View the 2013-14 Scotty Awards Photo Gallery

Riverside—The UC Riverside Athletics Department hosted the 2013-14 SCOTTY Awards on Thursday evening at Hub 302 on UCR's campus, honoring the achievements of the 2013-14 Highlanders student-athletes.

This year, the UC Riverside Athletics Department handed out 12 awards to distinguished student-athletes for their accomplishments during the 2013-14 season.

HIGHLANDERS SPIRIT
The first award was the Highlanders Spirit Award, presented to UCR Spirit Squad member Jaslyn Gutierrez. Jackson demonstrated leadership, commitment, and a high level of skill while representing the UC Riverside spirit squads with pride and distinction.

GOLDEN ANKLE WRAP
The next award went to volleyball athlete Annishia McKoy as the recipient of the Golden Ankle Wrap. The Golden Ankle Wrap award is given annually to the UCR student athlete who went above and beyond the expectations of his or her peers, coaches, and the sports medicine team with regards to their committment to rehabilitating an injury.

McKoy was originally injured in November of 2012 with a pain in her hip that got progressively worse with jumping and squatting. Over the next six months, doctors finally discovered what was wrong, and she had surgery. Initially told that rehab would take six months and would effectively end her volleyball career, McKoy realized that the outcome of her recovery was not out of her control, and she could work hard to get back to the court sooner.

So she stuck to the plan, and was cleared to play in three and half months months—not the sixth months the doctor had originally told her. She missed only six games on the season, finishing the year leading the volleyball team in hitting percentage, and was able to finish her career on her terms … on the court.

IRON HIGHLANDERS
The third award was the Iron Highlander Award, given to a male and female student-athlete for their dedication in the weight room. Men's Soccer athlete Juan Mendoza won the award on the men's side, while Women's Track & Field sophomore Tiffini Stone was the recipient on the women's side.

According to UCR Head Strength & Conditioning Coach Gary Heron, Mendoza may be the most dedicated person in the weight room. "He doesn't just want to be better for himself, he wants his team to be better," Heron exclaimed. "He has made great strides as a leader in the room and always is pushing his teammates to be better. He sets the example of which all should follow through his effort and attitude and it has been exciting to watch him grow as an athlete and as a leader."

Stone is the epitome of how a student-athlete should progress. "The first time I ever met Tiffini, she made it a point to tell me that she, 'doesn't like weights,' " Heron continued. "Which I had to inform her that we would indeed be lifting weights and have to get stronger. Flash forward almost two years and she has a completely different mindset. She not only has made great strides in terms of strength, but her mindset has made a complete 180 degree shift. She now sees the value in the weight room and how it has helped her and she has made a big commitment to the process and it has been great to see her progress."

HUESTON M & MARGARET W HARPER SCHOLAR ATHLETE
Softball athlete Karina Romero was the recipient of the next award, the Hueston M. & Margaret W. Harper Award Scholarship, presented annually to the UCR varsity athlete—a freshman, sophomore or junior—whose athletic and scholarly achievements are deemed most outstanding. The recipient must have a GPA of at least 3.20.

LINDY-CITIZENSHIP
The next award went to Men's Soccer athlete K.C. John for the Lindy-Citizenship Award, given annually to the student-athlete who has demonstrated exceptional dedication and service to the university and the community at large during the current school year.

John is a CHASS First Year Experience mentor on campus, teaching discussion sections that educate freshman on study skills, time management, and the adjustments one needs to make when experiencing collegiate life for the first time. He holds weekly office hours for students who can come in, ask questions, and be mentored on the UC Riverside experience and what to expect in college.

He also works with the Riverside Boys & Girls Club to educate elementary school students about the importance of education.

John is an active member in his local church, frequently volunteering his time at local soup kitchens serving food, babysitting for families in need and helping others around him. He takes time to make hygiene packages and care packages for women and children at a local women's shelter.

