RIVER FOREST, ILL. — After a year full of buzzer beaters, home run walk offs, and rivalry victories, the Concordia University Chicago (CUC) athletic department celebrated the Charlie's in Geiseman Gymnasium. This year's student-athlete appreciation banquet brought forward many incredible moments from this season's teams.

The Charlie's

Starting off with the Charlie's, students, coaches, and staff voted on these participants to be the best and brightest of CUC Athletics. Including some stellar moments for some teams.

Teammate of the Year: Matthew Cardwell (Men's Basketball and Track and Field)

• As a sophomore guard on the men's basketball team and member of the men's track and field team, Cardwell has been a huge part of the success of both of these programs. He has helped instill a positive environment and be there for his teams on and off the court or field of play.

Coach of the Year: Andrew Chizzo (Track and Field)

• Coach Chizzo was selected for Coach of the Year, after winning the Charlie's GA/Assistant of the Year last year. In his first season as head coach of track and field, Coach Chizzo has had his athletes averaging 20-plus personal records per meet. He has also seen multiple new Cougar indoor record holders, specifically in the sprinter events.

GA/Assistant of the Year: Garry Maynard (Baseball)

• Coach Garry is in his first season with CUC Baseball as the Graduate Assistant Coach. So far, he has helped coach the Cougar baseball team to a 17-19 overall record and setting up to 8-12 in conference play. He works primarily with the outfielders as a part of the CUC coaching staff.

Comeback Player of the Year: Elijah Hickman (Baseball)

• After undergoing surgery for his elbow, Hickman has come back to be one of the leading hitters on the Cougar baseball team. He currently leads the team with a .374 batting average and 14 stolen bases.

Freshman of the Year: Miguel Sanchez (Track and Field)

• In his freshman season, Sanchez has taken the sprinting events by storm. In the indoor season, he became Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) All-Conference in the 200-meter and 400-meter. He was also a member of the NACC All-Conference 4x400 relay team. Most notably, Sanchez broke a nine-year Cougar record for the 400-meter.

Senior of the Year: Justin Greenlee (Men's Basketball)

• As a part of the NACC Conference-qualifying Cougar men's basketball team, Greenlee was a huge part of their success. Greenlee was honored as NACC All-Conference Honorable Mention. He scored 348 points on the season, he also was honored as top three in the nation for his assist to turnover ratio.

Female Athlete of the Year: Eve Shelton (Track and Field)

• For her junior year, Shelton has made some huge strides in her career as a sprinter. This year, she broke the indoor CUC track and field record for the 60-meter hurdles. Currently, she has been placing highly in multiple races for the outdoor season.

Male Athlete of the Year: Henry Jones IV (Football and Track and Field)

• Jones is a member of both the football and track and field, contributing to both programs early in his career. On the football team, he was second on the team in receiving yards with 332, three touchdowns, and 33 total receptions. To add on, he also totaled 585 all-purpose yards. On the track and field team, he broke a 12-year old Cougar record for the indoor 60-meter race.

Play of the Year: Michael Kasik walk-off home run against Dominican University

• To watch this play, click the link here

Game of the Year: Baseball vs. Dominican University

• To watch these highlights, click the link here

Team of the Year: Baseball

So far this season, Cougar baseball has a record of 17-19 overall and 8-12 in conference play. Some of the biggest wins of the season came in their sweep over Dominican University and Wisconsin Lutheran College. They are currently battling for a berth to the conference tournament.

Additional other awards were bestowed to both teams and individual athletes.

Team Academic Award: Women's Volleyball

This award is given based on who earns the highest GPA as a team. This year, that award was bestowed to women's volleyball, after receiving a 3.68 GPA for this academic year.

Team Community Service Award: Baseball

For the Community Service Award, the team with the most community outreach volunteer events will win for their consistent effort to give back. This year this was earned by the CUC baseball team, who did events like reading to elementary school kids, Feed My Starving Children, and will be back to do many more of these events this coming fall.

Cougar Cup: Baseball

The Cougar Cup Trophy is awarded yearly to the team that demonstrates excellence in the following categories: academics, athletic performance, community service, and participation. Things like GPA, Scholar Athletes, NACC placement, post-season success, service projects, and attendance at events on campus are all recorded throughout the year. The team that excels across all these categories is ultimately awarded the Cougar Cup Trophy, symbolizing their well rounded excellence both on and off the field. This year, that team was baseball, based on their ability to showcase what it truly means to be a CUC student athlete.

Terri Woods Sports Medicine Student Worker of the Year: Nikita Robbins (Softball)

The Terri Woods Sports Medicine Student Worker Award is given to an Athletic Training student worker who exemplifies what it means to give to his or her student athlete community. This specifically comes in the form of working in athletic training and showcasing the skills it takes to go above and beyond. This year's recipient of this award we bestowed to Nikita Robbins.

Jim Egan Athletic Communications Student Worker of the Year:  Wyatt McLaughlin (Baseball)

The Jim Egan Award is given to a student who has taken great pride in their work and made the department better much like Jim did, when he worked as the first Sports Information Director. This year, that award was given to Wyatt McLaughlin, for his dedication to the Athletic Communications Department.

A.W. Gross Award: The A.W. Gross Distinguished Senior Scholar-Athlete Award annually honors Concordia University Chicago senior student athletes that demonstrate all-around proficiency in academics, athletics, character, conduct, leadership and co-curricular activities.

Male Recipient: Elijah Hickman (Baseball)

Female Recipient: Isabelle Vernengo (Women's Volleyball)

Terry-Schubert Award: This award is given to a senior student-athlete who presents a positive attitude towards athletics and Christian living, serves and contributes to the best interests of his/her team, and demonstrates concern for the Concordia campus and local communities.  

Male Recipient: Justin Greenlee (Men's Basketball)

Female Recipient: Kate Johnson (Women's Lacrosse)
 

Special thanks to the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) for putting together such an amazing event. As well as Sodexo, Physical Plant, and all other individuals who helped to make The Charlie's happen! As we say goodbye to many incredible athletes and look forward to many more coming back next fall, we thank everyone in CUC Athletics for such an incredible year!