SAN FRANCISCO – USF Athletics celebrated the impressive performances on the field of play, in the classroom, and in the community at the 5th Annual Hilltop Awards on Sunday night at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.

Hosted by student-athletes Zhane Dikes and Sebastian Crookall-Nixon, the ESPY-inspired awards show featured video highlights and bloopers, a virtual acceptance speech from Norway, an a show-ending mic drop.

The night's top two individual awards capped the show, as Taylor Proctor received the Anne Dolan Female Athlete of the Year Award, and Alex Short was tapped as the Bill Russell Award winner as the school's top male athlete.
  Proctor, a native of Colorado Springs, Colo., and four-year starter on the Hilltop, as played to one of the most prolific careers in USF basketball history.  She earned all WCC first team honors each of the last two seasons and capped her career with a WCC All-Tournament MVP selection during the team's incredible WCC Championship run in March. Proctor closed her career in the top 10 of several career categories including points (1,785 – 3rd) and rebounds (923 – 2nd) and will go down as one in a long line of basketball legends here at USF.

Short, a junior distance runner from Bicknacre, England, has raced his way to the top of the pack in just his first year as a Don. He became the third consecutive male individual qualifier for the NCAA Cross Country Championships for the Dons after leading the led the men's team to their best region finish in program history while netting individual all-region honors.  Around the track, Short is moving up the USF record books with the third fastest time at 10,000 meters and the fourth fastest time at 5,000 meters in program history. He currently has the 38th-best time in the country at 10,000 meters and has qualified to compete at the NCAA Championships May 26-28, in Lawrence, Kan.

Tim Derksen (men's basketball) and and Jurja Vlasic (volleyball) were presented with the Four Pillars Awards, given annually to a male and female senior student-athlete who attains the highest standards of athletic performance, academic achievement, community service and leadership.

The consummate teammate and leader for the USF throughout her career on the Hilltop, Vlasic served as a team captain in her senior season. The native of Zagreb, Croatia, won the Athletic Performance Carpe Diem last year, and earned WCC all-academic honorable mention status as a senior for her work in the classroom.  Dedicated to serving others, Vlasic spent a week helping the underserved community in Lima, Peru through USF's Arrupe Immersion Program.

A four-year starter and team on the Hilltop, Derksen has been the mainstay on the men's basketball team throughout his career. Hailing from Tucson, Ariz., he earned WCC All-Freshman team honors is his first year, helped the Dons to the NIT as a sophomore, and capped his career with an All-WCC second team nod. Along with leading the squad on the court, Derksen was active in the community throughout his impressive career.

Andrea Ka (women's tennis) and Joshua Smith (men's soccer) were presented with the Dante Benedetti Awards which honor a male and female student-athlete who serves as an inspiration to their teammates through their unwavering sense of loyalty, self-sacrifice, unselfishness, positive attitude and hard work.

Coach Hilary Somers describes Ka as, "a selfless person. She puts the team first and bring her teammates together and sets such a strong example of competing at the highest level." She has played to one of the most impressive careers in USF women's tennis history as a three-time All-WCC First Team selection and the WCC Freshman of the Year in her rookie season on the court.  

A constant force throughout his career here at USF, Smith sustained a season-ending injury during what would have been his senior year, but maintained his presence as a leader on the sidelines all season long and will return for the Dons in 2016. The defender from Kaiserslautern, Germany, received All-WCC Honorable Mention honors each of his first three seasons on the Hilltop and was tabbed for the WCC All-Freshman team in his rookie season.

The cross country and track and field program swept this year's Newcomer of the Year honors with Matt Leach and Weronika Pyzik earning distinction in their first season for the Green and Gold. Pyzik, a freshman from Bilgoraj, Poland, earned individual conference and region honors while leading the team to a 28th place finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in the fall. On the track, she posted an NCAA qualifying time in her first race, and currently stands as the eighth-fastest freshman in the country in the 5,000 meters.

