FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – With the end of the 2012-13 athletic season around the corner, the Nova Southeastern athletic department held its 2013 NSU Athletics Banquet Wednesday at the NSU Arena in the Don Taft University Center. The evening honored the best and brightest student-athletes at NSU.

Following the welcome from master of ceremonies Tony Segreto, the invocation from Rebecca Urrutia (Jr., Coral Springs, Fla.) and dinner, the athletes and guests in attendance viewed season recap videos before the team MVP’s, Coach’s Award winners, and seniors were honored from each of NSU’s 17 athletic programs.

After each program was recognized, Sarah Patterson (Sr., Winter Park, Fla.) and Kevin Reynolds (Jr., Fort Myers, Fla.), of the rowing and baseball teams, respectively, were honored with the 2013 sportsmanship awards. The award recognizes a male and female student-athlete who, through their actions in the competitive arena of intercollegiate athletics, has demonstrated one or more of the ideals of sportsmanship, including fairness, civility, honesty, unselfishness, respect and responsibility.

The athletic department went on to honor its Athletes of the Year from the 2012-13 season. On the women’s side, two-time individual NCAA National Championship winner Erin Black (Jr., Fort Myers, Fla.) of the women’s swimming and diving team was honored alongside former individual NCAA National Champion Abbey Gittings (Sr., Tamworth, England) of the women’s golf team as Co-NSU Female Athletes of the Year. On the men’s side, another individual NCAA National Champion was honored, as men’s swimming and diving’s Oskar Nordstrand (Sr., Stockholm, Sweden) was named the school’s male MVP.

The next award presented was the Joining Athletes/Academics With Success (JAWS) award for the NSU team with the highest GPA for the fall semester. With a whopping GPA of 3.51, the women’s golf team received the honor.

Finally, the male and female Scholar Athletes of the Year award winners were honored, with the award going to two outstanding graduating seniors. Volleyball’s Kelly McMahon (Madison, Wis.) brought home the hardware on the women’s side. On the men’s side, men’s basketball earned the honor for the second straight season, with Louie Schonauer (Lincoln, Ill.) taking home the trophy.


2012-13 Athletic Banquet Award Winners

Women’s Cross Country
Most Valuable – Alexandria Palm
Coach's Award – Brandi Nichols

Men’s Cross Country
Most Valuable – Kevin Meagher
Coach's Award – Nico Crecco

Volleyball
Most Valuable- Sydney Cook
Coach's Award- Dana Holger

Women's Soccer
Most Valuable- Amanda Kopale
Coach's Award- Alexandra Siciliano

Men's Soccer
Most Valuable- Nicola Brivio
Coach's Award- Andrea Spuntarelli

Women's Basketball
Most Valuable- Meixandra Porter
Coach's Award- Danielle Robinson

Men's Basketball
Most Valuable- Iran Hollis
Coach's Award- Louie Schonauer

Cheerleading
Most Valuable- Kaitlyn Baran
Coach's Award- Meghan Pugliese

Women’s Swimming
Most Valuable – Erin Black
Coach's Award – Kelsea Smith

Men’s Swimming
Most Valuable – Oskar Nordstrand
Coach's Award – Esau Simpson

Men's Golf
Most Valuable- Benjamin Taylor
Coach's Award- Ricardo Celia

Women's Golf
Most Valuable- Abbey Gittings 
Coach's Award- Rachel Lewis

Rowing
Most Valuable- Lauren Boudreau
Coach's Award- Tori Torrisi

Women’s Track and Field
Most Valuable– Johniqua Stafford
Coach's Award– Quannisha Allen

Men’s Track and Field
Most Valuable– Talyn Washington
Coach's Award– Darren Hendricks

Tennis
Most Valuable- Alexandra Johansson
Coach's Award- Austin Lavallii

Softball
Most Valuable- Lorena Spaulding
Coach's Award- Samira Tanaka

Baseball
Most Valuable- Jose Rodriguez
Coach's Award- Brett Clements
 
Male Scholar Athletes of the Year
Louie Schonauer, Men's Basketball

Female Scholar Athlete of the Year
Kelly McMahon, Volleyball

NSU Sportsmanship Award
Male – Kevin Reynolds, Baseball
Female – Sarah Patterson, Rowing

Female Athlete of the Year
Erin Black, Women’s Swimming and Diving
Abbey Gittings, Women's Golf

Male Athlete of the Year
Oskar Nordstrand, Men’s Swimming and Diving

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