Nominees Announced for 2023 Victor Awards
5/2/2023 2:00:00 PM | Football, General, Men's Basketball, Men's Tennis, Softball, Track and Field, Women's Basketball, Women's Soccer, Women's Tennis, Women's Volleyball, Wrestling, Swimming and Diving, Office of Student-Athlete Success
BUFFALO, NY – The Division of Athletics will be hosting their annual Victors Awards Show on Monday evening, honoring the academic and athletic successes of our student-athletes across multiple playing fields.
The evening will begin with academic honors as 146 student-athletes will be recognized as MAC Honor Roll recipients, 52 for the MAC Commissioner's Award and 31 student-athlete who have exhausted their eligibility will be honored with the MAC Presidential Award.
The MAC Medal of Excellence Award will also be presented, which is given annually to one male and one female student-athlete from the graduating class of each of the 12 conference member institutions. Award winners must participate in a conference-sponsored sport and show evidence of athletics excellence, leadership, service, and academic success (minimum 3.50 cumulative GPA).
The FormidaBULL Scholar Award was created to honor those individuals who have internalized the love of learning and moreover the process of learning to emerge as leaders within the student-athlete body here at UB. This award is not intended to simply recognize those student-athletes with the most improved GPA, but rather those who have internalized a passion for learning and overall academic success.
Nominees:
Jaylon Bass, Football
Azra Deniz Comlek, Women's Tennis
Greg Hastings, Men's Tennis
Jazmine Young, Women's Basketball
Christina Wende of the women's track & field team will be recognized as the Clifford C. Furnas recipient, the highest academic honor bestowed on a UB student-athlete. She was part of nomination group that also included Olivia DeBortoli and Maddy Rogan.
The winners for all other awards will be announced on Monday evening and the nominees are below.
Chrisy Dickerson Unsung Hero Award - Selected by members of the Student-Athlete Committee to recognize an individual who makes a significant contribution on the court, field or in the pool and is recognized for his or her dedication, unselfishness and contribution to the team. The award is named after Chrisy Dickerson, a member of UB's Rowing team who lost her life in a car accident on December 11, 2002.
Nominees:
Maddy Rogan, Swimming & Diving
Simon Wibler, Men's Tennis
Male & Female IAB Ideal Bull Award - Given by the Intercollegiate Athletics Board, this honor goes to a senior male and female athlete who have demonstrated leadership beyond their own teams to the division and/or the campus, and whose character, actions, excellence, and concern for other student-athletes make them strong ambassadors for the Division of Athletics and the University at Buffalo.
Male Nominees:
Shaun Dolac, Football
Fabio Preka, Wrestling
Female Nominees:
Gabriella Akopyan, Women's Tennis
Olivia DeBortoli, Volleyball & Women's Basketball
Tess Ford, Soccer
Re'Shawna Stone, Women's Basketball
Christina Wende, Women's Track & Field
JEDI Award - The Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Award recognizes a coach, student-athlete, or staff member who has made an outstanding contribution toward advancing the goals of UB Athletics' mission, which is to create greater diversity, inclusivity, and equitable opportunities at UB and within the communities we serve.
One4Mon Courageous Student-Athlete Award - Named in honor of Monika Simkova, who displayed amazing courage in the face of significant adversity, The One4Mon Courageous Student-Athlete Award will be chosen annually from nominees who have shown courage in the face of significant adversity and persevered, inspiring those around them to strive for excellence regardless of their circumstances surrounding them.
