Temple University Athletics
Temple Honors Student-Athletes at 2017 PNC Celebration of Champions
4.28.17 | General
PHILADELPHIA – For the 15th straight year, Temple University honored its student-athletes at the 2017 PNC Celebration of Champions, held at the Liacouras Center. Between academic honor rolls and the evening's special awards, over 300 Temple student-athletes were honored at the event.
"This is a great night for Temple University athletics," said Director of Athletics Dr. Patrick Kraft. "The Celebration of Champions showcases the hard work that our student-athletes have put in throughout the year. I'm so proud of what they've accomplished in the classroom, in competition, and in the community."
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 Haason Reddick and Women's Basketball's Feyonda Fitzgerald. The Scholar Athlete of the Year Awards went to Men's Soccer's Alex Cagle and Women's Rowing's Lea Millio, while the Newcomer of the Year honor was given to Daisy Todd (Gymnastics), Aaron Boumerhi (Football), and Marc Steinsberger (Men's Cross Country).
Both of Temple's Performer of the Year honorees were draft picks in their respective sports. Reddick went 13th overall in the NFL Draft to the Arizona Cardinals, while Fitzgerald was selected 20th overall in the WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever.
Reddick was the fourth first round pick in Temple history, and the highest Owls selected since John Rienstra went ninth overall in 1986. A three-year letterwinner and a team captain during his senior year, he was one of three American Athletic Conference defensive players who was selected unanimously to first-team all-conference. This past season, Reddick led the nation in TFLs with 22.5 which also tied a Temple single-season record and was second in the AAC with 10.5 sacks. He finished his career second in TFLs for the American Conference with 46.0 and was second on Temple's all-time list. Reddick was a former walk-on who moved from safety to linebacker before finding a home at defensive end.
Fitzgerald was the fourth Temple women's basketball drafted to the WNBA and also the fourth All-American in Temple history. The Norfolk, Va. native had an outstanding senior season, averaging 17.3 points and 7.3 assists per game, ranking in the top-10 nationally in assists per game and assist-to-turnover ratio. She finsihed second on the Owls' all-time scoring list with 1,824 total points, and set Temple records in assists for both a career (635) and a single season (232), with her single season mark setting an American Athletic Conference record. Fitzgerald helped Temple to their its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2011, and the first Philadelphia Big 5 Championship since that same span.
Cagle, a redshirt junior on the men's soccer team, was named the Male Scholar Athlete of the Year. Temple's starting goalkeeper, he helped the Owls to four-straight NSCAA Team Academic Awards. Cagle is an environmental science major with a minor in social responsibility, who has done countless hours of research and internships in his field of study.
Millio, a senior on the women's rowing team, was named the Female Scholar Athlete of the Year. A team captain for the Owls, she is set to graduate with Latin honors in history, with a minor in political science. A member of the Dean's List for five semesters, she is presenting a thesis to earn distinction in her major. Millio was accepted to four law schools and will attend the Beasley School of Law at Temple in the fall.
Daisy Todd, a true freshman on Temple's gymnastics team, was named the Female Newcomer of the Year. She competed in the all around at every one of Temple's meets in 2017, including posting a 39.025 at the ECAC Championships, a score that ranks third all-time in program history. Todd, who shared ECAC Rookie of the Year honors, qualified to compete at the 2017 NCAA Regional, the first for an Owl since the 2008 season. She earned silver in the all around at the ECAC Championships, and also grabbed three event titles this season, one on vault and two on bars.
Aaron Boumerhi (Football) and Marc Steinsberger (Men's Cross Country) shared the Male Newcomer of the Year honor. Boumehri, a true freshman, burst on to the scene mid-season for the football team, after starting the year as a walk-on. Replacing an injured teammate in the starting line-up, he made the most of it, going 15-of-17 for field goals and 29-of-30 on extra points. He finished the season with 74 total points, earning him a second team All-Conference honor.
Steinsberger, a graduate transfer, competed in six races for the Owls, notching wins at the Rider Invitational and the Leopard Invitational. He was sixth for the Owls at the 2017 Big 5 Invitational, and earned All-Conference honors with a ninth place finish at his the American Athletic Conference Championships. Wrapping up his first season with the Owls, Steinsberger placed 6th out of 190 runners at the IC4A Championships.
It was also announced at the Celebration of Champions that 240 student-athletes were named to the Director's Honor Roll (3.0-3.49 GPA), an increase of 38 from last year, 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 – Taylor Matsinger (Women's Soccer), Dara Peric (Volleyball), Evan Notaro (Men's Golf), Dan White (Men's Soccer), Elana Falcone (Women's Soccer), Joonas Jokinen (Men's Soccer), Mark Farley (Men's Golf), Kristina Gallivan (Women's Lacrosse), Carlene Demato (Women's Lacrosse), Nicholas Sharga (Football)
The volleyball team won the Owl Trophy for the top Team GPA Award with an aggregate grade point average of 3.58. Temple men's cross country broke a string of five-straight wins from the women's rowing team to take the annual Owl Cup title. 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 Vineet Naran (men's tennis) and freshman Kara Nakrasius (lacrosse) 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 Harmann Doerner (men's soccer) and senior Brooke Williams (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.
Junior Sean Chandler (football) and senior Brenda McDermott (lacrosse) 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.
