On Tuesday in the University Center Event Room, Seton Hall’s athletics department celebrated another year with their annual SHUcademy Awards, where the top student athletes, coaches, staff and moments from this past academic year were recognized.
From freshmen to seniors, the night celebrated a program that continues to compete at the highest level in the BIG EAST.
Freshman in Form
The freshman awards showed the next group of talent for the Pirates. Men’s soccer’s Giacomo Mana was named Freshman Male Athlete of the Year after having a great first season at The Hall.
On the women’s side, volleyball’s Sadie Reich earned Freshman Female Athlete of the Year. She led the team with 286 kills, ranked among the top players in the BIG EAST, and earned MVP honors at the Seton Hall Classic before her season was cut short due to injury.
Sophomores Hitting Their Stride
Men’s swimming and diving’s Nick Graham was named Sophomore Male Athlete of the Year, while women’s golf standout Marta Aguilar took home Sophomore Female Athlete of the Year. She also recently earned her third BIG EAST Golfer of the Week award on April 16, adding to her award-heavy season already.
Junior Guards Making Career Jumps
The junior class awards went to two standout players from the Seton Hall men’s and women’s basketball teams. Men’s basketball guard Adam “Budd” Clark earned Junior Male Athlete of the Year after averaging 12.7 points per game, helping lead the Pirates to a 21-12 record.
On the women’s side, Savannah Catalon was named Junior Female Athlete of the Year, continuing her run as one of the team’s most reliable and impactful players in the program.
A Performance to Remember
The Performance of the Year award went to the men’s soccer team for their NCAA Tournament first-round penalty kick win over Siena on Nov. 21. After a 1-1 draw that went through double overtime, the Pirates stayed calm in the shootout, scoring all three of their attempts while senior goalkeeper Matias Molina made multiple key saves to secure the win and send the Pirates to the second round.
Other Pirate Honorees
The night also included more general awards, including those for athletes at The Hall who had breakthrough seasons in their respective sport, showed perseverance or made a positive impact on the SHU community. In addition, staff members whose hard work behind the scenes contributed to the department’s success this year were also honored.
Men’s soccer head coach Andreas Lindberg was named the Staff MVP after leading the Pirates to the NCAA Tournament win that earned them the Performance of the Year.
Baseball’s Gabe Cavazzoni won Male Breakthrough Athlete of the Year after hitting .320 so far this season and helping lead the Pirates’ offense.
Meanwhile, women’s basketball’s Ari Woodard took home Female Breakthrough Athlete of the Year after playing in 20 games and stepping into a bigger role after the injury of sophomore guard Jada Eads. She recorded 11 assists against DePaul on Feb. 14 and had seven points, seven rebounds and six assists in the WBIT against Missouri on March 19.
Women’s basketball’s Shailyn Pinkney earned the Pirate Perseverance Award after a strong season for Seton Hall. The senior played in 28 games with 17 starts, averaging 3.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game.
Men’s swimming and driving’s Jake Karulf was awarded the St. John Paul II Sports and Spirituality Award, while softball’s Erin Howard received the Sue Dilley Regan Champion for Change Award and men’s cross country’s Stephen Beaman received the Walter Dukes Integrity and Impact Award.
Michael Carswell received the Pirate Recognition Award, while baseball’s Matt Pontari and volleyball’s Rylee Nelson were named this year’s Iron Pirates.
Jaden Highsmith is the assistant editor of The Setonian’s Sports section. He can be reached at jaden.highsmith@student.shu.edu.
