First-ever Hinkle Highlights showcased Butler athletes on April 14. Photo by Jonathan Wang.
DOROTHY LAKSHMANAMURTHY | STAFF REPORTER | dlakshmanamurthy@butler.edu
Filling up the seats at Shelton Auditorium, over 400 Butler student-athletes, coaches, student managers and athletic staff gathered together on April 14 to hold the first-ever Hinkle Highlights Awards Show.
The night started off with photo opportunities on a blue carpet, a Butler backdrop and a selection of fruits, vegetables and cheeses for the student-athletes to snack on while mingling.
Attendees then made their way to the auditorium to find a seat next to their teammates to watch the hosts of the night — sophomores, pitcher Simon Linde and dancer Grace Nielsen — begin the show with their own opening monologue.
Various coaches and athletic staff were selected to present awards to 35 recipients, in which the awards themselves were made and voted on by the student-athletes.
Head strength and conditioning coach Greg Moore was humorously selected to present the Best Game Day Hair award to junior volleyball setter Cora Taylor despite his own lack of hair.
“I loved the opportunity to be involved,” Moore said. “I enjoyed standing up there and seeing all the student-athletes dressed up in their finest and carrying themselves professionally. It was all very cool.”
The event was hosted by the Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC), which holds a student-athlete representative from each sport team. The committee voted on the decision to hold this event in place of the usual Athlete Banquet in November and began planning for the awards show in January.
When making this decision, junior women’s tennis player Chase Metcalf found the awards show to be a better way of celebrating her fellow student-athletes.
“I think it’s a great way to get everyone in one room — especially because we’re all so busy — and recognize the accomplishments of everyone,” Metcalf said. “That is why it is better than a formal. This event allowed everyone to be more involved and celebrate everyone.”
To ensure the most athletes could be in attendance, SAAC president and senior volleyball middleback Destiny Cherry coordinated with all the teams to make sure there were no conflicts.
“We wanted as many people as possible there,” Cherry said. “But finding a date to do that was definitely difficult. Luckily, the coaches were great to work with. Football even moved their next morning 6 a.m. practice to accommodate the athletes going to this late night event.”
Winner of two awards — Best Game Day Outfit and Best Comeback — junior cheerleader Noah Lipscomb felt proud to be recognized by his fellow athletes.
He felt that each of the awards he received showcased an important part of who he is.
“The Best Game Day Outfit was more of a silly one to show my fun side,” Lipscomb said. “I got that one because I wore a gold durag before the cheer’s Game Day Finals, manifesting our win. Then the Best Comeback, that one really means a lot since I lost my father my sophomore year and did not even know if I was going to continue with sports. It just meant a lot that I had a supportive team to help me through that.”
Below are the nominees and winners of each category:
Women’s Newcomer of the Year
Volleyball first-year and nominee Alaleh Tolliver
Lacrosse first-year and nominee Olivia DiCarlo
Softball first-year and winner Gwen Baker
Men’s Newcomer of the Year
Men’s track and field graduate student and nominee Austin Gabay
Men’s tennis sophomore and nominee Riccardo Baldi
Baseball junior and winner Jack Bello
Play of the Year
Volleyball sophomore and nominee Sawyer Jones
Women’s swimming junior and nominee Kate Schilling
Football junior and winner Luke Wooten
Women’s Glue Award
Women’s swimming junior and nominee Sadie Brown
Women’s basketball senior and nominee Ari Wiggins
Women’s lacrosse senior and winner Peyton Moroney
Men’s Glue Award
Men’s cross country graduate student and nominee Joe Barrett
Men’s track and field junior and nominee Mason Steinbraker
Football junior and winner Reagan Andrew
Women’s Best Comeback Award
Women’s swimming sophomore Lily Schwelgin
Women’s track and field senior and nominee Abby Brennan
Softball junior and winner Hailey Conger
Men’s Best Comeback Award
Football graduate student and nominee Grant Edwards
Baseball junior and nominee Jack Moroknek
Cheer junior and winner Noah Lipscomb
Best Action Photo
Women’s basketball senior and nominee Kilyn McGuff
Softball junior and nominee Cate Lehner
Women’s track and field junior and nominee Jenna Doezema
Men’s cross country sophomore and winner William Zegarski
Women’s Best Gameday Outfit
Women’s basketball senior and nominee Ari Wiggins
Women’s lacrosse sophomore nominees Sophia Knoblock and Kate Mullee and senior nominee Tessa Fackrell
Women’s tennis junior and winner Chase Metcalf
Men’s Best Gameday Outfit
Men’s soccer sophomore and nominee Kai Pope
Baseball junior and nominee Ian Choi
Cheer junior and winner Noah Lipscomb
Best Gameday Hair
Women’s track and field first-year and nominee Nathalie Anderson
Women’s lacrosse first-year and nominee Maggie Lewis and sophomore nominee Riley Ryan
Women’s volleyball junior and winner Cora Taylor
Women’s Most Likely To Become A Butler Coach
Women’s track and field senior Jade Cadichon
Women’s swimming senior and nominee Cotter Welch
Women’s basketball junior and winner Chloe Jeffers
Men’s Most Likely To Become A Butler Coach
Baseball first-year and nominee Logan Crock
Football junior and nominee Kirk Doskocil
Men’s track and field graduate student and winner Matthew Forrester
All Butler Team
Women’s basketball senior Sydney Jaynes
Men’s basketball fifth-year Jahmyl Telfort
Women’s cross country junior Lexi Affolter
Men’s cross country sophomore William Zegarski
Baseball junior Jack Bello
Women’s golf senior Gianna Medica
Men’s golf junior Will Horne
Women’s lacrosse senior Peyton Moroney
Men’s soccer graduate student Joost de Schutter
Women’s soccer senior Talia Sommer
Softball senior Ella White
Men’s tennis junior Nicolas Arts
Women’s tennis junior Chase Metcalf
Women’s swimming junior Kate Schilling
Men’s track and field graduate student Michael Dunagan
Women’s track and field and junior Grace Stedge
Volleyball senior Destiny Cherry
Cheer senior Emily Jones
Dance senior Grace Harahan
Football senior Tyson Garrett
