A May 12 banquet in Alumni Gym recognized some of this year's top performers and student leaders on Elon University's varsity sports teams.
The Elon University Department of Athletics held its 40th annual athletics awards banquet May 12 in Alumni Gym to recognize and remember many of the outstanding performances of the 2013-14 school year.
Two-time Southern Conference Men’s Tennis Player of the Year Cameron Silverman and 2013 Southern Conference Women’s Soccer Player of the Year Nicole Dennion were selected as the Stein H. Basnight Outstanding Athlete award winners.
The Stein H. Basnight Outstanding Athlete Award has been presented annually since 1958 in memory of the late Stein H. Basnight of Chapel Hill, N.C. The award honors the most outstanding Phoenix male and female athletes of the year, as determined by the Elon Department of Athletics’ administrative staff. Jesse Basnight, Jr. represented the Basnight family at the banquet
Silverman was voted the SoCon Player of the Year for the second straight season, becoming only the fifth player in conference history to win player of the year multiple times. The Mount Kisco, New York, native led the Phoenix to the league’s regular season and tournament title this season, earning Most Outstanding Player accolades at the SoCon Tournament after going unbeaten and leading Elon to its first NCAA Men’s Tennis Championship appearance since 2007. Silverman was a first-team All-SoCon selection in both singles and doubles, going unbeaten in singles action (9-0) versus league competition. Silverman was nationally ranked as high as No. 21 in singles play and helped the Phoenix to arguably its best win in program history on Jan. 17 with a 4-3 victory at seventh-ranked Duke.
Dennion was named the 2013 SoCon Player of the Year after tying for the league lead in goals (15) and finishing second in the conference in total points (36). A native of Ewing, New Jersey, Dennion’s 15 goals are the most in a single season during Elon’s Division I era, while her total points are the most in a single season during the program’s Division I era. A second-team All-Region selection, Dennion helped the Phoenix score in every match in 2013 – a program first – leading her squad to its first SoCon Tournament title match. Dennion had three multi-goal games, including a hat trick against Chattanooga on Oct. 25. She helped Elon finish eighth in the nation in total offense. Dennion was also named to the Academic All-SoCon team and helped Elon win the NSCAA Team Academic Award for the seventh straight season.
Men’s soccer player Jason Waterman and women’s tennis player Bryn Khoury were recognized as the recipients of the Robert C. Browne Memorial Sportsmanship Award. The Browne Award was established in 1972 in memory of Elon alumnus Robert C. Browne by his sister, Pretto Browne-Crumpton, and her husband, Dr. J.L. Crumpton, and is presented annually to the Elon male and female athletes who have best displayed exemplary qualities of sportsmanship as determined by the Elon Department of Athletics administrative staff.
Waterman was a first team All-Southern Conference selection after helping the Phoenix to its third straight SoCon tournament championship and third consecutive NCAA Tournament berth this season. The Bloomington, Indiana, native led the maroon and gold in points (31) and goals (12), while tying the team-lead in assists (seven), finishing among the top three of the SoCon in each category. Waterman scored the game-winning goal versus Wofford the in the SoCon Championship match, earning the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award. He also had the game-clinching penalty kick in the Phoenix’s NCAA Tournament game against Clemson, advancing the maroon and gold to the second round for the first time in school history. Waterman was also honored as an Academic All-American by Capital One and the NSCAA.
Khoury helped the Phoenix to its first-ever SoCon Women’s Tennis title and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2014. A senior from Greenville, North Carolina, Khoury finished the season with a 14-6 mark in singles action en route to second-team All-SoCon accolades. Khoury also earned the team’s Heart & Hustle award this season.
Baseball pitcher Grant Fisher and women’s cross country’s Kaitlin Stober were recipients of the A.L. Hook Scholar-Athlete accolades. Fisher, who also won the award last year, maintains a 3.92 grade point average in public health studies, while Stober holds a 3.94 GPA as double major in sociology and art.
The Hook Award has been presented annually since 1975 in honor of Dr. A.L. Hook to the Phoenix male and female junior or senior athletes who possess the highest cumulative grade-point average with a minimum of two years of playing time at Elon.
