Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University Athletic Department has announced the nominees for the 11th annual WUSPYS. The 2023 WUSPYS will take place Wednesday, April 26 at Austin Auditorium. The Blue Carpet show will begin at 6:30 p.m., with the WUSPYS getting underway at 7 p.m. A post-WUSPYS reception with snacks will take place immediately following the show in Cuddy Arena. Below are all of the nominees for each of the 15 categories along with their accomplishments. 

A ballot has been sent out to over 100 voters, consisting of members of Wingate's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Wingate coaches and Wingate administration, along with members of the Sports Medicine Team and the Sports Performance Team. Voting will run through the weekend. All the winners will be announced during Wednesday's show. The full 2023 WUSPYS will air the day after the WUSPYS. For more information go to www.wingatebulldogs.com/wuspys.

Male Breakthrough Athlete

Sean Barnett, Baseball
- After appearing in six games as a freshman, Barnett has played in 36 of 41 games in 2023
- He ranks second on the team with his .339 batting average
- Also second on the team in slugging, third in RBI, homers and doubles
- Has 42 hits with 9 doubles, a triple, 5 homers, 28 RBI and 26 runs scored

Marc Cottage, Lacrosse
- Cottage Had 22 goals and 4 assists through his first 3 seasons at Wingate
- He has piled up 25 goals in 2023, adding 10 assists for the SAC champion Bulldogs
- Ranks third on the team in points and assists, while ranking fourth in goals
- Poured in 7 goals and an assist in the SAC victory over Tusculum

Tre Morrison, Football
- After notching 12 pass break-ups and an interception in 2021, Morrison had a huge 2022 season
- He led the nation in passes defending, piling up 21 pass break-ups while adding 5 interceptions
- Morrison also had 37 tackles and scored a touchdown off a fumble recovery
- A finalist for the Cliff Harris Award, Morrison earned All-American honors from the AFCA, D2CCA & AP

Scott Nutter, Men's Cross Country
- An All-SAC and All-Region runner in 2021, Nutter became an All-American in 2022
- The sophomore was Wingate's top finisher at the NCAA championships, finishing 22nd overall
- He broke his own school record at the NCAA championships to lead WU to a national runner-up
- He was 43rd of 416 runners at the 46-team Paul Short Run, a field of almost all Division I teams

Female Breakthrough Athlete

Paige Kamer, Lacrosse
- A solid contributor throughout her career, Kamer is now one of the top weapons in the nation
- She had 37 goals & 54 assists through 3 seasons; has piled up 32 goals and 50 assists in 2022
- 3rd in the nation in total assists, helping WU lead the nation in assists per game and rank 2nd in points
- Leads the SAC in points and assists; 3-time SAC Offensive Player of the Week this year

Molly Lambillotte, Volleyball
- After 4 solid seasons, Lambillotte earned All-SAC, All-Region & All-American honors in 2022
- She led the SAC & Region champs in kills, leading all outside hitters in the region in hitting percentage
- She also led the team in aces, ranking third in digs and fourth in blocks
- Earned All-SAC honors for the first time in her career, picking up first team accolades

Brooklyn Pierce, Women's Cross Country
- After not placing at SAC or Regionals in 2021, Pierce played a huge role in 2022
- She earned 1st Team All-SAC and All-Region honors for the SAC & Region champs
- Pierce was 5th at the SAC Championship Meet and 5th at Regionals
- She was also Wingate's number three finisher at the National Championships 

Hannah Reeves, Softball
- A career .264 hitter with 9 homers & 36 RBI through 3 years, Reeves is having a huge senior season
- She is hitting .370 in 2023 with 10 homers, 44 RBI and 34 runs scored
- 2nd on the team in average, homers, RBI, slugging, on-base percentage and total bases
- 7th in the SAC in homers & RBI, helping WU rank top 10 nationally in runs, hits and homers

