University of Pittsburgh Athletics
University of Pittsburgh Presents its Highest Athletic Honors
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | General
April 16, 1999
PITTSBURGH - Four student-athletes received the University of Pittsburgh's highest athletic honors, the Panther Award and Blue-Gold Award, tonight at the Athletic Department's annual Senior Awards Dinner held at the William Pitt Student Union.
The Panther Award is given to the senior male and female student-athletes who have best promoted Pittsburgh athletics through outstanding athletic achievement. The Blue-Gold Award is presented annually to the male and female senior athletes who best represent the student-athlete ideal based on academic scholarship, athletic achievement, leadership qualities and citizenship.
This year's female Panther Award recipient is track and field standout Trecia-Kaye Smith (Westmoreland, Jamaica/Mannings). One of the top amateur athletes in the country, Smith is a 13-time All-American and six-time NCAA champion. In March, she led the Panthers to the Big East women's indoor track and field title and a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. The national collegiate record holder in the triple jump (46 feet, eight inches), Smith will be a strong favorite for the long and triple jump titles at June's Outdoor NCAA Championships.
The male Panther Award recipient is basketball player Vonteego Cummings (Thomson, Ga./Thomson). A three-time All-Big East performer, Cummings finished his career with 1,581 points, the ninth highest total in Pittsburgh history. He additionally ranks among the school's all-time leaders with 235 steals (second) and 450 assists (fourth).
The Blue-Gold Award female recipient is swimmer Samantha Chabotar (Egg Harbor, N.J./Egg Harbor). A two-time team captain, Chabotar had 14 first-place finishes during the 1999 season and was a first alternate at the NCAA Championships.
The male awardee is swimmer Adam Kotkiewicz (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills). Kotkiewicz earned four letters during his career and was the team's top performer in the 200-yard individual medley this season.
In addition to the senior awards, 20 student-athletes were honored as University Scholar-Athletes for achieving a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher. Swimmer Aimee Crombie (West Chester, Pa./West Chester East), a chemistry major, led the honorees with a 3.99 average.
