WATCH THE 2019 ATHLETIC AWARDS SHOW presented by Ingles
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Widchard Guervil, Annie McCullough and Nicole McMillen were named the Tusculum University Athletes of the Year at "An Evening with the Pioneers" Tuesday night at Pioneer Arena. Over 600 student-athletes, coaches and guests were in attendance at the event, which honors Tusculum's student-athletes for both on the field and off the field success.
Guerevil, a sophomore from Fort Myers, Florida, earns Male Athlete of the Year honors for a second consecutive season. He won SAC titles in both the 100 meters and 200 meters and was part of the runner-up 4x100-meter relay team, and led the Pioneers to a fifth place finish at the South Atlantic Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championship. He finished fourth in the 60 meters at the SAC Indoor Championship and qualified for the NCAA Division II Nationals in that event for a second straight year.
McCullough is named the TU Female Athlete of the Year for a second consecutive season while guiding the Pioneers to a 17-3 overall record including 10-0 in league play to capture the 2019 SAC Championship. The Belfast, Northern Ireland junior was named the 2019 SAC Player of the Year as she has posted a 26-5 singles record and is 25-4 in doubles with her twin sister Caitlin. Tusculum is ranked 16th in the nation and is third in the Southeast Region Poll, and have qualified for the NCAA postseason for a third straight year and 11th time in program history.
McMillen, a distance runner on the Pioneers' cross country and track & field teams, was also named the TU Female Athlete of Year. She won gold in the mile run at the SAC Indoor Championships and claimed SAC titles in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, 1,500 meters and 5,000 meters at last month's conference outdoor championship. The senior from Pickering, Ontario, Canada was named the 2019 SAC Outdoor Women's Track Athlete of the Year and also garnered All-SAC and All-Region first team honors on the TU cross country team.
Tennis coach Adam Jackson is this year's recipient of the Art Argauer Coach of the Year Award earning the award for a second straight year and third time in the last four seasons. Jackson led the Tusculum tennis teams to a combined 30-10 record as both qualified for the SAC postseason and led the TU women to the finals.
Men's lacrosse student assistant Cole Underwood is this year's recipient of the Walter T. Dette, Jr. Memorial Spirit Award. The Dette Award is presented to the graduating senior who has excelled in several areas while attending Tusculum.
Two Tusculum upperclassmen boast perfect 4.00 cumulative grade point averages and are the recipients of the Student-Athlete Academic Achievement Award, which is given to the top male and female student-athletes for academic achievement.
On the men's side, senior tennis player Fabian Paier earns this honor for a third straight year. Paier was a two-time recipient of the SAC Elite 20 Award for Men's Tennis in 2017 and 2018. Senior softball outfielder Morgan Mahaffey claims this honor for a third year in a row as well and becomes the fifth female TU student-athlete to go her entire career with a perfect GPA.
Academic achievement was also recognized with the Male and Female Freshman of the Year Academic Awards as four rookies were honored including: Ross Geiger (men's lacrosse) Connor Pinkard (baseball), Emilie Hansen (women's tennis), Katlyn Jones (women's soccer) and Julia Johansson (women's golf).
The Paxton-Combs Fan of the Year Awards are named in honor of former Tusculum staff members and long-time Pioneer fans Mary Helen Paxton and Joyce Combs. The recipient of this year's award is Tusculum sport management professor Tim Wilson. The student recipient of the Fan of the Year Award goes to football junior Javon "PJ" Green.
The Play of the Year Award was TU baseball pitcher Charles Hall's NCAA II single-game record 22 strikeouts against Queens University of Charlotte in March. The inaugural TU Moment of the Year was the women's tennis team's 4-3 win over nationally-ranked Wingate University to end the Bulldogs' 76-SAC match winning streak.
The Comeback Player of the Year Award was presented to men's lacrosse sophomore Quinn McKitrick who rallied from a season-ending injury last year only to battle back and earn All-Conference honors this year.
2018-2019 Tusculum University Athletic Award Recipients
Female Athlete of the Year: Annie McCullough (Women's Tennis)
Female Athlete of the Year: Nicole McMillen (Women's Cross Country / Track & Field)
Male Athlete of the Year: Widchard Guervil (Men's Track & Field)
Art Argauer Coach of the Year: Adam Jackson (M/W Tennis)
Walter T. Dette Spirit Award: Cole Underwood (Men's Lacrosse Student Assistant)
Male Freshman of the Year: Trenton Gibson (Men's Basketball)
Female Freshman of the Year: Emilie Hansen (Women's Tennis)
Team Most Valuable Players
Athletic Training (Nathan McCoy Memorial Award): Ashley Bowers
Cheerleading (Most Spirited): Carter Delsorbo
Women's Cross Country: Nicole McMillen
Men's Cross Country: Jackson Beason
Football: Keven Broadwater
Men's Soccer: Fabian Proesch
Women's Soccer: Kate Guildford
Women's Volleyball: Melissa Mazur
Women's Basketball: Yolizma Cupidan
Men's Basketball: Trenton Gibson
Softball: Emily Hester
Baseball: Daulton Martin
Women's Golf: Katie Tomassoni
Men's Golf: Kyle Engelbert
Men's Tennis: Yago Fernandez
Women's Tennis: Annie McCullough
Men's Lacrosse: Keegan Bell
Women's Lacrosse: Juliette Cusano
Men's Track & Field: Widchard Guervil
Women's Track & Field: Nicole McMillen
Women's Beach Volleyball: Melissa Mazur
Freshman of the Year Academic Award (Male): Ross Geiger (Men's Lacrosse)
Freshman of the Year Academic Award (Male): Connor Pinkard (Baseball)
Freshman of the Year Academic Award (Female): Emilie Hansen (Women's Tennis)
Freshman of the Year Academic Award (Female): Katlyn Jones (Women's Soccer)
Freshman of the Year Academic Award (Female): Julia Johansson (Women's Golf)
Student-Athlete Academic Achievement Award (Male): Fabian Paier (Men's Tennis)
Student-Athlete Academic Achievement Award (Female): Morgan Mahaffey (Softball)
Paxton-Combs Fan of the Year Award: Tim Wilson
Paxton-Combs Student Fan of the Year Award: Javon "PJ" Green
Play of the Year: Charles Hall's NCAA Division II single-game record 22 strikeouts vs Queens
Moment of the Year: Women's Tennis defeating Wingate to end Bulldogs' 76-SAC match winning streak
Comeback Player of the Year: Quinn McKitrick (Men's Lacrosse)
#FINISH Award: Women's Tennis
Inaugural Give-Back Award: Spirit Squad
3rd annual Pioneer Cup: Women's Lacrosse
