DEARBORN, Mich.-- The University of Michigan-Dearborn athletic department announced its student-athlete awards on Thursday (June 9). Each year student-athletes are recognized at the annual All-Sports Banquet for their achievements. Six awards were given to one male and one female to be recognized amongst their peers.
The first award is the Wolverine Award. The Wolverine Award was created to recognize one male student-athlete and one female student-athlete who succeeded in both the classroom and in competition while persevering through a difficult situation and demonstrating extraordinary spirit. The female recipient was Sabrina Giacomini of the volleyball team and Rhett Limback of the men's ice hockey team.
The Rudy Award was the second honor handed out on the night. The Rudy Award was established by the Conrad Charitable Foundation to honor William "Rudy" Radulovich, who was the first Intramural Sports Director at UM-Dearborn. Rudy embodied hard work, team spirit, and enthusiasm, and the award is given to student-athletes who demonstrate the same traits. Those two athletes were Kenzie Mertz of volleyball and Luke Arreola on the men's cross country team.
Maya Barakat of the women's basketball team and Troy Campbell of the men's basketball team were this year's Newcomers of the Year. Barakat led the Wolverines in rebounds per game, averaging 7.1 and contributing 8.4 points per game. She had three double-doubles, including a season-best 18 points and 18 boards against Penn State Schuylkill. Campbell started over 60% of the men's basketball teams games this year and averaged 7.4 points while playing 26 minutes per game.
The Female Athlete of the Year was given to Lanie Ellinger of the softball team. Ellinger led the Wolverines to WHAC Tournament Championship and a National Tournament Appearance. Ellinger hit .339 for the Wolverines and led the team in home runs and slugging percentage. Furthermore, Ellinger served as the Wolverine's ace, winning 16 games and throwing nine complete games. The male recipient was Nolan Kelley of the men's lacrosse team. Kelley led the nation in goals and the WHAC in points during the 2022 season. In addition, Kelley broke the single-season record for both goals and points and was recognized as one of the best attackmen in the WHAC.
Chancellor Domenico Grasso presented the 2022 recipients of the Chancellor's Award, which is given to nominees who demonstrate distinguished leadership and extraordinary commitment to the community and the university. Amber Cheplick of the softball team and Ryan Exell of the men's cross country team were this year's recipients.
The final award was the Robert L. Simpson and Bruce O. Bublitz SLAAM Scholarship Award. The SLAAM Award is a $1,500 scholarship given to a male and female student for the 2022-23 academic year. These student-athletes are recognized for their dedication and commitment as student-athletes, as well as their dedication and commitment to UM-Dearborn. The recipients were Abby Fullerton of women's basketball and Mahmoud Saad of men's golf.
