Temple University Athletics
(L to R): Director of Athletics Dr. Patrick Kraft, Female Athletic Performer of the Year Blanca Fernandez, Male Scholar Athlete of the Year Dan White and Female Scholar Athlete of the Year Jaqi Kakalecik. Not pictured: Male Athletic Performer of the Year Tyler Matakevich.
Over 300 Temple Student-Athletes Honored at 14th Annual PNC Celebration of Champions
4.26.16 | General
PHILADELPHIA – For the 14th straight year, Temple University honored its student-athletes at the 2016 PNC Celebration of Champions, this year held as an evening event instead of the breakfasts Temple has done in the past. Between academic honor rolls and the evening's special awards, over 300 Temple student-athletes were honored at the event.
"This is truly a wonderful night for the Temple University athletics department," said Director of Athletics Dr. Patrick Kraft. "The Celebration of Champions showcases all of the incredible success, on the field and in the classroom, of our student-athletes. I am so proud of our student-athletes, coaches and staff for making 2015-16 one of the best years in Temple Athletics history."
One male and one female were selected for each of the top two awards given out, the Athletic Performer of the Year and the Scholar Athlete of the Year. Earning Athletic Performer of the Year Awards were Football's Tyler Matakevich and Women's Cross Country and Track & Field's Blanca Fernandez. The Scholar Athlete of the Year Awards went to Men's Soccer's Dan White and Lacrosse's Jaqi Kakalecik.
Matakevich is arguably the most decorated student-athlete in Temple's history. He capped off an already successful career with an All-American season in 2015. He was the recipient of the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Bronko Nagurski award. He was named the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year, and the Philadelphia Sportswriters Association Amateur Athlete of the Year. Matakevich, a consensus All American, became just the seventh player to record 100 tackles in each of his four seasons. He helped the football team to a 10-4 record, a Top 25 national ranking, an American East Division title, and to a spot in the Marmot Boca Raton Bowl.
Fernandez, already a three-time All-American at Temple, earned the third of those honors when she was the women's cross country team's first-ever representative at the NCAA Championships last fall. It was not the only first she achieved for the program, as she was also the first conference champion and first NCAA Regional champion. Fernandez won every race she competed in for the team last fall, with the exception of the NCAA Championships. She earned the American Athletic Conference title before also coming in first place at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships. With the track & field team, Fernandez earned All-American honors for both indoor and outdoor track in 2015 after starting with the program in January of that year.
White, enrolled in one of the Fox School of Business' most demanding majors, risk management, was named the Male Scholar Athlete of the Year. An active member of the Honors Program and recipient of a Provost's Scholarship, White has been a regular fixture on the Dean's List since arriving on campus in the fall 2013. He is a three-year letterwinner for the men's soccer program as a midfielder, and also serves as a tutor in the Resnick Academic Support Center for Student-Athletes.
Kakalecik, a senior goalkeeper for the Temple lacrosse team, was named the Female Scholar Athlete of the Year. As a biochemistry major, she has been a member of the Honors Program since 2012 and is actively engaged in the Biochemistry Research Lab as a Research Assistant. Kakalecik has played every minute in the cage for the Owls this season, compiling a record of 11-5. Her goals-against average of 6.66 ranks seventh this year among all players in NCAA Division I women's lacrosse. With 297 career saves, Kakalecik ranks 10th all-time in program history. In the fall of 2016, Kakalecik will be enrolled in Temple's Medical School.
It was also announced at the Celebration of Champions that 202 student-athletes were named to the Director's Honor Roll (3.0-3.49 cumulative grade point average) with an additional 89 student-athletes named to the President's Honor Roll (3.50 or above). Temple also honored its Trustee Ten, its top student-athletes in terms of grade point average – Dan White (men's soccer), Krissy Gallivan (lacrosse), Alyssa Drachslin (volleyball), Nicole Stark (women's rowing), Amanda Fuertsch (field hockey), Kati Funck (men's crew), Kaylee Harner (women's soccer), Evan Notaro (men's golf), Taylor Matsinger (women's soccer) and Shauni Kerkhoff (women's soccer).
The women's soccer team won The Owl Trophy for the top Team GPA Award with an aggregate grade point average of 3.52. Temple women's rowing continued what has become a tradition of winning the Owl Cup, capturing it for a fifth year in a row. The Owl Cup is given to the team that has best exemplified the initiatives set forth by the NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills program: student-athletes supporting other student-athletes, excelling in and out of the classroom, attending CHAMPS/Life Skill workshops, volunteerism, and the promotion of a healthy and competitive campus environment.
Senior Patrick Lestingi (men's soccer) and senior Olivia Wynn (fencing) were named as the recipients of the Enterprise Spirit and Sportsmanship Award, given annually to student-athletes who have demonstrated a devotion to the essence of sport through their acts of sportsmanship.
Sophomore Jacob Martin (football) and sophomore Kaitlin Suzuki (lacrosse) were named the male and female recipients of the Sherwin-Williams Temple Teammates Community Service Award, given to student-athletes who have demonstrated leadership qualities in the area of community service, inspiring others to engage in similar selfless civic endeavors for the purpose of improving the quality of life for those in the local community.
Senior Kyle Friend (football) and senior Paula Jurewicz (women's soccer) were selected the NovaCare Comeback Student-Athletes of the Year, giving to a male and female student-athlete who have suffered a recent serious injury or illness and have made a tremendous impact on his/her team upon return for the current academic year.
To cap the evening, a new award was handed out. There were six nominees for the most OWLtastic performance of the year, and the winner was freshman track & field star Sylvia Wilson, who ran the winning time in the 60-meter hurdles at the American Athletic Conference Indoor Championships.
