USC Upstate Announces Winners of the 2020 Sparty Awards
5/21/2020 5:23:00 PM | General
Hosted by Upstate SAAC and the athletic administration, this year’s event was celebrated on the department’s social media platforms due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The 2020 Sparty Awards had a different feel to it this year with the COVID-19 pandemic cutting the spring athletic season short by nearly two months, but nonetheless the USC Upstate external staff moved the award show online, to showcase our athletes and their athletic accomplishments to the Spartan digital community.
Starting this year, the awards committee took in an April-to-April approach to account for post-season tournaments and the conclusion of both the Baseball and Outdoor Track seasons from 2019 to April 2020. The Sparty's are typically held in April so this new format will make for a uniform change for the future.
The criteria for the Joe Bowman Pinnacle Award for Career Achievement changed as well this season, as the committee took into account the complete student-athlete. Only seniors may be nominated for the award, a student-athlete must have a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of a 3.5, the student-athlete excelled on the athletic field and held a leadership position on the team or on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
As always, the annual awards show is highlighted by the announcement of the Coca-Cola Male and Female Athletes of the Year and the Joe Bowman Pinnacle Award for Career Achievement. This season, Reid Bedell (Fair Haven, N.J.) and Angelnique Bryant (Fort Mill, S.C.) took home Male and Female Athlete of the Year honors.
Bedell, became the first golfer this decade to be named to the PING All-Southeast Region Team, ended the season ranked 78th nationally and was a two-time Big South Golfer of the Week. Bedell's 70.31 strokes average led the Big South and set a new program record at Upstate. His 66 in the second round of the Sea Best Invitational (2/3/2020) ranks fourth best in the Big South. Bedell, finished the season with 4 Top-10 finishes (first in the Big South), 3 Top-5 finishes (led the team) and was co-medalist at the USC Upstate One-Day tournament.
Bryant, broke a school record in the women's 60m prelims with a time of 7.40, which is the second-best time in Big South history. She proceeded to win the event with a 7.41 in the finals. She also finished fourth in the women's 200m with a time of 24.86. At the 2019 Big South Outdoor Championships, Bryant set both a Big South and Upstate record in the 100-meter dash with a time 11.41 seconds. Bryant also finished third in the 200 meter and went on to compete in the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds.
This year the Joe Bowman Pinnacle Award for Career Achievement went to Jordan Warnock (Roebuck, S.C.), Julian Rip (Vianen, Netherlands), Joel Bunting (Charleston, S.C.), Riley Popplewell (Union Mills, Ind.), Abbie Ellis (Clemmons, N.C.) and Erin Hill (Maryville, Tenn.).
Warnock a four-year starter on the men's golf team and became just the second men's golfer to reach an NCAA Regional at the Division I level. Warnock, was also a captain on the golf team and was an All-America Scholar by Cleveland Golf. This season, Warnock, had the second lowest round in the Big South Conference with a 65 in the opening round of the GolfWeek Program Invitational.
In just two seasons at USC Upstate, Julian Rip stayed active both on and off the baseball diamond. On the field, Rip was the starting right fielder for the majority of his career and batted in the heart of the order for the Spartans. Off the field, Rip was a member of SAAC and was one of the leaders in the newly founded Fellowship of Christian Athletes Chapter at USC Upstate. Outside of Upstate, Rip was a member of the U-21 Netherlands National team and he competed in the European Championships last fall.
Bunting, a four-year starter on the men's soccer team and made an impact throughout his career. The Palmetto State native earned 2016 ASUN All-Freshman team honors and his teammates named him captain of the soccer team during his senior season. Off the field, Bunting participated in SAAC and helped in the Spartanburg community.
Popplewell had a one of the best careers for women's basketball in the Division I era. The Hoosier State native is one of just three players in the Division I era to record at least 1,000 points and 700 rebounds in her career. Popplewell is also third all-time in blocked shots with 96 swats at Upstate. Off the court, Popplewell maintained a 4.0 GPA and was even a student-teacher for part of her final season in Spartanburg. Popplewell, was a two-time conference Academic-Athlete of the Year and a two time CoSIDA Academic All-District Selection in her career.
