Cougar Choice Awards Nominees Unveiled
4/18/2023 6:13:00 PM | Baseball, Cross Country, Football, General, Men's Basketball, Men's Golf, Softball, Track and Field, Women's Basketball, Women's Golf, Soccer, Swimming & Diving, Tennis, Volleyball, Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field
Houston Athletics celebrates another decorated calendar year with annual event
HOUSTON – The University of Houston Athletics Department will celebrate its historic 2022-23 calendar year with the Cougar Choice Awards, set for Monday at 7 p.m. from the Fertitta Center. The closed-door event, put on by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), is not open to the public. Houston student-athletes Alton McCaskill IV (Football), Daisy Monie (Track and Field) and Anna Economon (Women's Golf) will host the event.
The annual award show celebration includes 15 categories. Winners will be announced live on Twitter via @UHCougars. This year's categories and award nominees include:
Rich Stotter Champion for Life
A three-year member of Women's Golf, sophomore Anna Economon has been a leader for the Cougars. The economics major has been named to the Dean's List for all but one of the semesters in which she has been enrolled with a pair of perfect semesters during her academic career. In 2022-23 season, she serves as president of the Houston Athletics Student-Athlete Advisory Committee while also working as the coordinator of student-athlete and alumni engagement for the American Athletic Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
A two-time captain, Houston Baseball's Ian McMillan is known as the "Admiral" of the team as players report to him and he reports to Head Coach Todd Whitting. The senior has started a continuous 117 games dating back to 2021 which is ranked No. 10 all-time in the Houston record books. As of April 6, the shortstop has made just two errors in 91 changes this season with a .975 career fielding percentage and is ranked No. 8 all-time in career assists. During his time at Houston, he has plated 72 runs, with 16 home runs and 86 RBI. Against Rice this season, McMillan score the winning run courtesy of a walk off hit in the bottom of the ninth inning.
One of Houston's team captains in 2023, Jordan Booker ran the starting leg of the NCAA Championship bronze medaling 4x100-meter relay team in June 2022 to become a First Team All-American. The senior was an NCAA West Preliminary Round qualifier in the 100-meter dash for the second-straight year and was a finalist in the 200-meter dash at the American Indoor Championships in February. Outdoors, Booker finished fourth overall in the 200-meter dash and seventh overall in the 100-meter dash at The American Championships in mid-May 2022.
Sondos Moursy ran in all six cross country meets for Houston in the fall a posted a 10-second improvement on Texas A&M's 6k course at the NCAA Region Championships from her time at the Arturo Barrios Invitational a few weeks prior. The senior crossed the finish line as UH's third finisher at Chile Pepper Festival and finished in the top 25 in back-to-back meets to open the season. Off the course, Moursy was one of 20 students at the University of Houston selected as a Key into Public Service Scholar by The Phi Beta Kappa Society.
One of Houston Swimming & Diving's team captains in 2023, Elizabeth Richardson helped lead the program to its seventh consecutive American Athletic Conference Championship title in February. Despite a grueling physical schedule in the pool, Richardson excels in the classroom studying Industrial Engineering. Richardson was recently named the Cullen College of Engineering's Most Outstanding Senior. Since joining the Cougars in 2019, the Vero Beach, Fla., native has made the dean's list every semester. Richardson currently serves as the vice president of the Industrial and Systems Engineers student chapter.
Male Cougar of the Year
Nathaniel Dell electrified fans and mystified defenses during Houston's 2022 season. The Team Captain produced an All-America season, leading the nation with 17 receiving touchdowns and 1,398 receiving yards. He paced the country with a receiving score in 11 different games, capping his career with a go-ahead, game-winning score with 20 seconds remaining to lift Houston to an Independence Bowl victory against Louisiana.
A two-way player for the Houston Baseball team, Justin Murray has started nearly every game at first base while also serving as one of the team's closers. As of April 3, Murray had allowed only one run in eight appearances for a 0.77 ERA while striking out the side in back-to-back games against Minnesota and McNeese. The junior earned his first win of the season against No. 8 ECU throwing 3.2 scoreless innings in relief and retiring four Pirate batters. On the offensive side of the ball as of April 5, Murray has reached base in 25 straight games dating back to the second game of the season. He leads the team with three saves while also topping the team in runs scored.
Shaun Maswanganyi earned three NCAA All-American First Team honors this year, after running the anchor leg of the NCAA Championships bronze medaling 4x100-meter relay in June, finishing sixth in the outdoor 200-meter dash and finishing fourth overall in the 60-meter dash at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Maswanganyi became Houston's first indoor All-American since 2019 and posted the fourth-fastest 60-meter dash and 200-meter dash in school history. The junior was The American's Most Outstanding Performance and Most Valuable Performer at the 2023 American Indoor Championships.
His decision to return for his senior season in 2022-23 electrified Houston fans, and he lived up to all the preseason hype. With a team-best 16.8 points per game and 96 3-pointers, guard Marcus Sasser was the 2023 American Athletic Conference Player of the Year and the Cougars' first Consensus First-Team All-American since 1984. He led Men's Basketball to its fourth American regular-season title in the last five years and a Top-Six ranking in both national polls for the entire season.
