2026 Victors Awards Nominees Announced
4/27/2026 2:56:00 PM | Cross Country, Football, General, Men's Basketball, Men's Tennis, Men's Track and Field, Softball, 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, May 4, honoring the academic and athletic successes of our student-athletes across multiple playing fields.
The evening will begin with academic honors as 192 student-athletes will be recognized as MAC Honor Roll recipients, 82 for the MAC Commissioner's Award and 30 student-athletes 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.
Jacob Brink of the men's track and field team will be recognized as the Clifford C. Furnas recipient, the highest academic honor bestowed on a UB student-athlete. Women's soccer senior Sarah Woods, softball junior Reagan Terwilliger, swimming and diving senior Mallory Hanna and men's basketball's Noah Batchelor were also nominated .
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 Advisory 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:
Deanne Choo, Women's Tennis
Paris Welker, Women's Cross Country/Track & Field
Talia Vitullo, Women's Soccer
Lauren O'Rourke, Women's Cross Country/Track & Field
Daniel Shao, Men's Basketball
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:
Red Murdock, Football
Marcus Petite, Wrestling
Clement Mainguy, Men's Tennis
Female Nominees:
Abbey Nagel, Softball
Sarah Woods, Women's Soccer
Ava Cunningham, Swimming & Diving
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.
Nominees:
Paris Welker, Cross Country/Track & Field
Lauren O'Rourke, Cross Country/Track & Field
Madi Tewksbury, Swimming & Diving
Mel Bliz, Assistant AD for Student-Athlete Enrichment
Holly Kemp, Executive Assistant
Smaranda McNerney, Women's Tennis Associate Head Coach
Bri Presutti, UB Counseling Services
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.
Rising Bulls Team – A first or second year student-athlete, selected by head coaches, who has demonstrated strong potential in both leadership and athletic performance and are on track to make a significant impact on the program.
Male Team Moment of The Year
- Wrestling wins at Central Michigan for the first time in program history and just their second-ever win over the Chippewas
- Men's Basketball starts the season 8-0 for the first time since 2018-19
- Men's Track and Field wins five medals on Day 2 at Indoor MAC Championships
- Football rallies in final minute to defeat UMass on the road and win the first-ever Flagship Cup
Male Individual Moment Of The Year
- Ryan Sabol – Set the single-season three-point record with 122 made threes, breaking a 15-year-old record. His 122 made threes ranked seventh in the nation.
- Clement Mainguy – Defeated the No. 20 ranked doubles team in the country in Bryant's Daniel Baquero and Miguel Angel Machado to help lead the Bulls to a big road win over the Bulldogs.
- Magnus Bibla- Beat nationally ranked Bryan Caves to secure UB's first-ever win at Central Michigan
- Michael Parks – Men's Track & Field – Won his second straight 60m hurdles gold medal with a school-record time at the Indoor MAC Championships.
Female Team Moment Of The Year
- Softball defeats Miami (OH) for the first time since 2018, winning 9-5.
- Swimming & Diving had two medalists (Sophie Meuwissen – silver, Mallory Hanna – bronze) and three-qualifiers in the 1-meter dive
- Cross Country records their highest finish at the MAC Championships since 2017
Female Individual Moment Of The Year
- Bella Smithson –SB – Hit two home runs, including the program's 13th-ever grand slam, and totaled seven RBI in UB's win at UMass
- Vassi Klock – Track & Field - Broke the school record in the women's mile at Boston University
- Liv Roestel – Women's Tennis - Defeated Syracuse's Emma Scaldalai for her first career Power 4 victory and picked up a doubles win in that match with teammate Blanca Berges
- Adele Melamud – Swim & Dive – Qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 1-meter and 3-meter dive becoming the first freshman in program history to accomplish that feat as well as one of just five rookies nationally to qualify in both events
Female Newcomer Of The Year
- Kamilla Nemes – WSIM (Second-Team All-MAC… won silver in the 400 individual medley and placed sixth in the 200 butterfly finals at MAC Championships)
- Meg Lucas – WBB - Set the program's single-season rookie rebounding record with 278 rebounds while also ranking second on the team in scoring (9.9), steals (42) and minutes played (29.8).