Abbie Ellis leaves USC Upstate holding the school record in several categories including, points (62), goals (26), game-winning goals (8), shots attempted (168), penalty kicks made (6) and penalty kicks attempted (7); Ellis also holds the assists record (10) in the Division I era. Ellis earned All Big South honors her junior season and she also earned a spot on the Big South All-Academic Team as a nursing major. The Tar Heel State native was voted team captain during her senior season and she did volunteer work within the community.
Hill played a pivotal role on the Spartans softball team over the past four years and was a team captain in her final season. In her freshman season, Hill was a member of the Spartans 2017 ASUN Championship team. The Volunteer State native holds a 30-17 career record at USC Upstate and has a lifetime 2.18 earned run average (ERA). Hill's 73 appearances are the ninth most in school history and her 44 strikeouts looking are tied for the eighth most in program history. This past season she recorded a career best 11-strikeout performance against Bucknell. Hill is a three-time NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete and is a Big South All-Academic Team member. In the community, she worked with Second Harvest Food Drive, Miracle League and is a member of FCA. Not only is she a member of Beta Gamma Sigma Honors Society and the Dean's List, but she was also selected to the Big South Leadership Conference.
Academic Athlete of the Year honors went to Jordan Marks (Bright's Grove, Ontario, Canada) and Riley Popplewell. Both athletes were named to the Big South All-Academic Teams for their respective sport, and both played pivotal roles on their respective teams.
The newest award for the 2020 Sparty Awards is the Male and Female Newcomer Award, designed to go to the top transfer athlete that made an immediate impact for their team. Devin Buckner (Lexington, Ky.) and Pol Monells (Barcelona, Spain) split the award on the Male side, while Mallie Brown (Stockbridge, Ga.) took home the honors on the female side.
The Male Freshman of the Year Award went to Tommy Bruner (Columbia, S.C.) after his All-American season for the men's basketball program. Bruner broke the Division I era freshman school record for points in a season with 461. The Palmetto State native also earned National Player of the Week honors and became the first Freshman All-American since Ty Greene in 2012.
The Female Freshman of the Year Award went to Praew Nontarux (Lampang, Thailand) of the Upstate women's golf team. Nontarux, was named Big South Freshman Golfer of the Week five times this season and her 73.83 stroke average was the second lowest in school history. Nontarux's lowest round of 66 in the second round of the Winthrop Fall Invitational, tied the school record and the lowest round in the Big South Conference. The Thailand native's .816 winning percentage ranked fifth best in school history. Nontarux finished the season with a trio of top-10 finishes and a pair of top-five finishes.
Below is a complete list of all team and departmental award winners from this year's Sparty Awards. Celebrate all our nominees and winners on our social media channels! Follow @UpstateSpartans on Twitter and Instagram and on Facebook search USC Upstate Athletics.
Department Awards
Coca-Cola Male Athlete of the Year: Reid Bedell (Men's Golf)
Coca-Cola Female Athlete of the Year: Angelnique Bryant (Women's Track and Field)
Male Academic Athlete of the Year: Jordan Marks (Baseball)
Female Academic Athlete of the Year: Riley Popplewell (Women's Basketball)
Male Newcomer's of the Year: Devin Buckner (Baseball) and Pol Monells (Men's Soccer)
Female Newcomer of the Year: Mallie Brown (Softball)
Male Freshman of the Year: Tommy Bruner (Men's Basketball)
Female Freshman of the Year: Praew Nontarux (Women's Golf)
Joe Bowman Pinnacle Award: Joel Bunting (Men's Soccer), Abbie Ellis (Women's Soccer), Erin Hill (Softball), Riley Popplewell (Women's Basketball), Julian Rip (Baseball), Jordan Warnock (Men's Golf)
Spartanburg Regional Sports Medicine Award: Barrett Herring (Women's Basketball)
Conrad Award for Strength & Conditioning: Filippo Censini (Men's Soccer), Max Barnes (Softball)
SAAC Awards
Leadership Award: Riley Parkhurst (Women's Basketball)
Spartan Heart Award: Caroline Huestess (Women's Golf)
Sportsmanship Award: Logan Pace (Women's Soccer)
All-Sparty Team (These athlete have been named the top athlete by their coaches)
