2025 Panthers' Choice Awards presented by PNC
4/14/2025 9:30:00 PM | Baseball, Cross Country, Football, General, Men's Basketball, Men's Soccer, Softball, Swimming & Diving, Women's Basketball, Women's Gymnastics, Women's Soccer, Volleyball, Wrestling, Track & Field, Life Skills, Women's Lacrosse
PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh Department of Athletics hosted the eighth annual Panthers' Choice Awards presented by PNC Monday night with a celebration of student-athlete achievements in academics, athletics and citizenship made during the 2024-25 academic year.
The Panthers' Choice Awards presented by PNC honor Pitt's top athletic performances, community service participation as well as the top teams in terms of both athletic and academic accomplishment.
The prestigious Panther and Blue-Gold awards were presented during the program. The names of the recipients are forever recognized on Pitt's Varsity Walk between the Cathedral of Learning and Heinz Memorial Chapel, in a tradition that dates back to 1950.
Women's soccer's Ellie Coffield, volleyball's Rachel Fairbanks and Valeria Vazquez Gomez, swimming & diving's Cameron Cash, women's track & field's Ilse Steigenga and football's Ben Sauls will each have their names engraved on the prestigious Varsity Walk, ensuring their status as legends in Pitt Athletics history.
Below is a full list of awards presented Monday.
Top Overall Academic Teams of the Year
• Reserved for the male and female team with the highest cumulative GPA for the spring and fall semesters of 2024.
• Winners: Men's Soccer and Women's Cross Country
Bridge Builder Award
• Presented to the team whose student-athletes demonstrate the strongest commitment to making an impact in the community.
• Winner: Lacrosse
Heart of a Panther Award
• Presented to the student-athletes who best embody the spirit of service through the Pitt Promise and is involved in the community above and beyond what is required.
• Gracie Kahoun (Lacrosse)
Gold Standard Teammates of the Year
• Presented to the student-athlete who most effectively inspires his or her team through exemplary commitment, composure, and integrity.
• Baseball: Jayden Melendez
• Men's Basketball: Papa Amadou Kante
• Football: Brandon George
• Gymnastics: Jah'Liyah Bedminster
• Women's Basketball: Khadija Faye
• Lacrosse: Jill Fenech
• Men's Soccer: Jackson Gilman
• Women's Soccer: Olivia Lee
• Men's Track and Field/Cross Country: Quintin Gatons
• Women's Track and Field/Cross Country: Sydney Nowicki
• Men's Swimming and Diving: Eric Camden
• Women's Swimming and Diving: Jess Vega
• Volleyball: Emmy Klika
• Wrestling: Mac Stout
• Softball: Tieley Vaughn
• Cheer: Angelina Brown
• Dance: Emma Racunas
Gold Standard Administrator of the Year
• Presented to non-coaching staff members of the athletic department who have gone above and beyond to ensure success and development of the student-athletes.
• Baseball: Gunnar Geyer
• Men's Basketball: Mike Farabaugh
• Football: E.J. Borghetti
• Gymnastics: Shawn Mueller
• Women's Basketball: Kiera Molloy
• Lacrosse: Riley Newell
• Men's Soccer: Joe Wellwood
• Women's Soccer: Mandy Matson
• Men's Track and Field/Cross Country: Colby Wilson
• Women's Track and Field/Cross Country: Darryl Weston
• Men's Swimming and Diving: Casey McAlpine
• Women's Swimming and Diving: Dom Gallo
• Volleyball: Christina "Tilly" Sheets
• Wrestling: Chris Byland
• Softball: Devin Young
• Cheer: Katie Stumpp
• Dance: Katie Stumpp
James Conner Comeback of the Year
• Presented to a student-athlete who, having recovered from an injury, illness or hardship, returns to make a noteworthy contribution to their teams' athletic success.
• Winner: Rashad Battle (Football)
David Sandberg Champion Award
• In memory of the former Pitt wrestler and assistant coach, this award is presented to the senior who best exemplifies the qualities that Sandberg embraced: dedication to academic and athletic excellence, with an unyielding spirit and passionate commitment to the improvement of the University of Pittsburgh and its surrounding communities.
• Winner: Emmy Klika (Volleyball)
Male and Female Performance of the Year
• Presented to a male and female student-athlete for the most remarkable or significant performance achieved in 2024-25.
• Winners: Sophie Yendell (Swimming & Diving) – Yendell became Pitt's highest NCAA finisher in women's swimming when she finished fifth in the 50 Freestyle at the NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships in March. She earned First Team All-America status for the first time in her career, becoming Pitt's first female All-American swimmer since 1986. Nigel Hussey (Men's Track & Field) – Hussey had an outstanding 2025 ACC Indoor Championship meet. After recording a time of 6.70 in the 60m prelims, Hussey raced to a personal best 6.66 third place finish in the 60m final the following day. The time of 6.66 is the third best time in program history. An hour later, Hussey claimed fourth place in the 200m final, with another personal best, 20.86. That time is the second-best time in the event in program history. To end the meet, Nigel helped the men's 4x400 relay team to a fourth-place finish. Collectively, Nigel was responsible for 16 of the men's 21 total team points.
Newcomer of the Year
• Presented to the student-athlete who has made an immediate impact at Pitt in their first year of competition. Nominees may include freshmen, transfers and redshirts.
• Winner: Casper Svendby (Men's Soccer)
Team Moment of the Year
• Presented in recognition of a striking performance by an individual or group in a specific competition that led to a shift in momentum.
• Winner: The top-ranked Pitt volleyball team swept in-state rival then-No. 3 Penn State at the Petersen Events Center in front of a program record 11,800 fans on Sept. 18. Pitt dominated, holding Penn State to less than 20 points in all three sets. Eventual AVCA National Player of the Year Olivia Babcock recorded 13 kills, five digs and four blocks. AVCA First Team All-American Rachel Fairbanks notched a match-high 42 assists and set the Panthers to a .385 hitting percentage.
Male and Female Athlete of the Year
• Presented to a male and female standout student-athlete who has demonstrated outstanding athletic performance during competition and has been instrumental to their teams' success.
• Winners: Mac Stout (Wrestling) and Olivia Babcock (Volleyball)
Script Writer Award
• Recognizes a student-athlete who best embraces Pitt Athletics' seven bridges achieving comprehensive excellence within the classroom, on the field/court of play, within our University's community, and within the city of Pittsburgh.
• Winner: Abby Thorne (Lacrosse)
Blue-Gold Award
• Presented to the male and female senior student-athlete who best represents the student-athlete "ideal" based on academic scholarship, athletic achievement, leadership qualities and citizenship. These recipients will be forever recognized on the Varsity Walk.
• Winners: Ellie Coffield (Women's Soccer), Valeria Vazquez Gomez (Volleyball) and Cameron Cash (Swimming & Diving)
Panther Award
• Presented to the male and female senior student-athlete who has promoted Pittsburgh Athletics through his or her outstanding athletic achievement. These recipients will be forever recognized on the Varsity Walk.
• Winners: Rachel Fairbanks (Volleyball), Ilse Steigenga (Women's Track & Field) and Ben Sauls (Football)
Herb Douglas Mentorship Award
• Stewarded to the best candidate who best embodies Herb's dedication to leading, inspiring and mentoring the world's future achievers.
• Winner: Dontez Ford
Players Mentioned