Serving as emcees for the event were Raymond Smeriglio, Assistant Director of Development, and Kevin Copp, Assistant Athletic Director for Video Services. PNC once again served as the presenting sponsor for the Celebration of Champions.
"This is a great night for Temple University athletics," said Director of Athletics Dr. Patrick Kraft. "The Celebration of Champions showcases the hard work that our student-athletes have put in throughout the year. I'm so proud of what they've accomplished in the classroom, in competition, and in the community."
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 Haason Reddick and Women's Basketball's Feyonda Fitzgerald. The Scholar Athlete of the Year Awards went to Men's Soccer's Alex Cagle and Women's Rowing's Lea Millio, while the Newcomer of the Year honor was given to Daisy Todd (Gymnastics), Aaron Boumerhi (Football), and Marc Steinsberger (Men's Cross Country).
Both of Temple's Performer of the Year honorees were draft picks in their respective sports. Reddick went 13th overall in the NFL Draft to the Arizona Cardinals, while Fitzgerald was selected 20th overall in the WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever.
Reddick was the fourth first round pick in Temple history, and the highest Owls selected since John Rienstra went ninth overall in 1986. A three-year letterwinner and a team captain during his senior year, he was one of three American Athletic Conference defensive players who was selected unanimously to first-team all-conference. This past season, Reddick led the nation in TFLs with 22.5 which also tied a Temple single-season record and was second in the AAC with 10.5 sacks. He finished his career second in TFLs for the American Conference with 46.0 and was second on Temple's all-time list. Reddick was a former walk-on who moved from safety to linebacker before finding a home at defensive end.
Fitzgerald was the fourth Temple women's basketball drafted to the WNBA and also the fourth All-American in Temple history. The Norfolk, Va. native had an outstanding senior season, averaging 17.3 points and 7.3 assists per game, ranking in the top-10 nationally in assists per game and assist-to-turnover ratio. She finsihed second on the Owls' all-time scoring list with 1,824 total points, and set Temple records in assists for both a career (635) and a single season (232), with her single season mark setting an American Athletic Conference record. Fitzgerald helped Temple to their its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2011, and the first Philadelphia Big 5 Championship since that same span.
Cagle, a redshirt junior on the men's soccer team, was named the Male Scholar Athlete of the Year. Temple's starting goalkeeper, he helped the Owls to four-straight NSCAA Team Academic Awards. Cagle is an environmental science major with a minor in social responsibility, who has done countless hours of research and internships in his field of study.
Millio, a senior on the women's rowing team, was named the Female Scholar Athlete of the Year. A team captain for the Owls, she is set to graduate with Latin honors in history, with a minor in political science. A member of the Dean's List for five semesters, she is presenting a thesis to earn distinction in her major. Millio was accepted to four law schools and will attend the Beasley School of Law at Temple in the fall.
Daisy Todd, a true freshman on Temple's gymnastics team, was named the Female Newcomer of the Year. She competed in the all around at every one of Temple's meets in 2017, including posting a 39.025 at the ECAC Championships, a score that ranks third all-time in program history. Todd, who shared ECAC Rookie of the Year honors, qualified to compete at the 2017 NCAA Regional, the first for an Owl since the 2008 season. She earned silver in the all around at the ECAC Championships, and also grabbed three event titles this season, one on vault and two on bars.
Aaron Boumerhi (Football) and Marc Steinsberger (Men's Cross Country) shared the Male Newcomer of the Year honor. Boumehri, a true freshman, burst on to the scene mid-season for the football team, after starting the year as a walk-on. Replacing an injured teammate in the starting line-up, he made the most of it, going 15-of-17 for field goals and 29-of-30 on extra points. He finished the season with 74 total points, earning him a second team All-Conference honor.
Steinsberger, a graduate transfer, competed in six races for the Owls, notching wins at the Rider Invitational and the Leopard Invitational. He was sixth for the Owls at the 2017 Big 5 Invitational, and earned All-Conference honors with a ninth place finish at his the American Athletic Conference Championships. Wrapping up his first season with the Owls, Steinsberger placed 6th out of 190 runners at the IC4A Championships.
It was also announced at the Celebration of Champions that 240 student-athletes were named to the Director's Honor Roll (3.0-3.49 GPA), an increase of 38 from last year, 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 – Taylor Matsinger (Women's Soccer), Dara Peric (Volleyball), Evan Notaro (Men's Golf), Dan White (Men's Soccer), Elana Falcone (Women's Soccer), Joonas Jokinen (Men's Soccer), Mark Farley (Men's Golf), Kristina Gallivan (Women's Lacrosse), Carlene Demato (Women's Lacrosse), Nicholas Sharga (Football)
The volleyball team won the Owl Trophy for the top Team GPA Award with an aggregate grade point average of 3.58. Temple men's cross country broke a string of five-straight wins from the women's rowing team to take the annual Owl Cup title. 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 Vineet Naran (men's tennis) and freshman Kara Nakrasius (lacrosse) 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 Harmann Doerner (men's soccer) and senior Brooke Williams (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.
Junior Sean Chandler (football) and senior Brenda McDermott (lacrosse) 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.
Serving as emcees for the event were Raymond Smeriglio, Assistant Director of Development, and Kevin Copp, Assistant Athletic Director for Video Services. PNC once again served as the presenting sponsor for the Celebration of Champions.
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