- Nicole Allen – SB – Leads the Bulls with 75 hits to go with her .419 batting average. Her 75 hits broke the single season program record that's stood since the 2015 season, which ranks 14th in the country. Allen's .419 batting average ranks in the top five for batting average in a single season and is 86th in college softball.
- Emerson Matthews – All-MAC Second Team and All-Freshman team. Led the Bulls in kills per set (4.0) and points per set (4.57) which also ranked in the top three in the MAC
Male Newcomer Of The Year
- Jack Howes – FB – Earned third team All-MAC recognition. His 14 made field goals ranks sixth in program history for a single season
- Nicalis Williams – Men's Track & Field – Won bronze in the triple jump at the MAC Indoor Championships
- Minjae Kim – Men's Tennis - Has been a mainstay in the middle of the UB lineup as he is second on the team with 19 singles wins, including a 5-3 record in MAC play, while also notching 12 doubles victories.
National Qualifier Recognitions
- Adele Melamud
- Kaleb Burgess
- Men's Tennis
Female Athlete Of The Year
- Lexie Thompson - Became the only player in MAC history to win Goalkeeper of the Year in back-to-back seasons… Named First-Team All-MAC for the second straight year… Compiled a 12-5-2 overall record and ranked 25th nationally in goals against average (.69) and ranked in the top 40 in shutouts (8).
- Aniya Rowe – WBB – MAC All-Freshman Team… Named to MAC All-Tournament Team… Led the team in scoring (12.6 ppg), assists (3.5 apg) and steals (1.9) per game while logging a team-best 31.3 minutes per contest… Scored in double figures 17 times, including five 20-point performances…Scored a career-high 34 points on a career-best 13 made field goals and seven three-point field goals against Kent State (1/24) which is the second-highest single-game total by a rookie in program history.
- Manoela Forlin – VB (Second Team All MAC…Finished third in the MAC in points per set (3.84) and fourth with 3.42 kills per set.
Male Athlete Of The Year
- Red Murdock – Football – Drafted by the Denver Broncos in the 2026 NFL Draft… Capped his stellar UB career by earning All-America honors. He led the Mid-American Conference and ranked second in the nation in tackles with 142. He added 13.5 tackles for loss, five sacks and six forced fumbles. He finished his career by setting the NCAA record for career forced fumbles with 17. Became the 10th player in UB football history to get invited to the NFL Scouting Combine.
- Michael Parks – Men's Track & Field – First-Team All-MAC… Won his second straight 60m hurdles gold medal with a school-record time at the Indoor MAC Championships. Set the 110m hurdles outdoor school record.
- Ryan Sabol – Men's Basketball – Earned All-MAC Third Team honors… Set the program single season three-pointers made record with 122… Became the 27th Bull in program history to reach the 1,000-point mark, finishing with 1,299 career points, good for 15th in school history… The team leader in points became the third Bull in program history to surpass the 600-point mark in a single season, finishing with 603 points and 18.8 ppg. The team leader in points became the third Bull in program history to surpass the 600-point mark in a single season, finishing with 603 points and 18.8 ppg.
- Kaleb Burgess – Wrestling – Took fourth place at the MAC Championships to qualify for the NCAA Tournament
- Clement Mainguy – Men's Tennis – Named the Most Outstanding Player at the MAC Tournament after earning back-to-back points to help the Bulls secure the MAC Tournament championship for the second straight year. Named to the All-MAC Second Team.
Team of the Year
The evening will begin with academic honors as 192 student-athletes will be recognized as MAC Honor Roll recipients, 82 for the MAC Commissioner's Award and 30 student-athletes 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.
Jacob Brink of the men's track and field team will be recognized as the Clifford C. Furnas recipient, the highest academic honor bestowed on a UB student-athlete. Women's soccer senior Sarah Woods, softball junior Reagan Terwilliger, swimming and diving senior Mallory Hanna and men's basketball's Noah Batchelor were also nominated .
