Mount Olive, N.C. - The University of Mount Olive Athletics awards ceremony, the Trojan Globes, was held Tuesday, May 1 inside the Kornegay Arena. The ceremony honored UMO student-athlete success in the classroom and on their respective fields of play.
The annual awards ceremony is held every year in honor and celebration for all the hard work the student-athletes at Mount Olive have put in over the past academic year. Many different awards are given out during the night.
The night was highlighted by the scholar-athletes and outstanding student-athlete awards being announced. Men's Volleyball's Robert Poole and Softball's Kayla Allen were named the 2018 UMO Scholar-Athletes of the Year.
Poole, a senior Chemistry major from Enfield, England, was named the Conference Carolinas Murphy Osborne Award winner this year by the conference. The Murphy Osborne Award is an annual award recognizing a senior student-athlete for excellence in academics, athletics, leadership, service, and involvement within the community, and is the top individual award presented by Conference Carolinas.
A senior Recreational Therapy major from Benson, N.C., Allen led the Trojans in batting (.386), triples (10), hits (64), and RBI (27). Allen broke the career record for triples in a career this season as she finished with 15 triples for her career.
Also awarded were the outstanding male and female athletes. Cross Country/Track and Field's Adam Craig and Women's Basketball's Felecity Havens were named the 2018 UMO Outstanding Male and Female Student-Athletes.
Craig, a senior exercise management major from Lauder, Scotland, helped lead the Trojans' to Conference Carolinas Championships in cross country, indoor and outdoor track while becoming an All-American in both indoor track and cross country. Craig finished 10th at the cross country national championship and was 6th in the steeplechase at the indoor national championship.
A junior physical education major from Lorain, Ohio, Havens earned All-American honors after leading the Trojans to a quarterfinals finish in the Conference Carolinas women's basketball championship tournament this season. Havens was named to the D2CCA All-Southeast Region 1st-Team, the Conference Carolinas All-Conference 1st-Team and was named the Conference Carolinas Player of the Year. She also garnered a National Player of the Week laurel, the first-ever in program history, and was Conference player of the week twice. Havens finished the season as the conference leader in points (680), points per game (24.3), free throw percentage (86.6).
UMO's Men's Tennis was honored for accumulating the highest grade point average for the spring 2018 semester, while Women's Golf was honored for the fall 2017 semester.
The first Trojan Globe of the night was awarded to Quentin Aguilar as The Comeback Athlete of the year Award.
First Lady Mary Kerstetter was awarded the Trojan Globe for Fan of the year for adamant support of UMO athletics.
The Trojan Globe for "Best Record-Breaking Performance" was awarded to track and field's Jonathan Dahlke and basketball's Ni'Ya Styles. Dahlke broke the school records in the 1500 meters outdoors, 800 meters indoors, plus conference record in 800 meters outdoors. Styles became the career leader in points and three-point field goals this season.
"Play of the Year" was awarded to golf's Harry Bayley and soccer's Jocelyn Yurchak. Bayley made a hole in one during the Spring Kickoff Invite in Fleming Island, Fla, and Yurchak scored the game-winning goal in overtime 2-1 over Southern Wesleyan on Senior day.
The Trojan Globe for "Game of the Year" was given to Baseball for their 12-2 come from behind victory of USC Aiken to win 21-14 with 16 runs being scored in the last three innings and to Women's Basketball for their buzzer beater over Barton on Senior day.
The Male and Female Newcomer of the Year Trojan Globe was awarded to Men's Tennis Armando Ferreira and Women's Cross Country/Track and Field Celine Ritter. Ferreira was named the 2018 Conference Carolinas Men's Tennis Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year, while Ritter was named the Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year in Cross Country and Indoor Track and Field, competed at the Indoor track and field national championships, and has a provisional qualifying time for the outdoor national track and field championships.
The Trojan Globe for Male and Female Breakout Student-Athlete was awarded to Baseball's Nate Estes and Track and Field's Sydney McCoy. Estes went from a bench player to full-time starter for the Trojans being named to the First-Team All-Conference Team in his first full season, while Sydney earned All-American honors in the 60m indoors in her first year of competition.
The Outstanding Championship Performance Trojan Globe was given to women's cross country and track and field's Leah Hanle for her 14th place (All-American) finish at the 2017 NCAA DII Cross Country Championship and 5th place (All-American) finish in the 5000m at the 2018 NCAA DII Indoor Track and Field Championships.
Finally, the Trojan Globe for Outstanding Team was awarded to Men's Cross Country for winning the Conference Carolinas Championship, the NCAA DII Southeast Regional Championship, and placing a program-best 11th and the NCAA DII Cross Country National Championship.
Men's Soccer and Softball received the 2018 Golden Hanger award for best-dressed teams.
The complete list of Trojans Globe winners is listed below.
Student Support Award: Daniel Rudolffson
Murphy Osborne Award: Robert Poole
Leadership Award: Brighton Hudson | Michaela Ciciarelli
Hustle Award: Grant Conybear | Callie Ferrell
Covenant Award: Casey Fiechter
Comeback Award: Quentin Aguilar
Trojan Cup: Softball
Fan of the Year: First Lady Mary Kerstetter
Male Record-Breaking Performance: Jonathan Dahlke
Female Record-Breaking Performance: Ni'Ya Styles
Male Play of the Year: Harry Bayley
Female Play of the Year: Jocelyn Yurchak
Male Game of the Year: Baseball
Female Game of the Year: Women's Basketball
Male Newcomer of the Year: Armando Ferreira
Female Newcomer of the Year: Celine Ritter
Male Breakout Student-Athlete: Nate Estes
Female Breakout Student-Athlete: Sydney McCoy
Best Championship Performance: Leah Hanle
Most Outstanding Team: Men's Cross Country
Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Robert Poole
Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Kayla Allen
Male Outstanding Student-Athlete: Adam Craig
Female Outstanding Student-Athlete: Felecity Havens
The awards ceremony can be watched again below. Photos from the awards ceremony can be viewed HERE.