Amanda Wenhold, Swimming
- A solid contributor and 2-time All-American relay honoree, Wenhold had a huge junior season
- She earned 1st Team All-American honors in 4 events (3 relays, 1 individual)
- She also was a part of 2 SAC champion relay teams and won the 100 Breast stroke at the SAC meet
- She helped WU finish 3rd at NCAAs in 200 Free Relay & 400 Free Relay; she was 5th in the 100 Breast

Newcomer of the Year

Moena Battle, Track & Field
- The grad transfer earned 1st Team All-American honors in her first season at Wingate
- She finished 3rd in the high jump at the NCAA Indoor National Championships
- She tied the school record of 1.75 meters; Battle won the SAC title in the high jump (1.68 meters)

Cas Kopmels, Cross Country
- Kopmels played a huge role in leading the Bulldogs to a national runner-up finish
- He earned All-American honors with his 27th-place finish at the National Championship meet
- Added a top-15 showing at the 49-team UAH Invitational to help lead WU to the team win

Josh Massey, Men's Basketball
- Massey made an immediate impact in his first season at Wingate, averaging 10.5 points per game
- He shot 50 percent from the field on the season, adding 3.6 rebounds per game
- Scored in double figures 13 times, going over 15 points 8 times

Roderick Ross, Football
- Ross joined the Bulldog offensive line and played a key role, starting every game at left tackle
- Helped the 'Dogs post a balanced attack through the air and on the ground
- Ross and the Bulldogs made their first-ever trip to the national quarterfinals

Victoria Wilform, Volleyball
- Wilform played a key role in Wingate's huge 2022 season, starting 19 matches on the year
- She finished third on the team with 2.11 kills per set, hitting .220 while adding 46 blocks and 42 digs
- Piled up a career-high 17 kills in the national quarterfinals against the eventual national champs

Play of the Year (WATCH HIGHLIGHT VIDEO)

Aleksa Janjic 3 PK saves in NCAA Tourney
- Wingate and Lenoir-Rhyne were tied after regulation and two OTs in the NCAA second round
- The contest went to penalty kicks and Janjic came up huge
- The freshman stopped all three LR attempts, as the 'Dogs rolled past the Bears and onto round 3

Sascha Larsen game-winner in SAC semis
- The Bulldogs were in a 0-0 tie with #12 Catawba in the SAC semifinals in the 84th minute
- Caroline Peters sent a corner kick into the box, which was re-directed by Yasmin Cowley
- Larsen got control of it in the box and found the back of the net to send the 'Dogs to the finals

Savanna Brooks walk-off vs. #9 Adelphi
- Wingate was tied in the final frame against Adelphi when Heaven Maness started things with a single
- Back-to-back walks loaded the bases with two outs for Brooks
- She ripped one off the wall in left field, plating Maness to give Wingate the walk-off victory 

Volleyball Region-title clinching block
- Wingate had a 2-0 lead in the region title match in a packed house in Cuddy Arena
- Flagler tied the third set at 23, but a Victoria Wilform kill set up match point
- Freshmen Gabby Saye and Emily Johnson teamed for a block to send the 'Dogs to Seattle

Dequan Mosley interception to setup game-winning TD at Lenoir-Rhyne
- #21 Lenoir-Rhyne led 21-17 with 6 minutes remaining, but were pinned inside their own 5
- A second-down pass was intercepted by Dequan Mosley, who returned it 8 yards to the LR 6
- The 'Dogs scored 4 plays later, taking the lead for good to secure the big SAC road win

Willie Grieco behind-the-back goal in win at #4 Lenoir-Rhyne
- The Bulldogs raced out to a quick 5-2 lead at #4 Lenoir-Rhyne in a top-10 showdown
- With just over 5 minutes left, All-American Willie Grieco had the ball and made a play
- He ripped a behind-the-back goal past the unsuspecting goalie as the 'Dogs continued to roll

Upset of the Year

Women's Soccer defeats #12 Catawba in SAC Tournament Semifinals
- Wingate and Catawba were scoreless through 84 minutes in the SAC semifinals
- A Caroline Peters corner kick was finished by Sascha Larsen to give the 'Dogs the lead late
- Kathrine Thisgaard notched 6 saves as the WU advanced to its 10th SAC title match in 13 years

