Omaha Athletics Announces Annual Maverick Awards

Seniors Rachel Morrow and Ugo Tritz were honored for their career achievements, two of the 10 annual Maverick Awards given to student-athletes at the end of the academic year.

The awards were announced through social media this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic which forced the cancellation of the annual Maverick Awards ceremony at Baxter Arena in April.

Morrow, a four-year letter winner from the swimming & diving team, won the Connie Claussen Senior Career Achievement Award recognizing the outstanding career athletic, academic and community service achievement of a female student-athlete. The award is sponsored by the Leland and Dorothy Olson Foundation.

Morrow graduated from UNO as the school record holder in the 500 meter freestyle and as a member of the school record-holding 800 meter free relay.

Tritz, a four-year letter winner for the men's soccer team, won the Don Leahy Senior Career Achievement Award which recognizes a male athlete who has had a similarly sterling career at UNO. The award is sponsored by the Blue Line Club. Tritz is the program's career leader in save percentage and goals-against average.

Volleyball's Anna Blaschko was named the Marian Ivers Female Athlete of the Year. The junior set a Division I era program record with a Summit League-leading .390 hitting percentage and was the first Maverick to earn AVCA Midwest Region First Team honors in Division I.

Senior Witchayapat Sinsrang of the men's golf team was named the winner of the Male Athlete of the Year, sponsored by the Maverick Board. The native of Thailand finished fourth in the Summit League in scoring while earning UNO's first individual tournament win since 2016 in the Mavericks' spring opener.

Freshman Kirby Proctor of the hockey team earned the Bob Kruger Commitment Award for outstanding community service. Men's basketball player Zach Thornhill earned the Dr. John Langan Phoenix Award for outstanding achievement in the face of adversity. The award is sponsored by Aksarben Cinema.

Omaha volleyball player Sami Clarkson was named the Female Newcomer of the Year, sponsored by Center Trophy, after garnering All-Summit League, All-Freshman and All-Tournament Team honors.

Junior Matt Hulme of the men's tennis team was the Male Newcomer of the Year, sponsored by Control Services. He was part of the first ITA doubles ranking in program history and capped play in the fall as the only Summit League player ranked in the final ITA singles rankings.

Lizzy Giese of the swimming & diving team and Brett Bonar of the baseball team earned the Maverick Muscle Awards recognizing consistent achievement and motivation in the weight room by both a female and male athlete. The men's award is sponsored by the Sixth Mav Club while the women's award is sponsored by Curzon Promotional Graphics.