CHARLESTON, S.C. – Eighteen special award winners and 87 seniors across all 19 varsity sports and support groups were honored at the 2018 College of Charleston Athletics "Coug Awards" Sports Banquet sponsored by The Cougar Club on Tuesday night at TD Arena.
 
Senior All-American Stefano Peschiera (sailing) was honored with the prestigious J. Stewart Walker Cup, which is the highest award given by the athletics department to a deserving student-athlete. The award is named after J. Stewart Walker, Jr., a 1978 CofC graduate, who was very active in athletics until his death in 1983.
 
During his four-year career at The College, he won two ICSA Men's Singlehanded National Championship titles and competed in the 2016 Rio Summer Olympic Games for his home country of Peru. Peschiera will graduate in May with a bachelor's degree in finance.
 
The other five finalists for the award included Mary Kate Bowers (women's soccer), Joe Chealey (men's basketball), Tori Churchill (women's track & field and cross country), Taylor DuPree (softball) and Logan McRae (baseball).
 
Chealey along with Krissy Mummey (volleyball) and DuPree were honored as the athletic department's Male and Female Student-Athlete of the Year. Declan Hines (men's cross country) and Marian Williams (sailing) were the recipients of the Male and Female Newcomer of the Year Award.
 
The Commitment to Excellence Award was bestowed on Chealey and Hannah Bentz (equestrian) for demonstrating an exceptional degree of effort towards the improvement of themselves and their team.
 
Voted on by CofC student-athletes, the Most School Spirit Award was given to Rachel Kim (women's soccer) and Best Dressed Award to Evan Bailey (men's basketball).
 
The Charlie Post Courage Award was presented to Kennedy Madison (volleyball) in honor of Dr. Charlie Post, a former team physician and avid triathlete, who was paralyzed during a cycling accident and subsequently passed away. The CofC sports medicine staff presents the award annually to a student-athlete, who has demonstrated courage and perseverance despite facing various challenges and adversity.
 
The Sports Performance Male and Female Athlete of the Year Award went to Ryan Khan (men's tennis) and Sarah Wilkinson (offshore sailing) for their demonstration of having intangible qualities that led to success in the weight room, in competition and in life.
 
The CofC softball team won the 2018 Cougar Cup, which is presented annually to the team with the most participation points in the NCAA Student-Athlete Development commitment areas of athletic excellence, academic excellence, personal development, career development and service.
 
The Chad Effect Community Service Award was also presented to head coach Linda Kalafatis and the CofC softball team. The award, named in memory of former CofC men's basketball student-athlete Chad Cooke, is given annually to the athletic team that earns the most Cougar Cup points in the area of community service continuing Cooke's legacy of giving back to others in the community. 
 
Academically, 295 student-athletes and trainers were named to the Athletic Director's Honor Roll this school year. To qualify, a student-athlete must earn a term grade-point average or cumulative GPA of at least a 3.0 during the spring and fall 2017 semesters.
 
The CofC women's tennis team turned in the highest annual average team GPA in 2017, while the women's basketball team had the most improved annual average team GPA.
 
Helena Nyikos of women's tennis earned the Academic MVP Award given to the graduating senior with the highest cumulative GPA at the end of the fall prior to graduation. She will graduate in May with a bachelor's degree in international business.
 
2018 COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON ATHLETICS #COUGAWARDS
April 24, 2018
TD Arena
 
MEN'S AND WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
Seniors: Crew Kosiorek, Tori Churchill, Kallie Golicher and Marissa Small-Towns
 
MEN'S SOCCER
Seniors: Khalil Abderahman, Leland Archer, Paul Burdick, Eli Dent, Logan Devereux, Lorenz Esposito, Vebjorn Krovel, Avery Ryan, Cesar Murillo and Kevin Shields
 
WOMEN'S SOCCER
Seniors: Mary Kate Bowers, Summer Edwards, Ellen Gose, Hannah Huizenga, Mary Rounce, Rio Speller-Drews, Dakota Steiner and Tracey Webster
 
VOLLEYBALL
Seniors: Riana Brennan, Jane Feddersen, Krissy Mummey and Natalie Tucker
 
BEACH VOLLEYBALL
Seniors: Riana Brennan, Jane Feddersen, Lauren Hollman, Krissy Mummey, Natalie Tucker and Britney Vallez
 
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Seniors: Evan Bailey, Joe Chealey, John Eck and Cameron Johnson
 
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Seniors: Brianna Boyd, Shiclasia Brown and Tanisha Brown
 
BASEBALL
Seniors: Justin Baker, Zach Banks, Will Detwiler, Bradley Dixon, Cameron Garrett, Riley Knudsen, Carter Love, Luke Morgan, Tommy Richter and Seth Wall
 
EQUESTRIAN
Seniors: Amber Dorn, Christina Hayden, Madison King, Annie Kuniansky, Rio Parker, Kat Perry, Emily Rees and Hannah Showell
 
MEN'S GOLF
Seniors: None
 
WOMEN'S GOLF
Seniors: Josefine Garton
 
SAILING
Seniors: Sean Donahue, Keenan Hilsinger, Christophe Killian, Stefano Peschiera, Jack Thompson, Marissa Bamonte, Clare Dahl, Holly Deuterman, Corinne Durocher, Julia Lines, Katherine Matheson, Grace McCarthy, Elizabeth Pemberton, Audrey Webb and Grace Wilkinson
 
SOFTBALL
Seniors: Taylor DuPree, Sara Garcia and Jordin Jones
 
MEN'S TENNIS
Seniors: Juan Estevarena and Ryan Kahn
 
WOMEN'S TENNIS
Seniors: Sarah Jane Jones, Rachel McNeely and Helena Nyikos
 
WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD
Seniors: Tori Churchill, Kallie Golicher, Katherine Linn, Sarah Lynch and Marissa Small-Towns
 
2018 COUGAR CUP
Softball
 
THE CHAD EFFECT COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD
Softball
 
ACADEMICS
Highest Annual Average GPA 2017
Women's Tennis
 
Most Improved Annual Average GPA 2017
Women's Basketball
 
ACADEMIC MVP AWARD
Senior Highest Cumulative GPA (end of Fall 2017)
Helena Nyikos (Women's Tennis)
 
SPORTS PERFORMANCE MALE AND FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Ryan Khan (Men's Tennis) and Sarah Wilkinson (Offshore Sailing)
 
CHARLIE POST AWARD
Kennedy Madison (Volleyball)
 
COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE AWARD
Hannah Bentz (Equestrian) and Joe Chealey (Men's Basketball)
 
MOST SCHOOL SPIRIT AWARD
Rachel Kim (Women's Soccer)
 
BEST DRESSED AWARD
Evan Bailey (Men's Basketball)
 
MALE AND FEMALE NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Declan Hines (Men's Cross Country) and Marian Williams (Sailing)
 
MALE AND FEMALE STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Taylor DuPree (Softball), Krissy Mummey (Volleyball) and Joe Chealey (Men's Basketball)
 
J. STEWART WALKER CUP AWARD
Stefano Peschiera (Sailing)