Football wins 23-6 at #7 Benedict in NCAA Play-Off 2nd Round
- WU went on the road in the play-offs and stifled #7 Benedict to advance to the national quarterfinals
- Crocker threw TD passes to Grant, Simmons and Desor, while Wilson ran for 104 yards
- WU had 2 interceptions and blocked a pair of kicks, holding the Tigers 31 points under their average

Softball defeats #9 Adelphi
- The 'Dogs found themselves trailing 5-2 against a top-10 opponent, but rallied to pick up the big win
- RBI singles from Heaven Maness and Sydney Kale, along with Hali Scott's 2-run double tied it at 5
- Savanna Brooks delivered the walk-off RBI double off the wall in the bottom of the 7th to plate Maness

Baseball sweeps #7 Lenoir-Rhyne on the road
- #7 LR entered the weekend 22-5 overall and 6-0 in the SAC, but lost all 3 home games against Wingate
- Mitch Farris's complete-game 3-hitter started things with a 9-1 win in the opener
- WU took game two 5-3; Sean Barnett's 3-run homer in the 7th of the finale led to an 8-5 victory

Men's Lacrosse wins 16-10 at #4 Lenoir-Rhyne
- WU and LR met in Hickory in a game of SAC unbeatens and the 'Dogs picked up a huge 16-10 win
- The 'Dogs came out on fire, taking an 8-2 lead in the opening period
- WU scored the first 2 goals of the 2nd to take a 10-2 lead; LR got no closer than 5 the rest of the way

Women's Tennis wins 4-3 at #12 Newberry
- Wingate went on the road and notched a huge SAC victory over a top-15 opponent
- Lopez & Gunfaus won 6-4 at 2 doubles; Solomon & Berggren won 7-5 at 3 doubles to clinch the point
- Sambyakugari rallied for a win at 3 singles; Lopez won at 5 singles, Castillo rallied for a win at 6 singles

Best Comeback Win

Football at Limestone
- The 'Dogs trailed 21-0 at Limestone with under 10 minutes to go, but rallied back for the big win
- Crocker ran it in from 7 yards out, then hit Ra'Quan Simmons for a 48-yard TD with 4:19 left
- He hit Grant for a 26-yard TD with 1:10 to go to tie it, while Matt Pack scored on WU's OT possession
- Tre Morrison finished off the comeback with his interception on the ensuing Limestone possession

Men's Soccer at Lenoir-Rhyne
- #11 Lenoir-Rhyne scored 1:18 into the match in a SAC showdown in Hickory
- The Bulldogs would not go away, keeping the Bears off the Board the final 88 minutes
- Wingate tied it in the 70th minute when David Sahakyan scored off a Mattis Westberg assist
- Emil Svenander netted the winner in the 88th minute, giving the 'Dogs the big SAC road victory

Volleyball vs. Anderson (SAC Title Match)
- Wingate dropped set one against Anderson in the SAC semis, then trailed 17-9 in set two
- The 'Dogs stormed back, scoring 16 of the final 21 points to take the set 25-22
- WU pulled away late in the 3rd set after leading 16-15 to win 25-18, then rolled 25-13 in the 4th
- Johnson had 16 kills, Lambillotte added 14 kills; Kasprak had 54 assists, 19 digs & 9 kills

Women's Basketball vs. Lincoln Memorial
- LMU led 38-21 with a minute left in the first half, but WU closed the half on a 5-0 run to cut it to 12
- WU outscored LMU 24-8 in the 3rd, going on a 15-0 run to take a 41-40 lead on Troutman's layup
- LMU regained the lead in the 3rd, but two Hege buckets in the final minute put WU on top 49-46
- The 'Dogs pulled away in the 4th, with Troutman's 3-point play making it 64-48 with 3:15 to go