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 Advisory 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:
Deanne Choo, Women's Tennis
Paris Welker, Women's Cross Country/Track & Field
Talia Vitullo, Women's Soccer
Lauren O'Rourke, Women's Cross Country/Track & Field
Daniel Shao, Men's Basketball
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:
Red Murdock, Football
Marcus Petite, Wrestling
Clement Mainguy, Men's Tennis
Female Nominees:
Abbey Nagel, Softball
Sarah Woods, Women's Soccer
Ava Cunningham, Swimming & Diving
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.
Nominees:
Paris Welker, Cross Country/Track & Field
Lauren O'Rourke, Cross Country/Track & Field
Madi Tewksbury, Swimming & Diving
Mel Bliz, Assistant AD for Student-Athlete Enrichment
Holly Kemp, Executive Assistant
Smaranda McNerney, Women's Tennis Associate Head Coach
Bri Presutti, UB Counseling Services
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.
Rising Bulls Team – A first or second year student-athlete, selected by head coaches, who has demonstrated strong potential in both leadership and athletic performance and are on track to make a significant impact on the program.
Male Team Moment of The Year
- Wrestling wins at Central Michigan for the first time in program history and just their second-ever win over the Chippewas
- Men's Basketball starts the season 8-0 for the first time since 2018-19
- Men's Track and Field wins five medals on Day 2 at Indoor MAC Championships
- Football rallies in final minute to defeat UMass on the road and win the first-ever Flagship Cup
Male Individual Moment Of The Year
- Ryan Sabol – Set the single-season three-point record with 122 made threes, breaking a 15-year-old record. His 122 made threes ranked seventh in the nation.
- Clement Mainguy – Defeated the No. 20 ranked doubles team in the country in Bryant's Daniel Baquero and Miguel Angel Machado to help lead the Bulls to a big road win over the Bulldogs.
- Magnus Bibla- Beat nationally ranked Bryan Caves to secure UB's first-ever win at Central Michigan
- Michael Parks – Men's Track & Field – Won his second straight 60m hurdles gold medal with a school-record time at the Indoor MAC Championships.
Female Team Moment Of The Year
- Softball defeats Miami (OH) for the first time since 2018, winning 9-5.
- Swimming & Diving had two medalists (Sophie Meuwissen – silver, Mallory Hanna – bronze) and three-qualifiers in the 1-meter dive
- Cross Country records their highest finish at the MAC Championships since 2017
Female Individual Moment Of The Year
- Bella Smithson –SB – Hit two home runs, including the program's 13th-ever grand slam, and totaled seven RBI in UB's win at UMass
- Vassi Klock – Track & Field - Broke the school record in the women's mile at Boston University
- Liv Roestel – Women's Tennis - Defeated Syracuse's Emma Scaldalai for her first career Power 4 victory and picked up a doubles win in that match with teammate Blanca Berges
- Adele Melamud – Swim & Dive – Qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 1-meter and 3-meter dive becoming the first freshman in program history to accomplish that feat as well as one of just five rookies nationally to qualify in both events
Female Newcomer Of The Year
- Kamilla Nemes – WSIM (Second-Team All-MAC… won silver in the 400 individual medley and placed sixth in the 200 butterfly finals at MAC Championships)
- Meg Lucas – WBB - Set the program's single-season rookie rebounding record with 278 rebounds while also ranking second on the team in scoring (9.9), steals (42) and minutes played (29.8).
- Nicole Allen – SB – Leads the Bulls with 75 hits to go with her .419 batting average. Her 75 hits broke the single season program record that's stood since the 2015 season, which ranks 14th in the country. Allen's .419 batting average ranks in the top five for batting average in a single season and is 86th in college softball.
