MONTEVALLO, Ala. - The University of Montevallo Department of Athletics is pleased to announce the recipients of the fifth annual Freddie Awards and the Falcon Cup, recognizing student-athletes for their achievements in their field of play, sportsmanship, team spirit, and academic excellence. 

The Falcon Cup is awarded to the team that best combines academics, community service, and SAAC attendance during the academic year.  The award also takes into consideration the team's overall record for the season, post season record, and the record against in state opponents. For the fourth time since the establishment of the award, the volleyball team took home the Falcon Cup.  The women's cross country team finished second in the Falcon Cup standings, followed by the women's lacrosse team in third place.

"I want to congratulate our team on a job well done!  Our team learned a lot about themselves.  We hope to build on that success this year," remarked head volleyball coach Katie O'Brien. "Last year was a tough year for all the student-athletes.  There were some special moments, by several teams this year.  The times we, as a department, supported each other will be great memories!" 

The Freddies nominees and award winners in each applicable category can be found below:

MARGARET BLALOCK AWARD (Female Student-Athlete of the Year)

NOMINEES:
Evelina Teran (Volleyball)
Anja Kuys (Women's Lacrosse)
Eva Dirr (Women's Tennis)
Kira Bochard (Women's Soccer)
 
WINNER: Justine Glass (Women's Cross Country/ Track & Field)
Justine Glass became Montevallo's first ever qualifier from the women's team for the NCAA Indoor Championships, earning a Second Team All-American slot after an 11th place finish in the 5K race. The Barrie, Ontario native began the year by finishing in the top five at the GSC Cross Country Championship for the third consecutive season via a second place effort in 2020. Glass was named to the GSC Winter All-Academic Team after wrapping up her senior year with a 3.40 GPA in Social Work.

"Competing at a high level is very rewarding but requires a lot of sacrifice and commitment. Taking care of my body and getting enough rest has been the main focus since running in college. A lot of times it's challenging to do so, especially with balancing class and life outside of school. This past year was a little more intense with Covid but it helped to know every other athlete was experiencing the same thing. At the end of the day, competing at this level is somewhat exhausting but the outcome is 100% worth it," remarked Glass. "Representing UM at the NCAA indoor track and field nationals as the first woman to do so was really exciting. Montevallo has had a lot of talented female athletes that I looked up to as a freshman so I'm just really thankful I got to represent our team, both alumni and future athletes. It was a new experience for both me and my coaches and one that I'll always remember."

NEAL SHIRLEY AWARD (Male Student-Athlete of the Year)

NOMINEES:
Xavier Malcom (Men's Basketball)
Chandler Ingram (Baseball)
Kyle Little (Men's Lacrosse)
Thomas Vaesen (Men's Lacrosse)
 
WINNER: DaShaun Morgan (Men's Track & Field)
 
For the second consecutive year DaShaun Morgan goes down as the Male Student Athlete of the Year for UM Athletics.  Morgan experienced abundant success this year including two wins in the long jump during indoor season at UAB and at the GSC Indoor Championships, and was named the GSC Championship Most Outstanding Field Performer.  Morgan finished second in the long jump at the NCAA Indoor National Championship earning himself All-American status.  The Biloxi, Mississippi native was also tabbed as the USTFCCCA South Region Field Athlete of the Year.  During the outdoor season Morgan took gold in the long jump at the UAB Spring Invitational, Flames Invitational, Lee Last Chance Meet, and in the GSC Outdoor Championships.  Morgan also won the triple jump at the GSC Championships.
 
"My mentality is to always stay focused and know what my goals are," said Morgan. "The pandemic was a major reset button so I told myself to train harder than the year before. I looked at the pandemic as a challenge that was preventing me from accomplishing my goals. So as a competitor I worked harder than I ever have to be the best student athlete I can be. Doing so also helped me become a great Team leader and teammate."
 
