ATLANTA - Oglethorpe held the 13th annual Petey Awards on Monday, April 21, to celebrate student-athletes, coaches and staff.
The Petey Awards are put together by Oglethorpe's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and recognizes student-athletes' and coaches' performances and accomplishments from the year. Nine athletics superlative awards are voted on by the student-athletes, while five are determined by faculty and staff. Winners of the Stormy Petrel of the Year award are nominated for the Southern Athletic Association Man/Woman of the Year award. Most Spirited team was a new award this season, recognizing the team that had the most players check in to other games and campus events.
The ceremony began with opening remarks from director of athletics Todd Brooks and University President Dr. Kathryn McClymond. SAAC Co-Presidents Morgan Phillips and Tori Perez oversaw the majority of the presentations, as coaches from each sport took the stage to honor their seniors and SAA award winners. Assistant director of athletics for sports communication Daniel Manget highlighted his student-worker media team: Hannah Banfiel, Emily Berger, Abrianna Carstens, Carter Daniels, Ashton Deriso, Chloe Clemensen, Melanie Davis, Willem Jaron, Caitlin Lumpkin and Jill Ursem. The group graduates two seniors, Deriso and Clemensen, with both being honored with a framed O.
At the end of the ceremony, SAAC Co-Presidents Phillips and Perez conducted the passing of the gavel to next year's president Nathan Murray. Phillips also announced that she will be a Southern Athletic Association SAAC conference representative next season and will be running for the national representative position.
Below are this year's Petey Awards winners.
Breakthrough Stormy Petrel
- Men's: Kellen Simmons (Tennis)
- Simmons, a true freshman, posted one of the best singles records on the team, plus a 12-3 overall doubles record. He played exclusively at the top singles spot this season and earned all-conference second team honors.
- Women's: Ellis Mitchum (Lacrosse)
- Mitchum, a true freshman, scored 17 goals and made six assists before a season-ending injury. She is still ranked top 10 in the SAA for multiple categories and remained an enthusiastic member of the team.
Scholarly Petrel Team Award
- Men's: Tennis (3.52 team GPA)
- Women's: Volleyball (3.57 team GPA)
Scholar-Athlete Award
Stormy Petrel Team of the Year Award
- Men's:Â Soccer
- This season, the team claimed another SAA title, another NCAA appearance, and produced multiple all-conference honorees, the offensive and defensive players of the year, and one all-American.
- Women's: Golf
- This season, the team finished third at the highly competitive Camp Lejeune, then took fourth in the SAA Championships.
Coach of the Year Award
- Women's: Jim Owen
- Owen led the team to three top-five finishes and four top-10 finishes, including placing fourth at the SAA Championships.
- Men's: Kari Elliott
- Elliott led the men's cross country team to a runner-up finish at the SAA Championships before leading the indoor and outdoor track & field squads to third and fourth, respectively.
Athlete of the Year Award
- Men's: Ashton Deriso (Cross-Country/ Track & Field)
- Deriso was the SAA Runner of the year for cross country and track athlete of the year for indoor track & field. He was an all-American in indoor and two-time national qualifier. He also broke numerous records this year in both sports and secured several titles at the indoor and outdoor track & field championships.
- Women's: Keimarya Rivera (Basketball)
- Rivera broke 1,000 career points as just a junior, setting program records, topping SAA offensive stats, and three-repeating her All-SAA first team honors.
Stormiest Petrel of the Year Award
This Petrel is chosen for their display of character on and off the field. The winner is a true leader on their team and in the community, representing what an Oglethorpe student-athlete should be.
Complete list of award winners
(in order of presentation)Â
- Women's Scholarly Team: Volleyball
- Men's Scholarly Team: Men's Tennis
- Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Anna Conza
- Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Dylan Pumpian
- Breakthrough Female Stormy Petrel: Ellis MitchumÂ
- Breakthrough Male Stormy Petrel: Kellen Simmons
- Stormy Petrel Women's Team of the Year: Women's Golf
- Stormy Petrel Men's Team of the Year: Men's Soccer
- Women's Team Coach of the Year: Jim OwenÂ
- Men's Team Coach of the Year: Kari Elliott
- Female Athlete of the Year: Keimarya Rivera
- Male Athlete of the Year: Ashton Deriso
- Most Spirited Team: Volleyball
- Stormiest Petrel of the Year: Matthew Kwon