Men's Basketball vs. Coker
- The 'Dogs trailed Coker 40-25 with 1:54 left in the first half, but scored 7 of the final 10 to cut it to 11
- Coker pushed the lead back to 15 with 16 minutes left in the 2nd, but a 12-1 WU run made it 52-48
- Elmore's 3 tied it at 60, but Coker went up 6 with 4:26 left; WU scored the next 7 to take the lead
- Trailing by 1 with 1:09 left, Cottingham was fouled with 19 seconds left and made both free throws

Women's Golf in Surratt Invitational
- After day one of their home tournament, the 'Dogs were in 4th place, trailing the leader by 14 shots
- WU was trailing by 20 shots in the 2nd round before getting hot, shooting 305 to pull within 4
- The 'Dogs fired a final-round 293, lowest of the week by 6 shots to pick up the victory
- Jess Brown (73, 75, 69) won the title; McLaughlin, Perez and Ma finished in the top 11

Game of the Year

Field Hockey first win in program history at Coker
- The 'Dogs made history in dramatic fashion, winning their first-ever game at Coker in shootout fashion
- WU trailed 2-1 in the 4th when an Alex Muscillo goal tied it and sent it to OT
- In the shootout, Colavita-Jones denied 3 CU shots, while Robinson, George & Montgomery converted

Volleyball vs. Flagler (Region Championship Match)
- WU earned hosting duties at regionals and took home the region title in a raucous Cuddy Arena
- The 'Dogs rolled to 25-14 and 25-13 wins in the first 2 sets, then won a tight 25-23 3rd set
- WU dominated in all facets, out-hitting Flagler .326 to .023 with 11 more kills and 16 less errors

Football wins at #21 Lenoir-Rhyne
- Wingate raced out to a 17-0 lead in the 2nd quarter at #21 Lenoir-Rhyne in a key SAC showdown
- The Bears rallied to take the 21-17 lead in the 4th before a Dequan Mosley pick gave it back to WU
- Crocker hit Grant for a 10-yard TD with 4:29 left to give Wingate the 24-21 victory

Women's Cross Country (Regional Championship Meet)
- The Bulldogs rolled to a 42-point victory at the Region Championship Meet in Wingate
- Wingate had 5 top-15 finishers in the field of 147, led by Mollie Scott's 3rd-place finish
- Pierce, Burrell, Brickley and Langlois added top-15 finishes as WU punched its ticket to Seattle

Men's Cross Country (National Championships | Runner-Up)
- The SAC and Region champs posted the best XC finish in SAC history in Seattle
- With over 260 runners, the 'Dogs had 4 top-35 finishers to finish 14 points ahead of Colo. Christian
- Nutter finished 22nd; Kopmels was 27th with Way and Galbourdin finishing 32nd and 34th

Men's Swimming wins inaugural SAC Championship Meet
- In the first-ever SAC Championship swim meet in Charlotte, Wingate rolled to a 456-point win
- The Bulldogs piled up 16 SAC titles in the 19 events, compiling 1,952 points
- Miguel Marcos was the Swimmer of the Meet, winning 3 individual titles along with a relay title

Women's Swimming wins inaugural SAC Championship Meet
- In the first-ever SAC Championship swim meet in Charlotte, Wingate rolled to a 372-point win
- The 'Dogs won 13 of the 19 events, piling up 2,038 points
- Kate Agger was the Swimmer of the Meet, winning 3 individual titles while adding a relay title

Men's Lacrosse defeats #10 Limestone in Crown Classic
- WU picked up a top-10 SAC win in Charlotte, downing Limestone 19-14 in the Crown Classic
- The 'Dogs went up 11-5 in the 2nd, then built a 16-7 lead in the 3rd before Limestone cut it to 3
- Riley scored the final 2 goals of the night in the last 6 minutes to give Wingate the 5-goal win

Softball sweeps home DH against Carson-Newman
- The top 2 teams in the SAC met in Wingate, and the 'Dogs outscored the Eagles 21-10 in the sweep
- Brooks & Stevens combined for 7 RBI in the 12-4 5-inning win in game 1, with Thomas notching the win
- Brooks, Stevens & Maness homered in game 2 as WU jumped out to a 9-2 lead en route to a 9-6 victory

