. Jones captured the individual titles in the NCAA and the Pac-12 meets, earned first-team All-American, All-Region and All-Pac-12 honors in addition to being named the college athlete of the year in the state by the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame.
Jones shared the honor as a sophomore and junior and joins Emma Coburn (cross country and track) as the second woman to be honored three times in the category since the award's inception for the 1984-85 school year. Jorge Torres won the men's three straight times last decade.
Naghede Abu (volleyball), Taylor Kornieck (soccer) and Miranda Stinson (lacrosse) were the other finalists.
CU's Male Athlete of the Year honor was shared between skier Eric Dengerud and track performer Joe Klecker, both of whom enjoyed milestone years in their respective sport.
Dengerud was the NCAA individual champion in the freestyle cross country event, earning first-team All-America honors in the process, a fairly rare achievement for a freshman to do so in his or her first NCAA race. He was also the conference champion in the same event (Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association) and earned the team's MVP honor when he was named the recipient of the Dick Schoenberger Award.
Klecker finished as the national runner-up in the indoor 5,000-meter run and took third in the 3,000, setting school records in both events over the course of the season in the process. In earning two first-team All-America honors, he scored 14 points for CU, the most ever by a performer at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
The other finalists were Laviska Shenault (football) and McKinley Wright (basketball).
Stinson was acknowledged as the recipient of the Female Career Athletic Achievement Award. Sure to be a two-time, first-team All-Pac-12 performer when the team is announced later this month, she is tied for second for the most points in school history (218), third in goals (166) and fourth in assists (52). Her 59 goals this season are the second-most in CU history, with her 74 points fourth (her 77 as a junior tied for the second-most). Her eight goals against Cal earlier this spring set a school record for the most in a single game.
Stinson emerged from a talented pool that produced three other finalists, Kennedy Leonard (basketball), Christina Rolandsen (Nordic skiing) and Alexa Smith (volleyball).
Rick Gamboa was the winner of the Male Career Athletic Achievement Award, as the four-year letterman and two-time captain who finished sixth in career tackles at Colorado with 388. He tied for 15th in solo tackles with 188, was 10th in third down stops (33) and tied for 27th in passes broken up (19). He played in 51 games over the course of his career, including starting in the last 49 in a row. He also earned the Buffalo Heart Award, given by the "fans behind the bench" to player who best exemplifies what it means to be a Colorado Buffalo.
The other finalists were Alvar Alev (Nordic skiing), Ryan Forsyth (cross country) and Max Luukko (alpine skiing).
Evan Battey of the basketball team won the Male Freshman of the Year honor. It has been well-documented that he suffered a stroke around Christmas 2017 and is still recovering from some of its effects; he came back from a devastating event, and for a teenager no less, to average 8.4 points and 4.4 rebounds in his first competitive action in two years. He shot 54 percent from the field during Pac-12 Conference play, had a career-high of 21 points in a win over USC in the regular season finale, and had his first double-double against Norfolk State in the NIT.
Other nominations included Dengerud, Colby Pursell (football) and John Paterson (golf).
Jenna Ewert of the volleyball team and Mikaela Tommy of the alpine ski team shared the Female Freshman Athlete of the Year Award. Ewert was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman team and was twice selected as the conference's freshman of the week. She tied the school record for blocks in a match and recorded just the second blocks-assists double-double in school history (and missed a triple-double by two digs). Tommy became the first women's skier in CU history to win three straight alpine races, finished in the top 10 in all eight races she finished (six top five), and earned first-team All-America honors in the slalom (third place at the NCAA's) and in the giant slalom (fourth place).
The two other finalists were Holly Bent (cross country) and Charlie Rudy (lacrosse).
The selection committee annually leaves open the possibility that all of the above awards could be augmented once the spring sport seasons are complete in fairness to those sports (golf, lacrosse, outdoor track) that still have important portions of their seasons and/or NCAA events still ahead of them. Tennis has completed its season, men's and women's golf have individuals competing in the NCAA's, lacrosse will find out next week if its advances to the NCAA's while outdoor track is just barely half done with its year. For example, Gabby Scott has enjoyed quite an outdoor season to date.
SAAC members selected several award winners, including the staff member of the year, which went to trainer fellow Brady Baker, and the Student Athlete Support Award, which was presented to the Performance Nutrition Chefs and the Kitchen staffs.
In addition, SAAC members nominate and then select by vote on the CU's Sports' "Moment of the Year." From a list of solid choices, they selected the women's cross country team claiming the 2018 NCAA title and senior Dani Jones winning the individual crown. It was the eighth national championship, all in cross country, won by CU head coach Mark Wetmore. That moment edged out the football team winning the renewal of the rivalry with Nebraska last September, a 33-28 CU win in Lincoln on a 40-yard touchdown pass from Steven Montez to Laviska Shenault in the final minutes; and the women's lacrosse team first-ever win at Southern California, a 9-8 verdict in early April with Stinson and Samantha Nemirov scoring three goals each for the Buffs.
The SAAC Distinguished Service Award, presented to senior members who contributed significantly to the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee during their CU careers, was awarded to 11 student-athletes: Leonard, Scott, Smith, Olivia Aschman (lacrosse), Annabelle Andrinopoulos (tennis), Kaitlyn Benner (cross country), Wilson Belk (men's golf), Mackenzie Caldwell (cross country), Sarah Kinzner (soccer), Gillian Vance (women's golf) and Maja Wichhart-Donzo (track & field).
The Spencer Nelson Buffalo Spirit Award, formerly the Athlete's Choice Award and renamed for the CU skier who died in a tragic hiking accident in August 2010, was presented to Nancy Best, a senior on the soccer team. Nancy has endured and battled back from numerous knee injuries, and then unexpectedly lost her mother this past year; however, she has persevered despite these obstacles. The other nominees were Battey and Megan McGrew (alpine skiing), who is rehabbing from a second knee surgery as well as a ruptured appendix.
The Sports Performance Awards for strength and conditioning accomplishments were presented to Aschman and sophomore Tyler Bey (basketball).
The Ceal Barry Leadership Awards are given to those student-athletes who most effectively inspire their team, the CU campus and the community in general through their exemplary commitment, their composure in the way they represent themselves and in the integrity of their actions. The recipients were Battey, Smith, Scott and Wichhart-Donzo (track & field), Nick Fisher (football) and Dallas Walton (basketball).
Originally created in 2001, the annual event remains one of the most popular among the athletes, as they have tailored the function to be the final social gathering solely amongst themselves for the last time before finals and summer vacation, if not for a longer period of time for those graduating. It is believed to be one of the only events in the country almost entirely organized by the student-athletes, and certainly was among, if not, the first.
CU's SAAC would like to recognize and sincerely thank the food and beverage sponsors for the 19th Annual CUSPY's; all items were donated:
Bender's Bar & Grill
Chick-fil-A
Cosmos Pizza
Half Fast Subs
Hapa Sushi
Jimmy John's
K-M Concessions/Service Systems Associates
Mad Greens
Nothing Bundt Cakes
Pasta Jay's
Pepsi
Raising Cane's
Safeway
Zoe's Kitchen
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