Tar Heels Celebrate At Rammy Awards

2018 Rammy Most Outstanding Team W Tennis

Women's tennis was named the year's Most Outstanding Team.

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

April 24, 2018 | Baseball, Football, General, Men's Basketball, Men's Golf, Men's Lacrosse, Men's Soccer, Softball, Women's Golf, Women's Gymnastics, Women's Lacrosse, Women's Rowing, Women's Soccer, Women's Tennis, Cross Country, Track & Field, Fencing, Swimming & Diving, Academics, Student-Athlete Development, Carolina Outreach, Athletics

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By: UNC Athletic Communications

CHAPEL HILL – Carolina Athletics celebrated the many talents – academic, athletic and even musical – of Tar Heel student-athletes Monday evening at the sixth-annual Rammy Awards, held at Memorial Hall on the UNC campus. The show opened with a highlight video and ended as it always does, with the North Carolina alma mater. The hour in between included laughter, cheers, tears, bloopers and, of course, an appearance by everyone's favorite Carolina canine, Remington.

Hosts Marika Akkerman (women's tennis) and Kenny Selmon (men's track and field), both seniors, kept the evening moving along with jokes and presentations, and each went home with a Rammy before the night was out, Selmon for Record-Breaking Performance and Akkerman as part of the Team of the Year.

Among the night's big winners was junior Nicole Greene, who received Rammys for Female Athlete of the Year and Championship Performance, and also was a finalist for the Best Dressed Award. Greene, the NCAA Champion in the high jump at 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships, was recently recognized as the ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for Indoor Track and Field, illustrating her athletic and academic success.

On the same note of all-around excellence, soccer swept this year's ACC Scholar-Athlete Honors, with both recipients past winners of the NCAA Elite 90 Award, which goes to the top student at each final four site and is emblematic of performing at the highest level both athletically and academically. Frances Reuland was the women's winner and Alex Comsia the men's.

Greene's male counterpart for Athlete of the Year was basketball's Joel Berry II. Berry's teammate Luke Maye was named the Male Breakthrough Athlete of the Year, and the female honor went to Alex Cooke from track & field.

Outstanding Newcomer honors went to Greg Duncan (men's swimming & diving) and Alessia Russo (women's soccer).

Best play went to sophomores Jackie Litynski and Georgina Summers of the women's fencing team for their performance in the ACC Championship fence-off, which capped coach Ron Miller's 51-year career with a conference crown. Miller, who days ago announced his retirement, received a standing ovation but also endured some joking about the Davie Poplar having been a sapling when he started at UNC.

The men's lacrosse team won the award for Best Upset for beating a pair of top-10 teams to win the 2017 ACC Championship.

McCaskill awards, which go to seniors and signify outstanding performance in athletics, academics and service, went to Morgan Lane (gymnastics), Bryana Nguyen (women's golf), Austin Proehl (football) and William Register (men's golf).

Each year the John Lotz Awards are given to two students who have overcome adversity to succeed. This year's winners were Donnie Miles from football and Kate Morris from women's soccer.

The gymnastics team was honored with the first Diversity and Inclusion Rammy, which was established this year to recognize a team or student-athlete for inclusive excellence. The team also was responsible for the funniest video of the evening, a montage of shots of members of other squads trying out the gymnastics equipment, as well as the leotards.

Gwen Warren was honored with the Unsung Hero Award. She greets student-athletes daily at the Fueling Station, brightening their mornings with her smiling demeanor. After a video in which students spoke of the impact she has on them, Akkerman and Selmon presented a tearful Warren with a personalized jersey. In mirroring her service to the students, they also offered Warren a selection of wholesome snacks.

When it came time for the Top Six for Service Awards, presenters Bryana Nguyen (women's golf) and Patrick Lyons (men's lacrosse) were joined by a special guest, 9-year-old Yash Krishnan, who "signed" with the UNC cross country team just over a year ago. Members of the team often visit with Yash while he undergoes treatment at UNC Children's Hospital, and in this case he was able to help present the squad with an award for its service during the past year. Honors also went to Maye, Caitlin Beakes (rowing), Madison Laufenberg (volleyball), Marie McCool, (women's lacrosse) and Kyle Murphy (football).