Best Championship Performance

Kate Agger (Swimmer of the Meet at SAC Championships)
- Agger was named the Swimmer of the Meet at the Inaugural SAC Championships
- She won the 500, 1,000 & 1650 Free along with the 800 Free Relay, piling up 122 points

Soheil Boufrizi (SAC Champion at SAC Championship Meet)
- Boufrizi took home the SAC title at the 2022 SAC XC Championship Meet
- The junior finished the 8K with a time of 25:22.6 to lead WU to a 31-point victory

Hamza Chahid (2 National Championships at NCAA Indoor Nationals)
- In his 1st event at the Indoor nationals he ran the anchor leg in the DMR national title run
- The next night, Chahid won another national championship, winning the 3,000 meters

Shannon Kasprak (SAC Tournament MVP)
- Kasprak was named the MVP with 11.4 assists, 2.2 kills, 3.0 digs and 1.0 blocks per set in 3 wins
- 54 assists, 19 digs & 9 kills in the semifinal win; had 29 assists, 9 kills, 5 digs & 5 blocks in the quarters

Julia Kekkonen, Triathlon
- Kekkonen took home the title at the USA Triathlon Collegiate National Championships
- She finished with a time of 1:06:54.4 to win the 60-person field and lead WU to a 3rd-place finish

Miguel Marcos (Swimmer of the Meet at SAC Championships)
- Marcos was named the Swimmer of the Meet at the Inaugural SAC Championships
- He won the 500, 1,000 & 1650 Free along with the 800 Free Relay, collecting 124 points

Men's Team of the Year

Cross Country
- SAC Champs by 31 points; region champs by 32 points
- National Runner-Up at NCAA Championships with 4 All-Americans, ranked 2nd in final poll

Football
- Went 11-3, with a program-record 11 wins and first-ever trip to NCAA National Quarterfinals
- Won 2 top-15 road games in playoffs; Top 3 in nation in 4 defensive categories, ranked #15 in final poll

Soccer
- Won the regular season SAC title, going 10-5-7 overall and 6-1-4 in the SAC
- Won a pair of NCAA Tourney games in PKs; ranked #14 in final poll

Swimming
- Won the SAC Championship Meet by 456 points, winning 16 of 19 races
- Finished 8th at the National Championship Meet; 22 first team All-American swims

Track & Field
- Won the SAC Indoor title, finished 10th at the NCAA D2 Indoor Championships
- Won Indoor National titles in the DMR & 3000 Meters (Chahid)

Lacrosse
- SAC champs are currently 11-1 overall & 9-0 in the SAC, ranked 4th in USILA top 20 poll
- Ranked in the top 10 in the nation in 10 categories; 2 wins over top-10 opponents 

Tennis
- SAC champs are currently 17-2 overall and 12-0 in the SAC, going 16-1 against D2 opponents
- 'Dogs have won 13 straight, currently ranked #14 in ITA national poll

Women's Team of the Year

Cross Country
- Won SAC championship by 19 points; won region title by 42 points
- Notched a 23rd-place finish at the NCAA D2 National Championships

Volleyball
- Region champs went 32-3 overall & 17-1 in the SAC, winning SAC regular season & tourney titles
- Finished in the top 5 in the nation in 5 categories; Lost in 5 sets in Elite 8 to eventual national champs

Triathlon
- The Bulldogs won the USA Triathlon Collegiate Regional Qualifier
- Wingate finished 3rd at the USA Triathlon Collegiate Nationals, with Kekkonen winning the title

Swimming
- Won the inaugural SAC championship meet by 372 points, winning 13 of 19 events
- Finished 6th at the National Championships, piling up 17 First Team All-American swims

Track & Field
- The Bulldogs won the SAC Indoor title by 69.5 points
- Wingate piled up 5 SAC titles in the meet; Moena Battle finished 3rd at NCAA D2 high jump