Leach, a senior from Winchester, U.K. came to USF by way of Cambridge University and the Perse School. He earned All-WCC first team distinction during the cross country season, and is poised to make a splash at the NCAA West Regional Championships later this month as he rounds the track in the 10,000 meters. Knocking on the door of a 10K school record, Leach currently stands in 28th in the nation in the distance event.

This year's Stephen A Privett, S.J. Award went to the volleyball team. The Award honors the former University President who was defined by his commitment to "whole person education" and social justice. Six members of the volleyball team took part in San Francisco RBI during the fall, which was in the heart of their season. The team has also been actively involved in our St. Vincent de Paul program and ran their own Dig Pink promotion in support of breast cancer awareness in the fall, among many other community service initiatives.

The Spirit of '51 Award is presented annually to the USF team that embodies success both on the field and in the classroom while creating leaders who are ready to make an impact on the world. The award is named in honor of USF's 1951 "undefeated, untied and uninvited" football team whose stand against racism is perhaps one of the greatest symbolic victories in the history of collegiate athletics.

This year's winning team, women's soccer, is coming off its best season in program history with a 13-4-3 record on the year. The team finished in second place in the WCC with incredible upsets over nationally-ranked No. 5 BYU and No. 19 Santa Clara – the first win over the Broncos in 31 previous tries. Goalkeeper Madalyn Schiffel was drafted by the NWSL's Washington Spirit is currently playing professionally in Norway, and USF teammates Halle Bissin (Cyprus), Sydnie Telson and Alex Alugas (Iceland) have all made the transition to the pro ranks.

Anthony Shew ( baseball – 3.82, business administration) and Clare Sorensen (women's golf – 3.94, finance) took top honors in the classroom as the duo earned the Charles Harney Awards, presented to the male and female student-athletes who have compiled the highest cumulative grade point average during their USF careers.

The Athletic Performance Carpe Diem Awards were presented to Madalyn Schiffel (women's soccer) and Ryan Matranga (baseball) for their commitment to using the resources of strength, conditioning, sports medicine, nutrition and mental performance to enhance and maximize their athletic performance.

The Spirit Award was presented to USF Sprit Squad senior Allison Lee, and the athletic training staff honored Shannon DeVries as the Student Athletic Trainer of the Year. In addition to departmental awards, each team recognized their Team Student-Athlete of the Year.

A new award, Moment of the Year, was voted on by the USF student-athlete community. With many unforgettable moments to choose from the top vote-getter was the women's basketball team's impressive run to the WCC title and berth into the NCAA Tournament.
  

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Hilltop Award Winners:
Bill Russell Award – Outstanding Male Athlete of the Year
Alex Short (men's cross country/track and field)
 
Anne Dolan Award – Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year
Taylor Proctor (women's basketball)
 
Four Pillars Awards
Tim Derksen (men's basketball)
Jurja Vlasic (volleyball)
 
Spirit of '51 Award
Women's Soccer
 
Dante Benedetti Awards
Andrea Ka (women's tennis)
Joshua Smith (men's soccer)
 
Newcomers of the Year
Matt Leach (men's cross country/track and field)
Weronika Pyzik (women's cross country/track and field)
 
Stephen Privett, S.J. Award
Volleyball
 
Athletic Performance Carpe Diem Awards
Ryan Matranga (baseball)
Madalyn Schiffel (women's soccer)
 
Charles Harney Awards
Anthony Shew (baseball)
Clare Sorensen (women's golf)
 
Spirit Award
Allison Lee
 
Team MVPs
Baseball – Nico Giarratano
Men's Basketball – Devin Watson
Women's Basketball – The Team
Men's Cross Country – Alex Short
Women's Cross Country – Elena Burkard
Men's Golf – Sebastian Crookall-Nixon
Women's Golf – Vanessa Ha
Women's Soccer – Madalyn Schiffel
Men's Tennis – Nils Skajaa
Women's Tennis – Andrea Ka
Men's Track & Field – Hugh Nicklason
Women's Track & Field – Charlotte Taylor
Volleyball – The Beach Team