UTEP Student-Athletes And Teams Recognized At 2023 Golden Pick Awards

4/18/2023 7:50:00 PM

EL PASO, Texas – UTEP student-athletes and teams were recognized at the fifth-annual Golden Pick Awards, sponsored by the Robbins Family, at the Don Haskins Center on Tuesday. A list of the major award winners and a brief summation of their accomplishments follows below.

In a show formatted in an "Academy Awards" style to cap the year, all the academic and athletic achievements of Miner student-athletes from the past season were highlighted.

The Robbins family, including Dede, her sister Rachel, and their parents, Louis and Marie, have been life-long supporters of UTEP Athletics.

Female Athlete of the Year – Elina Arike, Women's Basketball
Arike became the first player in program history to be named the C-USA Defensive Player of the Year. She was also an All C-USA second-team member after leading the team in scoring (11.9 ppg) and blocked shots (16) while anchoring the Miner defense.

Male Athlete of the Year – Gavin Baechle, Football
Baechle was named the C-USA Special Teams Player of the Year, the second in program history to do so. He made a school-record 22 straight field goals, including a walk-off FG to beat Florida Atlantic, and was also perfect on extra points.

Team of the Year – Women's Basketball
UTEP women's basketball posted its first 20-win season since 2015-16 and qualified for postseason play for the first time in six years after earning a bid to the WNIT. The team also knocked off No. 21 Middle Tennessee for its initial win against a ranked opponent since 1998 and second in program history.

Coach of the Year – Kevin Baker, Women's Basketball
Baker directed the Miners to a 20-win season and a bid to the 2023 WNIT, marking the first time they accomplished those feats since 2015-16. The squad also defeated No. 21 Middle Tennessee at home on Feb. 2 to pick up a victory against a ranked foe for the first time since 1998 and second overall.

Moment of the Year – UTEP Women's Basketball Upsetting No. 21 Middle Tennessee
The women's basketball team defeated No. 21 Middle Tennessee, 65-62, on a game-winning 3-pointer with less than a second left on Feb. 2. It marked the first victory against a ranked opponent since 1998 and the second all-time in program's history.

Best Comeback – Cal Wallerstedt, Football
UTEP football's Cal Wallerstedt, who was hindered with an elbow injury in 2021, returned to enjoy a banner year. After starting the season as the fourth-string LB, he tied for the team lead with 95 tackles while ranking second in sacks (8.0) on the way to earning All-C-USA-honorable mention status.

Female Newcomer of the Year – Sara Pustahija, Indoor Volleyball
Pustahija was named to the C-USA All-Freshman Team and earned four C-USA Freshman of the Week awards. She led the team in aces (55) and was third in kills (258).

Male Newcomer of the Year – Otis Frazier III, Men's Basketball
Frazier III played in 29 games (26 starts), rating third on the team in rebounding (4.1 rpg), fourth in field-goal percentage (50.3) and fifth in scoring (7.5 ppg).

Jon Dorenbos Lifetime Achievement Award – Kerry Ellison
Ellison was a member of UTEP's two-mile relay team that took the gold in the event in the 1971 NCAA Indoor Championships. He was also a five-time Western Athletic Conference champion. His top 800-meter time of 1:48.15 still ranks in the top-10 in the UTEP record book.

Special Achievement Award – Dawn Hearn
Hearn led the UTEP sports medicine department for 27 years before retiring on June 3, 2022. In 1995 when she was promoted to Head Athletic Trainer, she was only the third female to hold the position at an FBS school, and the second to oversee football. She was inducted into the El Paso Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008, and the Sun City Athletic Trainers' Association Hall of Fame in 2014. She was inducted into the Texas Hall of Honor for athletic trainers in December of 2021.

Thomas Howard Walk-On Student-Athlete Award – Julian Lopez Football & Madison Hill, Beach Volleyball/Indoor Volleyball
Lopez is a kinesiology major with a 3.03 GPA. He played in three contests for the UTEP football team, including the Miners' walk-off FG win vs. Florida Atlantic on Oct. 22. Hill has a 3.93 GPA and is majoring in mechanical engineering. She has been a part of a team-leading seven victories in the first season of beach volleyball and played in 12 sets with five digs for indoor volleyball.

Dr. Louis Robbins Award for Academic Excellence (Top Senior GPA) – Eve Daniels, Tennis and Rey Flores, Football. Daniels is pursuing a degree in biology while Flores is seeking a master's degree in mechanical engineering.

Community Service Award – Softball
The softball team earned this award for having the most community service hours per student-athlete, amassing a total of 521 hours of community service.

Team GPA – Tennis
The tennis team has the top GPA for all Miner programs for the third straight year, boasting a combined GPA of 3.82.

Team MVPs
Men's Cross Country – Victor Kibiego
Women's Cross Country – Ruth Jerubet
Men's Basketball – Ze'Rik Onyema
Women's Basketball – Avery Crouse
Beach Volleyball – Katie Martin
Cheer – Federico Moncada and Yamel Garcia
Dance – Kaitlyn Bradham
Football – Tyrice Knight
Men's Golf – Max Schliesing
Women's Golf – Sophie Delfosse
Rifle – Morgahn Warner
Soccer – Emerson Kidd
Softball – Savannah Favre
Sports Medicine – Nicole Martinez
Men's Strength and Conditioning – Jake McNamara, Football
Women's Strength and Conditioning – Ashlynn Allen, Softball
Tennis – Veronika Lebisova
Men's Outdoor Track & Field – Jevaughn Powell
Men's Indoor Track & Field – Daniel Bernal
Women's Outdoor Track & Field – Arianne Morais
Women's Indoor Track & Field – Niesha Burgher
Volleyball – Serena Patterson

For complete coverage of UTEP Athletics, be sure to follow the Miners on social media at @UTEPAthletics (Twitter/Instagram/Facebook) or visit the official home of the Miners at UTEPMiners.com.

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