Tommy Bruner & Everette Hammond (Men's Basketball)
Jonathan Johnson (Men's XC)
Reid Bedell (Men's Golf)
Pol Monells (Men's Soccer)
Leon Roider (Men's Tennis)
Jared Henderson (Men's Track)
Tony Auguste (Men's Field)
Brianna Lewis (Women's Basketball)
Mia Davis (Women's XC)
Beem Pabsimma (Women's Golf)
Abbie Ellis (Women's Soccer)
Sarah Price (Softball)
Elin Hellberg (Women's Tennis)
Angelnique Bryant (Women's Track)
Adanma Uzor (Women's Field)
Emily Russell & Gloria Ikenegbu (Volleyball)
All-Academic Team (These athletes have been named to the Big South All-Academic Teams)
Jordan Marks (Baseball)
Nevin Zink (Men's Basketball)
Jonathan Loy (Men's XC/Track)
Hunter Fry (Men's Golf)
Joel Bunting (Men's Soccer)
Luka Eble (Men's Tennis)
Riley Popplewell (Women's Basketball)
Allie Leavitt (Women's XC/Track)
Anna Chanthenphang (Women's Golf)
Emma Honis (Women's Soccer)
Erin Hill (Softball)
Elin Hellberg (Women's Tennis)
McKenna Kirkpatrick (Volleyball)
Team Awards
Men's Basketball
For more information on the USC Upstate athletic department log onto upstatespartans.com or follow us on Twitter @UpstateSpartans.
#SpartanArmy->#JoinUP
Starting this year, the awards committee took in an April-to-April approach to account for post-season tournaments and the conclusion of both the Baseball and Outdoor Track seasons from 2019 to April 2020. The Sparty's are typically held in April so this new format will make for a uniform change for the future.
The criteria for the Joe Bowman Pinnacle Award for Career Achievement changed as well this season, as the committee took into account the complete student-athlete. Only seniors may be nominated for the award, a student-athlete must have a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of a 3.5, the student-athlete excelled on the athletic field and held a leadership position on the team or on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
As always, the annual awards show is highlighted by the announcement of the Coca-Cola Male and Female Athletes of the Year and the Joe Bowman Pinnacle Award for Career Achievement. This season, Reid Bedell (Fair Haven, N.J.) and Angelnique Bryant (Fort Mill, S.C.) took home Male and Female Athlete of the Year honors.
Bedell, became the first golfer this decade to be named to the PING All-Southeast Region Team, ended the season ranked 78th nationally and was a two-time Big South Golfer of the Week. Bedell's 70.31 strokes average led the Big South and set a new program record at Upstate. His 66 in the second round of the Sea Best Invitational (2/3/2020) ranks fourth best in the Big South. Bedell, finished the season with 4 Top-10 finishes (first in the Big South), 3 Top-5 finishes (led the team) and was co-medalist at the USC Upstate One-Day tournament.
Bryant, broke a school record in the women's 60m prelims with a time of 7.40, which is the second-best time in Big South history. She proceeded to win the event with a 7.41 in the finals. She also finished fourth in the women's 200m with a time of 24.86. At the 2019 Big South Outdoor Championships, Bryant set both a Big South and Upstate record in the 100-meter dash with a time 11.41 seconds. Bryant also finished third in the 200 meter and went on to compete in the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds.
This year the Joe Bowman Pinnacle Award for Career Achievement went to Jordan Warnock (Roebuck, S.C.), Julian Rip (Vianen, Netherlands), Joel Bunting (Charleston, S.C.), Riley Popplewell (Union Mills, Ind.), Abbie Ellis (Clemmons, N.C.) and Erin Hill (Maryville, Tenn.).
Warnock a four-year starter on the men's golf team and became just the second men's golfer to reach an NCAA Regional at the Division I level. Warnock, was also a captain on the golf team and was an All-America Scholar by Cleveland Golf. This season, Warnock, had the second lowest round in the Big South Conference with a 65 in the opening round of the GolfWeek Program Invitational.
In just two seasons at USC Upstate, Julian Rip stayed active both on and off the baseball diamond. On the field, Rip was the starting right fielder for the majority of his career and batted in the heart of the order for the Spartans. Off the field, Rip was a member of SAAC and was one of the leaders in the newly founded Fellowship of Christian Athletes Chapter at USC Upstate. Outside of Upstate, Rip was a member of the U-21 Netherlands National team and he competed in the European Championships last fall.