JAN EAGLES AWARD (Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year)
 
WINNERS:
Sadie Bopst (Women's Lacrosse) – 4.00 GPA
Kristen Chance (Women's Soccer) – 4.00 GPA
Alexis Cortez (Softball) – 4.00 GPA
Samara Lino (Women's Soccer) – 4.00 GPA
Hailey Vance (Women's Swimming) – 4.00 GPA 
 
WALTER BENNET AWARD (Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year)
 
WINNER: Milan Ludlage (Men's Tennis) – 4.00 GPA
 
FEMALE SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD (Female student who best exemplifies sportsmanship)

NOMINEES:
Linda Silva (Women's Lacrosse)
Mariel Bertossi (Softball)
 
WINNER: Cyba Ozzor (Women's Tennis)
 
"I feel like it is very important to keep your composure on the tennis court because showing even the slightest bit of emotion can affect your performance," said Ozzor. "Allowing your opponent to see any negativity can bring them back into any match. In tennis it is never over until the final point is played so on the court it is crucial to stay consistent from start to finish, and that all starts by having a positive attitude in your everyday life that way it will easily reflect in your game." 
 
MALE SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD (Male student who best exemplifies sportsmanship)
NOMINEES:
Cyprien Ngoma (Men's Soccer)
Justin Greene (Men's Lacrosse)
Xavier Malcom (Men's Basketball)
Brady Carman (Men's Golf)
 
WINNER: Brennan Ferguson (Baseball)
 
"I think having a good attitude resonates with the whole team. If you have a bad attitude it not only brings you down but your teammates as well," remarked Ferguson.
 
DEWAYNE PEEVY SPIRIT AWARD (Student who best exemplifies school spirit)
NOMINEES:
Brett Batchelor(Men's Golf)
Xavier Malcom (Men's Basketball)
Edin Hernandez (Men's Soccer)
 
WINNERS
Linda Silva (Women's Lacrosse)
Silva opened up about her involvement across campus as a student athlete, "I held the mindset of how involvement and advocacy benefit not just myself but others on campus, while embracing the "We before Me" values that Coach Piontek instills in us. I stayed true to my passions and kept an open mind when teaming up with other student athletes and organizations. Overall, I hoped to make an impact during my experience at Montevallo by helping out wherever I could."
 
Sergi Martinez (Men's Tennis)
Martinez spoke on his supportive nature for the Montevallo Athletic Department, "I love sports, and I feel a strong connection with all the teams that are part of the University. The feeling of identity and brotherhood I get whenever I root any of the school's teams makes me feel I'm also playing beside them, competing, suffering, and giving it all every single game. I believe this is the spirit of sports. All the great effort put in by the players deserves strong support from the public, and this reciprocal energy from inside and outside the court or field can pump up the momentum and make a big difference in the outcome. After all, we always want to win, right? We are the UM Falcons!" 
 
SAAC MOST INFLUENTIAL AWARD
WINNER: Xavier Malcom
When asked about his mentality as a student athlete Malcom credited it to "Mamba mentality, that's it."  Malcom was a fierce competitor for the men's basketball program leading the team in scoring (14.2 ppg, 241 pts), three point shooting percentage (.409), and was named First Team All-GSC.  Malcom spoke on his focus after overcoming the challenges of the pandemic, "My mentality is more focused and excited that we get a full season to play and compete every day."
 
 
PLAY OF THE YEAR
NOMINEES:
Volleyball's long rally during the finals of the GSC Spring Series Championship Tournament.
Game winning goal by freshman Rylee Horton, assisted by Anja Kuys, with 1:39 left in the game to give us our first ever Program History win over Young Harris
 
WINNER: Holly LaForce Henderson walk off RBI single which secured the program's first post season victory.

"As a fifth year senior, coming back after COVID, I was just proud of our team for making it to conference," said Henderson. "We overcame some major adversities over the past 2 years to come back with the fight that we showed at conference. To be honest, I hadn't had a hit in the whole conference tournament yet. I looked at my teammate, Brooke Ingram, and said why it is me that's always in these tough situations? She looked at me and said "Because you were made for these situations, this is why you came back." That was all of the confidence I needed in that at bat. The best feeling ever was after the hit and seeing Sierra score and running to meet my roommate/best friend Mariel, the only other fifth year senior on the team."
 
