USF Athletics will honor its best and brightest student-athletes and teams on Sunday, May 1 at the Fifth Annual Hilltop Awards which will held in War Memorial at The Sobrato Center.
The event begins at 5:00 p.m. with a red carpet procession of USF's student-athletes followed by a reception. A sit down dinner for the student-athletes will be served at 5:30 p.m. followed by the awards show at 6:00 p.m.
The Oscars-like event is open to the public.
Seniors Sebastian Crookall-Nixon (men's golf) and Zhane Dikes (women's basketball) will serve as masters of ceremonies for the show.
Awards to be presented include, the Bill Russell Award, honoring USF's male student-athlete of the year and the Anne Dolan Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year, which is awarded to USF's top female student-athlete who has distinguished herself in athletic competition.
The Four Pillars Award will be presented to a male and female graduating senior who has attained the highest standards of athletic performance, academic achievement, community service and leadership.
The Dante Benedetti Award, named after USF's legendary longtime baseball coach, will be presented to the male and female student-athlete who serves as inspiration to their teammates through their unwavering sense of loyalty, self-sacrifice, unselfishness, positive attitude and hard work.
The Newcomer of the Year will be awarded to a male and female student-athlete who has excelled in in athletic competition during their first year on the Hilltop.
The Stephen Privett, S.J. Award will be presented to a student-athlete or team who has demonstrated a higher commitment to learning and social justice through their outstanding work in the community. The award is named in honor of the 27th president of the University of San Francisco, whose 13-year tenure was distinguished by a commitment to "whole person education," a traditional hallmark of Jesuit education.
The Spirit of '51 Award will be presented to a USF team that embodies success both on the field and in the classroom by creating leaders who are ready to make an impact in the world. The award is given in honor of USF's undefeated, untied and uninvited 1951 football team whose dramatic stand against racism is perhaps the single greatest symbolic victory in the history of college sports.
USF will also recognize a male and female student-athlete who displays maximum effort on and off the field of competition while bringing out the best in their teammates through a consistent commitment to performance enhancement with the Carpe Diem Award.
The Charles Harney Award will be presented to a senior student-athlete who has maintained the highest grade point average during their tenure at the University.
Student-Athletes of the Year for each sport as selected by their coaches will also honored. For the first time, USF will recognize the Moment of the Year, which will be determined in a vote the student-athletes.
In addition to the student-athlete awards, a Spirit Award will be given to a member of USF's dance team.
Student-athletes were nominated for the various awards by head coaches and staff and a selection committee determined the finalists for each award. The winners were selected in a vote of athletic department personnel. Student-athletes will present the awards to their peers.
Hilltop Awards Finalists
Athletic Performance Carpe Diem Award
Male
Sebastian Crookall-Nixon (golf)
Tim Derksen (basketball)
Kevin Gould (soccer)
Ryan Matranga (baseball)
Nils Skajaa (tennis)
Athletic Performance Carpe Diem Award
Female
Andrea Ka (tennis)
Kiara McKibben (volleyball)
Daryl Phill (cross country/track & field)
Taylor Proctor (basketball)
Madalyn Schiffel (soccer)
Clare Sorensen (golf)
Newcomer of the Year
Male
Santiago Digiuseppe (soccer)
James Kannenberg (baseball)
Matt Leach (cross country, track & field)
Ryan Marker (tennis)
Nate Renfro (basketball)
Female
Samantha Jehnings (soccer)
Weronika Pyzik (cross country)
Charlotte Taylor (track & field)
Stephen Privett, S.J. Award
Baseball
Men's Basketball
Women's Cross Country/Track & Field
Women's Golf
Volleyball
Charles Harney Award
Male
Jason Lee (tennis)
Anthony Shew (baseball)
Thomas Takemoto (tennis)
Blake Valley (baseball)
Frank Waliczek (baseball)
Female
Eleni Fkiaras (cross country and track & field)
Clare Sorensen (golf)
Sara Staengle (volleyball)
Rochelle Weerackoon (soccer)
Dante Benedetti Award
Male
Tim Derksen (basketball)
Jason Lee (tennis)
Dominic Miroglio (baseball)
Joshua Smith (soccer)
Female
Zhane Dikes (basketball)
Andrea Ka (tennis)
Clare Sorensen (golf)
Charlotte Taylor (track & field)
Leticia Torres (soccer)
Jurja Vlasic (volleyball)
Spirit of '51 Award
Men's Cross Country/Track & Field
Women's Cross Country/Track & field
Women's Golf
Women's Soccer
Beach Volleyball
Four Pillars Award
Male
Tim Derksen (basketball)
Anthony Shew (baseball)
Nils Skajaa (tennis)
Blake Valley (baseball)
Female
Kate Jamboretz (track & field)
Madalyn Shiffel (soccer)
Clare Sorensen (golf)
Thyra Taune (tennis)
Jurja Vlasic (volleyball)
Anne Dolan Award - Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year
Elena Burkard (cross country/track & field)
Andrea Ka (tennis)
Vanessa Ha (golf)
Katarina Pilepic (volleyball)
Taylor Proctor (basketball)
Madalyn Schiffel (soccer)
Bill Russell Award – Outstanding Male Athlete of the Year
Sebastian Crookall-Nixon (golf)
David Garrett (soccer)
Alex Short (cross country/track & field)
Devin Watson (basketball)
Spirit Award
Sophia Hill
Allison Lee
Khadijah Powell