Competing in his first season with the Cougars as a transfer, junior Santiago De La Fuente has been a consistent leader and two-time American Athletic Conference Golfer of the Week throughout the 2022-23 season. The Guadalajara, Mexico, native leads the Cougars in scoring average and sub-par rounds and has placed among the Top-20 leaders in eight events in which he has competed, including the Border Olympics individual championship.
Female Cougar of the Year
Kate Georgiades capped a tremendous junior season with a pair of All-American honors, helping lead Houston to its first Sweet Sixteen Appearance since 1994. The unanimous American Athletic Conference Libero of the Year, she finished sixth nationally with 687 digs and broke the program's three-set digs record with 34 against Tulsa.
Laila Blair became the first female women's basketball player ever named to The American All-Conference First Team after leading the Cougars in scoring, field goals made, assists and minutes played, all while scoring in double figures 24 different times. The junior became the first Cougar women's basketball player ever to earn back-to-back AAC Player of the Week honors. Thanks to a 30-point scoring surge, Blair helped guide Houston to its first ranked road win since 2004 when UH upset #24 South Florida which included draining a half-court buzzer beater before halftime.
Claire Meyer became arguably the greatest female cross country athlete this century when she posted Houston's best finish at the NCAA Region Championships since 1994 by finishing 15th overall. Meyer is Houston's second All-Region honoree since 2008 and first-ever women's All-Conference honoree in cross country since joining The American. Meyer broke the school record in the 5,000 meters at the American Indoor Championships that had stood since 2017 and posted Houston's best finish in the 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters at the conference indoor meet since 2018.
Nu'uausala Tuilefano shattered the record books in the shot put by breaking the school record and conference meet record at the American Indoor Championships on her way to her second straight title. Tuilefano became a back-to-back All-American Second Team honoree in the shot put at the NCAA Indoor Championships and is tied for Houston's most decorated female shot put thrower. The senior finished second in the shot put at the outdoor conference championships, was an NCAA Preliminary Round qualifier and just missed a bid to the NCAA Championships.
After winning the 3-meter and taking second in the 1-meter and platform at the 2023 American Athletic Conference Championships, Chase Farris was named the American's Most Outstanding Diver for the first time in her career. Farris represented Houston Diving at the 2023 NCAA Zone Diving Championships, advancing to the 3-meter and platform finals. Her teammates recently voted Farris as the program's most valuable diver.
Male Rookie of the Year
In his first full season with the Men's Basketball program in 2022-23, redshirt freshman guard Emanuel Sharp gave Houston fans glimpses of an exciting future. The Tampa, Florida, native ranked third on the team with 43 3-pointers and drained six treys in a – on the way to a career-high 18 points – in a win over McNeese, tying for the second most 3-pointers by a Houston freshman in school history. Sharp also nailed 88.1 percent of his free throws, making each of his first 18 attempts to begin his collegiate career.
Matthew Golden made an immediate impact during his 2022 true freshman campaign, setting Houston's receiving touchdown record for a true freshman with seven. The mark ranked second nationally among true freshman while his 584 receiving yards were seventh in the country. Golden shined during key moments including a go-ahead 44-yard touchdown reception with 40 seconds remaining against Temple on November 12th.
A Perfect Game Mid-Season Freshman All-American, Paul Schmitz leads all pitchers who have pitched at least 1 inning per game in the lowest ERA, hits allowed, runs allowed, earned runs allowed, walks allowed, doubles allowed and opposing batting average as of April 5. Earned his first win against Big 10 opponent Northwestern tossing 6.2 innings and allowing only two earned runs while striking out a career-high eight batters against Northwestern. The freshman made his starting debut against 2022 College World Series runner-up Oklahoma pitching 5.0 innings and striking out six batters.
Aaron Bell won the bronze medal in the 60-meter dash at the American Indoor Championships in February at his first conference championships, running a 6.75-second time. Bell finished 10th in the 200-meter dash at the conference championships after running 21.70 seconds. The freshman won the 60-meter dash at the Robert Platt Invitational in just his second collegiate indoor meet of his career and won the 200-meter dash at the Howie Ryan Invitational in his third indoor 200 of his collegiate career.
One of the program's most highly recruited student-athletes, freshman forward Jarace Walker made his impact felt on Men's Basketball in only one season. Starting all but one game, Walker ranked second among the Cougars in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots in 2022-23 and was the American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year and an All-Conference Second-Team selection. The New Freedom, Pennsylvania, native was named the CBS Sports/U-S-B-W-A National Freshman of the Week twice and was honored as The American Freshman of the Week for a school-record six times.
Female Rookie of the Year
Freshman Moa Svedenskiod has been a leader for Women's Golf throughout the 2022-23 season during his first collegiate campaign. The Halmstad, Sweden, native leads the Cougars in scoring average, rounds of par or lower and Top-15 showings. Winning the individual title at the Jim West Challenge, she became the first freshman in school history to earn medalist honors and accomplished that feat in only her third collegiate event. She was later honored as the American Athletic Conference Golfer of the Month for that performance.
Competing in her first season with the Women's Golf team, Natalie Saint Germain has made a tremendous impact in her first collegiate season. The Prague native recorded four Top-20 finishes in her first five tournaments and ranks second on the team with 12 rounds of par or better, including six in the 60s. In the Final Round of the Schooner Fall Classic on Sept. 26, Saint German posted a school record low round with a bogey-free 64 and later added a career-best fourth-place finish at the Battle at the Beach in October.