 
GAME/MATCH OF THE YEAR
NOMINEES
Softball victory over UWF in GSC Tournament
Women's Basketball beating Lee for the first time in history to help clinch a #2 seed in the Gulf South Conference Tournament.
Women's Lacrosse 18-17 victory over Young Harris
 
WINNER: Men's Lacrosse 12-10 win over UAH in the PBC Championship
The Montevallo men's lacrosse team held off a furious rally from Alabama-Huntsville to win the first-ever PBC Men's Lacrosse Tournament Championship. The Falcons stamp their names on the history book as the first tournament title holders in PBC history after the conference added the sport to its championship roster for the 2021 season. With the win, Montevallo concluded the season with a 10-4 overall record, and an undefeated conference record.  
 
PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
NOMINEES
Mychael McMillan (Softball) shutout against Valdosta State
Marisa Snodgrass (Women's Basketball) against Lee (1/31), shooting 8/9 from the field while sinking 7/8 three pointers.
Kira Bochard (Women's Soccer) netted three goals against Shorter.
Hogan Isbell (Baseball) pitches a complete game against Union.
 
WINNER: Kyle Little (Men's Lacrosse) recorded 20 saves in the Peach Belt Conference Championship win over UAH including four in the final 1:34, halting the Chargers comeback efforts. 

"Leading up to the championship game against University of Alabama Huntsville my mindset and focus really stemmed from what Coach Lange and Coach Horning made us believe. They instilled confidence in us and the belief that we were a championship team before the game. Specifically, they made me focus on our defense and what I could do to help us win. Personally, I didn't change how I prepared for the game and while it was the biggest game I have played in so far during my college career, my teammates and coaches believed in me as a goaltender and wanted me to prepare how I felt most comfortable." said Little. "As a student-athlete to perform at a consistent and elite level is the hardest task to complete. Consistency and high level of play start in practice and time on your own. Spending hours perfecting your craft on your own gives you a chance to perform consistent and at a high level the next part of that is executing come game time. This year was especially hard due to Covid-19 complications because this meant to be successful we had to be focused day in and day out as practice time was limited."

 
FEMALE NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
NOMINEES:
Shelby Narramore (Women's Swimming)
Eleanor Bruce (Women's Lacrosse)
Hannah Carey (Softball)
Nyla Shipman (Women's Track & Field)
Allie Dishman (Volleyball)
Kinley Adams (Softball)
 

WINNER: Casey Hendrixson (Volleyball) was second in the conference during the GSC season with 5.25 Digs/set.  On March 6^th, she recorded 39 Digs against West Georgia, marking the 5^th-highest single-match Dig total in Montevallo history.  She was named was named Top Defensive Player and Top Freshman of the week for her leading the Falcons defensively tallying 67 digs (4.79 digs/set), nine assists, and two service aces in their three wins that week.

"I came in with the mentality of that coach brought me here for a reason," said Hendrixson.  "I felt that when I got the opportunity to make an impact, the coaches and girls were very welcoming to all the incoming freshmen and that made it easier for me to come in and perform to my standards."
 
 
MALE NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
NOMINEES:
Trevayne Hunter (Men's Lacrosse)
Hogan Isbell (Baseball)
Mason Shifflett (Men's Basketball)
Landon Wockenfuss (Men's Golf)
 
WINNER: Ray Asmakis (Men's Swimming)
Ray Asmakis had a phenomenal debut season at UM, placing in multiple meets, while breaking several school records including the 500 free, 1000 free, and the 1650 free.  Asmakis was also named First Team All-NSISC after his first year as a Falcon.

"The mentality I had coming to Montevallo was to compete at conference and help score points for our team," remarked Asmakis. "The focus it took was to make sure I remember the end goal which was to try and place at conference. Remembering this goal can be difficult at times because as the season goes on there is lots of highs and lows. But, in the end it turned out pretty good as I placed in several events. I would not have been able to make this impact if it wasn't for my teammates pushing me and the coaching staff supporting me throughout the year. Looking forward to this upcoming year! Go Falcons!