The winners of the 2013-14 Falcon Athletic Department Awards were announced at an Awards Ceremony held Wednesday (May 7) at the University Center.
 
The female Emogene Nelson Athlete of the Year award went to softball player Hayley Buchanan. This is the second straight year that Buchanan has won this award. Last year after the softball season she was named to the NFCA All-Great Lakes Region and All-WIAC first teams. Buchanan was named the team's Most Valuable and Best Defensive Player after she hit .439. She holds the school record for hits (223) and is second in with a career .395 batting average. She earned the NCAA's Toughest to Strike Out award last year. She struck out just once in 132 official at bats. Buchanan won the same award after the 2012-13 season. She was also a member of the Falcon volleyball team for four seasons.
 
The male Don Page Athlete of the Year award winner is basketball player Ollie White. White, a senior, captain, was named to the first All-WIAC team after the 2014 season. He led the Falcons in scoring averaging 16 points a game. White was also named to the All-WIAC Defensive team in 2014 after averaging six rebounds a game. He led the Falcons with 31 steals. He was named the team's Most Valuable Player after leading UWRF in scoring in 16 of the team's 25 games. White was a member of SAAC for four years and was a student senator in the 2010-11 school year. He was also a team captain in the 2012-13 season and was named to the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll in 2012 and 2013. He finished his career with 935 points and 435 rebounds.
 
The female Connie Foster Scholar-Athlete award winner is cross country and track & field student-athlete Hillary Geipel. She competed in the two sports for four seasons, ran in three WIAC indoor track & field meets, two WIAC outdoor meets and three WIAC cross country races. Last fall she competed in the NCAA Midwest Regional race. In 2014 she was named to the WIAC indoor track & field All-Sportsmanship team. Geipel has been named to the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll three times and has earned Dean's List honors after each semester. She has earned four UWRF academic scholarships and is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi honor society. Geipel has volunteered her time in several activities throughout her career at UWRF. She will attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison school of veterinary medicine next fall. 
 
The male George Field Scholar-Athlete award went to track & field student-athlete Scott Jensen. He is a two-time USTFCCCA All-Academic selection and has been named to the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll three times. Jensen has volunteered for the Big Brothers/Big Sisters and Feed My Starving Children organizations. He has been actively involved in the SAAC Trick or Treat For Canned Goods and is a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma National Honor Society. In 2011 he earned NCAA All-American honors in the 4x400 relay and was part of the 2012 WIAC Meet championship winning distance medley relay team. He was named the team's Rookie of the Year in 2011 and is one of the team's captains this year.
 
The Gary Eloranta Falcon Award winner is women's hockey player Kait Mason. The senior was a team captain in 2013-14 and has been a team leader in all four years of play. This year she helped lead the team to a 23-5-3 record and a team-best third place finish in the NCAA Tournament. She was named to the first All-WIAC team this year after being named to the first All-NCHA teams in 2011 and 2013. Mason has been a team representative in SAAC for four years and was named to the NCHA All-Academic team in 2012 and to the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll in 2011. She was twice named a first team AHCA All-American (2011, 2013). She is the all-time leading scorer in Falcon history with 69 goals and 132 points.

The Newcomer of the Year award goes to women's hockey player Paige Johnson. She was named to the first All-WIAC team and helped the Falcons to a third place finish in the NCAA Tournament. She was the team's top scoring defenseman with two goals and 16 points. She finished sixth in the NCAA in scoring for freshmen defensemen. Johnson participated in the SAAC Trick or Treat for Canned Goods and helped in the local youth hockey goalie clinics.
 
Katie Batters was named the Comeback Athlete of the Year. Batters was injured in the team's final game of regular season on Feb. 22. She missed two weeks of practice and four playoff games before returning to the lineup. She played in the team's last two games of the season – at the NCAA semifinal and finals in Plattsburgh, N.Y. She had an assist in the team's 4-2 loss to Norwich in the semifinals. In the game for third place the captain picked up the first assist on the team's second goal of the game scored at 10:43 of the first period. Later she scored a power-play goal at 13:49 of the second period to give the Falcons a 3-0 lead. UWRF went on to win the game and the third place trophy. The third place finish is the highest ever by a Falcon women's hockey team. After the season she was named to the American Hockey Coaches Association second All-America team.
 
The Team of the Year was the 2013-14 women's hockey squad. The Falcons capped off an excellent season by placing third in the NCAA Championships. The third place finish is the best ever by a Falcon women's hockey team. UWRF also won the inaugural WIAC Playoff Championship and finished the year with a 23-5-3 record. Seven Falcons were named to All-WIAC teams while Katie Batters was named ot the second All-American team and Chloe Kinsel was named to the NCAA All-Tournament team. The Falcons lost three of their first five games and then lost just twice more in the last 26 contests.
 
The Play of the Year and the Performance of the Year awards were selected by fans in a poll.

The Play of the Year Award went to a tick-tack-toe scoring play by the women's hockey team in the NCAA Championships third place game against St. Thomas on March 22 in Plattsburgh, N.Y. At 10:39 of the first period Kait Mason scores a goal with assists to Katie Batters and Chloe Kinsel. The goal gives UWRF a 2-0 lead in the game the Falcons eventually won, 5-3, to win the third place trophy.
 
The Performance of the Year was won by Christian George of the men's hockey team. George scored the three goal hat trick in the team's 3-2 overtime win over UW-Stout on Feb. 15 at Hunt Arena. His first goal came at 4:33 of the third period and tied the game, 1-1. He scored the second goal with just 1:02 to play in regulation to tie the game, 2-2, and got the game-winner at 3:24 of overtime.

