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CHARLOTTESVILLEMei Christensen (women’s swimming), Nikki Krzysik (women’s soccer) and Danny Glading (men’s lacrosse) were honored as Virginia’s top female and male athletes for the 2008-09 academic year at UVa’s annual awards dinner Wednesday (April 29) at John Paul Jones Arena. Christensen and Krzysik were co-recipients of the IMP Award as the top female athletes, and Glading received the WINA Award as the top male athlete.
Christensen, a junior from Reston, Va., was named the 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Swimmer of the Year after earning All-America honors in both the 100 and 200 backstroke events and competing with four relay teams that earned All-America honors at the NCAA Championships. She won both the 100 and 200 backstroke events in school, conference and meet record time at the ACC Championships. Christensen was also a member of four championship relay teams and was named Swimmer of the ACC Championships after helping the Virginia women’s swimming and diving team win its second consecutive conference title.
Krzysik, a senior defender from Clifton, N.J., concluded her Virginia career last fall by playing every minute for a team that posted nine shutouts and allowed just 5.1 shots per game during the 2008 season. Offensively, she added three goals and three assists. Krzysik was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and earned first team All-ACC honors for the second consecutive season. She was a semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy and a first-team NSCAA All-American.
Glading, a senior attackman from Bethesda, Md., leads the Virginia men’s lacrosse team with 51 points this season. He has scored 24 goals and has 27 assists. Glading is a three-time All-ACC selection and he recently became just the sixth player in conference history to score at least 100 career goals and have 100 career assists. He earned second-team All-America honors in 2008 and third-team All-America honors in 2007.
Becky Davis, administrative assistant to Virginia Athletics Director Craig Littlepage, received the Bus Male Award for her years of service to the athletics department.
Dom Inglot (London, England) of the men’s tennis team and Amanda Rales (Bethesda, Md.) of the women’s tennis team received UVa’s ACC Scholar-Athlete Awards. Peter Ferrara (Doylestown, Pa.) of the wrestling team received the Gus Tebell Memorial Award as the senior male student-athlete with the highest grade point average through his four years at Virginia, while Katie Shannon (Downingtown, Pa.) of the women’s lacrosse team received the Jettie Hill Memorial Award as the senior female student-athlete with the highest scholastic average through her four years at UVa. Patrick Slebonick (Stafford, Va.) of the football team and Casey Steffan (Long Valley, N.J.) of the softball team were co-recipients of the Ernest H. Ern, Jr. Award for outstanding contributions to student life at Virginia.
Joe Dewey (Columbus, Ohio) of the men’s lacrosse team and Paige Selenski (Shavertown, Pa.) of the field hockey team were co-recipients of the Craig Fielder Memorial Award for overcoming adversity, and Whitney Neuhauser (Barboursville, Va.) of the women’s golf team received the Ralph Sampson Scholarship Award. Emil Heineking (Chardon, Ohio) of the men’s cross country and track and field teams received the Virginia Athletics Department’s Distinguished Student-Athlete Scholarship Award.
Jade White (Hogansburg, N.Y.) of the men’s lacrosse team was the recipient of the Bob Goodman Memorial Award for her service to Virginia athletics as a team manager and Rachel Kelly (Fairburn, Ga.) received the Tim Abbott Memorial Award presented to the student assistant trainer most dedicated to and possessing empathy for the student-athletes. Ryan Hurley (Potomac, Md.) of the men’s swimming and diving team and Casey Steffan (Long Valley, N.J.) of the softball team were co-recipients of the Susan J. Grossman Memorial Award in recognition of outstanding service to student-athletes and contributions to the Student Athlete Mentor Program. Megan Evo (Beverly Hills, Mich.) of the women’s swimming and diving team received the Life Skills Scholarship Award.
Virginia’s ACC Top VI Award recipients included Lauren Elstein (Fredericksburg, Va., field hockey), Peter Ferrara (Doylestown, Pa., wrestling), Ryan Hurley (Potomac, Md., men’s swimming and diving), Jerome Meyinsse (Baton Rouge, La., men’s basketball), Patrick Slebonick (Stafford, Va., football) and Casey Steffan (Long Valley, N.J., softball).
Team Awards
Baseball Billy Word Memorial Award Awarded later
Basketball (m) Sidney Young Memorial Award Sylven Landesberg
Basketball (w) Coaches Award for Excellence Monica Wright
Cross Country (m) Coaches Award for Excellence Ryan Foster
Cross Country (w) Coaches Award for Excellence Samantha Stafford
Field Hockey Coaches Award for Excellence Inge Kaars Sijpesteijn
Football John Acree Memorial Award Jon Copper
Golf (m) Dixon Brooke Memorial Award Will Collins
Golf (w) William C. Eacho Memorial Award Kristen Simpson
Lacrosse (m) Henry Gaver Memorial Award Awarded later
Lacrosse (w) Coaches Award for Excellence Blair Weymouth
Rowing Coaches Award for Excellence Augusta Stratos
Soccer (m) Stanley Lerner Memorial Award Ross LaBauex
Soccer (w) Coaches Award for Excellence Nikki Krzysik
Softball Coaches Award for Excellence Abby Snyder
Swimming (m) Brooke Maury Memorial Award Ryan Hurley and Lee Robertson
Swimming (w) Diane Montgomery Greene Memorial Award Megan Evo
Tennis (m) Norton Pritchett Memorial Award Awarded later
Tennis (w) Coaches Award for Excellence Emily Fraser
Track Z Society The Lou Onesty Memorial Award Awarded later
Track Henry Cummings Memorial Award Awarded later
Volleyball Coaches Award for Excellence Shannon Davis
Wrestling David Senft Memorial Award Chris Henrich