Bryce Perkins and Paige Madden Earn UVA Top Honors
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Paige Madden (Mobile, Ala.) and Bryce Perkins (Queen Creek, Ariz.) were honored as Virginia’s top male and female athletes for the 2019-20 academic year. Madden claimed the IMP Award as UVA’s top female athlete, while Perkins earned the WINA Award as the top male athlete. In addition, Madden received the Virginia Athletics Department’s Distinguished Student-Athlete Scholarship Award.
Madden was named ACC Swimmer of the Year and ACC Swimmer of the Meet after capturing three individual titles (200, 500 & 1650 freestyle) and two relay titles (400 and 800-yard freestyle relay). Madden earned five All-America honors and was the co-ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Perkins set UVA single-season records for passing (3,538) and total offense (4,307), leading the Cavaliers to their first ACC Coastal title, first ACC Championship game and first Orange Bowl. Perkins, who earned All-ACC second-team honors, joined Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts as one of two players in the nation with 3,000+ passing yards and 700+ rushing yards. Perkins recorded the UVA top single-game efforts in total offense in victories against North Carolina and Virginia Tech.
Derek Pekar (Ventura, Calif.) of men’s track and field was named Male Rookie of the Year and swimmer Kate Douglass (Pelham, N.Y.) was named Female Rookie of the Year.
Pekar earned the ACC title in the heptathlon, becoming only the second UVA athlete to win a conference title in the indoor event. Pekar recorded a score of 5,362 points at the ACC Championships in the heptathlon, marking the second-highest score in UVA history.
Douglass was named ACC Freshman Swimmer of the Year after scoring 91 points for the Cavaliers at the conference championships, winning individual titles in the 200-yard individual medley and 100-yard butterfly and capturing relay titles in the 200-yard medley relay, 200-yard freestyle relay and 400-yard freestyle relay.
Football’s Bryce Hall (Harrisburg, Pa.) earned the Wahoowa Award, which goes to the individual who best displayed selflessness, commitment, school pride, and leadership, all while contributing to the betterment of the team.
Men’s lacrosse earned Comeback of the Year for its thrilling win against Maryland in the 2019 NCAA Quarterfinals. The Cavaliers trailed by five goals with 10:38 remaining, but scored the game’s last six goals, including the game-winner in overtime, to squeak past Maryland to advance to Championship Weekend en route to their sixth NCAA title. Faceoff specialist Petey LaSalla (Miller Place, N.Y.) won his seventh faceoff in a row to start overtime and Michael Kraus (New Canaan, Conn.) found a streaking Matt Moore (Garnet Valley, Pa.) for the game-winning score 45 seconds into the extra period.
Field hockey claimed the Women’s Play of Year with its dramatic 1-0 overtime win against Maryland in the NCAA Elite Eight. Annie McDonough (Kennett Square, Pa.) deflected in a shot from Rachel Robinson (Mount Joy, Pa.) 5:28 into the overtime period for the lone goal of the game, sending the Cavaliers to the national semifinals.
Daryl Dike (Edmond, Okla.) of men’s soccer earned the Men’s Play of the Year with his electrifying strike off a long pass from Andreas Ueland (Bryne, Norway) in the 19th minute of Virginia’s 2-1 win over Wake Forest in the NCAA semifinals. Ueland served a ball from the Cavalier side of the field that was placed well enough for Dike to run on to and crack a shot off a bounce into the top left corner of the net.
Laurel Ivory (Surfside, Fla.) of women’s soccer earned the Sportsmanship Award, while Jackson Appelt (New Canaan, Conn.) of men’s lacrosse and Beau Bradley (Manasquan, N.J.) of men’s soccer earned Ernest H. Ern Jr. awards for outstanding contributions to student life at Virginia.
Olivia Schildmeyer (Upper Arlington, Ohio) of women’s lacrosse was the recipient of the Ralph Sampson Scholarship Award.
Associate Director of Athletics for Development Barry Parkhill was honored with the Bus Male Memorial Service Award for his untiring and devoted years of service to the athletics department.
Football’s Ryan Swoboda (Windermere, Fla.) and Rosie Johanson (Vancouver, B.C.) of women’s tennis received the Craig Fielder Memorial awards for overcoming adversity. Volleyball’s Kiley Banker (West Lafayette, Ind.) netted the Life Skills Scholarship Award.
Manager Atoria Ragland (Powhaten, Va.) was the recipient of Bob Goodman Memorial award for her dedicated service to the football and track and field programs.