Male Team Moment of The Year
- Football defeats Georgia Southern in the Camelia Bowl
- Men's Tennis defeats defending champion Western Michigan in regular season rematch at Miller Tennis Center
- Wrestling wins at SIU-Edwardsville after rallying from 13-0 down, winning five of the last six matches, including a dual-clinching pin by Greg Hodulick in the final bout, to defeat the Cougars, 18-16
Male Individual Moment of The Year
- Jonathan Surdej wins the shot put event at Indoor MAC Championships
- Curtis Jones scores 32 points, on 13-of-22 shooting, in a win over St. Bonaventure
- Sam Mitchell earns the bronze medal at the MAC Championships
Female Team Moment of The Year
- Women's Soccer wins MAC Championship
- Volleyball makes first-ever postseason appearance at the National Invitational Volleyball Championships (NIVC)
- Swimming & Diving sets two school records and wins four gold medals at the 2023 MAC Championships
Female Individual Moment of The Year
- Toni Naccarella (swimming & diving) wins two gold medals (50 and 100 freestyle) at the 2023 MAC Championships
- Emily Kelly (soccer) becomes UB's all-time winningest goalkeeper with 54 wins
- Christina Wende (track & field) wins long jump at the MAC Championships - first gold medal for UB women's track since 2015
Female Newcomer of The Year
- Ellie Simmons (soccer) - Earned MAC Defensive Player of the Year honors as well as named to United Soccer Coaches All-Midwest Region Second Team, All-MAC First Team and All-MAC Freshman Team after starting all 20 games for the Bulls and ranking second on the team and in the top five in the MAC with seven assists.
- Re'Shawna Stone (basketball) - Named All-MAC Second Team after leading the team in scoring with 17.4 points per game while adding 5.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per contest. She was named MAC Player of the Week twice after elevating her game in league play, ranking second in scoring (20.3 ppg), fourth in field goal percentage (.526) and three-point field goal percentage (.427) and fifth in assists per game (3.9).
- Nicole Aguilar (swimming) - Earned All-MAC Second Team honors. Recorded two top 10 times in program history (100 and 200 butterfly).
Male Newcomer of The Year
- Cole Snyder (football) - Started all 13 games and quarterback and finished 271-for-461 for 3,030 yards and 18 touchdowns on the year. Became just the third QB in program history to throw for 3,000 yards in a season. He also rushed for 145 yards and four touchdowns.
- Isaiah Adams (basketball) - Averaged 11.7 points and 5.1 rebounds while starting every game for the Bulls.
- Aleksandr Kalinin (tennis) - Joined the Bulls in January, giving them a major spark as he's carried the load at first singles while also being a major doubles contributor.
National Qualifier Recognitions
- Giuseppe Hoose, Wrestling
- Toni Naccarella, Swimming
- Victoria Franz, Diving
- Marialis Kwak, Diving
- Women's Soccer (NCAA Tournament)
- Volleyball (NIVC)
Female Athlete of The Year
- Toni Naccarella (swimming) won two gold medals (50 and 100 freestyle) at the 2023 MAC Championships. She was named All-MAC First Team and MAC Outstanding Senior of the Year along with qualifying for the NCAA Championships.
- Emily Kelly (soccer) was a second-team All-American and the MAC Goalkeeper of the Year. She finished her storied career as Buffalo's all-time winningest goalkeeper with 54 wins and set the school record with 35 shutouts while ranking third in program history in career goals against average (0.934) and eighth in career saves (331). She also set the single season goals against average (0.43), tied the shutout record (13) and is second in single season wins (15). She led the nation and the MAC in shutouts (13) while also leading the league and ranking in the top 10 nationally in goals against average (0.431) and save percentage (0.878).
- Christina Wende (track & field) was the 2023 champion in the long jump at the MAC Indoor Championships. It was the first gold medal for UB women's track since 2015.
- Mandy Leigh (volleyball) was named first-team All MAC. She averaged 10.39 assists per set in league play. A four-time MAC East Setter of the Week, she ranks ninth in school history in career assists.
Males Athlete of The Year
- Marcus Fuqua (football) led the nation in interceptions (7) en route to earning AP All-America Third Team honors. He is just the third UB player to be named an AP All-American. A first-team All-MAC selection, he ranked fourth on the team in tackles with 65 and added 2.5 tackles for loss, five pass breakups and two fumble recoveries.
- Jonathan Surdej (track & field) won the shot put event at the 2022 Outdoor MAC Championships and again at 2023 Indoor MAC Championships.
- Giuseppe Hoose (wrestling) qualified for the NCAA Championships after going 20-7 overall and 14-6 in dual action. His 53 takedowns were seventh in program history in a single season.
Team of the Year
- Women's Soccer
- Football
- Women's Swimming and Diving
All award winners will be announced Monday night at the Victors Award Show. Follow along on all UB social media channels for the latest coverage.
