INDIANA, Pa. - IUP Athletics has announced a list of 104 nominees for the inaugural Crimson & Gray Awards. The nominees consist of student-athletes, coaches, and teams from IUP's 19 varsity sports, and are spread out over 16 total categories - eight men, eight women. Top performers and performances from the 2016-17 year were eligible.
The IUP Sports Information Office collected award nominations from its coaches and others within the athletic department. A list of 3-to-5 finalists will be selected for each award and announced on Wednesday, May 24, with those finalists voted on by select members of the sports information office and athletic department.
Winners of each award will be announced over a two-week period in June on IUPAthletics.com, starting on June 5.
The inaugural year includes nine awards given to a member of both an IUP men's and women's team, for a total of 18 honorees. The awards include: Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Coach of the Year, Performance of the Year, Freshman of the Year, Breakthrough Athlete of the Year, Postseason Performer of the Year, Senior of the Year, Team of the Year and Athlete of the Year.
IUP's 2016-17 Scholar-Athletes of the Year have already been selected, as men's golf's
Max Kirsch (Ebensburg, Pa. /Central Cambria) and softball's
Hannah Mercer (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg Area) were honored during the annual All-American Banquet at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex on April 20.
NOMINEES FOR 2016-17 CRIMSON & GRAY AWARDS
Coach of the Year
Men's: Frederick A. Joseph - golf;
Joe Lombardi - basketball;
Anthony Rebyanski - baseball;
Chris Villa - swimming;
Joey Zins - cross country/track & field
Women's: Gary Agard - field hockey;
Michelle Burgher - track & field;
Bill Graham - softball;
Adel Heder - soccer;
Tom McConnell - basketball;
Scott Pennewill - volleyball;
Larry Peterson - tennis;
Mindy Richmond - lacrosse;
Chris Villa - swimming;
Joey Zins - cross country
Performance of the Year
Men's: Jeff Allen (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg Area) &
Christian McClure (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) - baseball (May 4);
Austin Cooper (King of Prussia, Pa. /Upper Merion ) - cross country (Nov. 19);
DJ Horton (Kane, Pa./Kane Area) - track & field (April 29);
Max Kirsch (Ebensburg, Pa. /Central Cambria) - golf (Oct. 16);
Colter Long (Hollidaysburg, Pa. /Hollidaysburg Area) - swimming (Nov. 18-20);
Lenny Williams, Jr. (McKees Rocks, Pa./Sto-Rox) - football (Sept. 10)
Women's: Carolyn Appleby (Greensburg, Pa. /Greensburg Central Catholic) - basketball (March 5);
Natalie Cignetti (Indiana, Pa. /Indiana) - volleyball (Oct. 22);
Kallie Conte (Pittsburgh, Pa./Moon Area) - soccer (Oct. 5);
Liz Coppella (Bradford, Pa. /Bradford) - track & field (Feb. 19);
Lauren Goetz (Cleveland, Ohio/Cuyahoga Heights) - softball (March 11);
Jenna Lezanic (Indiana, Pa./Marion Center) - cross country (Nov. 5);
Carissa Smith (East Brunswick, N.J./East Brunswick) - lacrosse (April 18);
Nicole Smith (Dover, PA/Dover) - swimming (Jan. 27-28);
Luise von Agris (Castrop-Rauxel, Germany/Adalbet-Stifter-Gymnasium) and
Jarka Petercakova (Bratislava, Slovakia/Sport Gymnasium) - women's tennis (Oct. 7-9)
Freshman of the Year
Men's: Samir Bullock (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) - football;
Chris Eisel (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) - baseball;
Justin Jones (Lansdown, Pa./Cardinal O'hara) - cross country and track & field
Women's: Kaitlyn Beers (Reynoldsville, Pa./DuBois Area High School) - softball;
Maura D'Anna (Springfield, Va./West Springfield) - basketball;
McKenna Keffel (Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon) - soccer;
Katya Minchenkova (Mytishchi, Russia/Secondary School No.12) - tennis;
Raven Russell (Pittsburgh, Pa./Woodland Hills High School) - track & field;
Kelly Shields (Grasonville, Md./Kent Island) - lacrosse;
Nicole Smith (Dover, PA/Dover) - swimming
Breakthrough Athlete of the Year
Men's: Nate Dickey (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) - baseball;
John Michael Mihalek (Coal Center, Pa./California Area) - cross country;
Dalton Trump (Lancaster, Pa. /J.P. McCaskey) - track & field
Women's: Sam Christman (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford) - cross country;
Emily Dubler (Johnsonburg, Pa. /Johnsonburg) - track & field;
Haley Fidler (Fleetwood, Pa./Fleetwood) - field hockey;
Mollie Gallagher (Evans City, Pa./Seneca Valley) - lacrosse;
Mya Hilliard (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) - soccer;
Kassie Kesneck (Houston, Pa./Chartiers-Houston) - softball;
Lily McWilliams (Rockville, Md./Thomas Sprigg Wootton) - volleyball;
Nicole Smith (Dover, PA/Dover) - swimming
Postseason Performer of the Year
Men's: Austin Cooper (King of Prussia, Pa. /Upper Merion ) - cross country;
Chris Eisel (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) - baseball;
DJ Horton (Kane, Pa./Kane Area) - track & field;
Max Kirsch (Ebensburg, Pa. /Central Cambria) - golf;
Chris Temple (Malvern, Pa. /Great Valley) - football
