University of Houston Athletics
Cougars Hit the Red Carpet at the Cougar Choice Awards
5/4/2015 12:00:00 AM | General
HOUSTON - Student-athletes and staff from the University of Houston Department of Intercollegiate Athletics convened Monday night along with members of the Corbin J. Robertson Society, the highest level of giving for Cougar Pride, for the 2015 Cougar Choice Awards.
Held inside the Bayou Events Center, the ceremony highlighted the student-athletes' 2014-15 accomplishments and awarded several academic and athletic awards throughout the night. After entering the Bayou Events Center on red carpet, attendees were treated to dinner followed by a welcome from new Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Hunter Yurachek.
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Two student-athletes received the highest athletic honors of the year as they were named the 2015 Cougars of the Year. Men's Track and Field junior Isaac Williams and Tennis senior Elena Kordolaimi received the night's top honor after being selected as their respective team's athletic MVPs.
Williams finished the indoor track and field season with a berth in the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, finishing 10th in the 60-meter hurdles. The Willingboro, N.J., native set a UH program record with a time of 7.72 in the event and currently ranks third nationally in the 110-meter hurdles.
Kordolaimi has led the Houston Tennis program to one of the most successful runs in school history, going 32-6 in singles play while leading the Cougars with a school-record 24 dual victories. She is one of just nine Cougars to win more than 30 matches in a season and has led the squad to an NCAA Championships berth and 22 victories this season, including an 18-match winning streak, tops in program history.
Senior golfer Kyle Pilgrim received the Academic Cougar of the Year award, having been named to every conference All-Academic team since his arrival in Houston. The Colleyville, Texas, native has owned a 4.0 grade point average every semester since the fall of 2012 and was recently inducted into the Bauer College of Business' chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma.
A full list of the night's athletic and academic MVPs can be found below.
| Sport | Academic MVP | Athletic MVP |
|---|---|---|
| Baseball | David Longville | Chris Iriart |
| Men's Basketball | Mikhail McLean | LeRon Barnes |
| Women's Basketball | Alecia Smith | Jessieka Palmer |
| Men's Cross Country | James Broussard | Brian Barraza |
| Women's Cross Country | Alexis Vick | Ebony White |
| Football | Logan Piper | Cameron Malveaux |
| Men's Golf | Kyle Pilgrim | Blair Hamilton |
| Women's Golf | Megan Thothong | Raegan Bremer |
| Soccer | Megan Goh | Courtney Dudley |
| Softball | Jordan Rains | Selena Hernandez |
| Swimming & Diving | Cait Horner | Taylor Olanski |
| Tennis | Maria Cardenas | Elena Kordolaimi |
| Men's Indoor Track & Field | Brian Barraza | Isaac Williams |
| Women's Indoor Track & Field | Ebony White | Sade Mariah Greenidge |
| Men's Outdoor Track & Field | TBA | TBA |
| Women's Outdoor Track & Field | TBA | TBA |
| Volleyball | Olivia Odell | Kadi Kullerkann |
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Honoring those who honor our student-athletes with their commitment to excellence, the Ken Baxter Award was given to an individual who knows what it's like to walk in the shoes of a Houston student-athlete. Football letterman and Corbin J. Robertson Society member James Hong received the 2015 Ken Baxter Award for his support of Houston Athletics and its student-athletes while serving as the "H" Association President and championing the Little Coogs program, an organization that provides at-risk and underprivileged youth from Houston and the surrounding areas with exposure to a college atmosphere, including Houston Athletics events.
A new award introduced Monday night was the Hayden Courageous Cougar Award named for Houston Football letterman D.J. Hayden who suffered a near-fatal heart injury in the fall of 2012 before making a miraculous recovery and being drafted 12th overall in the 2013 NFL Draft. Danrad Knowles, a leader for the Houston Men's Basketball program on and off the court, came to America as a young teenager to pursue his dream of a college education while advancing his athletic career.
Instead, he was left to survive on his own in a house overrun with other young athletes lacking adult supervision, food, or basic necessities. He was forced to bounce around from school to school, at one point attending four different schools within a two-year period, the dream of obtaining a college scholarship seeming more and more unattainable with each move. Instead of complaining about his oftentimes dire home life or attempting to return to his family, he continued to excel both on and off the court, earning the attention of top basketball programs across the country.
Once enrolled at UH, he excelled as a student athlete in the truest sense of the word, earning accolades both academically and athletically. In two seasons, he has competed in 62 games and was one of only two players to start all 32 contests during the 2014-15 season. He poured in a career-high 31 points against American Athletic Conference rival Tulane in January and was a two-time Rookie of the Week selection as a freshman in 2013-14.
Off the court, Knowles, a health major, was named to the American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team in 2014. A tireless supporter of all Cougar sports, you can often see him in the stands as a fan and supporter of his fellow student athletes. He remains a familiar and easy to spot presence on campus as a friend to students, staff members and coaches.
A student athletic trainer and member of the Sports Medicine program, Jessica Mayol was honored for her work over the last three years with the Houston Sports Medicine department. Having assisted with soccer, men's basketball, football and track and field throughout her budding career, Mayol has recently been accepted into the University of Houston's Master of Athletic Training Program.
The night's best dressed awards went to Mikhail McLean of the Men's Basketball program and Bianca Winslow from the Women's Basketball program.
Each member in the Corbin J. Robertson Society underwrites the current cost of one full athletic scholarship. Society members have the privilege of being assigned a student-athlete and have numerous opportunities to nurture a personal relationship with that student during his or her collegiate career.
For more information on joining the Cougar Pride and becoming a member of the Corbin J. Robertson Society, please click here.
2015 SEASON TICKETS
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2015 SEASON TICKET RENEWALS
Season ticket members may renew in full or use an interest free payment plan. To be eligible for the seat upgrade process, season ticket members must renew their current season tickets. Seats not sold as season tickets in 2014 will immediately be made available for new sales at the beginning of the renewal process. For more information on season ticket renewals, transfers and upgrades, visit UHCougars.com/renew.
Players Mentioned