Bunting, a four-year starter on the men's soccer team and made an impact throughout his career. The Palmetto State native earned 2016 ASUN All-Freshman team honors and his teammates named him captain of the soccer team during his senior season. Off the field, Bunting participated in SAAC and helped in the Spartanburg community.
Popplewell had a one of the best careers for women's basketball in the Division I era. The Hoosier State native is one of just three players in the Division I era to record at least 1,000 points and 700 rebounds in her career. Popplewell is also third all-time in blocked shots with 96 swats at Upstate. Off the court, Popplewell maintained a 4.0 GPA and was even a student-teacher for part of her final season in Spartanburg. Popplewell, was a two-time conference Academic-Athlete of the Year and a two time CoSIDA Academic All-District Selection in her career.
Abbie Ellis leaves USC Upstate holding the school record in several categories including, points (62), goals (26), game-winning goals (8), shots attempted (168), penalty kicks made (6) and penalty kicks attempted (7); Ellis also holds the assists record (10) in the Division I era. Ellis earned All Big South honors her junior season and she also earned a spot on the Big South All-Academic Team as a nursing major. The Tar Heel State native was voted team captain during her senior season and she did volunteer work within the community.
Hill played a pivotal role on the Spartans softball team over the past four years and was a team captain in her final season. In her freshman season, Hill was a member of the Spartans 2017 ASUN Championship team. The Volunteer State native holds a 30-17 career record at USC Upstate and has a lifetime 2.18 earned run average (ERA). Hill's 73 appearances are the ninth most in school history and her 44 strikeouts looking are tied for the eighth most in program history. This past season she recorded a career best 11-strikeout performance against Bucknell. Hill is a three-time NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete and is a Big South All-Academic Team member. In the community, she worked with Second Harvest Food Drive, Miracle League and is a member of FCA. Not only is she a member of Beta Gamma Sigma Honors Society and the Dean's List, but she was also selected to the Big South Leadership Conference.
Academic Athlete of the Year honors went to Jordan Marks (Bright's Grove, Ontario, Canada) and Riley Popplewell. Both athletes were named to the Big South All-Academic Teams for their respective sport, and both played pivotal roles on their respective teams.
The newest award for the 2020 Sparty Awards is the Male and Female Newcomer Award, designed to go to the top transfer athlete that made an immediate impact for their team. Devin Buckner (Lexington, Ky.) and Pol Monells (Barcelona, Spain) split the award on the Male side, while Mallie Brown (Stockbridge, Ga.) took home the honors on the female side.
The Male Freshman of the Year Award went to Tommy Bruner (Columbia, S.C.) after his All-American season for the men's basketball program. Bruner broke the Division I era freshman school record for points in a season with 461. The Palmetto State native also earned National Player of the Week honors and became the first Freshman All-American since Ty Greene in 2012.
The Female Freshman of the Year Award went to Praew Nontarux (Lampang, Thailand) of the Upstate women's golf team. Nontarux, was named Big South Freshman Golfer of the Week five times this season and her 73.83 stroke average was the second lowest in school history. Nontarux's lowest round of 66 in the second round of the Winthrop Fall Invitational, tied the school record and the lowest round in the Big South Conference. The Thailand native's .816 winning percentage ranked fifth best in school history. Nontarux finished the season with a trio of top-10 finishes and a pair of top-five finishes.
Below is a complete list of all team and departmental award winners from this year's Sparty Awards. Celebrate all our nominees and winners on our social media channels! Follow @UpstateSpartans on Twitter and Instagram and on Facebook search USC Upstate Athletics.
