CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Claire Curzan and Chandler Morris were honored as Virginia’s top athletes at the 2025-26 Hoos Choice Awards. Curzan earned the IMP Award as the top female athlete, while Morris claimed the WINA Award as the top male athlete.
The Hoos Choice Awards reflect performances from April 2025-March 2026
Curzan was named a finalist for the Honda Sport Award in Swimming & Diving for the second straight year. She won six titles at the 2026 NCAA Championships, including the 100 Back, 200 Back and four relay events. A 21-time CSCAA All-American, Curzan helped Virginia capture its sixth consecutive National Championship. She was also named the ACC Championship Most Valuable Swimmer after setting an NCAA record in the 200 Backstroke in one of her two individual event victories that helped the Cavaliers earn their seventh-consecutive conference title.
As a team captain and quarterback, Morris led Virginia to a program-record 11 wins including a 13-7 win over Missouri in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, the first UVA bowl victory since 2018. He accounted for 2,245 yards of total offense, posted the fourth-highest single-season completion percentage in program history (.647) and scored 21 total touchdowns on a unit that ranked fourth in the ACC. Morris was named the TD Club of Richmond Quarterback of the Year and was a 2025 All-ACC honorable mention. He was also named a semifinalist for both the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award and the Dave O’Brien National Quarterback of the Year Award.
Chance Mallory (men’s basketball) was named Male Rookie of the Year and Sara Curtis (women’s swimming) was named Female Rookie of the Year.
An NABC All-District East Second Team selection, Mallory averaged 9.3 points and 3.7 rebounds in 36 games off the bench. He ranked second in in the ACC in assist/turnover ratio (3.0), eighth in steals (1.6 spg), 15th in assists (3.4 apg) and 17th in free throw percentage (77.5%). The second-year helped Virginia (30-6) to its sixth 30-win season in school history as well as an appearance in the ACC Championship game.
Curtis helped the Cavaliers win four relays at the NCAA Championships, including swimming the anchor leg on the NCAA record-setting 400 Free Relay. She won two other medals at NCAAs, taking silver in the 50 Free and bronze in the 100 Free. She was the ACC Champion in the 50 Free, also picking up relay titles in the 200 Free, 400 Free and 400 Medley Relays.
Dylan Dietrich (men’s tennis) received the ACC Male Scholar Athlete of the Year Award while Mèlodie Collard (women’s tennis) earned the ACC Female Scholar-Athlete Award.
Will Bettridge (football) earned the 1*15*41 Award, which is given to the individual who best displayed selflessness, commitment, school pride and leadership, all while contributing to the betterment of the department and shining a light on those around them with positivity.
Men’s Swimming’s Maximus Williamson earned Comeback of the Year for his performance in the 200 Free at the NCAA Championships. After tying with teammate David King for eighth place in prelims, Williamson won the NCAA title from lane eight posting 1:30.03 in the final. He became the first freshman to win the 200 Free since 2016 and posted the second-fastest time ever for a freshman.
The Virginia football team earned Male Play of the Year for Ja’Son Prevard’s game-sealing interception in UVA’s 46-38 2OT win over then-No. 8 Florida State. On fourth-and-12 from the Virginia 27-yard line, Florida State quarterback Thomas Castellanos threw a pass into the endzone. Prevard came down with his second interception of the game to seal the win and send a flood of Cavalier fans onto the field at Scott Stadium.
The Virginia 400 Free Relay (women’s swimming) won Female Play of the Year. Claire Curzan, Madi Mintenko, Anna Moesch and Sara Curtis won the event to close out Virginia’s sixth consecutive NCAA team title, making the first time any team has won six consecutive NCAA Championships in women’s swimming and diving. The 400 Free team posted an NCAA record time of 3:05.26 marking the fifth straight year that Virginia won the event.
Virginia Director of Student Development, Ellen Cook was honored with the Bus Male Memorial Award for her dedication and devotion to Virginia Athletics during the 2025-26 school year.
Jeremiah Nubbe (men’s track and field) was 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 Lauren Kenah (field hockey) 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.
Kate Galica (women’s lacrosse) earned UVA’s Distinguished Athlete Scholarship Award while Victoria Safradin (women’s soccer) was the recipient of the Ralph Sampson Scholarship Award which is awarded to the rising fourth-year who demonstrates excellence in academics.
Bailey Morris (football) was the recipient of the Bob Goodman Memorial Award for outstanding student manager, while Rheis Granger (football) earned the Marlee Morgan Service Award. The award is given in recognition of a student manager in the UVA Department of Athletics who serves as an inspiration to others as a result of their perseverance, commitment and work ethic.
Virginia’s ACC Top VI for Service Award recipients for dedication to community service and outreach programs included Shelby Bavin (rowing), Cooper Rudolph (wrestling), Gillian Bushee (women’s track and field), Grayson Reid (football), Madi Mintenko (women’s swimming) and Football.
Cooper Rudolph (wrestling) earned the Male Flow Automotive Service Award while Shelby Bavin (rowing) won the Female Flow Automotive Service Award.
Team Awards
Baseball – Billy Word Memorial Award – Antonio Perrotta
Men’s Basketball – Sidney Young Memorial Award – Dallin Hall
Women’s Basketball – Coach’s Award for Excellence – Romi Levy
Men’s Cross Country – Coach’s Award for Excellence – Gary Martin
Women’s Cross Country – Coach’s Award for Excellence – Gillian Bushee
Field Hockey – Coach’s Award for Excellence – Mia Abello
Football – John Acree Memorial Award – James Jackson
Men’s Golf – F. Dixon Brooke Memorial Award – Ben James
Women’s Golf – William E. Eacho Memorial Award – Elsie MacCleery
Men’s Lacrosse – Henry Gaver Memorial Award – Joey Terenzi
Women’s Lacrosse – Coach’s Award for Excellence – Corey White
Rowing – Coach’s Award for Excellence – Riley Richardson
Men’s Soccer – Stanley Lerner Memorial Award – Umberto Pelà
Women’s Soccer – Coach’s Award for Excellence – Lia Godfrey
Softball – Coach’s Award for Excellence – Kelsey Hackett
Men’s Squash – Coach’s Award for Excellence – JP Tew
Women’s Squash – Coach’s Award for Excellence – Claire Minnis
Men’s Swimming & Diving – Brooke Maury Memorial Award – Matthew Heilman
Women’s Swimming & Diving – Diane Montgomery Greene Memorial Award – Carly Novelline
Men’s Tennis – Norton Pritchett Memorial Award – Ty Switzer
Women’s Tennis – Coach’s Award for Excellence – Melodie Collard
Men’s Track & Field – Henry Cummings Memorial Award – TBD
Women’s Track & Field – Z Society – The Lou Onesty Memorial Award – TBD
Men’s Indoor Track & Field – Coach’s Award for Excellence – Gary Martin
Women’s Indoor Track & Field – Coach’s Award for Excellence – Tatum David
Volleyball – Coach’s Award for Excellence – Kate Johnson
Wrestling – David Senft Memorial Award – Gable Porter