BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic University athletics hosted its ninth annual Owlspys, an event planned and presented by the Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), on Monday evening.
The Owlspys are held annually to recognize excellence by Florida Atlantic student-athletes and coaches. This year's show was hosted once again by Emmanuel Abolo Carré of the men's soccer team, following opening remarks from SAAC President Federico Maranges.
The red carpet began at 5:30 p.m., affording the student-athletes time to mingle, utilize the photo stations available, conduct stand-up red-carpet interviews and enjoy refreshments prior to the big festivities. The show followed at 7 p.m. inside the FAU Carole and Barry Kaye Performing Arts Auditorium.
The show presented 19 awards, including the "Student-Athlete of the Year" award. Gi Krstec won on the female side, while Jackson Ross of baseball was named the Male Student-Athlete of the Year. Both student-athletes were recognized at the 2023 Honors Convocation last week.
Gi Krstec is an excellent student who has earned over a 3.3 GPA here at FAU in our prestigious MBA Sport Management program and has been a member of the FAU All-Academic Team four semesters. Krstec ended her outstanding career with a terrific season for the Owls. She earned United Soccer Coaches First Team All-Region recognition, as well as Conference USA Midfielder of the Year and First Team All-C-USA honors. Krstec was also honored for her academic success, being named a United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American, the Owls' first All-American in history. Krstec scored seven goals and added three assists for 17 points this year, ranking second on the team in goals and points.
In his first season at FAU, Jackson Ross started 56 games at third base and only committed five errors in 121 chances. At the plate, he batted .283 with seven home runs and 32 RBIs and finished second on the team with 16 doubles. This past fall, Ross won the program's annual Iron Owl competition, which signifies the strongest Owl baseball player through a series of mental and physical off-the-field competitions, as well as academics. Ross is an excellent student who has maintained over a 3.9 GPA during his time at FAU, while pursuing a degree in Health Science. Jackson's impressive academic performance was displayed this last semester during fall 2022 after earning a perfect 4.0 GPA. He has also been honored as a two-time Dean's List honoree following the fall 2021 and spring 2022 semesters. Ross has been a member of the all-academic team since arriving in Boca Raton.
The show concluded with the presentation of the Owl Cup award, which was awarded to the softball team.
2023 Owlspys Award Winners
All-Freshman Team (Female): Anabell Reumann (Cross Country), Rosa Ten Berg (Track & Field), Morgan McDonald (Women's Soccer), Daniella Diaz (Women's Soccer), Jesiana Mora (Softball), Carla Galmiche (Women's Tennis), Aniya Hubbard (Women's Basketball), Ashleigh Adams (Beach Volleyball), and Amelia Robertson (Swimming & Diving)
All-Freshman Team (Male): Logan Sallas (Cross Country), Andreas Raisanen (Men's Soccer), Tre Carroll (Men's Basketball), Tony Johnson (Football), David Arneskov (Swimming & Diving), Tyler Murphy (Baseball), and Patrick Ward (Baseball)
Coach of the Year: Dusty May (Men's Basketball)
Best Performance of the Year – Individual: Johnell Davis (Men's Basketball)
Best Performance of the Year – Team: Men's Basketball
Student-Athlete Choice Award: Erica Vanover (Athletic Training)
Funniest Action Shot of the Year: Joey Javurek (Cross Country)
Female Outstanding Academic Achievement Award: Sommer Baker (Softball)
Male Outstanding Academic Achievement Award: Peter Tanner (Swimming & Diving)
Female Community Service Award: Sara Berthiaume (Softball)
Male Community Service Award: Spencer Mallion (Men's Soccer)
Team Community Service Award: Softball
Female OWLstanding Spirit Award: Marketa Svozilova (Beach Volleyball)
Male OWLstanding Spirit Award: Edgardo Obregon (Men's Soccer)
Female Athlete of the Year: Letizia Bagnoli (Women's Golf)
Male Athlete of the Year: Johnell Davis (Men's Basketball)
Female Student-Athlete of the Year: Gi Krstec (Women's Soccer)
Male Student-Athlete of the Year: Jackson Ross (Baseball)
Owl Cup: Softball
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