Athletics Successes Highlighted at CCSU Blue Devil Choice Awards

The annual Senior Awards for the Central Connecticut Department of Athletics were announced on Monday during the CCSU Blue Devil Choice Awards held in Alumni Hall. The awards program included the presentation of the major athletic and academic awards, while integrating a slate of awards chosen by the Blue Devils' student-athletes as part of a new award program to recognize their peers and teams.

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The Frederick M. Gladstone and Gail Rutz Awards are presented to honor the top male and female athletes in the senior class and are among the most prestigious a student-athlete can win in their CCSU career. Past winners of these awards include CCSU Hall of Famers, professional athletes, and successful business men and women.

The Gail Rutz Award was presented to Angelia Rafter (cross country/track and field). On the men's side, senior Craig Wood (football) was honored with the Frederick M. Gladstone Award. Rafter is the most decorated runner in CCSU history and leaves the program with eight school records and six team championships. Wood is a six-year member of the football team, three-year starter and a team captain in 2022.

Along with the Gladstone and Rutz awards, seniors Caitlin Murphy (women's soccer) and Nicholas Gianni (men's track and field) were honored with the Kevin Oliva Memorial Academic Awards for having the highest grade point averages among female and male senior student-athletes, respectively. The volleyball team was recognized for having the highest team GPA among CCSU's 16 Division I sports. The academic awards are given in honor of the former Director of the Academic Center for Student-Athletes. Kevin Oliva was a beloved and loyal Blue Devil with a deep-rooted connection to the University. He was beloved by staff and student-athletes at CCSU for his devotion to their well-being and his mantra of "Be nicer to one another," serves as a reminder that everyone matters.

In addition, all senior student-athletes from the sports teams, the dance and cheerleading squads, and athletic training program were recognized for graduating and for their commitment to Blue Devil Athletics. Student-athletes with a GPA above 3.20 over the past two semesters were also recognized with the Academic Award.

The Blue Devil Choice Awards included 11 awards voted on and presented by CCSU student-athletes recognizing the accomplishments of their peers. The award winners were:

Biggest Hype Man/Woman Award (Given to the one student athlete who brings positivity, excitement and good vibes to the locker room, practice and competition.): Yankarlos Diaz
Team Clown Award (Given to the one student who can be counted on to lighten up the mood with their jokes and personality.): Paige Stringer
Best Upset Award (Given to the team whose performance at a specific competition shocked the community.): Women's Basketball
Most Supportive Team Award (Given to the team that voluntarily showed up to support their fellow Blue Devils at games and meets.): Women's Soccer
Iron Devil Award (Given to one male and one female student athlete who is always on time for their training, demonstrating leadership by pushing their teammates. Chosen by Sports Performance Staff): Alec Ambrosio (football), Meg Gorman (softball)
Outstanding Performance of the Year (Presented to one male and one female student athlete who had a stand-out, stellar performance in a competition this year.): Ramon Jimenez (baseball), Ashley Dana (indoor track & field)
SAAC Award (Presented to the individual or team who has gone above and beyond in showing spirit and support for the Athletics programs and for the university): CCSU Dance Team
Rookies of the Year (Given to one male and one female freshman student athlete who displayed athletic excellence in their sport this past year.): Jewelle Maziarz (swimming & diving), Aiden Budge (track & field)

The Blue Devils have posted another successful season, winning three Northeast Conference team championships in the fall and winter (women's cross country, women's swimming and diving, women's indoor track and field) with four teams still competing for spring championships. Since 2014-15, CCSU has won an NEC-high 30 team championships.