The evening will begin with academic honors as 146 student-athletes will be recognized as MAC Honor Roll recipients, 52 for the MAC Commissioner's Award and 31 student-athlete who have exhausted their eligibility will be honored with the MAC Presidential Award.
The MAC Medal of Excellence Award will also be presented, which is given annually to one male and one female student-athlete from the graduating class of each of the 12 conference member institutions. Award winners must participate in a conference-sponsored sport and show evidence of athletics excellence, leadership, service, and academic success (minimum 3.50 cumulative GPA).
The FormidaBULL Scholar Award was created to honor those individuals who have internalized the love of learning and moreover the process of learning to emerge as leaders within the student-athlete body here at UB. This award is not intended to simply recognize those student-athletes with the most improved GPA, but rather those who have internalized a passion for learning and overall academic success.
Nominees:
Jaylon Bass, Football
Azra Deniz Comlek, Women's Tennis
Greg Hastings, Men's Tennis
Jazmine Young, Women's Basketball
Christina Wende of the women's track & field team will be recognized as the Clifford C. Furnas recipient, the highest academic honor bestowed on a UB student-athlete. She was part of nomination group that also included Olivia DeBortoli and Maddy Rogan.
The winners for all other awards will be announced on Monday evening and the nominees are below.
Chrisy Dickerson Unsung Hero Award - Selected by members of the Student-Athlete Committee to recognize an individual who makes a significant contribution on the court, field or in the pool and is recognized for his or her dedication, unselfishness and contribution to the team. The award is named after Chrisy Dickerson, a member of UB's Rowing team who lost her life in a car accident on December 11, 2002.
Nominees:
Maddy Rogan, Swimming & Diving
Simon Wibler, Men's Tennis
Male & Female IAB Ideal Bull Award - Given by the Intercollegiate Athletics Board, this honor goes to a senior male and female athlete who have demonstrated leadership beyond their own teams to the division and/or the campus, and whose character, actions, excellence, and concern for other student-athletes make them strong ambassadors for the Division of Athletics and the University at Buffalo.
Male Nominees:
Shaun Dolac, Football
Fabio Preka, Wrestling
Female Nominees:
Gabriella Akopyan, Women's Tennis
Olivia DeBortoli, Volleyball & Women's Basketball
Tess Ford, Soccer
Re'Shawna Stone, Women's Basketball
Christina Wende, Women's Track & Field
JEDI Award - The Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Award recognizes a coach, student-athlete, or staff member who has made an outstanding contribution toward advancing the goals of UB Athletics' mission, which is to create greater diversity, inclusivity, and equitable opportunities at UB and within the communities we serve.
One4Mon Courageous Student-Athlete Award - Named in honor of Monika Simkova, who displayed amazing courage in the face of significant adversity, The One4Mon Courageous Student-Athlete Award will be chosen annually from nominees who have shown courage in the face of significant adversity and persevered, inspiring those around them to strive for excellence regardless of their circumstances surrounding them.
Male Team Moment of The Year
- Football defeats Georgia Southern in the Camelia Bowl
- Men's Tennis defeats defending champion Western Michigan in regular season rematch at Miller Tennis Center
- Wrestling wins at SIU-Edwardsville after rallying from 13-0 down, winning five of the last six matches, including a dual-clinching pin by Greg Hodulick in the final bout, to defeat the Cougars, 18-16
Male Individual Moment of The Year
- Jonathan Surdej wins the shot put event at Indoor MAC Championships
- Curtis Jones scores 32 points, on 13-of-22 shooting, in a win over St. Bonaventure
- Sam Mitchell earns the bronze medal at the MAC Championships
Female Team Moment of The Year
- Women's Soccer wins MAC Championship
- Volleyball makes first-ever postseason appearance at the National Invitational Volleyball Championships (NIVC)
- Swimming & Diving sets two school records and wins four gold medals at the 2023 MAC Championships
Female Individual Moment of The Year
- Toni Naccarella (swimming & diving) wins two gold medals (50 and 100 freestyle) at the 2023 MAC Championships
- Emily Kelly (soccer) becomes UB's all-time winningest goalkeeper with 54 wins
- Christina Wende (track & field) wins long jump at the MAC Championships - first gold medal for UB women's track since 2015
Female Newcomer of The Year
- Ellie Simmons (soccer) - Earned MAC Defensive Player of the Year honors as well as named to United Soccer Coaches All-Midwest Region Second Team, All-MAC First Team and All-MAC Freshman Team after starting all 20 games for the Bulls and ranking second on the team and in the top five in the MAC with seven assists.
