SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- With the 2022 – 23 academic year winding to a close, Spartans from every team came together to celebrate their accomplishments as the USC Upstate Athletics department held its annual "Sparty Awards", hosted by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
The event began with the SAAC Faculty/Staff Member of the Year award which is given to a faculty or staff member who supports our student-athletes on and off the playing surface. In her first year as the Faculty Athletic Representative for the Spartans, Dr. Michelle Garland went above and beyond when it came to supporting her student athletes and for that reason, she was named the SAAC Faculty/Staff Member of the Year.
The SAAC Spartan Leadership Award goes to the student-athlete that has exhibited a passion and has sought out opportunities to lead his or her peers in their time at Upstate. This year's winner was an athlete who has been one of the most vocal supporters of her fellow Spartans during her entire time at Upstate. When she wasn't cheering on the teams at Upstate or competing herself, softball's Peyton Darnell was helping grow the sense of community among her fellow student-athletes through the growth of Green Games and community service initiatives like volunteering with the Carolina Miracle League. For embodying what it means to be a Spartan and elevating that title and the community around her, Darnell was given the SAAC Spartan Leadership Award.
Upstate's Director of Strength and Conditioning Jake Suvak and Assistant Director of Strength and Conditioning Brent Morris presented the Conrad Strength and Conditioning Award. The award is given to a male and female student athlete who understand that success on the field comes from success in the weight room and takes it upon themselves to push their teammates to run faster, jump higher and lift heavier whenever they can. Softball's Summer Johnson was given the Female Strength and Conditioning Award as she brings not only motivation and energy to the weight room, but a smile on her face that pushes those around her to give a bit more than they thought they could.
The Male Strength and Conditioning Award was given to an athlete who holds himself and his teammates to the highest standards possible and consistently finds a way to raise that bar even higher. A leader in the weightroom and someone whose impact on the culture and team around him is difficult to quantify, baseball's Chase Matheny was given the Male Strength and Conditioning Award.
Recipients of the SRHS Sports Medicine Award are those who have encountered difficult circumstances on their path to the playing field but have found ways to persevere and grow through their obstacles. This year's recipient was on his way to build upon the success he found as a freshman, but an elbow injury cut his season short. Baseball's Jake Cubbler never hesitated when it came to finding his way back to the mound for the Spartans, staying through the summer and fall to accelerate his rehab. After being cleared to play in the beginning of March, Cubbler has the respect of his peers, earning a weekly Big South honor already this season. For these reasons, Athletic Trainer Katlyn Ledbetter presented the SRHS Sports Medicine Award to Cubbler.
The Freshmen of The Year awards are given to student-athletes who are just beginning their collegiate careers but have already proven they have what it takes to compete at a high level. This year's Male and Female Freshman of The Year Awards were given to Dara Russo from the women's soccer team and Justin Bailey from the men's basketball team. Russo dominated the competition in her first year at the college level, as she finished with the team lead in goals and points while pushing the Spartans to the Big South semi-finals. In her debut season, Russo was named the Big South Freshman of The Year and was named to the All-Freshhan and All-Conference Second teams.
Bailey emerged quickly as a reliable and versatile piece in the Spartans' operation. He earned three Freshman of The Week honors from the Big South and was named to the All-Freshman team thanks to a season which saw him knock down 50 threes and shoot 42% from the floor while averaging 10.6 points per game.
The Newcomer of the Year award is given to the male and female student-athlete who transferred to Upstate from another institution and made an immediate impact. This year's Female Newcomer of the Year was awarded to Isabella Geraci from the women's basketball team. She quickly established herself as a leader and star for a rebuilt women's basketball team. She was one of two Spartans to start all 31 games of the season and one of two to average double-figures. Geraci proved valuable for the Spartans, averaging greater than 30 minutes per game, leading the team in made threes, rebounds, and steals.
Geraci's male counterpart was baseball's Reese Dutton as the NJCAA Division II Pitcher of the Year continued his success at the NCAA Division I level. Dutton entered the Spartans' weekend UNC Asheville series ranked second in the league with a 2.62 earned run average and a league-leading 0.98 WHIP. He also leads Upstate with 63 strikeouts on the season, good for second in the conference.
Four athletes were awarded the Joe Bowman Pinnacle award which goes to the senior student-athletes who have embodied what it means to be a Spartan student-athlete. They show strong character, demonstrate strong academic achievement, and are important members of their team on the field or court.