The 2014 Falcon Cup Challenge winning team is the women's basketball team. The Falcons finished with 528 points. The Falcon Cup Challenge is a friendly competition among UWRF athletic teams to recognize the academic, athletic and social success of Falcon student-athletes.
 
Anyone may nominate individuals or events for the awards. A committee of Falcon Athletic Department administrators, coaches and student-athletes vote for the winners. 
 
The sports of track & field and softball may use highlights from the 2013 season for nominating purposes.

All-Time Athlete of the Year Award Winners
Don Page Male Athlete of the Year
2009 Derek Hansberry, Hockey
2010 Nick Zeien, Cross Country, Track & Field
2011 Jake Voeltz, Basketball
2012 Shane Manor, Basketball
2013 Mike Sandle, Track & Field
2014 Ollie White, Basketball

Emogene Nelson Female Athlete of the Year
2009 Becca Jordahl, Cross Country, Track & Field
2010 Kelsey Scheele, Volleyball
2011 Kait Mason, Hockey
2012 Rose Tusa, Softball
2013 Hayley Buchanan, Softball, Volleyball
2014 Hayley Buchanan, Softball, Volleyball

George Field Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year
2009 Derek Hansberry, Hockey
2010 Bo Storozuk Hockey, Chad Ernst, Cross Country, Track & Field
2011 Greg Klingelhutz, Football
2012 Jason Yule, Hockey
2013 John Schimenz, Football
2014 Scott Jensen, Track & Field

Connie Foster Female Scholar Athlete of the Year
2009 Mindy Rudiger Softball
2010 Gina DeRosa Volleyball
2011 Rose Tusa Softball
2012 Carlin Bunting Soccer; Katie Rydeen Cross Country, Track & Field
2013 Carlin Bunting Soccer
2014 Hillary Geipel Cross Country, Track & Field
  Gary "Stump" Eloranta Falcon Award
2011 Ashley Goettl, Softball
2012 Maranda Dohrn, Basketball
2013 Ashley Goettl, Softball
2014 Kait Mason, Women's Hockey

Comeback Player of the Year
2011 Michelle Anez, Women's Hockey
2012 Candy Hoelzel, Women's Swimming & Diving
2013 Brittany Nordland – Cross Country, Track & Field
2014 Katie Batters, Women's Hockey

Newcomer of the Year
2012 Mike Sandle – Track & Field - wins NCAA indoor triple jump championship with leap of 50-6
2013 Gillian McDonald – Golf, Women's Hockey - McDonald was the golf's team No. 1 player throughout the fall season and during the winter she was a goalie with the hockey team. She led the golf team with an 82.5 stroke average and was named to the All-WIAC team. In hockey she played in 16 games and had a 1.65 goals against average and a .912 saves percentage. She finished the year with an 11-3-1 record and helped lead the Falcons to the NCHA regular season championship and a spot in the NCAA Championship Tournament.
2014 Paige Johnson – Women's Hockey – played in all 31 games at defense. Scored two goals and 14 points to lead all defensemen in scoring. Named to first All-WIAC team.

Play of the Year
2011 Women's hockey player Lauren Conrad's game winning goal in the team's 4-2 win over Gustavus Adolphus on Dec. 10. She beat the GAC goalie with a slap shot from about 30 feet at 8:40 of the third period.
2012 Becky Ponick, Track & Field – wins WIAC javelin championship with throw of 126-2.
2013 Jamie Klein, Softball - hit a grand slam home run in the 2012 WIAC Tournament championship game to help the Falcons beat UW-Whitewater, 8-4.
2014 Women's hockey tick-tack-toe scoring play in the NCAA Championships third place game against St. Thomas on March 22 in Plattsburgh, N.Y. At 10:39 of the first period Kait Mason scores a goal with assists to Katie Batters and Chloe Kinsel. The goal gives UWRF a 2-0 lead in the game the Falcons eventually won, 5-3, to win the third place trophy.
  Performance of the Year
2011 Women's Hockey Team - the Falcons finished the regular season with a 22-0-3 overall record. They won the NCHA regular season championship (17-0-3) and a berth into the NCAA National playoffs.
2012 Mike Sandle – wins NCAA indoor triple jump championship with leap of 50-6
2013 Mikayla Newberry and Hannah Klimek, Tennis - The team earned the No. 1 seed at WIAC Tournament. The Falcon duo earned the No. 1 seed by finishing 5-1 in matches against WIAC opponents. One of their wins was over a UW-Whitewater team that had not lost a match before Newberry and Klimek beat them, 9-8 (7-4) on Oct. 13.
2014 - Christian George - Men's Hockey scored the three goal hat trick in the team's 3-2 overtime win over UW-Stout on Feb. 15 at Hunt Arena. His first goal came at 4:33 of the third period and tied the game, 1-1. He scored the second goal with just 1:02 to play in regulation to tie the game, 2-2, and got the game-winner at 3:24 of overtime.
  Team of the Year
2011 Women's hockey - the Falcons finished the regular season with a 22-0-3 overall record. They won the NCHA regular season championship (17-0-3) and a berth into the NCAA National playoffs.
2012 Softball - 2011 softball team wins WIAC regular season and tournament championships
2013 Softball - 2012 softball team wins school record 34 games. Team wins WIAC Tournament Championship and advances to the finals of the NCAA Regional Tournament.
2014 Women's hockey - placed third in NCAA Championships – highest finish ever for a women's hockey team. Won inaugural WIAC Playoff Championship. Finished with 23-5-3 record.

Falcon Cup Challenge
The Falcon Cup Challenge is a friendly competition among UWRF athletic teams to recognize the academic, athletic and social success of Falcon student-athletes.
2014 - Women's Basketball - 528 points. Academic Achievement (6 points), Campus Involvement (142), Community Service (108), Falcon Pride (146), Falcon Success Series (126)