Department Awards
Coca-Cola Male Athlete of the Year: Reid Bedell (Men's Golf)
Coca-Cola Female Athlete of the Year: Angelnique Bryant (Women's Track and Field)
Male Academic Athlete of the Year: Jordan Marks (Baseball)
Female Academic Athlete of the Year: Riley Popplewell (Women's Basketball)
Male Newcomer's of the Year: Devin Buckner (Baseball) and Pol Monells (Men's Soccer)
Female Newcomer of the Year: Mallie Brown (Softball)
Male Freshman of the Year: Tommy Bruner (Men's Basketball)
Female Freshman of the Year: Praew Nontarux (Women's Golf)
Joe Bowman Pinnacle Award: Joel Bunting (Men's Soccer), Abbie Ellis (Women's Soccer), Erin Hill (Softball), Riley Popplewell (Women's Basketball), Julian Rip (Baseball), Jordan Warnock (Men's Golf)
Spartanburg Regional Sports Medicine Award: Barrett Herring (Women's Basketball)
Conrad Award for Strength & Conditioning: Filippo Censini (Men's Soccer), Max Barnes (Softball)
SAAC Awards
Leadership Award: Riley Parkhurst (Women's Basketball)
Spartan Heart Award: Caroline Huestess (Women's Golf)
Sportsmanship Award: Logan Pace (Women's Soccer)
All-Sparty Team (These athlete have been named the top athlete by their coaches)
Tommy Bruner & Everette Hammond (Men's Basketball)
Jonathan Johnson (Men's XC)
Reid Bedell (Men's Golf)
Pol Monells (Men's Soccer)
Leon Roider (Men's Tennis)
Jared Henderson (Men's Track)
Tony Auguste (Men's Field)
Brianna Lewis (Women's Basketball)
Mia Davis (Women's XC)
Beem Pabsimma (Women's Golf)
Abbie Ellis (Women's Soccer)
Sarah Price (Softball)
Elin Hellberg (Women's Tennis)
Angelnique Bryant (Women's Track)
Adanma Uzor (Women's Field)
Emily Russell & Gloria Ikenegbu (Volleyball)
All-Academic Team (These athletes have been named to the Big South All-Academic Teams)
Jordan Marks (Baseball)
Nevin Zink (Men's Basketball)
Jonathan Loy (Men's XC/Track)
Hunter Fry (Men's Golf)
Joel Bunting (Men's Soccer)
Luka Eble (Men's Tennis)
Riley Popplewell (Women's Basketball)
Allie Leavitt (Women's XC/Track)
Anna Chanthenphang (Women's Golf)
Emma Honis (Women's Soccer)
Erin Hill (Softball)
Elin Hellberg (Women's Tennis)
McKenna Kirkpatrick (Volleyball)
Team Awards
Men's Basketball
- Co-MVP: Everette Hammond/Tommy Bruner
- Most Improved Player: Nevin Zink
- Playmaker of the Year: Dalvin White
- Most Valuable Runner: Jonathan Johnson
- Coach's Award: Dorian Jones
- Player of the Year: Reid Bedell
- Team Impact Player: Hunter Fry
- Most Improved Player: Orion McHugh
- Spartan Award: Joel Bunting
- Player of The year: Pol Monells
- GAMER Award (best competitor): Leon Roider
- LEADER Award: Fernando Bernardes
- WORKER Award: Luka Eble & Tom Russwurm
- Most Outstanding Track Performer: Jared Henderson
- Most Outstanding Field Performer: Tony Auguste
- Sparty Award: Riley Popplewell
- Comeback Heart Award: Barrett Herring
- Dynamic Player Award: Brianna Lewis
- Most Valuable Runner: Mia Davis
- Coach's Award: Allie Leavitt
- Player of the Year: Beem Pabsimma
- Team Impact Player: Pan Paksanont
- All-Time Goals/Assist Leader: Abbie Ellis
- Spartan Spirit: Emma Honis
- Most Improved: Natalie Loyd
- Freshman of the Year: Tiffany Dominque
- Clutch Performer of the Year: Peyton Darnell
- GAMER Award: Elin Hellberg
- LEADER Award: Gabriela Cevallos
- WORKER Award: Taylor Morneault
- Â Â Â Â Most Outstanding Track Performer: Angelnique Bryant
- Â Â Â Most Outstanding Field Performer: Adanma Uzor
- Offensive Player of the Year Award: Emily Russell
- Blocker of the Year Award: Gloria Ikenegbu
- Inspirational Team Leader of the Year Award: Mackenzie Lauer
For more information on the USC Upstate athletic department log onto upstatespartans.com or follow us on Twitter @UpstateSpartans.
#SpartanArmy->#JoinUP
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