Women's: Carolyn Appleby (Greensburg, Pa. /Greensburg Central Catholic) - basketball;
Raquel Gonzalez (San Sebastian, Spain/Colegio Sagrado Corazon) - tennis;
Jenna Lezanic (Indiana, Pa./Marion Center) - cross country;
Angela Lontoc (Columbus, Ohio/Dublin Scioto) - lacrosse;
Natalie Cignetti (Indiana, Pa. /Indiana) - volleyball;
Heather Sternby (Meadville, Pa./Meadville) - track & field
Senior of the Year
Men's: Greg Beaudette (Johnston, R.I./Bishop Hendricken) - track & field;
Ethan Cooper (Steelton, Pa. /Central Dauphin East) - football;
Scott Hess (Erie, Pa./Erie Cathedral Prep) - baseball;
Max Kirsch (Ebensburg, Pa. /Central Cambria) - golf
Women's: Hannah Bertolo (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) - lacrosse;
Lizzy Cunningham (Hastings, Pa. /Northern Cambria) - track & field;
Haley Fidler (Fleetwood, Pa./Fleetwood) - field hockey,
Raquel Gonzalez (San Sebastian, Spain/Colegio Sagrado Corazon) - tennis;
Jenna Lezanic (Indiana, Pa./Marion Center) - cross country;
Hannah Mercer (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg Area) - softball;
Lindsay Moeller (Troy, Mich./Troy) - volleyball
Team of the Year
Men's: Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Swimming, Track & Field
Women's: Basketball, Cross Country, Field Hockey, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Tennis, Track & Field, Volleyball
Athlete of the Year
Men's: Wes Carson (Woodstock, Md./Marriots Ridge) - baseball;
Austin Cooper (King of Prussia, Pa. /Upper Merion ) - cross country;
Jacobo Diaz (Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain/CBA Gran Canaria) - basketball;
DJ Horton (Kane, Pa./Kane Area) - track & field;
Max Kirsch (Ebensburg, Pa. /Central Cambria) - golf;
Lenny Williams, Jr. (McKees Rocks, Pa./Sto-Rox) - football
Women's: Hannah Bertolo (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) - lacrosse;
Natalie Cignetti (Indiana, Pa. /Indiana) - volleyball;
Lizzy Cunningham (Hastings, Pa. /Northern Cambria) - track & field;
Jenna Lezanic (Indiana, Pa./Marion Center) - cross country;
Hannah Mercer (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg Area) - softball;
Jarka Petercakova (Bratislava, Slovakia/Sport Gymnasium) - tennis;
Hannah Stoof (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) - soccer;
Selena West (Chambersburg, Pa./Chambersburg) - field hockey
Schedule of announcements
April 25 – Announcement of inaugural Crimson and Gray Awards
May 17 - Announcement of awards nominees
May 24 – Announcement of award finalists
June 5-8 – Announcements for Coach, Performance, Freshman and Breakthrough Athlete
June 12-15 – Announcements for Postseason Performer, Senior, Team and Athlete
Definition of awards
Below is a list of the nine awards selected to be given for the 2016-17 year, along with the eligibility definitions. Each of the nine awards will be given to a member of a men's and women's team, for 18 total awards.
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Presented to senior men's and women's student-athletes who have displayed a combination of success both on the playing field and in the classroom during their time at IUP. The awards are currently announced at the annual All-American Banquet in April and were presented to
Max Kirsch (Ebensburg, Pa. /Central Cambria) (Men's Golf) and
Hannah Mercer (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg Area) (Softball).
Coach of the Year: Presented to the men's and women's coaches who did the most outstanding job leading his or her team.
Performance of the Year: Presented to the student-athletes who had the most significant or extraordinary performance in a single game, event, or outing.
Freshman of the Year: Presented to a true freshman or redshirt freshman men's and women's student-athlete, who put together the best all-around season for a first-year college player.
Breakthrough Athlete of the Year: Presented to a first-year starter or first-time key contributor who has improved their season performance dramatically over the last year.
Postseason Performer of the Year: Presented to the student-athletes who put together the most significant combined performances in a PSAC or NCAA championship tournament.
Senior of the Year: Presented to senior eligible men's and women's student-athletes who had the most successful individual seasons.
Team of the Year: Presented to the men's and women's teams who had the most outstanding seasons.
Athlete of the Year: Presented to the men's and women's student-athletes, regardless of class eligibility, who had the best individual seasons.
History of IUP's year-end awards
The year-end IUP athletic awards began as a singular Athlete of the Year honoree after the 2012-13 season, and was determined by fan voting. For the 2013-14 season, both men's and women's Athletes of the Year were named, with fan voting eliminated. That format ran for three years before today's expansion and announcement of the Crimson and Gray Awards.
Follow
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP Athletics on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk.