Alex Whitcraft immediately sealed her spot on the Houston backline in her first year with the Cougars getting the start every match. After the season, Whitcraft became the sixth Cougar in program history named to the American Athletic Conference All-Rookie team.
In her debut season with the Cougars, Eden Humphrey has sealed her name in the Houston Swimming & Diving record books by setting new program records in the 1,000 and 1,650-yard freestyle events at the 2023 American Athletic Conference Championships. Humphrey wrapped up her first collegiate conference championships taking first place in the 500-yard freestyle and third in the 1,650-yard freestyle. Her teammates most recently voted Humphrey as the program's most valuable swimmer.
In her first year with the Cougars, Sophie Schouten has become a key starter for Head Coach Helena Besovic. In doubles action, Schouten is one of the program's leading ladies, playing primarily at the No. 1 doubles position, with ten wins on the season. Playing mainly in the No. 4 singles position, Schouten has collected eight victories this season.
Team of the Year
Winning its first conference championship since 1999, the volleyball team reached new heights in its 2022 season, finishing with a 30-4 record and reaching the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA tournament. The team tied its highest final ranking in program history at #17 and was one of only five teams to reach the 30-win threshold. Undefeated inside the Fertitta Center, the volleyball team also earned its first win over a ranked opponent since 2003 and finished inside the top 25 nationally in four different statistical categories.
Under the leadership of Head Coach Kelvin Sampson, the Men's Basketball program established itself as one of the nation's top programs in 2022-23. The Cougars competed in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 for the fourth consecutive season, tied a school single-season record with 33 wins, including 17 conference victories, captured its fourth regular-season championship in the last five years and stood among the Top-Six in both national polls for the entire season.
In its final year competing in the American Athletic Conference, the University of Houston Swimming & Diving program continued to prove its excellence after capturing its seventh consecutive American Championship title in February. During its final American Championships, the program added Swimming Coach of the Year, Diving Coach of the Year and Most Outstanding Diver awards to its collection. Henrietta Fangli, Chase Farris, Eden Humphrey and Alondra Ortiz each collected hardware to lead Houston to its seventh title.
Play of the Year
Dubbed one of the top 100 games of the year by ESPN, Houston Football's season-opening visit to UTSA was nothing short of thrilling. The Cougars rallied from 14 points down in the second half. After the teams went back-and-forth in the first two overtimes, per NCAA rules, the squad lined up for alternating 2-point conversion attempts in the third OT, setting the stage for quarterback Clayton Tune's heroics. The senior avoided pressure, scrambling towards the pile on before summer-salting over a defender to put Houston ahead. The leap and ensuing defensive stop landed the Cougars a 37-35 victory in a game for the ages.
The No. 1 play on SportsCenter that night, Kate Georgiades dove over a table to help win a point in a five-set opening round win in the NCAA tournament over South Dakota. Racing back to collect a dig off of Morgan Janda, Kate dive over the table kept the rally alive and she later rejoined the play to make another save before the Cougars won the point.
Against Incarnate Word, Houston Baseball center fielder Drew Bianco made an over-the-wall home run-robbing catch. The center fielder tracked the ball all the way to the wall and with no hesitation caught the ball in his glove before cartwheeling over the outfield wall and managing to hold on to the ball. The play was No. 2 on SportsCenter that night and was picked up by the MLB and other national networks.
With the second quarter winding down, Laila Blair looked up and saw four seconds on the clock as she approached mid-court. Just a couple of steps past the timeline, the junior squared up and drained a buzzer-beating half-court shot at #24 South Florida for her 22nd point of the half. Houston would go on to upset the Bulls for its first ranked road win since 2004.
Facing a hostile crowd in a tie game with the clock winding down, Men's Basketball junior guard Jamal Shead hit the shot of the year for the Cougars. After Memphis tied the game with less than 10 seconds remaining, Shead took the inbounds pass and worked his way up the court. Finding a spot on the right wing with just one second to go, Shead lifted and drained the winning basket at the buzzer to give the Cougars the regular-season series sweep of the Tigers in front of more than 18,000 fans.
Game of the Year
By all accounts, Houston's final visit to Memphis as co-members of The American was all but wrapped up entering the final frame. Then, the momentum began to change. Houston Football overcame a 19-point fourth quarter deficit, scoring 26 points in the final frame to stun Memphis 33-32 on Oct. 7th inside Liberty Stadium. Quarterback Clayton Tune threw two touchdown passes inside the final two minutes sandwiched between a Christian Trahan onside kick recovery to highlight the fifth largest comeback in school history. The result marked the first time in 130 attempts during the 2022 season that an FBS program had overcome a deficit of 19-or-more points in the fourth quarter.
Looking to advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1994, Houston volleyball faced Auburn in the second round of the NCAA tournament following a five-set win over South Dakota. Down two sets to one, the Cardiac Coogs lived up to the nickname, winning a nailbiter fourth set, 25-23, before shutting the door with a decisive fifth set to earn the win.