Fall MVP Awards
Football – Kierre Brown
Volleyball – Cali Estes
Men’s Cross Country – Luis Vargas
Women’s Cross Country – Allyson Oram
Women’s Soccer – Nicole Dennion
Men’s Soccer – Daniel Lovitz
Winter MVP Awards
Cheerleading – Jessica Harris
Dance – Hanna Wentz
Women’s Basketball – Kelsey Harris
Men’s Basketball – Lucas Troutman
Women’s Track and Field – Bria Bell
Service – Rajat Agarwal
Spring MVP Awards
Baseball – Casey Jones
Softball – Carleigh Nester
Women’s Golf – Sunna Vidisdottir
Men’s Golf – John Somers
Women’s Lacrosse – Rachel Ramirez
Women’s Tennis – Frida Jansaker
Men’s Tennis – Cameron Silverman
Football Team Awards
Chandler Wrightenberry (Most Outstanding Defensive Back)
Clay Johnson (Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman)
Jonathan Spain (Most Outstanding Linebacker)
Dustin Ruff (Most Outstanding Defensive Lineman)
Rasaun Rorie (Most Outstanding Skill Player)
John Silas (Most Outstanding Defensive Player)
David Petroni (Most Outstanding Special Teams)
David Wood (Coaches’ Award)
Volleyball Team Awards
Chelsea Rafetto (Coaches’ Award)
Ally Karle (Most Improved)
Ally Karle (Top Newcomer)
Men’s Cross Country Team Awards
Luis Vargas (Coach’s Award)
Reed Payne (Most Dedicated)
Ari Rothschild (Most Improved)
Women’s Cross Country Team Awards
Haylee Dawe (Coach’s Award)
Elyse Bierut (Most Dedicated)
Allyson Oram (Most Consistent)
Kaitlin Snapp (Most Improved)
Women’s Soccer Team Awards
Olivia Mackey (Most Valuable Leader)
Kelly Siewers (Newcomer of the Year)
Sarah Henson (Most Improved)
Men’s Soccer Team Awards
Nathan Diehl (Top Newcomer)
Nathan Dean (Scholar Athlete)
Cheerleading Team Award
Katie Le (Coach’s Award)
Dance Team Award
Haley Hawkins (Coach’s Award)
Women’s Basketball Team Awards
Kelsey Harris (Best All-Around)
Kelsey Harris (Defensive Player of the Year)
Zora Stephenson (Most Improved)
Lauren Brown (Coaches’ Award)
Men’s Basketball Team Awards
Ryley Beaumont (Coaches’ Award)
Sebastian Koch (Phoenix Award)
Women’s Track and Field Team Awards
Sydney Griffin (Outstanding Track)
Megan Kirschling (Outstanding Field)
Sydney Griffin (Top Scorer)
Jennifer Esposito (Freshman of the Year)
Baseball Team Awards
Matt Harris (Freshman of the Year)
Ryan Pennell (Coaches’ Award)
Lucas Bakker (Pitcher of the Year)
Quinn Bower (Golden Glove Award)
Sam Paone (Leadership Award)
John Antonelli (Phoenix Award)
Andy Moore (Danieley Memorial Sportsmanship)
Softball Team Awards
Aly Quintana (Golden Glove)
Carleigh Nester (Best Offense Award)
Carleigh Nester (Most Valuable Teammate)
Alaina Hall (Top Newcomer)
Katie Rufo (Hustle Award)
Women’s Golf Team Awards
Katie Partridge (Leadership Award)
Emily Brooks (Coach’s Award)
Men’s Golf Team Awards
Troy Beaver (Most Improved Award)
Will DiIanni (Leadership Award)
Jack Adkins (Coach’s Award)
Women’s Lacrosse Team Award
Megan Griffin (Scholar-Athlete)
Women’s Tennis Team Awards
Barbora Lazarova (Most Improved)
Jordan Johnston (Leadership Award)
Bryn Khoury (Heart & Hustle Award)
Maria Camara Ruiz (Phoenix Award)
Men’s Tennis Team Awards
Stefan Fortmann (Most Improved)
Jordan Kaufman (Coach’s Award)
Brian Kowalski (Heard & Hustle Award)
Christopher Geaslen (Phoenix Award)