GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Seniors Drake Caggiula and McKenzie Hart were bestowed the University of North Dakota's top individual honors tonight at the athletic department's annual Night of Champions awards gala at the Empire Arts Center.
Caggiula, who led the men's hockey program to a national championship, was named Glenn “Red” Jarrett Male Athlete of the Year, while volleyball libero Hart, who paced the NCAA in digs per set, was named the Grace Rhonemus Female Athlete of the Year.
Caggiula, a senior forward from Whitby, Ontario, tied for eighth in the national scoring race with a career-high 51 points despite missing five games. He also tied for fifth nationally with a career-high 25 goals and led the nation with a school-record plus-46 rating. He scored a pair of goals in each of UND's games at the NCAA Frozen Four to land NCAA Frozen Four Most Outstanding Player honors, leading the program to its eighth national title.
Caggiula also earned American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) All-America Second Team honors and was named to U.S. College Hockey Online's All-USCHO First Team and College Hockey News' All-CHN Second Team.
Other finalists for the Glenn “Red” Jarrett Male Athlete of the Year award included Jacob Dehne (golf), Quinton Hooker (basketball), Zach Muckenhirn (baseball), and Will Ratelle (football).
Hart was named Big Sky Conference Libero of the Year for the second year in a row after leading the nation in digs per set (6.25). She graduates as the UND record-holder for single-match, single-season and career digs, and also established Big Sky Conference records for single-match and single-season digs.
The Langdon, N.D., native earned American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Region honorable mention, becoming the first volleyball player in UND's Division I era to earn all-region accolades.
Other finalists for the Grace Rhonemus Female Athlete of the Year award included Shelby Amsley-Benzie (hockey), Jayd Eggert (track & field), Steph Frey (swimming & diving), and Mia Loyd (basketball).
UND's other 2015-16 award recipients included:
Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year:
Zach Muckenhirn | Baseball | Junior | Pitcher | Delano, Minn.
Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year:
Shelby Amsley-Benzie | Hockey | Senior | Goalie | Warroad, Minn.
- A chemical engineering major with a 4.0 grade-point average
- Two-time WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year and two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American
- Two-time finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award given to the top player in NCAA Division I women's hockey
- Finalists: Lauren Clarke (volleyball), Aliza Deming (tennis), Makailah Dyer (basketball), Jayd Eggert (track & field), Steph Frey (swimming & diving), Olivia Knutson (golf)
Male Scholar Team of the Year:
Men's Cross Country | Head Coach: Dick Clay
- 3.395 cumulative GPA from Spring 2015 through Fall 2015 semesters
- Finalists: Men's golf, men's tennis
Female Scholar Team of the Year:
Women's Golf | Head Coach: Natalie Martinson
- 3.536 cumulative GPA from Spring 2015 through Fall 2015 semesters
- Finalists: Women's swimming & diving, women's track & field
Male Freshman of the Year:
Brock Boeser | Hockey | Forward | Burnsville, Minn.
Female Freshman of the Year:
Jenna Janu | Golf | Glenwood, Minn.
- Broke UND's Division I-era single-season stroke average record (78.12)
- Two-time Big Sky Conference Player of the Week carded eight rounds of 75 or better
- Finalists: Molli Detloff (track & field), Fallyn Freije (basketball), Anna Kilponen (hockey), Olivia Swenson (soccer)
Male Unsung Hero:
Drick Bernstine | Basketball | Sophomore | Forward | Aurora, Colo.
- Started all 33 games and averaged 9.7 ppg and UND DI-record 9.1 rpg
- Set Big Sky Conference Tournament single-game record with 21 rebounds in quarterfinals
- Finalists: Luke Mathewson (football), Nate Peterson (track & field), Austin Poganski (hockey)
Female Unsung Hero:
Leah Szabla | Basketball | Junior | Guard | Brooklyn Park, Minn.
- Point guard returned from offseason injury to start 25 of 30 games and average 8.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg and 2.3 apg
- Scored in double figures on 14 occasions, including a pair of 20-point performances
- Finalists: Kristen Giesbrecht (volleyball), Layla Marvin (hockey), Bethany Schultz (track & field)
Male Individual Community Service Award:
Drew Campbell | Track & Field | Junior | Distance | Lake Elmo, Minn.
- Led all male student-athletes with 281.5 hours of community service
- Accrued all of his community service hours during a mission trip to Costa Rica
- Finalists: Dustin Britton (tennis), Joe Lee (tennis) -
Female Individual Community Service Award:
Sam LaShomb | Hockey | Senior | D\F | Inver Grove Heights, Minn.
- Led UND student-athletes with 592 hours of community service
- Volunteered for several organizations, including Tri-County Community Corrections, Valley Eldercare, Try Hockey For Free, and more
- Finalists: Bethany Schultz (track & field), Patricia Tedjasukama (swimming)
Male Team Community Service Award:
Tennis (fourth straight year)
- Totaled 257 hours of community service (32.13 hours per student-athlete)
- Volunteered for organizations including Red River Valley Community Action, North Dakota Special Olympics, and more
- Finalists: Basketball, Track & Field
Female Team Community Service Award:
Hockey
- Totaled 1,408.35 hours of community service (56.33 hours per student-athlete)
- Volunteered for organizations including Burtness Theater, Grand Forks Public Schools, The Big Event, and more
- Finalists: Tennis, Volleyball
Notes: UND's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) officers Chelsea Moser (President, Volleyball), Dayo Idowu (Vice-President, Football), Connor Oberle (Secretary, Tennis), and Andrea Hyduke (Social Media Coordinator, Soccer) were recognized for their service … The women's swimming & diving team won its second consecutive SAAC Cup, given to the team that accumulates the most points in three areas: 1) Attendance at other home sporting events, 2) Team semester grade-point averages during Spring 2015 and Fall 2014 semesters, 3) Team community service hours.