In the final regular-season game of the season, junior point guard Jamal Shead buried a 21-foot jumper at the buzzer to lift the Cougars to a 67-65 win at Memphis. In a battle of the American Athletic Conference's Top-Two teams, the Cougars earned the regular-season series sweep of the Tigers and an American-record-tying 17th win. After Memphis tied the game on a basket with less than 10 seconds to go, Shead found a spot on the right wing and drained the winning basket at the buzzer in front of more than 18,000 opposing fans.
Head Coach of the Year
The American Athletic Conference and AVCA Southeast Region Coach of the Year, volleyball head coach David Rehr helped guide the team to its highest win total since prior to the NCAA's addition of the sport in 1980. He led the team to the Sweet Sixteen in the program's first NCAA appearance since 2000 and clinched the squad's first conference championship since 1999. One of just five teams to reach the 30-win threshold, Houston tied its highest final ranking in program history at #17 and went on a program-record 20 match win streak during the season.
In nine seasons with the Cougars, he has built one of the nation's premier programs. In 2022-23, Kelvin Sampson's Men's Basketball program competed in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 for the fourth consecutive season, tied a school single-season record with 33 wins, captured its fourth regular-season championship in the last five years and played among the Top-Six in both national polls for the entire season. For his team's impressive efforts, he was named the American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year for the fourth time and received similar honors from the U-S-B-W-A and the N-A-B-C and was a finalist for the Werner Ladder Naismith, Jim Phelan and Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year Awards.
In her second year as Head Coach, Tanica Jamison led the University of Houston Swimming & Diving program to its seventh and final American Athletic Conference Championship Title. Coach Jamison guided freshman Eden Humphrey to the top of the Houston program records in the 1,000 and 1,650-yard freestyle. Coach Jamison was named the American Conference's Women's Swimming Coach of the Year for a second consecutive season.
Male Academic Cougar of the Year
After graduating in the spring of 2022, Devin Vallejo-Bannister returned to the Cougar track and field and cross country program as a Master's student in the College of Business Supply Chain Management Program where the track and field standout has maintained a GPA over 3.7 while excelling on the track. Vallejo-Bannister has been named to The American All-Academic team four-straight years since beginning his collegiate journey in 2018.
Houston catcher Dylan Post has excelled in the classroom since joining Cougar Baseball in 2020. The New Lennox, Ill., native is majoring in Technology Leadership Innovation Management and owns a GPA over 3.7. The senior was recognized on the 2021-22 American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team. He also appeared in 58 games and has logged a .313 on-base percentage.
Always a Fertitta Center fan favorite, Men's Basketball junior guard Ryan Elvin has proven himself to be a leader in the classroom as well. A two-time member of the American Athletic All-Conference Team, Elvin has been named to the Dean's List five times with a pair of perfect semesters. Working his way to a cumulative GPA of higher than 3.80, Elvin will graduate this May with his bachelor's degree in Kinesiology-Sports Administration.
Female Academic Cougar of the Year
A key player for the Cougars' defense, Emma Clarke registered 84 appearances and is now No. 2 all-time in program history with 71 starts. The Christchurch, New Zealand, native earned several honors during her career with the Cougars, including the 2021 American Athletic All-Conference Second Team, 2022 American Preseason All-Conference Team, named to the United Soccer Coaches Players to Watch List, and earned a spot on the Mac Hermann Trophy Watch List. A 2022 graduate of the Cullen College of Engineering, Emma is currently an engineer training with Morris + Associates in Cypress, Texas.
Zosia Bulhak has been an A student since enrolling at the University of Houston, maintaining a perfect GPA for five straight semesters. The Cougar track and field and cross country starlet has been named to The American All-Academic team back-to-back years since starting on Cullen Boulevard in 2020. Bulhak is on pace to graduate early in December 2023 as a double-major in English and Economics.
A hard worker on the field and in the classroom, Paige Hulsey is on track to graduate this spring with a degree in Technology, Leadership and Innovation Management with a minor in psychology. A four-time Dean's List honoree, Paige has shown her academic dedication in striving to complete her degree even with her program being relocated to the UH-Sugar Land Campus. She's maintained a GPA higher than 3.0 in each of her semesters while excelling on the softball field.
Staff Member of the Year
No nominee; winner announced Monday
Spirit Award
Routinely one of the loudest voices on the team, Kati Ray Brown has been the squad's loudest supporter this season even while battling through an injury. Always doing what she can to be a positive influence, Kati Ray is the first to cheer on her teammates and is a leader in the dugout for the softball team.
No Houston student-athlete can boast of more spirit and enthusiasm for her school than sophomore Anna Economon. A three-year member of the Women's Golf team, Economon works in a variety of roles. For the 2022-23 season, she serves as president of the Houston Athletics Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. In addition to those duties, she also works as the coordinator of student-athlete and alumni engagement for the American Athletic Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. The economics major has been named to the Dean's List for all but one of the semesters in which she has been enrolled with a pair of perfect semesters in her academic career.
Since arriving in Houston in 2021, Janna Singleton immediately impacted the Houston Soccer program as part of the offensive attack. She has seen ten starts, 18 game appearances, and has scored five goals during her time with the Cougars. Off the field, Singleton is in her second season as a student intern for Houston Athletics' marketing department, where she assists the department in fan engagement for all Houston Athletics programs.