- Emerson Matthews – All-MAC Second Team and All-Freshman team. Led the Bulls in kills per set (4.0) and points per set (4.57) which also ranked in the top three in the MAC
Male Newcomer Of The Year
- Jack Howes – FB – Earned third team All-MAC recognition. His 14 made field goals ranks sixth in program history for a single season
- Nicalis Williams – Men's Track & Field – Won bronze in the triple jump at the MAC Indoor Championships
- Minjae Kim – Men's Tennis - Has been a mainstay in the middle of the UB lineup as he is second on the team with 19 singles wins, including a 5-3 record in MAC play, while also notching 12 doubles victories.
National Qualifier Recognitions
- Adele Melamud
- Kaleb Burgess
- Men's Tennis
Female Athlete Of The Year
- Lexie Thompson - Became the only player in MAC history to win Goalkeeper of the Year in back-to-back seasons… Named First-Team All-MAC for the second straight year… Compiled a 12-5-2 overall record and ranked 25th nationally in goals against average (.69) and ranked in the top 40 in shutouts (8).
- Aniya Rowe – WBB – MAC All-Freshman Team… Named to MAC All-Tournament Team… Led the team in scoring (12.6 ppg), assists (3.5 apg) and steals (1.9) per game while logging a team-best 31.3 minutes per contest… Scored in double figures 17 times, including five 20-point performances…Scored a career-high 34 points on a career-best 13 made field goals and seven three-point field goals against Kent State (1/24) which is the second-highest single-game total by a rookie in program history.
- Manoela Forlin – VB (Second Team All MAC…Finished third in the MAC in points per set (3.84) and fourth with 3.42 kills per set.
Male Athlete Of The Year
- Red Murdock – Football – Drafted by the Denver Broncos in the 2026 NFL Draft… Capped his stellar UB career by earning All-America honors. He led the Mid-American Conference and ranked second in the nation in tackles with 142. He added 13.5 tackles for loss, five sacks and six forced fumbles. He finished his career by setting the NCAA record for career forced fumbles with 17. Became the 10th player in UB football history to get invited to the NFL Scouting Combine.
- Michael Parks – Men's Track & Field – First-Team All-MAC… Won his second straight 60m hurdles gold medal with a school-record time at the Indoor MAC Championships. Set the 110m hurdles outdoor school record.
- Ryan Sabol – Men's Basketball – Earned All-MAC Third Team honors… Set the program single season three-pointers made record with 122… Became the 27th Bull in program history to reach the 1,000-point mark, finishing with 1,299 career points, good for 15th in school history… The team leader in points became the third Bull in program history to surpass the 600-point mark in a single season, finishing with 603 points and 18.8 ppg. The team leader in points became the third Bull in program history to surpass the 600-point mark in a single season, finishing with 603 points and 18.8 ppg.
- Kaleb Burgess – Wrestling – Took fourth place at the MAC Championships to qualify for the NCAA Tournament
- Clement Mainguy – Men's Tennis – Named the Most Outstanding Player at the MAC Tournament after earning back-to-back points to help the Bulls secure the MAC Tournament championship for the second straight year. Named to the All-MAC Second Team.
Team of the Year
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
Guard/Forward
/ Men's Basketball
/ Women's Tennis
/ Wrestling
/ Cross Country
/ Wrestling
/ Women's Tennis
/ Swimming and Diving
OH/RS
/ Women's Volleyball
/ Swimming and Diving
K
/ Football
/ Men's Tennis
/ Cross Country
/ Men's Tennis
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
/ Swimming and Diving
/ Swimming and Diving
LB
/ Football
1B
/ Softball
/ Swimming and Diving
/ Cross Country
/ Wrestling
/ Women's Tennis
G
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
C/UTL
/ Softball
OF/UTL
/ Softball
/ Swimming and Diving
GK
/ Women's Soccer
M/D
/ Women's Soccer
/ Cross Country
M
/ Women's SoccerUB Softball vs. Syracuse (Doubleheader) (4/21) @ 1:30pm
Tuesday, April 21
UB Softball vs. Central Michigan (4/18) @ 12pm
Sunday, April 19
2026 MAC Championship
Sunday, April 19
2026 MAC TENNIS 2
Sunday, April 19
