PHOTO ALBUM | HIGHLIGHT VIDEO
The Case Western Reserve University Department of Athletics announced its annual award winners at the 2022 Student-Athlete Awards Banquet on April 25 at the Kevin & Eleanor Smith Foundation Ballroom inside the Tinkham Veale University Center.
Seniors C.J. Hill of the women's swimming & diving team, Natalie Rothrock of the volleyball team, Ana Scherf of the women's track & field team, and Elizabeth White of the women's soccer team each received the Patricia B. Kilpatrick Award, presented to the four-year varsity participant with the highest cumulative grade point average. All four had perfect cumulative 4.0 GPAs during their collegiate careers.
The 2021-22 Nancy Gray Rookie of the Year, presented annually to a first-year female student-athlete who has made an outstanding contribution to her sport during her first year of competition, was presented to Abigail Wilkov of the women's swimming & diving team. Wilkov became the first female diver in CWRU history to qualify for the NCAA Championships and went on to claim an All-America honor at the meet, following her seventh-place finish in the three-meter dive. During the season, she set program records in both dives, breaking records that had been in place for 26 years. Wilkov also placed in the top-four in both boards at regionals and was top-eight in both boards at the UAA Championships.
Ansh Shah of the men's tennis team was named the Robert Del Rosa Rookie of the Year, after finishing as the runner up at the 2021 Fall ITA Championships. He earned All-America honors for the achievement in just his first semester on campus. Shah recorded a record of 25-6 in singles play this season, leading the team in victories, and added a 13-3 mark in doubles play. At the time of the ceremony, he was also the 12th-ranked singles player in the Central Region.
Junior Cecelia Zielke of the cross country and track and field teams received the Dorothy L. Hoza Award, given to the first-, second- or third-year female student-athlete who has made a strong contribution to the women's intercollegiate sports program, maintained a high level of academic achievement, shown leadership in the team, and contributed to the department and the University. Earlier in the year, she qualified for the national championship meet, competing in the 5,000-meter run at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships and placing 16th overall in the event. Her time of 17:27.46 was the third-fastest ever by a CWRU athlete. Zielke claimed USTFCCCA All-Region honors for the second time in her career this past winter and is a multiple-time Academic All-UAA honoree.
The 2021-22 Arthur P. Leary Award winner, presented to the outstanding first-, second- or third-year male student-athlete who has demonstrated leadership in the team, maintained good academic standing in the University, demonstrated good sportsmanship, and contributed to the department and University, was junior Jack Begley of the cross country and track and field teams. In the fall, he earned both All-UAA and All-Region honors as a member of the cross country team. During the winter season, Begley set a school record in the indoor 5,000-meter run, qualifying for the NCAA Championships in the event. He earned All-UAA honors in both the indoor 3,000- and 5,000-meter runs, placing third in both events. Most recently, in the spring, Begley earned All-UAA honors in the outdoor 10,000-meter run after breaking a 44-year-old school record in the event with a time of 30:26.60. In addition, he is a multiple-time UAA All-Academic honoree and has a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade point average at CWRU.
The Emily R. Andrews Award was given to senior Abbey Lawrence of the women's basketball team, for making a strong contribution to the program, maintaining a high level of academic achievement, showing leadership in team, and contributing service to the department and University. She was named a finalist for the prestigious Jostens Trophy earlier in the year, which recognizes the top all-around 'student athlete' in women's basketball. Lawrence set a program record with a 45-point game against Waynesburg University this season, the most points scored in a game by a Division III player during the campaign. She was a three-time UAA Athlete of the Week and was named the National Player of the Week once. In addition, she led the UAA with 19.1 points per game and was selected to the All-UAA Second Team for her efforts. In addition to her clinical duties as a nursing student, Lawrence volunteered at the Cleveland Sight Center and the Hoboken City Medical Center in its Transitional Care and Rehabilitation Units. She also helped children through basketball camps in New Jersey and by volunteering at Shoes & Clothes for Kids in Cleveland.
Senior Jonathan Powell of the men's tennis team received the 2021-22 the Philip K. "Nip" Heim Award, presented annually to the senior male student-athlete who has made the most outstanding contribution to Case Western Reserve University through the athletics program. He has been the team's emotional leader throughout the year, helping the squad record its best season in program history. Powell claimed All-America honors for the first time in his career in the fall, receiving the award after winning the ITA Regional Doubles Championship. At the time of the ceremony, he ranked second in the region in doubles play and held a record of 17-4 in singles matches and 27-5 in doubles action this year. For his career, Powell ranks fifth in program history with 72 singles wins, second with 106 doubles wins, and is the CWRU all-time leader in career singles winning percentage with an .878 mark.
The Doug Mooney Program of the Year is presented annually to the CWRU varsity team with the highest NCAA Championship finish from the spring of the previous year through the winter of the current year. The men's tennis team turned in the best national finish ever by a team in CWRU Athletics history, placing second at the 2021 NCAA Division III Championships. This year, the team has continued its success, ranking first in Division III for most of the year. In addition, the team claimed the title at the 2022 ITA Indoor Championships and has won 37-straight regular season matches against Division III opponents dating back to the 2020 campaign.
The Glenn and Peggy Nicholls Female Athlete of the Year award, presented annually to the female student-athlete who has made outstanding contributions to her sport, was given to first-year Hannah Kassaie of the women's tennis team. In just her first season of collegiate competition, she has been the leader of her team and an essential piece of its best season in program history. Kassaie is currently ranked second in the region in both singles and doubles play. At the time of the ceremony, she had suffered just two singles losses, while setting program records with 24 singles wins. She has added an impressive 16-5 doubles record during the campaign while playing at first doubles. In the fall, Kassaie reached the semifinals of the ITA Regional Championship draw.
Graduate student men's basketball player Mitch Prendergast was named the Dr. David Hutter Male Athlete of the Year after being the catalyst for the most successful season in the program's history. He was recognized with a spot on the All-UAA First Team, in addition to being named to the All-Region First Team. Joining the team prior to the start of the season as a graduate transfer, he led the squad in scoring, averaging 18.0 points per game. Prendergast also set a school single season record with 78 made three pointers and ranked second among all NCAA Division III players in free throw shooting, notching an incredible 93.2% from the charity stripe, also a program record. Prendergast saved his best performance for the final game of the season, scoring a career-high 32 points and sinking a program single-game record eight three-pointers during the Spartans' NCAA Round of 16 matchup against Mary Hardin-Baylor.
The Bill Sudeck Outstanding Student-Athlete Award honors the individual who best exemplifies the attributes of the Case Western Reserve University student-athlete in the spirit of legendary coach, mentor and friend William "Bill" Sudeck. Coach Sudeck spent more than half his life - 46 years - shaping the young minds of cross country, basketball, and track and field athletes. The award is given to the student-athlete that has demonstrated and achieved significant athletic accomplishments, academic achievements, engagement in campus activities, and has shown leadership in athletics and in the classroom. Considered the program's most important award, senior Anika Washburn of the women's soccer team claimed the 2021-22 honor. Washburn was one of the top players in her sport in the entire country and one of the top performing students at the University. She has a 3.97 cumulative grade point average and has been named an Academic All-American three times over her career, including a First Team honor this year. Washburn was a First Team All-American for the second time over her career. She also earned an All-UAA First Team honor for the second-straight season and was named the UAA Offensive Player of the Year for the second time. This season, she set program single-season records with 15 goals and 40 points. For her career, she is the program record holder with 31 goals and 77 points, breaking those marks despite playing just two full collegiate seasons.
The banquet concluded with the 2021-22 CWRU Athletics highlight video, which can be seen below:
