Two National Champions received the Virginia athletics top female and male athletes awards at the Hoos Choice Awards on Sunday. Kate Douglass, who helped the women’s swimming and diving team three-peat as National Champions this winter, and Iñaki Montes, who helped the men’s tennis team surge to the 2022 National Championship, picked up those honors at the annual banquet.
Douglass repeated as the IMP Award winner for the top female athlete. She continued to add to her legacy this season with a tremendous senior campaign. She won three individual NCAA titles and was part of four more relay titles as the women’s swimming and diving team completed its quest for a three-peat. Those three individual titles featured NCAA, American, and US Open records in all three swims. She also earned UVA’s Female Play of the Year for her swim when she became the first woman to ever go under 1:50 in the 200-yard IM (she won the event with a time of 1:48.37).
Douglass finished her Cavalier career with seven individual National Championships and eight relay National Championships. She was named the Honda Sport Award winner for swimming, the CSCAA Women’s Swimmer of the Year, and ACC Women’s Swimmer of the Year for the second straight year. Outside of college, she also won a bronze medal at the 2020 Olympics and has her eyes set on 2024 in Paris.
Montes received the WINA Award for the top male athlete for the first time. The Cavaliers won the 2022 National Championship and Montes played a key role down the stretch as he won key matches in the Elite Eight, Final Four, and Championship final all against ranked opponents. The Cavaliers remain alive in this year’s NCAA Tournament as well as they advanced to the Sweet 16 this past weekend. A three-time All-ACC selection, Montes to date has posted a career singles record of 57-16 with a career doubles record of 60-20.
The Hoos Choice Awards also recognized many other athletes. The Rookie of the Year Awards went to Gary Martin from men’s track & field and Aimee Canny from women’s swimming and diving. Martin set a UVA freshman record in the 1,500 meters with a 3:39.53 that with sits a just more than a second behind the school’s all-time record of 3:38.05. Canny won two NCAA relay titles and finished third in the 200-yard freestyle at the National Championships. Her 200 time of 1:42.34 is the second fastest in school history.
Virginia running back Mike Hollins received the 1*15*41 Award (formerly the Wahoowa Award) as the individual who best displayed selflessness, commitment, school pride, and leadership while contributing to the betterment of the department and shining a light on those around them with positivity. Marlee Morgan received the first ever Marlee Morgan Service Award, which will be given in recognition of a student-manager in the UVA Department of Athletics who serves as an inspiration to others as a result of their perseverance, commitment, and work ethic. Morgan is a track and field manager.
Each team handed out awards as well. Some recipients there included Chase Coleman (Sidney Young Memorial Award) for men’s basketball, Sam Brunelle (Coach’s Award for Excellence) for women’s basketball, Jared Rayman (John Acree Memorial Award) for football, Ben James (F. Dixon Brooke Memorial Award) for men’s golf, and Virginia Bossi (William E. Eacho Memorial Award) for women’s golf. A complete list of winners can be found here.
Seems to be an omission in next to last paragraph concerning unnamed VA running back?
Mike Hollins. Thank you for the correction.