Lacrosse
- SAC champs are currently 14-2 overall & 9-0 in the SAC, ranked #10 in the IWLCA top-25 poll
- Top 10 in the nation in 14 categories, leading the nation in caused turnovers, assists & scoring defense

Golf
- Wingate is currently ranked #15 in the GolfStat top 25 poll, finishing 2nd in the SAC Tournament
- The 'Dogs won a pair of team titles on the season, notching six top-5 finishes

Tennis
- The SAC champs are currently 16-3 overall and 11-1 in the SAC
- The Bulldogs are ranked #13 in the ITA national poll, winning 10 of their last 11 matches

Softball
- The SAC champs are currently 39-10 overall and 17-5 in the SAC, ranked #16 in the NFCA poll
- 23-1 at home, ranking in the top 10 in the nation in runs, hits and homers; 1st SAC title since 2009

Freshman Male Athlete of the Year

Hamza Chahid, Track & Field 
- Chahid won two national titles in two days for the Bulldogs
- Ran the anchor leg of the national champion Distance Medlay Relay team at Indoor Nationals
- Followed the next night by winning the national title in the 3000 meters

Ney Chagas Filho, Swimming
- Chagas Filho collected 3 1st Team All-American trophies in his 1st season with the 'Dogs
- Helped lead Wingate to an 8th-place finish at nationals, along with a SAC title
- 4th at nationals in 200 Back; 8th in 100 Back, won SAC titles in 100 Back, 200 Back & 2 relays

Filippo Grossi, Golf
- Grossi posted a school-record 72.37 stroke average in his first season at Wingate
- Earned 2nd Team All-SAC honors with 3 top-3 finishes and 5 top-15 showings
- Runner-up finishes at the LR Fall Invitational and at the Hargett Memorial

Aleksa Janjic, Soccer
- Janjic earned 1st Team All-SAC and All-Region honors for the SAC champion Bulldogs
- Led the SAC in save percentage (.820) and goals-against average (0.76)
- Ranked in the top 20 in the nation in save percentage and goals-against average

Joey Moran, Lacrosse
- Moran has registered 26 goals and 6 assists for the SAC champion Bulldogs
- He ranks 3rd on the team in goals and 4th in points
- Has at least 1 point in 11 of 12 games, with four 5-point contests

Carlo Rosselini, Tennis
- Rosselini earned 1st Team All-SAC doubles honors in his freshman season
- Has teamed with Florian Walcher to go 8-0 at #2 doubles, going 5-0 in SAC play
- He has also compiled a 7-3 record in singles play, playing at 4, 5 and 6 singles

Freshman Female Athlete of the Year

Fernanda Castillo, Tennis
- Castillo earned 3rd Team All-SAC singles honors for the SAC co-champion Bulldogs
- Has compiled a 16-1 record in singles play, going 11-1 against SAC opponents
- She is 9-0 at #5 singles, going 6-1 at #6 singles and 1-0 at #4 singles

Emily Hege, Basketball
- Hege was named the SAC Freshman of the Year, adding 2nd Team All-SAC honors
- 2nd on the team with 13.5 points per game shooting 44% from the field and 37% from deep
- 2nd on the team in assists, steals and made threes; ranking 15th in the nation in free throw%

Emily Johnson, Volleyball
- The AVCA Region Freshman of the Year earned 1st Team All-SAC & All-Region honors
- Was the only freshman in the nation to earn D2CCA All-American honors (2nd Team)
- Was the league-leader in hitting percentage and blocks per set for the SAC & region champs

Katie Koroly, Lacrosse
- Has anchored a WU defense that leads the nation in caused turnovers and scoring defense
- Has started all 16 games, piling up 25 caused turnovers and 36 ground balls
- She has also collected 16 draw controls while adding 2 goals & 3 assists for the SAC champs

Franziska Muhlberger, Swimming
- Muhlberger was named the SAC Freshman of the Year, while finishing 10th at nationals in 400 IM
- She helped lead the WU 800 Free Relay team to the SAC title
- 4 top-3 SAC finishes (2nd in 400 IM, 2nd in 200 Breast, 3rd in 500 Free, 3rd in 1,000 Free)

