University of Northern Colorado Athletics
The Den Awards: look back on a historical run for UNC athletics
4/24/2019 11:03:00 AM | General
The 2018-19 UNC athletic year was one of the best in the Division I era and that played out Monday night with the annual Den Awards.
Naming the athletes of the year was not an easy task given the accomplishments of what could be considered the best overall athletic class in UNC history. That difficulty played out as expected with co-honorees for both the Male and Female Outstanding Athlete of the Year awards.
On the men's side, basketball standout Jordan Davis and football and track duel threat Alex Wesley shared the honor.
Davis was named Big Sky Player of the Year and rewrote the Bears basketball record book highlighted when he became the programs all-time leading scorer. His 2,272 points are 160 more than any other player has ever scored at Northern Colorado. Over the course of his senior campaign, Davis broke six other program records.
Wesley won his share of the award by pulling double duty. The accomplishments started last spring when he set the program record in the 400M run at 45.91. In addition to that record-breaking time, he won the 400M run at the Big Sky Championships and went on to the NCAA National Meet and earned 2nd Team All-American Honors. However, his work wasn't done. Wesley went on to set new program records on the gridiron for Division I career receiving yards, 2,716, and DI career touchdowns with 17. To cap it all off, Wesley is expected to hear his name called this weekend during the 2019 NFL Draft.
The voting for female OPY wasn't any easier. Savannah Smith and Mariel Gutierrez are two of the best Bears to ever put on the Blue and Gold in their respective sports.
Smith was named First Team All-Big Sky and put her name firmly atop the UNC record book by setting eight new program records including single-game scoring, 40, single-season scoring, 708, and most career points, 2,013.
Gutierrez was also named First-Team All-Big Sky and was voted as the MVP of the conference. She led the BSC in total points, which earned her the Golden Boot award. She became the first-ever Big Sky player to be named first-team all-conference four consecutive years. Gutierrez put her name in the record book by setting the program record for most game-winning goals with 14.
Smith and Gutierrez share another honor as they were both named Colorado Sportswoman of the Year for their sports, the first time UNC has had multiple winners in one year.
Madelyn Moore was named the Female Rookie of the Year. In her first year on campus, she broke seven program records in the pool including the 50 free, 22.50, and the 100 free, 49.32.
Bodie Hume hauled in his second rookie of the year award as he took home the honor from UNC after being named Big Sky Freshman of the Year.
The Dr. George Sage Scholar-Athlete Award, given to the student-athlete with the highest grade-point average went to men's tennis senior Michael Kritzinger who posted a 4.0.
Volleyball senior Kortney Lockey took home the Dr. Mary Behling Scholar-Athlete Award with her 3.96 GPA.
The other award winners are as follows:
All Bear Team
Taylor Els, volleyball
Gutierrez, soccer
Moore, swimming and Diving
Maddie Roberts, soccer
Cammy Sargent, track and field
Smith, women's basketball
Valerie Vidal, softball
Davis men's basketball
Jonah Radebaugh, men's basketball
Joshua Matz, men's golf
Jacob Seely, wrestling
Coby Welch, men's golf
Wesley, football and track and field
Bear Leadership Award
Seeley, wrestling
Anika Sherlud, soccer
SAAC/Life Skills Cup
Women's golf
Best Dressed Award
Taylor Els
Ibro Soumah
Naming the athletes of the year was not an easy task given the accomplishments of what could be considered the best overall athletic class in UNC history. That difficulty played out as expected with co-honorees for both the Male and Female Outstanding Athlete of the Year awards.
On the men's side, basketball standout Jordan Davis and football and track duel threat Alex Wesley shared the honor.
Davis was named Big Sky Player of the Year and rewrote the Bears basketball record book highlighted when he became the programs all-time leading scorer. His 2,272 points are 160 more than any other player has ever scored at Northern Colorado. Over the course of his senior campaign, Davis broke six other program records.
Wesley won his share of the award by pulling double duty. The accomplishments started last spring when he set the program record in the 400M run at 45.91. In addition to that record-breaking time, he won the 400M run at the Big Sky Championships and went on to the NCAA National Meet and earned 2nd Team All-American Honors. However, his work wasn't done. Wesley went on to set new program records on the gridiron for Division I career receiving yards, 2,716, and DI career touchdowns with 17. To cap it all off, Wesley is expected to hear his name called this weekend during the 2019 NFL Draft.
The voting for female OPY wasn't any easier. Savannah Smith and Mariel Gutierrez are two of the best Bears to ever put on the Blue and Gold in their respective sports.
Smith was named First Team All-Big Sky and put her name firmly atop the UNC record book by setting eight new program records including single-game scoring, 40, single-season scoring, 708, and most career points, 2,013.
Gutierrez was also named First-Team All-Big Sky and was voted as the MVP of the conference. She led the BSC in total points, which earned her the Golden Boot award. She became the first-ever Big Sky player to be named first-team all-conference four consecutive years. Gutierrez put her name in the record book by setting the program record for most game-winning goals with 14.
Smith and Gutierrez share another honor as they were both named Colorado Sportswoman of the Year for their sports, the first time UNC has had multiple winners in one year.
Madelyn Moore was named the Female Rookie of the Year. In her first year on campus, she broke seven program records in the pool including the 50 free, 22.50, and the 100 free, 49.32.
Bodie Hume hauled in his second rookie of the year award as he took home the honor from UNC after being named Big Sky Freshman of the Year.
The Dr. George Sage Scholar-Athlete Award, given to the student-athlete with the highest grade-point average went to men's tennis senior Michael Kritzinger who posted a 4.0.
Volleyball senior Kortney Lockey took home the Dr. Mary Behling Scholar-Athlete Award with her 3.96 GPA.
The other award winners are as follows:
All Bear Team
Taylor Els, volleyball
Gutierrez, soccer
Moore, swimming and Diving
Maddie Roberts, soccer
Cammy Sargent, track and field
Smith, women's basketball
Valerie Vidal, softball
Davis men's basketball
Jonah Radebaugh, men's basketball
Joshua Matz, men's golf
Jacob Seely, wrestling
Coby Welch, men's golf
Wesley, football and track and field
Bear Leadership Award
Seeley, wrestling
Anika Sherlud, soccer
SAAC/Life Skills Cup
Women's golf
Best Dressed Award
Taylor Els
Ibro Soumah
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