MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State celebrated another outstanding athletics year – albeit virtually – throughout the week as K-State’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) hosted the 11th annual Mark A. Chapman Powercat Choice Awards on social media.
Award winners were announced daily on K-State’s official social media accounts and celebrated the triumphs of Wildcat student-athletes from the past year both on the field and in the classroom. All the performance-related awards were voted on by members of SAAC.
Top team honor on the men’s side went to the football, which also won the Show-Stopping Moment of the Year with its upset over No. 5 Oklahoma in addition to Chris Klieman winning coach of the year. Freshman wide receiver/kick returner Joshua Youngblood was named the Male Newcomer of the Year, and Adam Holtorf was named the Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Klieman broke the school record for wins by a first-year head coach as the Wildcats went 8-5 under his guidance – including a 5-4 mark in Big 12 play to tie for third – and played in the Liberty Bowl. Youngblood earned four All-America honors as a kick returner in addition to being named the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year, the first true freshman in league history to earn the conference’s top honor on either offense, defense or special teams. Holtorf was a First Team Academic All-American and National Football Foundation (NFF) Scholar-Athlete as a finalist for the prestigious Campbell Trophy.
The women’s track and field squad earned the top team honor on the women’s side after finishing third at the Big 12 Indoor Championships for a second-straight season. The squad pulled together 91 points at the conference meet and had multiple athletes qualify for the NCAA Championship.
Baseball and soccer garnered the Wildcat Cup their excellence in the five core areas of student-athlete well-being: academics, athletics, career, personal and service.
Tejaswin Shankar from the men’s track and field team was named the Male Athlete of the Year as he clinched his second Big 12 Indoor High Jump Championship with a mark of 2.23m/7-3.75 and qualified for the NCAA Championships. He also broke the school record in the men’s pentathlon at the Carol Robinson/Attila Zsiovczky Winter Pentathlon with 4,137 points.
Dual-sport athlete Peyton Williams (women’s basketball/volleyball) was named the Female Athlete of the Year as she was a First Team All-Big 12 performer on the hardwood in addition to being named to the watch lists for the Wade Trophy, Women's Citizen Naismith Trophy, John R. Wooden Award and Katrina McClain Award. In volleyball, Williams was a Second Team All-Big 12 performer, and she earned MVP honors at the K-State Invitational and all-tournament team accolades as the MSU Fall Invitational.
Williams was also named the Female Scholar Athlete of the Year after being named the Big 12 Women’s Basketball Scholar Athlete of the Year, a Second Team Academic All-American as a basketball player and a First Team Academic All-Big 12 performer in both basketball and volleyball.
Williams’ basketball teammate, Ayoke Lee, was named the Female Newcomer of the Year as she was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year and a First Team All-Big 12 performer.
The recipient of the Inspiration Award was Jasauen Beard of the women’s basketball team, while rowing’s Rachel Haskell earned the Purple Pride Award, which is given to the student-athlete who demonstrates the most school spirit.
Chloe Weir (women’s golf) and Reggie Walker (football) were this year's recipients of the Bob and Lila Snell Award of Excellence and Effort, recognizing the outstanding male and female student-athletes who improved their academic standing through sustained effort and commitment to learning.
Andrew Hicks (football) was honored with the Gina Sylvester Memorial Award, which is presented to an arts and sciences student who has progressed toward graduation and used the advising system to overcome challenges.
DJ Render (football) was the recipient of the Veryl and Fern Switzer Campus Leadership Award. The award recognizes a student-athlete who is involved in student organizations and multicultural affairs, demonstrates leadership on a team and on campus, and is active in community service. Luke Hauswirth (baseball) and Mikaela Bennett (rowing) were also honored with the Outstanding Service to the Community awards.
Three student-athletes were awarded the Scholastic Achievement Award, which recognizes a senior letterwinner with the highest cumulative grade-point average in undergraduate work, as Aubrey Gilchrist (rowing, Mckenzie Weber (volleyball) and Ethan Powell (men’s track and field) were honored.
Department staffers to be recognized by SAAC included K-State Athletics Staff Member of the Year Dr. Anne Weese (Director of Mental Wellness/Sport Psychology) and Coaching Staff of the Year members Danny Cavender (nominated by volleyball, Vincent Johnson (track and field, Jermaine Henderson (men’s basketball, Corey Meredith (football, Kat Benton (soccer, Christa Ryan (rowing, AJ Kloss (women’s basketball, Josh Cyr (women’s golf, Robert Murray (men’s golf, Logan Burgess Hayes (tennis) and Buck Taylor (baseball).
2019-20 MARK A. CHAPMAN POWERCAT CHOICE AWARDS
Athletic Award Winners
Male Newcomer of the Year – Joshua Youngblood, football
Female Newcomer of the Year – Ayoke Lee, women’s basketball
Unsung Hero – Cameron Thompson, baseball
Male Athlete of the Year – TJ Shankar, men’s track and field
Female Athlete of the Year – Peyton Williams, women’s basketball/volleyball
Inspiration Award – Jasauen Beard, women’s basketball
Purple Pride Award – Rachel Haskell, rowing
Show-Stopping Moment of the Year – Upset Of No. 5 Oklahoma, football
Outstanding Service to the Community – Luke Hauswirth, baseball
Outstanding Service to the Community – Mikaela Bennett, rowing
K-State Athletics Staff Member of the Year – Dr. Anne Weese
Women’s Team of the Year – Track and Field
Men’s Team of the Year – Football
Coach of the Year – Chris Klieman, football
Coaching Staff of the Year Recognition – Danny Cavender (nominated by volleyball, Vincent Johnson (track and field, Jermaine Henderson (men’s basketball, Corey Meredith (football, Kat Benton (soccer, Christa Ryan (rowing, AJ Kloss (women’s basketball, Josh Cyr (women’s golf, Robert Murray (men’s golf, Logan Burgess Hayes (tennis, Buck Taylor (baseball)
Academic Award Winners
Scholastic Achievement Award – Aubrey Gilchrist, rowing
Scholastic Achievement Award – Mckenzie Weber, volleyball
Scholastic Achievement Award – Ethan Powell, men’s track and field
Bob and Lila Snell Academic Award for Excellence and Effort – Chloe Weir, women’s golf
Bob and Lila Snell Academic Award for Excellence and Effort – Reggie Walker, football
Gina Sylvester Memorial Award – Andrew Hicks, football
Veryl and Fern Switzer Campus Leadership Award – DJ Render, football
Male Scholar Athlete of the Year – Adam Holtorf
Female Scholar Athlete of the Year – Peyton Williams, women’s basketball/volleyball
Wildcat Cup Winners
Baseball and Soccer
– k-statesports.com –
RYAN LACKEY
Assistant Athletics Director for Communications