- Re'Shawna Stone (basketball) - Named All-MAC Second Team after leading the team in scoring with 17.4 points per game while adding 5.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per contest. She was named MAC Player of the Week twice after elevating her game in league play, ranking second in scoring (20.3 ppg), fourth in field goal percentage (.526) and three-point field goal percentage (.427) and fifth in assists per game (3.9).
- Nicole Aguilar (swimming) - Earned All-MAC Second Team honors. Recorded two top 10 times in program history (100 and 200 butterfly).
Male Newcomer of The Year
- Cole Snyder (football) - Started all 13 games and quarterback and finished 271-for-461 for 3,030 yards and 18 touchdowns on the year. Became just the third QB in program history to throw for 3,000 yards in a season. He also rushed for 145 yards and four touchdowns.
- Isaiah Adams (basketball) - Averaged 11.7 points and 5.1 rebounds while starting every game for the Bulls.
- Aleksandr Kalinin (tennis) - Joined the Bulls in January, giving them a major spark as he's carried the load at first singles while also being a major doubles contributor.
National Qualifier Recognitions
- Giuseppe Hoose, Wrestling
- Toni Naccarella, Swimming
- Victoria Franz, Diving
- Marialis Kwak, Diving
- Women's Soccer (NCAA Tournament)
- Volleyball (NIVC)
Female Athlete of The Year
- Toni Naccarella (swimming) won two gold medals (50 and 100 freestyle) at the 2023 MAC Championships. She was named All-MAC First Team and MAC Outstanding Senior of the Year along with qualifying for the NCAA Championships.
- Emily Kelly (soccer) was a second-team All-American and the MAC Goalkeeper of the Year. She finished her storied career as Buffalo's all-time winningest goalkeeper with 54 wins and set the school record with 35 shutouts while ranking third in program history in career goals against average (0.934) and eighth in career saves (331). She also set the single season goals against average (0.43), tied the shutout record (13) and is second in single season wins (15). She led the nation and the MAC in shutouts (13) while also leading the league and ranking in the top 10 nationally in goals against average (0.431) and save percentage (0.878).
- Christina Wende (track & field) was the 2023 champion in the long jump at the MAC Indoor Championships. It was the first gold medal for UB women's track since 2015.
- Mandy Leigh (volleyball) was named first-team All MAC. She averaged 10.39 assists per set in league play. A four-time MAC East Setter of the Week, she ranks ninth in school history in career assists.
Males Athlete of The Year
- Marcus Fuqua (football) led the nation in interceptions (7) en route to earning AP All-America Third Team honors. He is just the third UB player to be named an AP All-American. A first-team All-MAC selection, he ranked fourth on the team in tackles with 65 and added 2.5 tackles for loss, five pass breakups and two fumble recoveries.
- Jonathan Surdej (track & field) won the shot put event at the 2022 Outdoor MAC Championships and again at 2023 Indoor MAC Championships.
- Giuseppe Hoose (wrestling) qualified for the NCAA Championships after going 20-7 overall and 14-6 in dual action. His 53 takedowns were seventh in program history in a single season.
Team of the Year
- Women's Soccer
- Football
- Women's Swimming and Diving
All award winners will be announced Monday night at the Victors Award Show. Follow along on all UB social media channels for the latest coverage.
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
/ Swimming and Diving
/ Women's Tennis
DT
/ Football
/ Women's Tennis
F
/ Women's Basketball
LB
/ Football
/ Swimming and Diving
S
/ Football
/ Men's Tennis
285
/ Wrestling
174/184
/ Wrestling
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
/ Men's Tennis
GK
/ Women's Soccer
/ Swimming and Diving
S
/ Women's Volleyball
197
/ Wrestling
/ Swimming and Diving
184
/ Wrestling
/ Swimming and Diving
D/M
/ Women's Soccer
QB
/ Football
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
/ Track and Field
/ Track and Field
/ Men's Tennis
Guard
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