Sophomore hockey forward Danton Heinen was voted DU Male Athlete of the Year and senior women's gymnast Nina McGee captured Female Athlete of the Year honors as the University of Denver held its 81st annual Student-Athlete Awards Banquet on Monday night in Hamilton Gymnasium.

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 Sports Performance Athletes of the Year. In addition, the Gold Vest Award was given to an outstanding Pioneer team for excellence in community service, academics, spirit, leadership and athletic performance. For the third year in a row, this award was won by the men's soccer team.

McGee, 22, became Denver's first NCAA national champion in gymnastics, winning the title on floor with her 9.950 performance at the 2016 NCAA National Championships. Her national title joins numerous other awards and accolades during her outstanding career, which includes becoming the DU record holder for all-around score (39.775) and most career individual titles (96). She scored three perfect 10.0s on floor during the 2016 season--the most in a single season by a DU gymnast in program history.

Heinen was named the recipient of the Bill Masterton Award as Team MVP as well as the Dallas Guame Award as Offensive Player of the Year. The Langley, B.C. native decided to forgo his junior and senior seasons on April 11 to sign an entry-level contract with the Boston Bruins (NHL). He recorded two assists in four games with the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League before the team lost their first-round playoff series to the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins. In 81 career games as a Pioneer, Heinen registered 93 points on 36 goals and 57 assists. He earned NCHC Freshman of the Year honors in 2014-15 and was named the conference's Forward of the Year for 2015-16. The 20-year-old playmaker was named the inaugural recipient of the ASN Player of the Year Award on April 6 after recording 20G-28A-48P as a sophomore and captured All-Tournament honors at this year's NCAA West Regional, tallying 1G-5A-6P in two games played in helping DU reach its first Frozen Four since 2005.

Freshman hockey forward Dylan Gambrell, 19, earned DU's Sportsman of the Year Award after turning in the 12th-best scoring total by a freshman in DU history with 47 points (17G-30A) in 41 games played. He won the Barry Sharp Award as the Pios' top rookie and earned All-Tournament Honors at NCAA West Regional after tallying 2G-3A-5P in Denver's wins over Boston University and Ferris State University. The Bonney Lake, Wash., native was named to the NCHC All-Rookie Team and was a finalist for NCHC Rookie of the Year Award. Gambrell won both the NCHC and HCA National Rookie of the Month Award for February after tallying 6G-7A-13P in six games played and earned five NCHC Rookie of the Week Awards throughout the 2015-16 campaign.

Freshman swimmer Bailey Andison, 18, was named Sportswoman of the Year after earning All-American honors in her first year at Denver. The Smiths Falls, Ontario native placed 10th in the 400 IM (4:06.91) and 14th in the 200 IM (1:56.51) at the 2016 NCAA Championships, earning Second Team All-American honors and setting new all-time league marks in both events. Andison also collected Summit League Female Swimmer of the Year honors after claiming league titles in both the 200 IM and 400 IM, and setting championship meet records in both events.

Winning this year's Sports Performance Athletes of the Year Awards were senior men's hockey forward Grant Arnold and senior women's lacrosse attacker Krista Reese, who both set new standards of excellence in fitness during their respective seasons. Arnold also captured Comeback Player of the Year honors after undergoing shoulder surgery in the offseason before appearing in 38 of Denver's 41 games during his senior season, leading the Pioneers to their first Frozen Four appearance since 2005. The Centennial, Colo., native set career highs in goals (5), assists (8) and points (13), while becoming just the third student-athlete in DU Hockey history to don the 'C' for consecutive seasons as team captain.

2015-16 University of Denver Athletics Awards

Male Athlete of the Year: Danton Heinen, Hockey

Female Athlete of the Year: Nina McGee, Gymnastics

Pioneer Sportsman of the Year: Dylan Gambrell, Hockey

Pioneer Sportswoman of the Year: Bailey Andison, Swimming

Comeback Player of the Year: Grant Arnold, Hockey

Male Strength and Conditioning Award: Grant Arnold, Hockey

Female Strength and Conditioning Award: Krista Reese, Women's Lacrosse

Gold Vest Award: Men's Soccer

2015-16 Team MVP Awards

Male MVP Name