A veteran presence for a men's soccer team that brought in plenty of new faces, Luca Bulfon served as the final line of defense for the Spartans. He helped guide the soccer team to a winning regular season record, only their second time to do so since joining the Big South. Bulfon enjoyed personal success on the year as well, being named to the All-Conference Second team, the all-tournament team and the all-academic team for the 2022 season.
A senior leader and stalwart in the Spartan's lineup this season, Brady Hinkle is in the midst of his best season at USC Upstate, leading the Spartans with a 73.81 scoring average. He's fashioned some of the top scores of his career, carding his lowest career 18 and 54-hole totals this season while collecting a top-10 finish at The Savannah Intercollegiate.
A graduate student who continues to lead Upstate's softball team, Sarah Price continuously exemplifies what it means to be a Spartan, in an Upstate jersey, in the classroom, and to everyone who meets her. She received numerous Big South accolades including a spot on both the All Conference First Team and All-Academic Team.
Wrapping up her season with a third-place finish at the Big South Women's Golf Championship, her second career top-three finish at the event, Beem Pabsimma concluded a strong senior season as one of the Spartans' leaders on the course. With her finish at the conference championship, she totaled four top-10 finishes and three top-five placements this season, leading the Spartans with both totals.
In its second year of being known as the Dr. Jim Griffis Scholar-Athlete of The Year Award, named to honor Dr. Griffis and his 15-year commitment to Upstate student-athletes, serving as the Spartans faculty athletics representative, is given to the student-athletes who raise the standard of excellence on the playing field and in the classroom. This year's recipients were Jared Keklak from the cross country and track and field teams as well as Tiffany Domingue from the softball team. Keklak's 3.971 GPA was the highest mark in the conference and he was rewarded with another Big South Scholar-Athlete of The Year award for his efforts in the classroom. In addition to his academic prowess, Keklak has pushed himself on the track as he has been able to achieve new personal bests in both the 1500M and the 3000M this season.
Tiffany Domingue was awarded the Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year for her excellent performance both on the field and in the classroom this year. Domingue has been consistent on both fronts during her collegiate career as she's started 162 games and has a 3.778 GPA to match. Domingue has added several Big South weekly accolades to her total for the 2023 season and has served as one of the primary engines for the Spartan's machine this season.
In addition to the scholar-athletes of the year, Heaven Allen (cross country and track and field), Luca Bulfon (men's soccer), Cole Caruso (baseball), Ashley Finn (women's soccer), Julia Gladhill (volleyball), Brady Hinkle (men's golf), AC Markham (women's basketball), and Thomas Sheida (men's basketball)) were all named as nominees for the prestigious honor and are recognized as members of the Sparty's All-Academic Team. Other members of the team include Upstate's Big South All-Acadenic Team selections El Kluaymaingarm and Elin Wahlgren from the men's and women's golf teams respectively.
The Student-Athlete of the Year award is given to the male and female student-athlete who is a top-performing athlete in their sport, serving as an ambassador for the university through their athletic achievements. This year's Female Student-Athlete of the Year was awarded to women's soccer's own Cora Brendle. Her play helped elevate the women's soccer team to previously unachieved heights as the program fought their way to a season best 9-5-4 record and an appearance in the Big South Tournament semifinals. Brendle rewrote the school record books during the 2022 regular season and has the record for wins and shutouts in a season. Her elite performance led to her being named a member of the All-Conference First Team, the All-Tournament Team and the Big South Goalkeeper of the Year.
For the second year in a row, the Male Student-Athlete of The Year was awarded to an athlete from the track and field team. Channing Ferguson has achieved even greater heights than he did during his freshman campaign. He now claims the school record in both the indoor high and long jumps and has been named Big South Field Athlete of The Week, a school sport record four times for the 2022 – 23 academic year. While collecting an impressive four first-place finishes, Ferguson capped the indoor season in the best way possible: taking home a conference championship in the long jump.
The nominees for the Student-Athlete of the Year award are named to the "All-Sparty's Team". This year's All-Sparty's Team members are Heaven Allen (cross country and track and field), Jordan Gainey (men's basketball), Isabella Geraci (women's basketball), Casey Goguts (softball) Troy Hamilton (baseball), and Preaw Nontaurx (women's golf).
