FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern athletic department recognized the outstanding effort of its student-athletes Wednesday at the annual NSU Athletic Banquet, held at the Don Taft University Center.
 
After a welcoming from Master of Ceremonies Jeff Winter, an invocation from Samantha Gestido (So., Hialeah, Fla.) and dinner, senior speaker Derrick Wood (Royal Palm Beach, Fla.) spoke about his experience at NSU and what this opportunity has meant to him.
 
From there, NSU athletics looked back on the accomplishments of each team and honored individuals with MVP and Coach's Award honors. After each program was recognized, swimmer Esau Simpson (Sr., St. David's, Grenada) and rower Haley McKissack (Sr., Orange Park, Fla.) were honored with the 2014 sportsmanship awards. The award recognizes a male and female student-athlete who, through their actions in the competitive arena of intercollegiate athletics, has demonstrated one or more of the ideals of sportsmanship, including fairness, civility, honesty, unselfishness, respect and responsibility.

The athletic department went on to honor its Athletes of the Year from the 2013-14 season. On the women's side, three-time All-America honoree Lauren Chapple (Jr., London, England) of the women's swimming and diving team was honored alongside All-American and Sunshine State Conference Freshman of the Year Marco Aldabe (Alicante, Spain) of the men's swimming and diving team as the NSU Athletes of the Year.
 
Next, the SAAC Challenge award went to the rowing team, for helping SAAC reach its goal of $5,000 raised for the Make-A-Wish foundation. The next award presented was the Joining Athletes/Academics With Success (JAWS) award for the NSU team with the highest GPA for the fall semester. With a whopping GPA of 3.54, the women's golf team received the honor for the second straight year.

Finally, the male and female Scholar Athletes of the Year award winners were honored, with the award going to two outstanding graduating seniors. Stefano Noce (Salerno, Italy) and Peri Bowman (Virginia Beach, Va.), who each hold the highest GPA among their graduating peers, were honored. 
 

2013-14 Athletics Banquet Award Winners
 
Women's Cross Country
Most Valuable- Alexandria Palm                    
Coach's Award- Rose Howell
 
Men's Cross Country
Most Valuable - Long Tran                                                
Coach's Award- Wade White
 
Volleyball
Most Valuable - Sydney Cook         
Coach's Award- Tory Njardvik
 
Women's Soccer
Most Valuable - Malin Broberg
Coach's Award- Kat Fleming
 
Men's Soccer
Most Valuable - David Robles                      
Coach's Award- Mattia Marzetti
 
Women's Basketball
Most Valuable - Richelle Carach
Coach's Award- Ashley Robinson
 
Men's Basketball
Most Valuable - Chris Page
Coach's Award- Justin Jeangerard
 
Cheerleading
Most Valuable - Meghan Pugliese
Coach's Award- Joanna Theodorou
 
Sharkettes
Most Valuable- Ashley Vaughn
Coach's Award- Malischa Oge
 
Women's Swimming 
Most Valuable- Lauren Chapple
Coach's Award- Sara Akoubian
 
Men's Swimming
Most Valuable- Marco Aldabe
Coach's Award- Jim Shelley
 
Women's Golf 
Most Valuable- Daniela Ortiz
Coach's Award- Rachel Lewis
               
Men's Golf
Most Valuable- Hunter O'Mahony    
Coach's Award- Mitch Farrer
 
Women's Rowing
Most Valuable- Stephanie Hauck
Coach's Award- Courtney Berger
 
Women's Tennis
Most Valuable- Sabrina Kierberg               
Coach's Award- Alexandra Johansson
 
Women's Track & Field
Most Valuable- Laruschka Joubert                 
Coach's Award- Monica Sapp
 
Men's Track & Field
Most Valuable- Talyn Washington                                  
Coach's Award- Darren Hendricks
 
Softball
Most Valuable- Erika Garcia                                             
Coach's Award- Maegan Lee
 
Baseball
Most Valuable - Roberto Baroniel
Coach's Award- Brooks Fleming
 
Male Scholar Athletes of the Year
Stefano Noce , Men's Soccer

Female Scholar Athlete of the Year
Peri Bowman , Women's Track and Field/Cross Country

NSU Sportsmanship Award
Male – Esau Simpson , Men's Swimming and Diving
Female –, Haley McKissack , Rowing

Female Athlete of the Year
Lauren Chapple , Women's Swimming and Diving

Male Athlete of the Year
Marco Aldabe , Men's Swimming and Diving

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