Sydney Takata (Chicago, Ill.) of football and track and field received the Tim Abbott Memorial Award, honoring the student assistant athletics trainer most dedicated to and possessing empathy for the student-athletes.
Carl Söderlund (Stockholm, Sweden) of men’s tennis and Jocelyn Willoughby (East Orange, N.J.) of women’s basketball each earned ACC Scholar-Athlete awards for the second straight year. Field hockey’s Carolyn Topps (Fredericksburg, Va.) earned the Susan J. Grossman Memorial Award in recognition of outstanding service to student-athletes and contributions to the Student-Athlete Mentor Program.
Golf’s Nathan Chuwait (Herndon, Va.) received the Gus Tebell Memorial Award as the fourth-year male student-athlete with the highest scholastic average through his four years at Virginia, while soccer’s Zoe Morse (East Lansing, Mich.) was the recipient of the Jettie Hill Memorial Award as the fourth-year female student-athlete with the highest scholastic average through her four years at UVA.
Virginia’s ACC Top VI Award recipients included Maddie Rennyson (Lynchburg, Va., women’s track), Kira Maguire (Hingham, Mass., women’s soccer), Bradley (men’s soccer), Ben Hogg (Lynchburg, Va., football) and T.C. Harrison (Lawrenceville, Ga., football) and the softball team.
In addition, 92 student-athletes will be honored as recipients of a 2020-2021 Virginia Athletics Foundation endowed scholarship. Recognized by the Virginia Athletics Foundation (VAF) and the UVA Athletics Department for their contributions to the University of Virginia athletics program, these student-athletes excel academically, athletically and as leaders in the community. In coordination with Virginia Athletics administration and UVA head coaches, the VAF aims to recognize deserving student-athletes who meet the criteria of each named scholarship. Seven of these scholarships will be awarded for the first time during the 2020-2021 academic year.
An endowed scholarship gift is one of the most powerful gifts a donor can make and has a lasting impact on UVA Athletics. Naming opportunities for endowed scholarships start at $250,000. Endowment donors are recognized on the Endowment Wall, located on the second level of the John Paul Jones Arena.
About the Virginia Athletics Foundation (VAF): Each year, donations to VAF from our generous donors allow University of Virginia student-athletes to compete at their very best in the classroom and in their sport. Through its fundraising efforts, the Virginia Athletics Foundation provides funding for all 316.6 athletics scholarships, construction and renovation of athletics facilities, and assists in providing funding for the Athletics Academic Affairs program and sport-specific operational costs.
Team Awards
Baseball – Billy Word Memorial Award – Logan Michaels
Men’s Basketball – Sidney Young Memorial Award – Mamadi Diakite
Women’s Basketball – Coaches Award for Excellence – Jocelyn Willoughby
Men’s Cross Country – Coaches Award for Excellence – Peter Morris
Women’s Cross Country – Coaches Award for Excellence – Hannah Moran
Field Hockey – Coaches Award for Excellence – Rachel Robinson
Football – John Acree Memorial Award – Jordan Mack
Men’s Golf – F. Dixon Brooke Memorial Award – Andrew Orischak
Women’s Golf – William E. Eacho Memorial Award – Julia Ford
Men’s Lacrosse – Henry Gaver Memorial Award – John Fox
Women’s Lacrosse – Coaches Award for Excellence – Lauren Martin
Rowing – Coaches Award for Excellence – 2020 Team
Men’s Soccer – Stanley Lerner Memorial Award – Robin Afamefuna
Women’s Soccer – Coaches Award for Excellence – Zoe Morse
Softball – Coaches Award for Excellence – Alyssa Rayle
Men’s Squash – Coaches Award for Excellence – Toby Hansford
Women’s Squash – Coaches Award for Excellence – Julia Thompson
Men’s Swimming & Diving – Brooke Maury Memorial Award – Casey Storch
Women’s Swimming & Diving – Diane Montgomery Greene Memorial Award – Kyla Valls
Men’s Tennis – Norton Pritchett Memorial Award – Spencer Bozsik
Women’s Tennis – Coaches Award for Excellence – Rosie Johanson
Men’s Track & Field – Henry Cummings Memorial Award – N/A
Women’s Track & Field – Z Society – The Lou Onesty Memorial Award – N/A
Men’s Indoor Track & Field – Coaches Award for Excellence – Jordan Scott
Women’s Indoor Track & Field – Coaches Award for Excellence – Andrenette Knight
Volleyball – Coaches Award for Excellence – Jennifer Wineholt
Wrestling – David Senft Memorial Award – Jack Mueller and Jay Aiello