INDIANA, Pa. - IUP Athletics has announced 83 nominees for the fifth annual Crimson & Gray Awards.
The awards honor the top men's and women's performers of the 2020-21 regular and post seasons across 18 total categories — nine men and nine women. Due to the cancellation of sports in the fall semester due to the pandemic, this year's award nominees look different with student-athletes, coaches and teams from 11 of IUP's 19 varsity sports represented.
Started after the 2016-17 season, the Crimson & Gray Awards are run by the IUP Sports Information Office, which collects the nominations from its head coaches. A selection committee then chooses the winner from each category. This year's winners will be announced on a to-be-determined date in June on IUP Athletics social media accounts and on IUPAthletics.com.
Awards are given to a member of both an IUP men's and women's team, and 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. In addition, Academic Team of the Year and Crimson Teammates of the Year will be awarded.
All nominations are listed below, in addition to the definition of awards.
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NOMINEES FOR THE 2020-21 CRIMSON & GRAY AWARDS
Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Women's
- Kaitlyn Beers, softball
- Jessica Jones, cross country/track & field
- Claire Mikesell, swimming
- Renee Wall, softball
- Kayte Zeiler, lacrosse
Men's
- Jeremy Eckenrode, golf
- Nick Hess, baseball
- Sam Lenze, cross country/track & field
Coach of the Year
Women's
Men's
Performance of the Year
Women's
- Nickeela Austin, track & field, PSAC championships (5/6-8)
- Kaitlyn Beers, softball, vs. Millersville (4/19)
- Idoia Huerta, tennis, PSAC semifinal (4/28)
- Jordan Kulp, lacrosse, at Meryhurst (4/28)
- Paige Mikesell, swimming, 200 free at NCAA championships (3/18)
- Kayte Zeiler, lacrosse, vs. Lock Haven (3/20)
Men's
- Mark Edeburn, baseball, vs. Gannon (4/23)
- Luke Lestini, golf, Spadafora first round (4/19)
- Luke Mikesell, swimming, 500 free at NCAA championships (3/19)
- Nick Ward, golf, PSAC championship (4/9-10)
Freshman of the Year
Women's
- Parker Fanella, swimming
- Amanda Fischer, softball
- Katy Graydon, tennis
- Tori James, cross country
- Chantel Jimenez, lacrosse
- Cassidy Kline, track & field
- Sarah Reustle, lacrosse
Men's
- Marco Cardone, cross country
- Luke Mikesell, swimming
- Trejon Turner, track & field
Breakthrough Athlete of the Year
Women's
- Brianna Herr, cross country
- Shannon Reape, lacrosse
- Jenna Rhue, softball
- Rachel Rodriguez, softball
- Sami Shutt, lacrosse
- Ala Small, track & field
Men's
- Evan Weaver, cross country
- Austin Mueller, baseball
Postseason Performer of the Year
Women's
- Nickeela Austin, track & field
- Katy Graydon, tennis
- Jessica Jones, cross country
- Jordan Kulp, lacrosse
- Paige Mikesell, swimming
- Joanna Stralka, tennis
Men's
- Sam Lenze, cross country/track & field
- Luke Mikesell, swimming
- Nick Ward, golf
Senior of the Year
Women's
- Nickeela Austin, track & field
- Kaitlyn Beers, softball
- Jessica Jones, cross country/track & field
- Renee Wall, softball
- Kayte Zeiler, lacrosse
Men's
- Chris Eisel, baseball
- Sam Lenze, cross country/track & field
Team of the Year
Women's
- Cross Country
- Lacrosse
- Softball
- Swimming
- Tennis
- Track & Field
Men's
- Baseball
- Cross Country
- Golf
- Swimming
- Track & Field
Athlete of the Year
Women's
- Nickeela Austin, track & field
- Kaitlyn Beers, softball
- Jessica Jones, cross country/track & field
- Jordan Kulp, lacrosse
- Paige Mikesell, swimming
Men's
- Jack Buccigross, golf
- Shaun Fedor, golf
- Sam Lenze, cross country/track & field
- Luke Mikesell, swimming
- Austin Mueller, baseball
- Nick Ward, golf
Definition of Awards
Below is a list of the 11 awards selected to be given for the 2020-21 year, along with the eligibility definitions.
Crimson Teammate of the Year: Presented to a student-athlete from each sport who inspires his or her teammates with the five pillars of the IUP Athletics vision: Experience, Leadership, Community, Excellence and Integrity.
Academic Team of the Year: Presented to a men's and women's teams with the highest cumulative grade point average between the spring and fall semesters of 2019.
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Presented to men's and women's upperclassmen who have displayed a combination of success both on the playing field and in the classroom during their time at IUP.
Coach of the Year: Presented to the men's and women's head 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 men's and women's student-athletes who put together the most significant combined performances in a PSAC or NCAA championship tournament/event.
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 Crimson & Gray Awards were announced in April 2017 and first awarded for the 2016-17 season. 2020-21 marks the fifth year of the awards.
Prior to the current format, year-end athletic awards consisted of the Athletes of the Year and Scholar-Athletes of the Year. A singular Athlete of the Year honoree was first announced 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, with that format running for three years.
Scholar-Athletes of the Year were announced in April at the President's annual All-American Banquet, with varying selection qualifications each year.
