Oregon State Announces 13th Annual Bennys Awards
June 2, 2011
CORVALLIS, Ore. - The baseball and gymnastics teams were honored as the 2010-11 Male Team of the Year and Female Team of the Year, respectively, at the 13th Annual Bennys Awards ceremony Thursday evening, an end-of-the-year celebration highlighting the top achievements of Oregon State student-athletes.
Stephen Paea was honored as the Male Athlete of the Year for his efforts on the football field, while women's soccer player Colleen Boyd and gymnast Leslie Mak shared Female Athlete of the Year honors.
The Oregon State baseball team has enjoyed an outstanding 2011 campaign, one that has not yet completed as they compete in their sixth postseason in seven years this upcoming weekend when they host the Corvallis Regional against Creighton, Georgia and Arkansas-Little Rock. The Beavers have been in the upper tier in the Pac-10 for all but a handful of days, they've earned six Pac-10 weekly honors and numerous national awards en route to having one of the nation's best overall records.
The gymnastics team was honored with a Benny for a record-setting 10th time as it took another step forward in its quest for a national championship. The team finished with a 29-9 record and posted a 19-0 record from late February through the NCAA Regionals. The Beavers collected their first Pac-10 Championship since 1996 and added the title of NCAA Regional Champion before finishing eighth in the nation for the second straight year. Four gymnasts garnered All-America First Team honors and each qualified to the individual event finals, tying for the most in school history.
Paea was a 2010 Associated Press and Sports Illustrated First Team All-American and earned the Pac-10 Conference's Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year after a dominating season on the defensive line for the Beavers. He was voted as the recipient of the Morris Trophy by opposing offensive lineman for the second consecutive year and was selected in the second round of the NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears.
Boyd had the best season by a goalkeeper in Oregon State history and set four school records, including 14 shutouts and consecutive scoreless minutes. She was named to the NSCAA All American Third Team, the All-Pac-10 First Team and led the Beavers to their second consecutive NCAA appearance.
Mak was named the Pac-10 Gymnast of the Year after capturing the league's all-around and balance beam titles and added a tie in the uneven bars. She also earned West Region Gymnast of the Year, two All-American honors and led the Beavers to Pac-10 and NCAA Regional titles and an eighth-place finish at nationals.
Men's golfer Alex Moore and Josh Osich from the baseball team shared Male Performance of the Year honors. Moore fired a 9-under 63, the lowest round of golf in Oregon State history, at the Oregon Duck Invitational with an eagle, nine birdies and two bogeys. Osich struck out a career-best 13 UCLA batters and fired the fourth no-hitter in school history and the first complete-game no-hitter by a Beaver since 1947.
Gymnast Jen Kesler won Female Performance of the Year honors after arguably her best routine ever on the bars in the finals at the NCAA Championships that earned her a second place finish and All-American honors after a spectacular performance in the semifinals.
Kavin Keyes was presented the Joe Zaher Male Newcomer of the Year after being named to the All-Pac-10 Baseball First Team during his freshman campaign. He batted .315 with nine doubles, a home run and 29 RBI, with a .330 average in league play. He was also named the Pac-10 Player of the Week during his first month in Pac-10 play.
Jenna Richardson became the first Oregon State women's soccer player to win Pac-10 Freshman of the Year honors and was named the Female Newcomer of the Year. She finished in the top ten in the Pac-10 in every offensive category and tied for the team lead with 23 points and was second in goals and assists. She also earned Freshman All-American First Team honors.
Head baseball coach Pat Casey won the Benny for Male Coach of the Year after guiding the Beavers to a 38-17 regular season record and a 17-10 mark in conference play. He was also named the Pac-10 Coach of the Year this season after earning the same honor in 2005 and 2006.
Tanya Chaplin was named the Female Coach of the Year after earning the Pac-10 Coach of the Year honor for the fifth time and West Region Coach of the Year for the first time. She led the Beavers to Pac-10 and NCAA Regional titles and an eighth place finish at the NCAA Championships for a second consecutive year.
The Robert Byers Spirit Award was presented to football player Taylor Kavanaugh for his work with Beavers Without Borders and El Sara Greer from the women's basketball team. The Glenn Klein Community Service Award was presented to women's rower Devery Karz and football's Lance Mitchell. Norb Wellman, who was a starting pitcher for the 1952 Oregon State baseball team that made its first College World Series appearance, was honored with the Martin Chaves Lifetime Achievement Award.
Bennys were also presented to Oregon State student-athletes who received All-America recognition and were named Scholar-Athletes and for those who were Regional and Pac-10 champions and are listed below.
2010-11 BENNYS AWARD WINNERS
Male Team of the Year: Baseball
Female Team of the Year: Gymnastics
Male Athlete of the Year: Stephen Paea (football)
Co-Female Athletes of the Year: Colleen Boyd (women's soccer) and Leslie Mak (gymnastics)
Co-Male Performance of the Year: Alex Moore (men's golf) and Josh Osich (baseball)
Female Performance of the Year: Jen Kesler (gymnastics)
Joe Zaher Male Newcomer of the Year: Kavin Keyes (baseball)
Female Newcomer of the Year: Jenna Richardson (women's soccer)
Male Coach of the Year: Pat Casey (baseball)
Female Coach of the Year: Tanya Chaplin (gymnastics)
Robert Byers Spirit Award: Taylor Kavanaugh (Beavers Without Borders) and El Sara Greer (women's basketball)
Glenn Klein Community Service Award: Devery Karz (women's rowing) and Lance Mitchell (football)
Martin Chaves Lifetime Achievement Award: Norb Wellman
All-Americas: Colleen Boyd (women's soccer), Colby Covington (wrestling), Jen Kesler (gymnastics), Leslie Mak (gymnastics), Stephen Paea (football), Jenna Richardson (women's soccer), Makayla Stambaugh (gymnastics); Olivia Vivian (gymnastics) and Sam Gaviglio (baseball)
Regional Champions: Gymnastics team, Leslie Mak (gymnastics), Britney Ranzy (gymnastics) and Makayla Stambaugh (gymnastics)
Pac-10 Champions: Gymnastics team, Colby Covington (wrestling), Clayton Jack (wrestling), Leslie Mak (gymnastics -- all-around), Leslie Mak (gymnastics -- balance beam), Leslie Mak (gymnastics -- uneven bars), Makayla Stambaugh (gymnastics -- uneven bars) and Olivia Vivian (gymnastics -- uneven bars)
Scholar-Athletes: Kaitlan Locke (volleyball), Hayley Oveson (cross country/track), Kiersten Sambrailo (volleyball), Jill Sawatzky (volleyball), Sam Schwartz (men's rowing), Hannah Soza-Hodgkinson (cross country/track), Krista Stangel (cross country/track), Katy Tai (women's rowing), Celia Magistrale (women's rowing), and Mitchell Canham (baseball)
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