THE TEXAS WOMEN’S athletics department gathered at the Bass Concert Hall to celebrate the 2012-13 season and honor the athletic excellence of its student-athletes at the 39th annual women’s athletics awards presentation on April 29.“It’s always a thrill to come together and celebrate our achieve- ments,” Women’s Athletics Director Chris Plonsky said. “It’s a hallmark for our women’s athletics program that we have found ways to do things for the women as a group, and there’s a great bonding experi- ence at an event like this.”
Prior to the event, the student- athletes and …
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coaches walked the burnt orange carpet and socialized in the lobby of the Bass Concert Hall. The event serves as one of the few times during the year when all of the teams gather together.
“It’s humbling to see that you’re a part of something bigger than yourself,” senior track athlete Kendra Chambers said. “It’s a great experience and I love getting to see what everyone else did during their season.”
The Longhorn Network’s Lowell Galindo and Kaylee Hartung hosted the live awards show, which honored the best athletes and teams from throughout the year.
The Longhorn Team of the Year Award went to the 2012 National Championship volleyball team. Head coach Jerritt Elliott thanked the pro- gram’s alumni for strengthening the program.
“Anytime you have a Big 12 or NCAA Championship, it’s won- derful — it’s what we all aim for,” Plonsky said. “For the athletes and teams that haven’t finished yet, we remind them to keep on pushing.”
Basketball freshman Imani McGee-Stafford earned the Outstanding Rookie Performance Award for competing at a high level all season. Senior track star Chalonda Goodman earned the Edith and Darrell K Royal Coca-Cola Solid Citizen Award for her com- munity service accomplishments. Goodman boasts a 3.5 GPA in mar- keting on top of extensive volunteer work within the Austin community, including work with organizations such as the Marbridge Foundation and Longhorn Halloween.
Four-time Olympic swimmer Jill Sterkel presented her namesake Leadership Award, given to a stu- dent-athlete whose accomplishments have brought national recognition to the university while also portray- ing leadership, competitiveness and graciousness. Sterkel presented her award to Sha’Dare McNeal, the lone senior on the volleyball team.
The Jamie Carey Comeback Award was given to two student- athletes — junior diver Maren Taylor and sophomore volleyball player Khat Bell. Taylor dislocated her elbow at the 2011 National Championship and has made a full recovery. Bell tore several ligaments in her knee midway through her freshman year, but she came back as a key player for the team this season.
UT Athletics gave a special Lifetime Achievement award to Tina Bonci, associate athletics director of sports medicine. Bonci has worked at Texas for 28 years. She was pre- sented with both a trophy and an honorary T-Ring.
The final award was the Longhorn Athlete of the Year, given to the female student-athlete who had an impressive season in her sport while being successful in the classroom and active in the community.
Last year’s winner, Karlee Bispo, passed the torch to two athletes — vol- leyball’s Haley Eckerman and senior swim- mer Laura Sogar. Eckerman played a key role in the volleyball team’s national title run, and Sogar won her own national title in the 200-yard breaststroke.
“No [Texas Athlete] has won a National Championship for swim- ming since 2001, so I was excited to be the first one to bring it back to Texas. There are many more to come I’m sure,” Sogar said.
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