The rowing team was the common theme in the night's musical performances. The first, a rendition of the Beatles' "Let it Be," was by senior rower Kate Hickert and junior golfer Tailin Song. Later in the program, a foursome – rowing team members Ashton Brown and Elizabeth Mitchell, softball's Hailey Jensen and baseball's Jason Morgan – teamed up for "This Is Me" from The Greatest Showman soundtrack.

The final musical entertainment of the evening was a compilation of teams dancing to the Bruno Mars song "Finesse." Showing a bit of that himself, Rameses then took the stage in a suit to help present the Best Dressed awards to Andy Lopez (men's soccer) and Alexis Gannon (women's track and field). Finalists had been selected from the blue carpet before the event, and the winner was picked by live text voting.

UNC chancellor Carol Folt joined Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham on stage midway through the evening to present the Diversity and Inclusion Rammy, and before doing so, she shared a few thoughts that would sum up the evening.

"It's so exciting to be able to celebrate the end of the year with our amazing and talented student-athletes this evening," Folt told the crowd. "We want to start by saying congratulations to all of you for your incredible success in the last year, in the classroom, in the community and in competition. We love the way you balance so much, so successfully, and it's very inspiring the way you represent Carolina. It makes us all very proud. "

Rammy Awards
Outstanding Newcomers: Greg Duncan (Men's Swimming & Diving), Alessia Russo (Women's Soccer)
Other finalists: Men – Ashton McGee (Baseball), Michael Carter (Football), Benjamin Sigouin (Men's Tennis), Kennedy Monday (Wrestling); Women – Janelle Bailey (Women's Basketball), Ava Bergner (Women's Golf), Kate Livermore (Rowing), Anna Keefer (Women's Track & Field)
Best Play: Women's Fencing (Jackie Litynski and Georgina Summers for their performance in the ACC Championship fence-off
Other finalists: Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Women's Lacrosse, Women's Soccer
Breakthrough Athletes: Alex Cooke (Women's Track & Field), Luke Maye (Men's Basketball)
Other finalists: Men – Michael Busch (Baseball), Anthony Ratliff-Williams (Football); Women – Kelly Whaley (Women's Golf), Khazia Hislop (Gymnastics)
Record-Breaking Performance: Kenny Selmon (Men's Track & Field)
Other finalists: Ben Griffin (Men's Golf), Chris Cloutier (Men's Lacrosse), William Blumberg (Men's Tennis), Brianna Duncan (Women's Track & Field)
Best Upset: Men's Lacrosse (2017 ACC Championship)
Other finalists: Women's Basketball, Women's Lacrosse, Rowing, Wrestling (Kennedy Monday)
Outstanding Championship Performance: Nicole Greene (Women's Track & Field)
Other finalists: Georgina Summers & Jackie Litynski (Women's Fencing), Chris Cloutier (Men's Lacrosse), Sara Daavettila (Women's Tennis), Troy Heilmann (Wrestling)
Athletes of the Year: Nicole Greene (Women's Track & Field), Joel Berry II (Men's Basketball)
Other finalists: Men – Cam Lindley (Men's Soccer), William Blumberg (Men's Tennis), Kenny Selmon (Men's Track & Field) and Troy Heilmann (Wrestling); Women – Paris Kea (Women's Basketball), Marie McCool (Women's Lacrosse), Caroline Baldwin (Women's Swimming & Diving)
Most Outstanding Team: Women's Tennis
Other finalists: Women's Fencing, Field Hockey, Men's Soccer, Men's Tennis

ACC Scholar-Athletes of the Year: Alex Comsia (Men's Soccer), Frances Reuland (Women's Soccer)
McCaskill Awards: Morgan Lane (Gymnastics), Bryana Nguyen (Women's Golf), Austin Proehl (Football), William Register (Men's Golf)
Diversity & Inclusion Award: Gymnastics team
John Lotz Awards: Donnie Miles (Football), Kate Morris (Women's Soccer)
Unsung Hero Award: Gwen Warren
Top Six for Service Awards: Marie McCool, Kyle Murphy, Luke Maye, Madison Laufenberg, Caitlin Beakes, Cross Country Team