DJ Hayden Award
No nominee; winner announced Monday
Ken Baxter Award
No nominee; winner announced Monday
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The annual award show celebration includes 15 categories. Winners will be announced live on Twitter via @UHCougars. This year's categories and award nominees include:
Rich Stotter Champion for Life
A three-year member of Women's Golf, sophomore Anna Economon has been a leader for the Cougars. The economics major has been named to the Dean's List for all but one of the semesters in which she has been enrolled with a pair of perfect semesters during her academic career. In 2022-23 season, she serves as president of the Houston Athletics Student-Athlete Advisory Committee while also working as the coordinator of student-athlete and alumni engagement for the American Athletic Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
A two-time captain, Houston Baseball's Ian McMillan is known as the "Admiral" of the team as players report to him and he reports to Head Coach Todd Whitting. The senior has started a continuous 117 games dating back to 2021 which is ranked No. 10 all-time in the Houston record books. As of April 6, the shortstop has made just two errors in 91 changes this season with a .975 career fielding percentage and is ranked No. 8 all-time in career assists. During his time at Houston, he has plated 72 runs, with 16 home runs and 86 RBI. Against Rice this season, McMillan score the winning run courtesy of a walk off hit in the bottom of the ninth inning.
One of Houston's team captains in 2023, Jordan Booker ran the starting leg of the NCAA Championship bronze medaling 4x100-meter relay team in June 2022 to become a First Team All-American. The senior was an NCAA West Preliminary Round qualifier in the 100-meter dash for the second-straight year and was a finalist in the 200-meter dash at the American Indoor Championships in February. Outdoors, Booker finished fourth overall in the 200-meter dash and seventh overall in the 100-meter dash at The American Championships in mid-May 2022.
Sondos Moursy ran in all six cross country meets for Houston in the fall a posted a 10-second improvement on Texas A&M's 6k course at the NCAA Region Championships from her time at the Arturo Barrios Invitational a few weeks prior. The senior crossed the finish line as UH's third finisher at Chile Pepper Festival and finished in the top 25 in back-to-back meets to open the season. Off the course, Moursy was one of 20 students at the University of Houston selected as a Key into Public Service Scholar by The Phi Beta Kappa Society.
One of Houston Swimming & Diving's team captains in 2023, Elizabeth Richardson helped lead the program to its seventh consecutive American Athletic Conference Championship title in February. Despite a grueling physical schedule in the pool, Richardson excels in the classroom studying Industrial Engineering. Richardson was recently named the Cullen College of Engineering's Most Outstanding Senior. Since joining the Cougars in 2019, the Vero Beach, Fla., native has made the dean's list every semester. Richardson currently serves as the vice president of the Industrial and Systems Engineers student chapter.
Male Cougar of the Year
Nathaniel Dell electrified fans and mystified defenses during Houston's 2022 season. The Team Captain produced an All-America season, leading the nation with 17 receiving touchdowns and 1,398 receiving yards. He paced the country with a receiving score in 11 different games, capping his career with a go-ahead, game-winning score with 20 seconds remaining to lift Houston to an Independence Bowl victory against Louisiana.
A two-way player for the Houston Baseball team, Justin Murray has started nearly every game at first base while also serving as one of the team's closers. As of April 3, Murray had allowed only one run in eight appearances for a 0.77 ERA while striking out the side in back-to-back games against Minnesota and McNeese. The junior earned his first win of the season against No. 8 ECU throwing 3.2 scoreless innings in relief and retiring four Pirate batters. On the offensive side of the ball as of April 5, Murray has reached base in 25 straight games dating back to the second game of the season. He leads the team with three saves while also topping the team in runs scored.
Shaun Maswanganyi earned three NCAA All-American First Team honors this year, after running the anchor leg of the NCAA Championships bronze medaling 4x100-meter relay in June, finishing sixth in the outdoor 200-meter dash and finishing fourth overall in the 60-meter dash at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Maswanganyi became Houston's first indoor All-American since 2019 and posted the fourth-fastest 60-meter dash and 200-meter dash in school history. The junior was The American's Most Outstanding Performance and Most Valuable Performer at the 2023 American Indoor Championships.
His decision to return for his senior season in 2022-23 electrified Houston fans, and he lived up to all the preseason hype. With a team-best 16.8 points per game and 96 3-pointers, guard Marcus Sasser was the 2023 American Athletic Conference Player of the Year and the Cougars' first Consensus First-Team All-American since 1984. He led Men's Basketball to its fourth American regular-season title in the last five years and a Top-Six ranking in both national polls for the entire season.
Competing in his first season with the Cougars as a transfer, junior Santiago De La Fuente has been a consistent leader and two-time American Athletic Conference Golfer of the Week throughout the 2022-23 season. The Guadalajara, Mexico, native leads the Cougars in scoring average and sub-par rounds and has placed among the Top-20 leaders in eight events in which he has competed, including the Border Olympics individual championship.
Female Cougar of the Year
Kate Georgiades capped a tremendous junior season with a pair of All-American honors, helping lead Houston to its first Sweet Sixteen Appearance since 1994. The unanimous American Athletic Conference Libero of the Year, she finished sixth nationally with 687 digs and broke the program's three-set digs record with 34 against Tulsa.
