Bowling Green State University Athletics
Photo by: Bianca Garza, BGSU Marketing and Communications
BGSU Athletics Honors Student-Athletes At Annual Ziggys Awards
April 27, 2017 | General, Falcon Club, Student-Athlete Services, Stroh Center
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Bowling Green, Ohio – The third annual Ziggys Awards were held Thursday night at Bowling Green State University's Stroh Center, honoring and recognizing BGSU's 425 student-athletes and supporters of the department. The Ziggys follow in the tradition of the former Athletics Honors Night.
BGSU alumna Brenda Hollis was the Distinguished Alumnus award winner and keynote speaker. Hollis competed in many sports for BGSU during the pre-Title IX era, including field hockey, softball and basketball. She then went on to a distinguished career in the military and international criminal justice. She earned a bachelor's degree from BGSU in 1968 and an honorary doctorate in 2014.
Mickey Cochrane was named the department's Distinguished Service Award winner. A legendary coach in both lacrosse and soccer at Bowling Green, Cochrane has established a legacy in preserving the rich tradition of BGSU Athletics through the Cochrane Cunningham Archives.
Joe Sullivan, of the men's soccer team, and Madeline Garda, of the volleyball team, earned the highest honor given to a student-athlete – The Falcon Medal of Honor. The award is given to one male and one female student-athlete who embody the essence of the qualities BGSU Athletics hold important for all student-athletes.
Sullivan's teammate, Pat Flynn, was named the Male Athlete of the Year, while track and field's Aliyah Gustafson earned the Female Athlete of the Year honor – her third award of the night. She was also named the Junior Scholar-Athlete of the Year and received the Comeback Performance of the Year award after winning the MAC Championship in the shot put just a year after tearing her ACL.
Football's Ben Steward and Gymnastics' Lauren Feely were named the Senior Scholar-Athletes of the Year, while football's Joseph Davidson joined Gustafson as the Junior Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Men's soccer's Anthony Mwembia was the Male Newcomer of the Year, while tennis' Paula Comella earned the same honor among females.
The men's and women's cross country teams were recognized for having the highest team grade point averages in the department. The women boast a 3.76 cumulative GPA and the men hold a 3.71 GPA. Swimming's Amanda Washko was the Community Service Individual of the Year and the women's cross country team was named the Community Service Team of the Year.
Finally, in voting via Twitter, the gymnastics team was named Best Dressed Team at the Ziggy's and women's basketball's Maddie Cole earned Best Dressed Individual.
A full rundown of awards is listed below:
Falcon Medal of Honor – Joe Sullivan (Soccer) and Madeline Garda (Volleyball)
Athlete of the Year – Pat Flynn (Soccer) and Aliyah Gustafson (Track & Field)
Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year – Ben Steward (Football) and Lauren Feely (Gymnastics)
Junior Scholar-Athlete of the Year – Joseph Davidson (Football) and Aliyah Gustafson (Track & Field)
Newcomer of the Year – Anthony Mwembia (Soccer) and Paula Comella (Tennis)
Highest Team GPA – Men's Cross Country and Women's Cross Country
Comeback Performance of the Year – Aliyah Gustafson (Women's Track & Field)
Community Service Individual of the Year – Amanda Washko (Swim/Dive)
Community Service Team of the Year – Women's Cross Country
Distinguished Service Award – Mickey Cochrane
Distinguished Alumnus Award – Brenda Hollis
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