Jillian Thomas, Softball
- Thomas has been a key component for the SAC champion Bulldogs
- The pitcher is 9-1 with a 2.21 ERA in 19 appearances, allowing just 20 earned runs in 63 innings
- She has also collected 14 hits at the plate with a pair of doubles, 8 RBI and 11 runs scored

Bulldog Club Spirit Award
(The spirit award recognizes an athlete that has dedicated at least three years of excellent service to the institution, community and the athletic department. Their spirit for Wingate is seen on and off the field. Nominees for this award show outstanding passion for Wingate athletics, are visible all over campus at sporting events and represent the Bulldog blue & gold with heart and pride.)

Dom Byers, Baseball
Jaquan Edwards, Football
Alyssa Hall, Softball
Ian Leighninger, Men's Swimming
Maggie Mullen, Volleyball
Lily Sanocki, Women's Swimming

Geddings Award (Top Overall Student-Athlete)

Trevor Grant, Football
- Grant was named the Football SAC Scholar Athlete this past fall
- He was a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy
- Has 57 career receptions for 770 yards and 12 touchdowns in his WU career
- Has a 3.967 GPA, majoring in Accounting and minoring in Finance
- Member of Alpha Chi national honor society; serves with FCA and is a SAAC member

Ethan Hathcock, Men's Swimming
- Hathcock is the MSWIM SAC Scholar-Athlete and a 2nd Team Academic All-America honoree
- Earned All-SAC honors in 4 events, winning SAC titles in 400 & 800 Free Relays
- Has 5 career 1st Team All-American relay honors, including this year's 400 Free Relay
- Has a 3.87 GPA with a double major in Biology & History
- SGA senator, FCA, Admissions lead tour guide, Presidential Ambassador

Tatjana Mense, Cross Country/Track & Field
- Mense was named the Cross Country SAC Scholar-Athlete for the second straight year in 2022
- Was an All-SAC honoree in the fall, leading the Bulldogs to the SAC championship
- Earned All-SAC & All-Region honors in 2021 for a WU team that finished 5th at nationals
- WU Honor program, conducts research with honors program, supplemental instructor
- Has a 3.938 GPA, majoring in Finance with a minor in Accounting

Maggie Young, Volleyball
- Young earned 1st Team All-SAC and All-Region honors for the SAC & region champs
- AVCA honorable mention All-American ranked in the top 5 in the SAC in blocks & hitting%
- 1 of 200 selected from across the USA for '22 NCAA Leadership Development Career in Sports Forum
- Has a 3.889 GPA, majoring in Marketing, earning Academic All-District honors
- Member of the SAAC, McGee Center supervisor, WU Scholarship luncheon, Theater Program assistant

Male Athlete of the Year

Ethan Evans, Football
- 1st Team All-SAC and All-Region punter was a consensus 1st Team All-American
- Earned invitational to prestigious Hula Bowl & Shrine Bowl games for top college football seniors
- Led the nation in punting average, helping the Bulldogs rank 2nd in the nation in net punting

Mitch Farris, Baseball
- Leads the nation in strikeouts and WHIP, ranking 2nd in wins and 3rd in ERA
- 6-time SAC Pitcher of the Week is one of two D2 players named to Golden Spikes Watch List
- Is 9-1 on the year with a 1.25 ERA and 109 strikeouts against just 15 walks in 72 innings of work

Willie Grieco, Lacrosse
- Leads the nation in points, assists, points per game and assists per game
- Preseason National Player of the Year named to Tewaaraton Watch List (top player in college lacrosse)
- Became just the 10th player in D2 history to go over 300 career points

Owen Marshall, Soccer
- Named the SAC Defensive Player of the Year for the SAC champion Bulldogs
- Earned 1st Team All-American by the United Soccer Coaches and D2CCA
- Anchored a WU defense that had a 0.73 goals-against average; was 2nd on the team with 5 goals

