D'Brickashaw Ferguson And Brielle White Honored As Virginia's Top Athletes

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May 3, 2006

CHARLOTTESVILLE – D’Brickashaw Ferguson (football) and Brielle White (women’s swimming and diving) were honored as the University of Virginia’s top male and female athletes for the 2005-06 academic year at Virginia’s annual awards dinner Wednesday (May 3) at University Hall. Ferguson received the WINA Award as the top male athlete and White received the IMP Award as the top female athlete.

Ferguson, a senior offensive tackle from Freeport, N.Y., earned first-team All-America honors from The Associated Press last fall and was a first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection each of the last two seasons. A four-year starter for the Cavaliers at left offensive tackle, he was selected by the New York Jets as the fourth pick in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Ferguson’s selection was the second highest for a Virginia player in the history of the NFL Draft.

White, a senior from Philadelphia, Pa., was named the ACC Swimmer of the Year each of the last two seasons and was honored as the Most Valuable Swimmer of the 2006 ACC Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships. She finished third in the 100 backstroke and fourth in the 200 backstroke at the 2006 NCAA Championships to earn first-team All-America honors in both events. White also won both of those events at the ACC Championships, including the 100 backstroke for the fourth consecutive year. She is the ACC record holder in both backstroke events. She earned All-America honors seven times during her Virginia career, including first-team recognition four times. White is a 2008 Olympic Trials qualifier in the 100 backstroke and was a finalist in that event at the 2004 Olympic Trials.

Dennis Womack, currently an assistant athletics director and formerly the head baseball coach, received the Bus Male Service Award for his years of service to Virginia athletics.

Nikki Lieb (Villanova, Pa.) of the women’s lacrosse team and Doug Stewart (Malibu, Calif.) of the men’s tennis team received UVa’s ACC Scholar-Athlete Awards. Meredith Lazarus (Stuart, Fla.) 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 Virginia, while Doug Brody (Charlottesville, Va.) of the men’s lacrosse team received the Gus Tebell Memorial Award as the senior male student-athlete with the highest grade point average through his four years at UVa. Brody also received the Ernest H. Ern, Jr. Award for outstanding contributions to student life at Virginia.

Ryan Best (Williamstown, N.J.) of the football team and Sara Larquier (Burbank, Calif.) of the softball team were co-recipients of the Craig Fielder Award for overcoming adversity, and Becky Sauerbrunn (St. Louis, Mo.) of the women’s soccer team received the Ralph Sampson Scholarship Award. Leah Wigger (Louisville, Ky.) of the women’s golf team received the Virginia Athletics Department’s Distinguished Student-Athlete Scholarship Award.

Drew Aldinger (McAlisterville, Pa.) of the men’s soccer team was the recipient of the Bob Goodman Memorial Award for his service to Virginia athletics as a team manager and Genevieve Downs (Quinton, Va., football, baseball and men’s soccer) received the Tim Abbott Memorial Award presented to the student assistant athletic trainer most dedicated to and possessing empathy for the student-athletes. Allie Flynn (Readington Township, N.J.) of the field hockey team was the recipient of the Susan J. Grossman Memorial Award in recognition of outstanding service to student-athletes and contributions to the Student Athlete Mentor Program. Magen Brock (Windsor, Va.), a member of the cheerleading squad for four years and also a student assistant athletic trainer for the men’s soccer and baseball teams, received the Life Skills Scholarship Award.

Virginia’s ACC Top VI Award recipients included Kristin Chaney (Johnston, Iowa, volleyball), Allie Flynn (Readington Township, N.J., field hockey), Eric Kelley (Rockford, Ill., men’s swimming and diving), Lisa Krolikowski (Hales Corners, Wisc., volleyball), Meredith Lazarus (Stuart, Fla., women’s lacrosse) and Kerry Maher (Welland, Ontario, rowing).

Team AwardsBaseball-Billy Word Memorial Award - Tom Hagan
Basketball(m)-Sidney Young Memorial Award - Sean Singletary and J.R. Reynolds
Basketball(w)-Most Valuable Award - Tiffany Sardin
Cross Country(m)-Most Valuable Award - Jan Foerster
Cross Country(w)-Most Valuable Award - Emily Harrison
Field Hockey-Most Valuable Award - Erin Hayes
Football-John Acree Memorial Award - Marques Hagans
Golf(m)-Dixon Brooke Memorial Award - Eamonn McLoughlin
Golf(w)-Most Valuable Award - Leah Wigger
Lacrosse(m)-Henry Gaver Award - Awarded after the season
Lacrosse(w)-Most Valuable Award - Nikki Lieb
Rowing-Most Valuable Award - Kerry Maher
Soccer(w)-Most Valuable Award - Noelle Keselica
Soccer(m)-Stanley Lerner Memorial Award - Yannick Reyering
Softball-Most Valuable Award - Erin Horn
Swimming(m)-Brooke Maury Memorial Award - Fran Crippen
Swimming(w)-Diane Montgomery Greene Memorial Award - Rachael Burke
Tennis(m)-Norton Pritchett Memorial Award - Awarded after the season
Tennis(w)-Most Valuable Award - Lindsey Pereira
Track-Z Society -The Lou Onesty Memorial Award - Awarded after the season
Track-Henry Cummings Memorial Award - Awarded after the season
Volleyball-Most Valuable Award - Sarah Kirkwood
Wrestling- David Senft Memorial Award - Eric Albright