FAIRBANKS, AK - Alaska Nanooks rifle shooter Patrik Sartz and women's volleyball outside and middle hitter Megan Thigpen were named the Most Outstanding Athletes of the Year for the 2009-10 sports season at the All-Sports Banquet Friday night at the Princess Riverside Lodge.
Sartz was the national runner up in smallbore at the 2010 Rifle Championships, where the Nanooks finished second overall to Texas Christian University. With two first-team All-American nods at this year's championships, Sartz finished his career at Alaska as an eight-time NRA All-American - a feat only two previous shooters had accomplished.
Thigpen led the Nanooks in kills and points, and was second in digs and service aces as a senior and was the team's MVP for the third time in her four-year career. She garnered Great Northwest Athletic Conference First Team or Honorable Mention accolades all four years.
The Intercollegiate Athletics Council Male and Female Student-Athletes of the Year were Dion Knelsen (men's hockey) and Julia Pierson (women's skiing).
Men's Basketball player Nash Maynard garnered the Harris Shelton Spirit of Competition award, while Knelsen also took home the department's Humanitarian Award.
Second-year men's hockey head coach
Dallas Ferguson collected the Coach of the Year honor for the second consecutive year and
Brittany Baum, the department's administrative assistant, was lauded as the Staff Member of the Year.
Each of the 10 varsity program's Dr. Wood Scholar-Athlete and Most Valuable Player was recognized. The list of winners included:
Men's Basketball - Boe Edwards and Nash Maynard
Women's Basketball - Grace Miliken and Lakeshia Levi
Men's Hockey - Dion Knelsen and Dion Knelsen
Women's Swimming - Courtney Nichols and Mariya Pavlovskaya
Men's and Wome'ns Rifle - Taylor Beard and Patrik Sartz
Women's Volleyball - Alexa Sherman and Megan Thigpen
Men's Cross Country - Cody Priest and Tyler Kornfield
Women's Corss Country - Megan Thompson and Theresia Schnurr
Men's Skiing - Alex Morris and Tyler Kornfield
Women's Skiing - Julia Pierson and Aurelia Korthauer