Laila Blair became the first female women's basketball player ever named to The American All-Conference First Team after leading the Cougars in scoring, field goals made, assists and minutes played, all while scoring in double figures 24 different times. The junior became the first Cougar women's basketball player ever to earn back-to-back AAC Player of the Week honors. Thanks to a 30-point scoring surge, Blair helped guide Houston to its first ranked road win since 2004 when UH upset #24 South Florida which included draining a half-court buzzer beater before halftime.
Claire Meyer became arguably the greatest female cross country athlete this century when she posted Houston's best finish at the NCAA Region Championships since 1994 by finishing 15th overall. Meyer is Houston's second All-Region honoree since 2008 and first-ever women's All-Conference honoree in cross country since joining The American. Meyer broke the school record in the 5,000 meters at the American Indoor Championships that had stood since 2017 and posted Houston's best finish in the 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters at the conference indoor meet since 2018.
Nu'uausala Tuilefano shattered the record books in the shot put by breaking the school record and conference meet record at the American Indoor Championships on her way to her second straight title. Tuilefano became a back-to-back All-American Second Team honoree in the shot put at the NCAA Indoor Championships and is tied for Houston's most decorated female shot put thrower. The senior finished second in the shot put at the outdoor conference championships, was an NCAA Preliminary Round qualifier and just missed a bid to the NCAA Championships.
After winning the 3-meter and taking second in the 1-meter and platform at the 2023 American Athletic Conference Championships, Chase Farris was named the American's Most Outstanding Diver for the first time in her career. Farris represented Houston Diving at the 2023 NCAA Zone Diving Championships, advancing to the 3-meter and platform finals. Her teammates recently voted Farris as the program's most valuable diver.
Male Rookie of the Year
In his first full season with the Men's Basketball program in 2022-23, redshirt freshman guard Emanuel Sharp gave Houston fans glimpses of an exciting future. The Tampa, Florida, native ranked third on the team with 43 3-pointers and drained six treys in a – on the way to a career-high 18 points – in a win over McNeese, tying for the second most 3-pointers by a Houston freshman in school history. Sharp also nailed 88.1 percent of his free throws, making each of his first 18 attempts to begin his collegiate career.
Matthew Golden made an immediate impact during his 2022 true freshman campaign, setting Houston's receiving touchdown record for a true freshman with seven. The mark ranked second nationally among true freshman while his 584 receiving yards were seventh in the country. Golden shined during key moments including a go-ahead 44-yard touchdown reception with 40 seconds remaining against Temple on November 12th.
A Perfect Game Mid-Season Freshman All-American, Paul Schmitz leads all pitchers who have pitched at least 1 inning per game in the lowest ERA, hits allowed, runs allowed, earned runs allowed, walks allowed, doubles allowed and opposing batting average as of April 5. Earned his first win against Big 10 opponent Northwestern tossing 6.2 innings and allowing only two earned runs while striking out a career-high eight batters against Northwestern. The freshman made his starting debut against 2022 College World Series runner-up Oklahoma pitching 5.0 innings and striking out six batters.
Aaron Bell won the bronze medal in the 60-meter dash at the American Indoor Championships in February at his first conference championships, running a 6.75-second time. Bell finished 10th in the 200-meter dash at the conference championships after running 21.70 seconds. The freshman won the 60-meter dash at the Robert Platt Invitational in just his second collegiate indoor meet of his career and won the 200-meter dash at the Howie Ryan Invitational in his third indoor 200 of his collegiate career.
One of the program's most highly recruited student-athletes, freshman forward Jarace Walker made his impact felt on Men's Basketball in only one season. Starting all but one game, Walker ranked second among the Cougars in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots in 2022-23 and was the American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year and an All-Conference Second-Team selection. The New Freedom, Pennsylvania, native was named the CBS Sports/U-S-B-W-A National Freshman of the Week twice and was honored as The American Freshman of the Week for a school-record six times.
Female Rookie of the Year
Freshman Moa Svedenskiod has been a leader for Women's Golf throughout the 2022-23 season during his first collegiate campaign. The Halmstad, Sweden, native leads the Cougars in scoring average, rounds of par or lower and Top-15 showings. Winning the individual title at the Jim West Challenge, she became the first freshman in school history to earn medalist honors and accomplished that feat in only her third collegiate event. She was later honored as the American Athletic Conference Golfer of the Month for that performance.
Competing in her first season with the Women's Golf team, Natalie Saint Germain has made a tremendous impact in her first collegiate season. The Prague native recorded four Top-20 finishes in her first five tournaments and ranks second on the team with 12 rounds of par or better, including six in the 60s. In the Final Round of the Schooner Fall Classic on Sept. 26, Saint German posted a school record low round with a bogey-free 64 and later added a career-best fourth-place finish at the Battle at the Beach in October.
Alex Whitcraft immediately sealed her spot on the Houston backline in her first year with the Cougars getting the start every match. After the season, Whitcraft became the sixth Cougar in program history named to the American Athletic Conference All-Rookie team.
In her debut season with the Cougars, Eden Humphrey has sealed her name in the Houston Swimming & Diving record books by setting new program records in the 1,000 and 1,650-yard freestyle events at the 2023 American Athletic Conference Championships. Humphrey wrapped up her first collegiate conference championships taking first place in the 500-yard freestyle and third in the 1,650-yard freestyle. Her teammates most recently voted Humphrey as the program's most valuable swimmer.