SAAC SPORTS MOMENT OF THE YEAR
Baseball catcher Drake Zarate won the SAAC Sports Moment of the Year Award when he hit a grand slam and drove in the game-winning RBI in the Highlanders 8-7 win at Cal State Fullerton on Mother's Day, May 11.

Other nominees for the Sports Moment of the Year were softball senior Dionne Anderson breaking the Big West Conference single-season stolen base record; men's basketball sophomore Taylor Johns with a reverse dunk alley-oop at UC Davis on January 16; the Women's Soccer Team earning a spot in the Big West Conference Championship after defeating UC Irvine with a goal in overtime; and Men's Track & Field thrower Caleb Stuart breaking the school mark in the hammer throwing 220' 07".

SAAC FRESHMEN OF THE YEAR
The next award of the evening was the SAAC Freshman of the Year Award, given to Women's Basketball guard Simone DeCoud and Men's Soccer forward Romario Lomeli.

The SAAC Freshman of the Year award is presented to the true freshman student-athlete or student athletes who have distinguished themselves in the areas of Scholastics, Athletics, Attitude and Connection to the Community.

DeCoud was named the Big West Women's Basketball Freshman of the Year and to the All-Freshman Team, while earning Freshman of the Year honors from College Sports Madness. She led the Big West in steals while ranking sixth in assists, ninth in assist to turnover ratio, 10th in blocks, and 10th in defensive rebounds.

DeCoud led the team in scoring on six occasions and was high rebounder six times. She scored in double-figures in 18 of 29 games including four games of 20 or more points, and scored a career-high 27 points against Cal Poly on February 22.

Lomeli earned a spot on the Big West Men's Soccer All-Freshman Team. He tied for the team lead in scoring during the season with three goals and three assists for nine points.

Lomeli recorded the game-winning assist vs. Marist on September 1, and a game-tying assist in UCR's 3-2, come-from-behind victory over Cal State Fullerton on November 9 that helped the Highlanders secure the number three seed in the Big West Conference Tournament.

STAN MORRISON BEST TEAMMATE AWARD
Men's Soccer athlete Jacob Arrieta was the recipient of the Stan Morrison Best Teammate Award presented annually to the UCR student and varsity athlete whose actions both on and off the field exemplify the concepts and ideals of team and teamwork.

This year the Men's Soccer Team filled out a survey at the conclusion of their season which asked them to rank their teammates on 12 different criteria including attitude, trust, respect, relationships with teammates and coaches, and caring about their teammates, putting a quantitative number on each players contributions to the program that don't make it into the box score.

Those numbers backed up what Head Men's Soccer Coach Tim Cupello already knew intuitively—that not only did his redshirt freshman have the skill to hold down a starting defensive midfielder position during the team's Big West Conference Tournament match, but that he exemplifies the true meaning of teammate.

MALE STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
The Male Student-Athlete of the Year award went to Track and Field thrower Caleb Stuart.

Stuart scored a conference-best 25 points at the Big West Championship this year, and was named Conference Field Athlete of the Year for his efforts. The Riverside, CA native won the Hammer Throw and the Shot Put, while finishing fourth in the discus.

He broke the school record in the Hammer Throw with a toss of 220' 7" this season, and finished his season ranked 11th in the nation in that event.

FEMALE STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
The winner of the Female Student-Athlete of the Year was Track & Field junior Danielle Littleton.

Littleton was a two-time conference champion this year, winning the 100m Hurdles and the Long Jump and finishing in second place in the Heptathlon. Her 28 points were the most scored by any student-athlete at the Big West Conference Championships this year.

Littleton also set the school record in both the 100m Hurdles and Heptathlon this season, and appeared in the NCAA West Prelims in the 100m Hurdles and the Long Jump.

Throughout the evening, the Highlanders also celebrated their Big West All-Conference award winners, Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) members, graduating seniors, and Big West Scholar Athletes.