DENVER - Sophomore men's basketball player Chris Udofia (Irving, Texas) and freshman skier Espen Lysdahl (Asker, Norway) shared Male Athlete of the Year, and sophomore soccer player Kristen Hamilton (Littleton, Colo.) earned Female Athlete of the Year, as the University of Denver held its 77th annual Student-Athlete Awards Banquet Monday night at the Daniel L. Ritchie Center.
The celebration, which was organized and hosted by the DU Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), honored each of Denver's 17 NCAA Division I intercollegiate sports programs, and also included awards for Pioneer Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, and strength and conditioning. In addition, the Gold Vest Award was given to an outstanding Pioneer team for excellence in community service, academics, spirit, leadership and athletic performance.
Udofia was voted All-Sun Belt Conference First Team and SBC Defensive Player of the Year, while leading the Pioneers to a Denver NCAA Division I record 22 wins in 2011-12. A two-time SBC Player of the Week, Udofia also earned a spot on the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District 24 First Team. Udofia was third in the SBC in blocks per game, and tied teammate Brian Stafford (Walnut Creek, Calif.) for fourth in the SBC in scoring (14.5 per game). Udofia's .537 field goal percentage was fourth-best in the SBC.
Lysdahl won the 2012 NCAA slalom individual championship, earning All-American First Team honors. Lysdahl raced to nine top 10 finishes, including two slalom victories and two runner-up times in the giant slalom. Lysdhal finished fifth in the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association MVP standings accumulating 385 points in 12 RMISA races and was named RMISA Men's Skier of the Week for the week of Jan. 17.
Hamilton was named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year after leading the team with 41 points in the 2011 season. Her point total placed her 13th in the NCAA in that category, first in the SBC and third in DU's single-season history. Hamilton also received CoSIDA Academic All-District 7 Second Team honors.
Hockey player Joey LaLeggia (Burnaby, British Columbia) won the Pioneer Sportsman of the Year, which honors the most outstanding male first-year student-athlete. LaLeggia, who helped DU to its fifth-straight NCAA Tournament, was named Hockey Coaches Association National Rookie of the Year after leading all NCAA rookie blueliners in points (38), goals (11) and assists (27).
Freshman swimmer Samantha Corea (Vancouver, British Columbia) won the Pioneer Sportswoman of the Year award after tying the Sun Belt and DU records in the 100 Backstroke at the SBC Championships, helping the Pioneers to a conference title. Corea was a member of the gold medal 400 Freestyle Relay, silver medal 200 Medley Relay and bronze medal 400 Medley Relay teams, while setting a new school-record in the 100 Butterfly at the SBC meet, breaking her own record set earlier in the year
Redshirt-sophomore Drew Babb (Centennial, Colo.), who missed the last two seasons recovering from Hodgkin's Lymphoma, was named the Comeback Player of the Year after starting every game for the Pioneer men's lacrosse team on defense, recording 18 ground balls and causing 10 turnovers.
Hockey player Dustin Jackson (Omaha, Neb.) and volleyball player Quincey Noonan (Broomfield, Colo.) received strength and conditioning awards. The honors are based on test scores, improvement in strength and conditioning over their careers, and the ability to use strength and conditioning to improve their athletic ability.
Finally, DU Vice Chancellor for Athletics and Recreation Peg Bradley-Doppes presented the men's swimming team with the Gold Vest Award, which is the highest honor bestowed by the department, based on superior community service, leadership, academic achievement, spirit and athletic performance. The men's swimming team won its second-straight SBC championship this season, while posting a team GPA of 3.42. The Pioneers attended more than 45 competitions to cheer on their fellow student-athletes. Their volunteer activities included Math Counts at Slavens Elementary, Women's Final Four Tourney Town, 9News Food Drive and assisting with the men's soccer goal-a-thon.
2011-12 University of Denver Special Awards
Male Co-Athlete of the Year, Chris Udofia, Basketball
Male Co-Athlete of the Year, Espen Lysdahl, Alpine Skiing
Female Athlete of the Year, Kristen Hamilton, Women's Soccer
Pioneer Sportsman of the Year, Joey LaLeggia, Hockey
Pioneer Sportswoman of the Year, Samantha Corea, Swimming
Comeback Player of the Year, Drew Babb, Men's Lacrosse
Male Strength and Conditioning Award, Dustin Jackson, Hockey
Female Strength and Conditioning Award, Quincey Noonan, Women's Basketball
2011-12 Scholar-Athletes of the Year
Seniors
Patrick Rogers, Men's Lacrosse, 3.92
Kari Storslett, Women's Soccer, 3.96
Juniors
Grant Jampolsky, Men's Skiing, 3.90
Katy Van Lieshout, Women's Soccer, 3.99
Sophomores
Ryan Holly, Men's Swimming, 3.98
Paige Tollefson, Gymnastics, 4.00
Freshmen
Larkin Jacobson, Hockey, 4.00
Caitlin Higgins, Women's Soccer, 3.92
2011-12 Team Most Valuable Players
Drew Beckie - Men's Soccer
Sophia Bergner - Women's Tennis
Chase Carraro - Men's Lacrosse
Samantha Corea - Women's Swimming & Diving
Kate Dolan - Women's Nordic Skiing
Andrew Dougherty - Men's Nordic Skiing
Kelly Drack - Women's Golf
Sterling Grant - Women's Alpine Skiing
Kristen Hamilton - Women's Soccer
Ashley Harman - Women's Lacrosse
Faimie Kingsley - Volleyball
Espen Lysdahl - Men's Alpine Skiing
Moriah Martin - Gymnastics
Kyle Milberg - Men's Swimming & Diving
Kaetlyn Murdoch - Women's Basketball
Ole Ramsnes - Men's Golf
Drew Shore - Hockey
Chris Udofia - Men's Basketball
Yannick Weihs - Men's Tennis
2011-12 Team Most Valuable Freshman
Kate Acker - Volleyball
Wes Berg - Men's Lacrosse
Jørgen Brevik - Men's Nordic Skiing
Samantha Corea - Women's Swimming & Diving
Devin Delaney - Women's Alpine Skiing
Victor Doka - Men's Golf
Ross Edfort - Men's Swimming & Diving
Michelle Garpenlov - Women's Tennis
Sam Harder - Women's Soccer
Brian Hoyt - Men's Soccer
Joey LaLeggia - Hockey
Luke Manley - Men's Tennis
Royce O'Neale - Men's Basketball
Trevor Philp - Men's Alpine Skiing
Jill Remenapp - Women's Lacrosse
Ellese Sakai-Hart - Gymnastics
Morgan Van Riper-Rose - Women's Basketball
Rachael Watton - Women's Golf
Silje Wilsgård - Women's Nordic Skiing
