Pitt Hosts Virtual Panthers’ Choice Awards

4/15/2020 12:00:00 PM | Baseball, Cross Country, Football, General, Men's Basketball, Men's Soccer, Softball, Swimming & Diving, Women's Basketball, Women's Gymnastics, Women's Soccer, Volleyball, Wrestling, Track & Field, Women's Lacrosse

Panthers Announce Athletics Department Awards for 2019-20

PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh Department of Athletics hosted the third annual Panthers' Choice Awards Wednesday in celebration of student-athlete achievements in academics, athletics and citizenship made during the 2019-20 academic year.

Wherever you're at in the world, be our virtual guest as we bring you the 2020 Panthers' Choice Awards!

Here are your hosts, @laynevb and @AveryPerosa of @Pitt_VB!#H2P | #PanthersChoice20 pic.twitter.com/YJoFqKKutq
— Pitt Athletics (@Pitt_ATHLETICS) April 15, 2020

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing guidelines, the annual awards show was converted to a virtual format, with presentations delivered on Twitter by prominent Pitt Athletics representatives. Presenters included Pitt Hall of Famers Dan Marino and Lisa Shirk, WNBA player Shavonte Zellous, University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Patrick Gallagher, and more.

The Panthers' Choice Awards honor Pitt's top athletic performances, community service participation as well as the top teams in terms of both athletic and academic accomplishment.

Additionally, the prestigious Panther Awards and Blue-Gold Awards were presented during the program. The names of the recipients are forever recognized on Pitt's Varsity Walk between the Cathedral of Learning and Heinz Memorial Chapel, in a tradition that dates back to 1950.

Below is a full list of awards presented Wednesday afternoon.

Top Overall Academic Teams of the Year

Reserved for the male and female team with the highest cumulative GPA for the spring and fall semesters of 2019.
Winner: Men's Soccer (3.081 GPA), Women's Volleyball (3.512 GPA)

Bridge Builder Award

Presented to the team whose student-athletes demonstrate the strongest commitment to making an impact in the community.
Winner: Football

Heart of a Panther Award

Presented to the student-athlete who best embodies the spirit of service through the Pitt Promise and is involved in the community above and beyond what is required.
Winner: Tre Tipton (Football)

Gold Standard Teammates of the Year

Presented to the student-athlete who most effectively inspires his or her team through exemplary commitment, composure and integrity.
Baseball: Chris Gomez
Men's Basketball: Abdoul Karim Coulibaly
Men's Diving: Josh Parquet
Football: Cal Adomitis
Men's Soccer: Alex Peperak
Men's Swimming: Walker Brooks
Men's Track & Field, Men's Cross Country: Nick Wolk
Wrestling: Nino Bonaccorsi
Women's Basketball: Aysia Bugg
Women's Diving: Cortnee Williams
Women's Gymnastics: Alecia Petrikis
Softball: Brittany Knight
Women's Soccer: Hollie Olding
Women's Swimming: Barb Schmele
Women's Track & Field: Taylor Middleton
Women's Cross Country: Mary Borkoski
Volleyball: Kayla Lund
Cheer: Kathleen Weiser
Dance: Samantha Schall

James Conner Comeback of the Year

Presented to a student-athlete who, having recovered from an injury, illness or hardship, returns to make a noteworthy contribution to their teams' athletic success.
Winner: Jake Wentzel (Wrestling)

David Sandberg Champion Award

In memory of the former Pitt wrestler and assistant coach, this award is presented to the senior who best exemplifies the qualities that Sandberg embraced: dedication to academic and athletic excellence, with an unyielding spirit and passionate commitment to the improvement of the University of Pittsburgh and its surrounding communities.
Winner: Juliana Vazquez (Women's Soccer)

Male and Female Performance of the Year

Presented to a male and female student-athlete for the most remarkable or significant performance achieved in 2019-20.
Winners: Edward Kizza (Men's Soccer), Alecia Petrikis and Deven Herbine (Gymnastics)

Newcomer of the Year

Presented to the student-athlete who has made an immediate impact at Pitt in their first year of intercollegiate competition. Nominees may include freshmen and redshirts.
Winner: Lexis Akeo (Volleyball)

Team Moment of the Year

Presented in recognition of a striking performance by an individual or group in a specific competition that led to a shift in momentum.
Winner: Football (Win versus No. 15 UCF)

Male and Female Athlete of the Year

Presented to a male and female standout student-athlete who has demonstrated outstanding athletic performance during competition and has been instrumental to their teams' success.
Winners: Micky Phillippi (Wrestling), Kayla Lund (Volleyball)

Team of the Year

Reserved for the team that exemplified outstanding athletic achievement in the 2019-20 season.
Winner: Volleyball

Blue-Gold Award

Presented to the male and female senior student-athlete who best represents the student-athlete "ideal" based on academic scholarship, athletic achievement, leadership qualities and citizenship. These recipients will be forever recognized on the Varsity Walk.
Winners: Demetrius Thomas (Wrestling), Stephanie Williams (Volleyball)

Panther Award

Presented to the male and female senior student-athlete who has promoted Pittsburgh Athletics through his or her outstanding athletic achievement. These recipients will be forever recognized on the Varsity Walk.
Winners: Maurice Ffrench (Football), Layne Van Buskirk (Volleyball)