FORT MYERS, Fla. – Former women's soccer standout Tabby Tindell has been named FGCU's Most Outstanding Female Athlete, and senior men's soccer stalwart Albert Ruiz has garnered FGCU's Most Outstanding Male Athlete award for 2016-17.
 
Tindell is just the sixth athlete in FGCU history to be named a two-time recipient of the award (co-winner in 2015), joining men's tennis's Jordi Vives (2014, '15), women's basketball's Whitney Knight (2015, '16), Sarah Hansen (2012, '13) and Kate Schrader (2006, '07) and softball's Kelly Powe (2004, '05).
 
Ruiz becomes just the second soccer player in department history to be named the male recipient of the award, joining Adam Glick in 2011. Ruiz, Tindell and Glick are the only soccer players – male or female – to have ever won the prestigious award.
 
The award honors the best FGCU male and female athlete for the previous year. It has been handed out since 2002-03 – FGCU's first year as an NCAA member (NAIA: 2000-02; Division I: 2007-08) – and the award is presented annually at the Welcome Back Picnic, which this year will take place on Aug. 28. All nominees (included at the end of this release) have been selected by department staff members as the best among FGCU's 15 programs, earned all-conference first team honors or better and been named as a league player of the year (or superlative player of the year) in their respective sport in 2016-17.
 
TABBY TINDELL
Tindell (Ocala, Fla./Trinity Catholic HS) became the first two-time All-American in FGCU history as she was selected as an NSCAA Third Team All-American, the highlight of another brilliant and award-winning campaign for the program's all-time leading scorer.
 
In addition to the All-American honor, Tindell garnered all of the following awards:
 
NSCAA All-Southeast Region First Team
Senior CLASS Third Team All-American
ASUN Player of the Year
ASUN First Team
ASUN All-Tournament Team
ASUN All-Academic Team
 
Throughout her final season with the Green and Blue, Tindell was named a Top 10 Forward by TopDrawerSoccer.com, a Top 30 overall player in the country by TopDrawerSoccer, a two-time ASUN Player of the Week and a three-time member of TopDrawerSoccer.com's National Team of the Week.
 
"It's an honor to be selected for this award," said Tindell. "I have to thank my family, my coaches, my teammates and the support staff. Without them, none of this would have been possible."
 
Tindell led the league in every major offensive category en route to her third-consecutive ASUN Player of the Year honor. The striker finished the year with 14 goals and eight assists, with 12 of those goals coming in span of 10-straight matches where she tallied at least one goal – good for the eighth-longest streak in NCAA history.
 
The ASUN got a new all-time points leader on Sept. 30, 2016, when Tindell scored twice and added two assists in a 4-0 win over USC Upstate. Two days later, she separated herself from the rest of the league, scoring the lone goal in a hard-fought 1-0 win over NJIT to break the conference's goals record.
 
While her run of 10-consecutive games with a goal came to an end, Tindell helped FGCU finish yet another undefeated conference season to secure its seventh-straight ASUN regular-season title, keeping the NCAA's longest active streak intact. The forward then scored in FGCU's semifinal contest against Kennesaw State to assist in the Eagles' fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in six seasons.
 
The Ocala, Fla., native finished her career as the ASUN leader in goals (66) and points (162), while also topping FGCU's assists list with 30. Additionally, she graduated ranking 2nd in NCAA history for game-winning goals with 31.
 
"I couldn't be more proud of Tabby," added FGCU women's soccer head coach Jim Blankenship. "From the moment she stepped on campus she did nothing but work to improve herself and this program. She's going to be missed both on and off the field."
 
ALBERT RUIZ
Ruiz (Barcelona, Spain/UE Cornella/CE L'Hospitalet) orchestrated the most potent offensive attack in program history in 2016, concluding the year as the national leader in goals (22) and points (49) by a wide margin. He destroyed single-season program records in both categories en route to being named an NSCAA First Team All-American – the first ASUN representative since 1997.
 
The forward was named one of three finalists for the MAC Hermann Trophy – the equivalent of the Heisman Trophy and most coveted and prestigious individual honor in D-I soccer.
 
In addition to the MAC Hermann Trophy and All-American honors, Ruiz earned all of the following accolades in 2016:
 
NSCAA All-Southeast Region First Team
ASUN Player of the Year
ASUN First Team
ASUN Tournament MVP
ASUN All-Tournament Team
2x ASUN Player of the Week (Sept. 19; Oct. 3)
2x National Player of the Week (Sept. 19; Oct. 3)
 
"Two years ago I couldn't even imagine getting all of the recognition I have based off last season," stated Ruiz. "I'm very grateful for my family, my teammates and all of the coaches who have helped me become who I am today. I specifically owe a lot to coach Bob (Butehorn, former FGCU head coach) and coach Joe (Dincecco, former FGCU assistant coach) who believed in me when nobody else did."
 
