SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. -- The University of San Francisco Athletic Department held it's 11th annual Hilltop Awards Sunday evening at the McLaren Conference Center on the Hilltop. Following two years of the event being held virtually due to the ongoing pandemic, all 16 teams and coaching staffs gathered in the conference hall to honor an unforgettable year in USF athletics.
In the 2021-22 athletic year, six teams made postseason appearances as well as numerous other individual and team achievements.
Sunday evening's 75 minute ceremony was hosted by the voice of War Memorial at the Sobrato Center, Joe Hallisy, who lead the proceedings with his professionalism and candor to help highlight the fantastic year on the Hilltop.
Remarks on Sunday evening included contributions from USF President Paul J. Fitzgerald, S.J. and USF Director of Athletics
Joan McDermott as the duo honored the efforts of the student-athletes on and off the playing surface.
Following her tremendous sophomore season, women's cross country and track and field runner Ruby Smee took home the Anne Dolan Female Athlete of the Year while men's basketball senior Jamaree Bouyea received the Bill Russell Outstanding Male Athlete of the Year award after leading the Dons to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since the 1997-98 season.
Amalie Langer from women's basketball and Rodrigo Bueno from men's soccer both won the Dante Benedetti Award, which is given annually to the male and female student athlete who serve as an inspiration to their teammates through their unwavering sense of loyalty, self-sacrifice, unselfishness, positive attitude and hard work.
Additionally, USF saw a pair of impressive debut seasons this year- Riana Mission, a freshman on the women's golf team, earned an individual postseason berth into the 2022 NCAA Division I Women's Golf Tournament while graduate transfer Yauhen Massalski trecked north to the Hilltop after four years at San Diego to average just shy of a double-double for the men's basketball team. Both student athletes were honored as recipients of the Newcomer of the Year awards.
The Stephen J. Privett, S.J. Award, which honors a student athlete or team who demonstrated a commitment to a higher standard of learning and social justice through their outstanding work in the community, was given to the USF women's tennis team on the female side and Stevie Gould from men's tennis on the male side. Gould's mission of working to help victims of sexual assault and the consistent efforts of the women's tennis team to better our community made both worthy recipients of the honor.
Senior men's tennis player Nitzan Ricklis took home the Charles Haney Academic Award, which is given annually to the senior student athlete who has maintained the highest grade point average during their time at USF. Ricklis will be graduating this month with a degree in chemistry after compiling an impressive 3.98 GPA across his four years.
Following their success at the USAT Women's Collegiate National Championships earlier this year, the USF triathlon program received the Spirit of '51 Award. This honor is given annually 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 named in honor of USF's undefeated, untied and uninvited 1951 football team whose supreme triumph came in its stand against racial inequality.
After dealing with the complications of the COVID-19 pandemic, USF's triathlon program completed their first full season in impressive fashion by finishing second as a team at the National Championships in Tempe, which included freshman Kira Gupta-Baltazar being crowned individual champion.
Track and field's Emily Jackson and men's soccer Jack Bocuzzi were each presented with the Athletic Performance Carpe Diem Award. Determined by the Dons' athletic performance staff, the award is presented to a male and female student athlete who displays maximum effort on and off the field of competition through a consistent commitment to nutrition, strength and conditioning, sports medicine and mental performance enhancement.
Rounding out the individual awards was senior pitcher Riley Ornido, who received the Roger and Claudia Salquist Athletic Director's Leadership Award for his tremendous perseverance overcoming an elbow injury during the 2020 season. Returning to pitch in key games for the Dons, Ornido has demonstrated both a strong work ethic and leadership qualities in working through his ailments to be able to return and compete for USF during his final season on the Hilltop.
AWARD WINNERS
Anne Dolan Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year: Ruby Smee, Cross Country/Track & Field
Bill Russell Outstanding Male Athlete of the Year: Jamaree Bouyea/Men's Basketball
Dante Benedetti Award: Amalie Langer/Women's Basketball and Rodrigo Bueno/Men's Soccer
Newcomer of the Year Award: Riana Mission/Women's Golf and Yauhen Massalski/Men's Basketball
Stephen Privett, S.J. Award: Women's Tennis and Stevie Gould/Men's Tennis
Spirit of '51 Award: Triathlon Team
Charles Haney Academic Award: Nitzan Ricklis/Men's Tennis
Athletic Performance Carpe Diem Award: Emily Jackson/Track & Field and Jack Bocuzzi/Men's Soccer
Roger and Claudia Salquist Athleitc Director's Leadership Award: Riley Ornido/Baseball
Excellence Awards:
Awarded to male and female representatives from each team that have acheived a high level of excellence. This is decided by the coaches based on their own criteria.
| Baseball |
Luke Keaschall |
| Men's Basketball |
Khalil Shabazz |
| Women's Basketball |
Ioanna Krimili |
| Men's Cross Country |
Ed Kiolbasa |
| Women's Cross Country |
Eve Jensen |
| Men's Golf |
Toby Briggs, Soren Lind |
| Women's Golf |
Annika Borrelli |
| Men's Soccer |
Nathan Simeon |
| Women's Soccer |
Molly Eby |
| Men's Tennis |
Phuc Huynh |
| Women's Tennis |
Chiho Mushika |
| Men's Track & Field |
Daniel Maneloveg |
| Women's Track & Field |
Gabriella Mace |
| Triathlon |
Gillian Cridge |
| Volleyball |
Orsula Staka |
| Beach Volleyball |
Tanner Pemberton |
