Buckley, Schweizer Named Mizzou Athletes of the Year at ROARS
4/16/2018 8:35:00 PM | General
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Mizzou Athletics honored academic and athletic accomplishments of its 550 student-athletes Monday evening at the 10th annual ROARS Awards Show. "Part ESPYs, part Oscars, all Mizzou," the program recognized the many extraordinary 2017-18 performances, both in competition and beyond, of its student-athletes at the annual awards show.
Karissa Schweizer (Urbandale, Iowa) earned Female Athlete of the Year for the second straight season. The senior claimed her fourth and fifth NCAA individual championships this season, winning both the 3000m and 5000m national titles at the 2018 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships.
Mizzou's 2017-18 Male Athlete of the Year award was presented to men's golf's Hayden Buckley (Beldon, Miss). In the midst of one of the best seasons in program history, Buckley has four tournament titles under his belt in 2017-18 and is a finalist for the Bryon Nelson Award and is on the Haskins Award Watch List.
Mizzou women's basketball Head Coach Robin Pingeton took home Coach of the Year honors. In her eighth season, Pingeton guided the Tigers to 24 victories, the most for the program since 1983-84, and their third-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. The team climbed to No. 11 in the nation and defeated No. 4 South Carolina for the second-straight year.
Mizzou's Varsity M Student-Athlete of the Year honors were bestowed upon gymnast Kennedi Harris (Atlanta, Ga.) and football's Brandon Lee (Indianapolis, Ind.).
In addition, the Director of Athletics Leadership Award, presented by Mizzou Athletics Director Jim Sterk, went to women's basketball's Jordan Frericks (Quincy, Ill.).
Mizzou's Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) voted on the athletic achievement awards, while the Total Person Program's staff voted on academic honors.
A full rundown of the evening's awards and honors are listed below. For the latest on Mizzou Athletics, be sure to follow along on Twitter (@MizzouAthletics).
2018 ROARS Award Winners
Coach of the Year
Robin Pingeton
Male "For the Love of the Game"
Chase Brennan – Wrestling
Female "For the Love of the Game"
Faramola Shonekan – Women's Track and Field
Community Service Award
Men's Track and Field
Male Highlight of the Year
Jaydin Eierman - Wrestling
Female Highlight of the Year
Karissa Schweizer
MizzouMade Staff Award
Adam Kiel – Director of Career Development
Female "Varsity M" Student-Athlete of the Year
Kennedi Harris - Gymnastics
Male "Varsity M" Student-Athlete of the Year
Brandon Lee - Football
Female Rookie of the Year
Annie Ochitwa – Women's Swimming
Male Rookie of the Year
Grant Leeth - Wrestling
Female Dr. Judy Wells Academic Achievement Award
Tsai-Anne Joseph – Women's Track and Field
Male Dr. Judy Wells Academic Achievement Award
Ish Witter – Football
Professor of the Year
Eric Aldrich
Male Heather Morris Courage Award
Thomas George – Men's Track and Field
Courage Award
Heather Morris
Female Heather Morris Courage Award
Andrea Fuentes – Volleyball
Mr. "Mizzou Made"
Bryce Montes De Oca - Baseball
Ms. "Mizzou Made"
Kira Larson - Volleyball
Team Performance of the Year
Gymnastics
Coach's Academic Enhancement Award
Barry Odom
Legacy Award
Mary Austin
Director of Athletics Leadership Award
Jordan Frericks – Women's Basketball
Female Athlete of the Year
Karissa Schweizer – Women's Cross Country/Women's Track and Field
Male Athlete of the Year
Hayden Buckley – Men's Golf
Tiger Cup
Women's Track and Field