Ruiz was the first player in ASUN history to be named a finalist (or semifinalist) for the MAC Hermann Trophy. The Barcelona, Spain, native scored five more goals and totaled nine more points than any other player in the country last season. He also led all D-I players in goals per game (1.10; next closest: 0.89) and points per game (2.45; next closest: 1.95).
 
By himself, Ruiz scored more goals than 74 teams – more than one-third of the 203 D-I men's programs – and secured more points than 43 teams.
 
The Spaniard's 22 goals were the most by a D-I player in a single season since 2012, and the most in the ASUN in more than a decade. Ruiz scored five goals in four postseason games (two ASUN Championship matches; two NCAA Tournament contests) as part of a larger streak of scoring a goal in eight of FGCU's final nine games of the year.
 
Ruiz secured two hat tricks during the regular season, including what is believed to be the fastest in D-I history from the start of the game (9:02 at Rutgers, Sept. 27). He had six games of four or more points, including a program single-game record 7 versus UNCW. Ruiz destroyed the previous single-season program record for goals (7) and points (17).
 
The striker helped guide FGCU to its fourth ASUN Championship title in just six seasons of D-I postseason eligibility. He also aided in steering the Green and Blue to a program-record #11 NSCAA national ranking during FGCU's 14-4-3 year, setting the program's single-season record for wins. Included in that stretch was a program- and nation-best 10-game winning streak.
 
Ruiz converted the game-clinching goal in FGCU's 3-0 penalty-kick win over USF in the NCAA Tournament First Round, propelling the Eagles into the Second Round for the first time in program history. He then scored the go-ahead goal in the 72nd minute at North Carolina in the Second Round before the Eagles fell just short in double overtime to the Tar Heels, who eventually advanced to the College Cup.
 
"Albert has obvious talent, but to me it's his character that is most impressive," commented FGCU men's soccer head coach Jesse Cormier. "He is one of the hardest workers I've been around in 20+ years, and his leadership skills, maturity and professionalism put him in the 'special' category at this level."
 
OTHER 2016-17 NOMINEES
MALE
Brandon Goodwin – Basketball: Unanimous ASUN Newcomer of the Year
Nick Rivera – Baseball: ASUN Player of the Year
Luka Ndungu – Cross Country: ASUN First Team
Felipe Ramirez – Tennis: ASUN Freshman of the Year
 
FEMALE
Christina Kaas Elmgreen – Swimming: CCSA Women's Swimmer of the Year
Rosemarie Julien – Basketball: ASUN Newcomer of the Year
Amanda Carroll – Volleyball: Unanimous ASUN First Team
Maja Ornberg – Tennis: ASUN Freshman of the Year
Megan Blonien – Golf: ASUN First Team (T-1 ASUN Championship)
Kelsey Huff – Softball: ASUN First Team
 
PREVIOUS AWARD WINNERS
2015-16 – Jake Noll (Baseball) & Whitney Knight (W. Basketball)
2014-15 – Jordi Vives (M. Tennis)/Nick Rivera (Baseball) & Emma Svensson (Swimming)/Tabby Tindell (W. Soccer)/Whitney Knight (W. Basketball)
2013-14 – Mike Murray (Baseball)/Jordi Vives (M. Tennis) & Kira Toussaint (Swimming)/Kelly Perzanowski (W. Cross Country)
2012-13 – Sherwood Brown (M. Basketball) & Sarah Hansen (W. Basketball)
2011-12 – Ricky Knapp (Baseball) & Sarah Hansen (W. Basketball) 
2010-11 – Adam Glick (M. Soccer) & Shannon Murphy (W. Basketball)/Courtney Platt (Softball) 
2009-10 – Chris Sale (Baseball) & Chelsea Lyles (W. Basketball) 
2008-09 – Josh Upchurch (Baseball) & Cheyenne Jenks (Softball) 
2007-08 – Jason Peacock (Baseball) & Carmen Paez (Softball) 
2006-07 – Beau Bauer (M. Basketball) & Kate Schrader (W. Basketball) 
2005-06 – Juan Carlos Osorio (M. Tennis)/Jason Louwsma (Baseball) & Kate Schrader (W. Basketball) 
2004-05 – Bryan Crislip (M. Basketball)/Richard Stempnowski (M. Tennis) & Kelly Powe (Softball) 
2003-04 – Leighton Bowie (M. Basketball) & Kelly Powe (Softball) 
2002-03 – Chris Brown (Baseball) & Trish Fleming (W. Basketball)
 
ABOUT FGCU
In just 10 seasons at the Division-I level, FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 63 conference regular season and tournament titles. Additionally, in just six seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had 30 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Seven programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport. In 2016-17, the Green and Blue posted a department-best 6th-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. FGCU also claimed the ASUN All-Sports Trophy for the third-straight year and fourth time in five years in 2016-17, in addition to collectively earning a 3.27 GPA in the classroom and serving an all-time high 7,200+ volunteer hours.
 
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SUPPORT THE CAUSE
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.