Marcel Snitko, Swimming
- Snitko earned 5 first team All-American trophies at the 2023 national championships
- He helped Wingate finish 8th at nationals and roll to the SAC title (3 indiv. SAC titles/3 relay)
- 5th in nation in 200 Free, 8th in 100 free, helped 3 relay teams finish top-8 nationally

Jakob Rettschlag, Track & Field
- Rettschlag helped lead Wingate's Distance Medley Relay Team to the national title
- He ran the third leg of the four-man relay team at the Indoor National Championships
- Also earned 1st Team All-SAC honors in Cross Country with a 6th-place finish at the SAC meet

Florian Walcher, Tennis
- Walcher earned 1st Team All-SAC singles and doubles honors for the SAC champs
- Ranked 37th in the nation, Walcher is 15-1 at #1 singles, with a win over the #1 player in D2
- Has also posted a 15-2 record in doubles play, going 10-1 against SAC opponents

Female Athlete of the Year

Kate Agger, Swimming
- The Swimmer of the Meet at the SAC Championships earned 3 more All-American trophies
- Agger finished 3rd in the 1,000 Free and 4th in the 1650, while leading the 800 Free Relay team to 6th
- She picked up 4 SAC titles (3 individual, 1 relay) to pile up 122 points for the champs

Savanna Brooks, Softball
- Brooks leads the SAC champion Bulldogs in average, hits, doubles, homers, RBI, runs & slugging%
- She leads the SAC in runs, ranking 3rd in homers & RBI, 5th in slugging and 8th in doubles & on-base%
- Started all 49 games as #16 Wingate ranks in the top 10 in the nation in hits, runs and homers this year

Shannon Kasprak, Volleyball
- The SAC & Region Player of the Year earned All-American honors from the AVCA & D2CCA
- Ran an offense that ranked top 10 in the nation in hitting percentage, kills per set & assists per set
- Was also 2nd on the team in digs and aces, ranking 3rd in blocks while notching 20 double-doubles

Julia Kekkonen, Triathlon
- Kekkonen took home the title at the USA Triathlon Collegiate National Championships
- She also won the title at the USA Triathlon Collegiate Regional Qualifier
- Her 1st-place showing at Nationals helped the Bulldogs earn a 3rd-place finish

Leah Knowles, Lacrosse
- The All-American leads Wingate in goals, draw controls, ground balls & caused turnovers
- She leads the nation in caused turnovers, ranking 3rd in draw controls and 12th in points
- Knowles is a 4-time SAC Defensive Player of the Week & 2-time National Player of the Week this year

Hailey McLaughlin, Golf
- The 1st Team All-SAC honoree has a 73.35 stroke average, 2nd in WU history behind her 2021 year
- Has 6 top-10 finishes in 10 tourneys, winning the LeeAnn Noble Memorial (68, 74)
- The All-American was 2nd at Hilton Head, 4th at the Spring Kickoff and 5th at the SAC Championship

Mollie Scott, Cross Country
- The All-SAC and All-Region honoree was WU's top finisher at regionals and nationals
- Scott finished 4th at the SAC meet, while finishing 3rd at regionals, leading WU to both titles
- She finished 46th at the national championship meet, just missing out on All-American honors

Bryanna Troutman, Basketball
- The 3-time 1st Team All-SAC honoree led Wingate in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots
- Troutman averaged 15.5 points and 8.4 rebounds per game on 49% shooting from the field
- Top 10 in the SAC in scoring, rebounding, field goals made and field goal percentage

Wingate University
 
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a laboratory of difference-making that serves more than 3,400 students in North Carolina. Wingate offers 38 undergraduate majors as well as seven master's and four doctoral degrees. The University is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences; the Levine College of Health Sciences; the Byrum School of Business; the Thayer School of Education; and the School of Sport Sciences. 
 
Wingate is a leader in healthcare education, and nearly one in five Wingate undergraduate students is preparing to be a pharmacist, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist or nurse. Student-athletes on Wingate's 25 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award the past 14 times it has been awarded. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.
 
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