In her first year with the Cougars, Sophie Schouten has become a key starter for Head Coach Helena Besovic. In doubles action, Schouten is one of the program's leading ladies, playing primarily at the No. 1 doubles position, with ten wins on the season. Playing mainly in the No. 4 singles position, Schouten has collected eight victories this season.
Team of the Year
Winning its first conference championship since 1999, the volleyball team reached new heights in its 2022 season, finishing with a 30-4 record and reaching the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA tournament. The team tied its highest final ranking in program history at #17 and was one of only five teams to reach the 30-win threshold. Undefeated inside the Fertitta Center, the volleyball team also earned its first win over a ranked opponent since 2003 and finished inside the top 25 nationally in four different statistical categories.
Under the leadership of Head Coach Kelvin Sampson, the Men's Basketball program established itself as one of the nation's top programs in 2022-23. The Cougars competed in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 for the fourth consecutive season, tied a school single-season record with 33 wins, including 17 conference victories, captured its fourth regular-season championship in the last five years and stood among the Top-Six in both national polls for the entire season.
In its final year competing in the American Athletic Conference, the University of Houston Swimming & Diving program continued to prove its excellence after capturing its seventh consecutive American Championship title in February. During its final American Championships, the program added Swimming Coach of the Year, Diving Coach of the Year and Most Outstanding Diver awards to its collection. Henrietta Fangli, Chase Farris, Eden Humphrey and Alondra Ortiz each collected hardware to lead Houston to its seventh title.
Play of the Year
Dubbed one of the top 100 games of the year by ESPN, Houston Football's season-opening visit to UTSA was nothing short of thrilling. The Cougars rallied from 14 points down in the second half. After the teams went back-and-forth in the first two overtimes, per NCAA rules, the squad lined up for alternating 2-point conversion attempts in the third OT, setting the stage for quarterback Clayton Tune's heroics. The senior avoided pressure, scrambling towards the pile on before summer-salting over a defender to put Houston ahead. The leap and ensuing defensive stop landed the Cougars a 37-35 victory in a game for the ages.
The No. 1 play on SportsCenter that night, Kate Georgiades dove over a table to help win a point in a five-set opening round win in the NCAA tournament over South Dakota. Racing back to collect a dig off of Morgan Janda, Kate dive over the table kept the rally alive and she later rejoined the play to make another save before the Cougars won the point.
Against Incarnate Word, Houston Baseball center fielder Drew Bianco made an over-the-wall home run-robbing catch. The center fielder tracked the ball all the way to the wall and with no hesitation caught the ball in his glove before cartwheeling over the outfield wall and managing to hold on to the ball. The play was No. 2 on SportsCenter that night and was picked up by the MLB and other national networks.
With the second quarter winding down, Laila Blair looked up and saw four seconds on the clock as she approached mid-court. Just a couple of steps past the timeline, the junior squared up and drained a buzzer-beating half-court shot at #24 South Florida for her 22nd point of the half. Houston would go on to upset the Bulls for its first ranked road win since 2004.
Facing a hostile crowd in a tie game with the clock winding down, Men's Basketball junior guard Jamal Shead hit the shot of the year for the Cougars. After Memphis tied the game with less than 10 seconds remaining, Shead took the inbounds pass and worked his way up the court. Finding a spot on the right wing with just one second to go, Shead lifted and drained the winning basket at the buzzer to give the Cougars the regular-season series sweep of the Tigers in front of more than 18,000 fans.
Game of the Year
By all accounts, Houston's final visit to Memphis as co-members of The American was all but wrapped up entering the final frame. Then, the momentum began to change. Houston Football overcame a 19-point fourth quarter deficit, scoring 26 points in the final frame to stun Memphis 33-32 on Oct. 7th inside Liberty Stadium. Quarterback Clayton Tune threw two touchdown passes inside the final two minutes sandwiched between a Christian Trahan onside kick recovery to highlight the fifth largest comeback in school history. The result marked the first time in 130 attempts during the 2022 season that an FBS program had overcome a deficit of 19-or-more points in the fourth quarter.
Looking to advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1994, Houston volleyball faced Auburn in the second round of the NCAA tournament following a five-set win over South Dakota. Down two sets to one, the Cardiac Coogs lived up to the nickname, winning a nailbiter fourth set, 25-23, before shutting the door with a decisive fifth set to earn the win.
In the final regular-season game of the season, junior point guard Jamal Shead buried a 21-foot jumper at the buzzer to lift the Cougars to a 67-65 win at Memphis. In a battle of the American Athletic Conference's Top-Two teams, the Cougars earned the regular-season series sweep of the Tigers and an American-record-tying 17th win. After Memphis tied the game on a basket with less than 10 seconds to go, Shead found a spot on the right wing and drained the winning basket at the buzzer in front of more than 18,000 opposing fans.
Head Coach of the Year
The American Athletic Conference and AVCA Southeast Region Coach of the Year, volleyball head coach David Rehr helped guide the team to its highest win total since prior to the NCAA's addition of the sport in 1980. He led the team to the Sweet Sixteen in the program's first NCAA appearance since 2000 and clinched the squad's first conference championship since 1999. One of just five teams to reach the 30-win threshold, Houston tied its highest final ranking in program history at #17 and went on a program-record 20 match win streak during the season.