Serving as emcees for the event were Ray Smeriglio, Engagement Coordinator for The Office of Alumni Relations, and Justin Miller, Senior Director of the Resnick Academic Support Center for Student-Athletes. PNC once again served as the presenting sponsor for the Celebration of Champions.
Videos: Behind-the-Scenes | Complete Ceremony
"This is truly a wonderful night for the Temple University athletics department," said Director of Athletics Dr. Patrick Kraft. "The Celebration of Champions showcases all of the incredible success, on the field and in the classroom, of our student-athletes. I am so proud of our student-athletes, coaches and staff for making 2015-16 one of the best years in Temple Athletics history."
One male and one female were selected for each of the top two awards given out, the Athletic Performer of the Year and the Scholar Athlete of the Year. Earning Athletic Performer of the Year Awards were Football's Tyler Matakevich and Women's Cross Country and Track & Field's Blanca Fernandez. The Scholar Athlete of the Year Awards went to Men's Soccer's Dan White and Lacrosse's Jaqi Kakalecik.
Matakevich is arguably the most decorated student-athlete in Temple's history. He capped off an already successful career with an All-American season in 2015. He was the recipient of the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Bronko Nagurski award. He was named the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year, and the Philadelphia Sportswriters Association Amateur Athlete of the Year. Matakevich, a consensus All American, became just the seventh player to record 100 tackles in each of his four seasons. He helped the football team to a 10-4 record, a Top 25 national ranking, an American East Division title, and to a spot in the Marmot Boca Raton Bowl.
Fernandez, already a three-time All-American at Temple, earned the third of those honors when she was the women's cross country team's first-ever representative at the NCAA Championships last fall. It was not the only first she achieved for the program, as she was also the first conference champion and first NCAA Regional champion. Fernandez won every race she competed in for the team last fall, with the exception of the NCAA Championships. She earned the American Athletic Conference title before also coming in first place at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships. With the track & field team, Fernandez earned All-American honors for both indoor and outdoor track in 2015 after starting with the program in January of that year.
White, enrolled in one of the Fox School of Business' most demanding majors, risk management, was named the Male Scholar Athlete of the Year. An active member of the Honors Program and recipient of a Provost's Scholarship, White has been a regular fixture on the Dean's List since arriving on campus in the fall 2013. He is a three-year letterwinner for the men's soccer program as a midfielder, and also serves as a tutor in the Resnick Academic Support Center for Student-Athletes.
Kakalecik, a senior goalkeeper for the Temple lacrosse team, was named the Female Scholar Athlete of the Year. As a biochemistry major, she has been a member of the Honors Program since 2012 and is actively engaged in the Biochemistry Research Lab as a Research Assistant. Kakalecik has played every minute in the cage for the Owls this season, compiling a record of 11-5. Her goals-against average of 6.66 ranks seventh this year among all players in NCAA Division I women's lacrosse. With 297 career saves, Kakalecik ranks 10th all-time in program history. In the fall of 2016, Kakalecik will be enrolled in Temple's Medical School.
It was also announced at the Celebration of Champions that 202 student-athletes were named to the Director's Honor Roll (3.0-3.49 cumulative grade point average) with an additional 89 student-athletes named to the President's Honor Roll (3.50 or above). Temple also honored its Trustee Ten, its top student-athletes in terms of grade point average – Dan White (men's soccer), Krissy Gallivan (lacrosse), Alyssa Drachslin (volleyball), Nicole Stark (women's rowing), Amanda Fuertsch (field hockey), Kati Funck (men's crew), Kaylee Harner (women's soccer), Evan Notaro (men's golf), Taylor Matsinger (women's soccer) and Shauni Kerkhoff (women's soccer).
The women's soccer team won The Owl Trophy for the top Team GPA Award with an aggregate grade point average of 3.52. Temple women's rowing continued what has become a tradition of winning the Owl Cup, capturing it for a fifth year in a row. The Owl Cup is given to the team that has best exemplified the initiatives set forth by the NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills program: student-athletes supporting other student-athletes, excelling in and out of the classroom, attending CHAMPS/Life Skill workshops, volunteerism, and the promotion of a healthy and competitive campus environment.
Senior Patrick Lestingi (men's soccer) and senior Olivia Wynn (fencing) were named as the recipients of the Enterprise Spirit and Sportsmanship Award, given annually to student-athletes who have demonstrated a devotion to the essence of sport through their acts of sportsmanship.
Sophomore Jacob Martin (football) and sophomore Kaitlin Suzuki (lacrosse) were named the male and female recipients of the Sherwin-Williams Temple Teammates Community Service Award, given to student-athletes who have demonstrated leadership qualities in the area of community service, inspiring others to engage in similar selfless civic endeavors for the purpose of improving the quality of life for those in the local community.
Senior Kyle Friend (football) and senior Paula Jurewicz (women's soccer) were selected the NovaCare Comeback Student-Athletes of the Year, giving to a male and female student-athlete who have suffered a recent serious injury or illness and have made a tremendous impact on his/her team upon return for the current academic year.
To cap the evening, a new award was handed out. There were six nominees for the most OWLtastic performance of the year, and the winner was freshman track & field star Sylvia Wilson, who ran the winning time in the 60-meter hurdles at the American Athletic Conference Indoor Championships.
Serving as emcees for the event were Ray Smeriglio, Engagement Coordinator for The Office of Alumni Relations, and Justin Miller, Senior Director of the Resnick Academic Support Center for Student-Athletes. PNC once again served as the presenting sponsor for the Celebration of Champions.
Videos: Behind-the-Scenes | Complete Ceremony
Tuesday, June 02
Saturday, May 30
Tuesday, May 19
Tuesday, May 05