In nine seasons with the Cougars, he has built one of the nation's premier programs. In 2022-23, Kelvin Sampson's Men's Basketball program competed in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 for the fourth consecutive season, tied a school single-season record with 33 wins, captured its fourth regular-season championship in the last five years and played among the Top-Six in both national polls for the entire season. For his team's impressive efforts, he was named the American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year for the fourth time and received similar honors from the U-S-B-W-A and the N-A-B-C and was a finalist for the Werner Ladder Naismith, Jim Phelan and Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year Awards.
In her second year as Head Coach, Tanica Jamison led the University of Houston Swimming & Diving program to its seventh and final American Athletic Conference Championship Title. Coach Jamison guided freshman Eden Humphrey to the top of the Houston program records in the 1,000 and 1,650-yard freestyle. Coach Jamison was named the American Conference's Women's Swimming Coach of the Year for a second consecutive season.
Male Academic Cougar of the Year
After graduating in the spring of 2022, Devin Vallejo-Bannister returned to the Cougar track and field and cross country program as a Master's student in the College of Business Supply Chain Management Program where the track and field standout has maintained a GPA over 3.7 while excelling on the track. Vallejo-Bannister has been named to The American All-Academic team four-straight years since beginning his collegiate journey in 2018.
Houston catcher Dylan Post has excelled in the classroom since joining Cougar Baseball in 2020. The New Lennox, Ill., native is majoring in Technology Leadership Innovation Management and owns a GPA over 3.7. The senior was recognized on the 2021-22 American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team. He also appeared in 58 games and has logged a .313 on-base percentage.
Always a Fertitta Center fan favorite, Men's Basketball junior guard Ryan Elvin has proven himself to be a leader in the classroom as well. A two-time member of the American Athletic All-Conference Team, Elvin has been named to the Dean's List five times with a pair of perfect semesters. Working his way to a cumulative GPA of higher than 3.80, Elvin will graduate this May with his bachelor's degree in Kinesiology-Sports Administration.
Female Academic Cougar of the Year
A key player for the Cougars' defense, Emma Clarke registered 84 appearances and is now No. 2 all-time in program history with 71 starts. The Christchurch, New Zealand, native earned several honors during her career with the Cougars, including the 2021 American Athletic All-Conference Second Team, 2022 American Preseason All-Conference Team, named to the United Soccer Coaches Players to Watch List, and earned a spot on the Mac Hermann Trophy Watch List. A 2022 graduate of the Cullen College of Engineering, Emma is currently an engineer training with Morris + Associates in Cypress, Texas.
Zosia Bulhak has been an A student since enrolling at the University of Houston, maintaining a perfect GPA for five straight semesters. The Cougar track and field and cross country starlet has been named to The American All-Academic team back-to-back years since starting on Cullen Boulevard in 2020. Bulhak is on pace to graduate early in December 2023 as a double-major in English and Economics.
A hard worker on the field and in the classroom, Paige Hulsey is on track to graduate this spring with a degree in Technology, Leadership and Innovation Management with a minor in psychology. A four-time Dean's List honoree, Paige has shown her academic dedication in striving to complete her degree even with her program being relocated to the UH-Sugar Land Campus. She's maintained a GPA higher than 3.0 in each of her semesters while excelling on the softball field.
Staff Member of the Year
No nominee; winner announced Monday
Spirit Award
Routinely one of the loudest voices on the team, Kati Ray Brown has been the squad's loudest supporter this season even while battling through an injury. Always doing what she can to be a positive influence, Kati Ray is the first to cheer on her teammates and is a leader in the dugout for the softball team.
No Houston student-athlete can boast of more spirit and enthusiasm for her school than sophomore Anna Economon. A three-year member of the Women's Golf team, Economon works in a variety of roles. For the 2022-23 season, she serves as president of the Houston Athletics Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. In addition to those duties, she also works as the coordinator of student-athlete and alumni engagement for the American Athletic Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. The economics major has been named to the Dean's List for all but one of the semesters in which she has been enrolled with a pair of perfect semesters in her academic career.
Since arriving in Houston in 2021, Janna Singleton immediately impacted the Houston Soccer program as part of the offensive attack. She has seen ten starts, 18 game appearances, and has scored five goals during her time with the Cougars. Off the field, Singleton is in her second season as a student intern for Houston Athletics' marketing department, where she assists the department in fan engagement for all Houston Athletics programs.
DJ Hayden Award
No nominee; winner announced Monday
Ken Baxter Award
No nominee; winner announced Monday
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Players Mentioned
Sprints
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UTL
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Sprints
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/ Softball
Distance
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/ Soccer
/ Men's Golf
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/ Men's Basketball
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/ Swimming & Diving
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/ Volleyball
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/ Softball
/ Swimming & Diving
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/ Volleyball
Sprints/Jumps
/ Track and Field
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/ Baseball
Distance
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Cross Country
UTL
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Pole Vault
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/ Baseball
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/ Baseball
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Distance
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/ SoccerIntroducing Houston Blue
Friday, November 01
AD Eddie Nuñez Interview
Thursday, August 22
VP for Intercollegiate Athletics Eddie Nuñez Introductory Press Conference
Wednesday, August 21
Hall of Honor
Thursday, September 14