FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU Department of Athletics celebrated its successful 2018-19 academic campaign Thursday night at the 2019 Nesties Senior Send-Off event, which was held in Alico Arena.
 
Along with honoring the department's seniors, six different awards were handed out, highlighted by the newly-named Ken Kavanagh Eagle Scholar-Athlete Award. Dr. Tom Roberts, the Faculty Athletic Representative, announced at the ceremony that the highest accolade bestowed to an Eagle student-athlete has been renamed in honor of Director of Athletics Ken Kavanagh. The award recognizes the ability of the winner(s) to combine athletic and academic success (minimum 3.20 GPA) with community service. The accolade was previously called the Eagle Scholar-Athlete Award.
 
This year's recipients were women's soccer midfielder Holly Fritz (Cape Coral, FL/Mariner HS/Florida State) and volleyball setter Maggie Rick (Alpharetta, GA/Blessed Trinity Catholic). Fritz is the fourth women's soccer player in the last four years to win the accolade, joining Emma Blackwell (2016), Brittany Brown (2016) and Ashley Parks (2018). Rick is just the second volleyball player to win in the 17-year history of the award, joining Heather Van Olst (2007).
 
More information about Fritz and Rick can be found below. Women's tennis' Julia Ascúa (Santa Fe, Argentina/Domingo G. Silva HS), swimmer Christina Kaas Elmgreen (Charlottenlund, Denmark/Ordrup Gymnasium) and softball pitcher Riley Randolph (St. Petersburg, FL/Northeast HS) were also recognized in a video package as finalists for the prestigious award.
 
Five other annual awards were presented on the night, beginning with the Wings Up Team Spirit Award – previously the Eagle Team Spirit Award – which is given to the program which exemplifies Eagle spirit and team support. The 2019 honor went to the volleyball team for the second year in a row. The award is based off six categories: Dirty Bird memberships, Wings Up app downloads, attendance at games, spirit displayed at those games, social media support of their own team and other sports and promotion and interaction with fellow students and community members.
 
The Stanley 'Butch' Perchan Award, previously named the Green and Blue Award, is annually bestowed upon a staff member(s) who personifies the proverbial definition of someone who bleeds Green and Blue. Four years ago, Kavanagh announced that the award would be renamed the Stanley 'Butch' Perchan Award in honor of Senior Associate Athletics Director for External Affairs Emeritus Butch Perchan. Perchan, via video, presented the 2019 award to this year's recipient, Associate AD for Facilities and Operations Mike Miller.
 
Miller has been with the Eagles for eight years, and he was promoted to Associate AD this past July. In his role, he has facility oversight of all capital projects, the athletics master plan, grounds contracts and special projects. Additionally, he serves as the sports administrator for the women's soccer program. Miller began his time with FGCU as event manager in May 2011, was promoted to director of facilities and operations in September 2012 and then Assistant AD in September 2016.
 
The Community Service Award is presented annually to the student-athlete who best exemplifies FGCU Athletics' dedicated commitment to volunteerism on campus and throughout the Southwest Florida community. The 2019 honoree was Ascúa, marking the third time in the last four years the winner hailed from the women's tennis team. Ascúa has volunteered in numerous areas around campus, including serving on the Lutgert College of Business Student Advisory Board. She has also volunteered as a microeconomics teaching assistant, while helping tutor both micro and macroeconomics at the Center for Academic Achievement. She has served more than 200 hours in the community in diverse activities such as women's tennis free clinics and teaching elementary children in Fort Myers. She also participated in the Hurricane Irma relief efforts, reaching out to affected neighborhoods.
 
The Carl McAloose Spirit Award is given to at least one male and female student-athlete who best exemplify former Director of Athletics Carl McAloose's spirit and love for FGCU Athletics, as well as dedication to their team and teammates. Four recipients – three females and one male – won the award this year. Those were men's tennis' Felipe Escobar (Pereira, Colombia/Liceo Frances de Pereira/TCU), women's cross country runner Carley Lutzow (Belvidere, IL/Belvidere HS), softball pitcher Riley Randolph (St. Petersburg, FL/Northeast HS) and women's basketball guard Lisa Zderadicka (Vienna, Austria/HAK Korneuburg/Houston Baptist).
 
The Most Inspirational Award, which was renamed the Duane Swanson Sr. Inspirational Award at the 2011 ceremony, was presented to women's golfer Kelsy Holbert (Lutz, FL/Steinbrenner HS). She is the second women's golfer to capture the honor and the first since 2015 (Chelsea Guoynes).
 
In fall 2016, Holbert was diagnosed with Lupus, which is an autoimmune disease that witnesses the body's immune systems attack its own organs and tissues. The diagnosis could have ended her career, but she refused to allow it to stop her from playing the game she loves. In her senior year, she has been instrumental in helping the team achieve one of the best seasons ever, including four-straight top-2 finishes this spring. She also finished eighth individually at the 2019 ASUN Championships. Her fall scoring average of 73.8 was an incredible improvement over previous years, and her overall scoring average of 75.3 was a full two strokes better than last season.
 
EAGLE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE WINNERS HOLLY FRITZ & MAGGIE RICK
 
FRITZ owned a near-perfect 3.98 GPA in biology and became FGCU's first-ever First Team Academic All-American, prior to her December graduation. She was also named a United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American and was voted as the 2018 ASUN Women's Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year. She has been named to the President's List all three of her semesters at FGCU and was an ASUN All-Academic Team honoree. She graduated summa cum laude and has completed published research through the biology department.
 
Her volunteer work on campus includes helping with freshman move-in at South Village and aiding soccer camps and clinics. She has served in the community at Habitat for Humanity, the Harry Chapin Hunger Walk and the Special Olympics, while volunteering as a coach for the Cape Coral youth soccer club.
 
Fritz made an indelible mark on the women's soccer program during her two seasons and was named to the All-ASUN First Team both years. She helped lead the Eagles to the 2017 ASUN Regular Season and Tournament Championships, including a berth in the 2017 NCAA Tournament. She was a semifinalist for the 2018 Senior CLASS Award and was also a two-time member of the United Soccer Coaches Association Southeast All-Region Team (First Team in 2018, Second Team in 2017). The two-time ASUN Player of the Week finished the 2017 season in the top 10 in the nation in assists, and she finished her career ranked in the FGCU top-10 in seven different categories.
 
Head Coach Jim Blankenship on Fritz:
"Holly's legacy at FGCU will live on for numerous years past her graduation for she will be leaving the women's soccer program as one of the best players in history. Her success on the field mirrors her success in the classroom. She is a model candidate for this award. Her dedication to her team, the community, and her studies have carried over to the people that are in her life. She has gone above and beyond expectations laid before her and is someone whom I would consider to be hard-working, diligent, ambitious, and considerate. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that in years to come her further successes will make us all proud to have known her."
 
RICK carries a 3.90 grade-point average in economics with a minor in management. She has been named to the Athletics Director Honor Roll seven times (2015-18), the Dean's List five times (2015-18) and the President's List twice (2017-18). The Honors College member ranks in the top 10 percent of students in the Lutgert College of Business. She has also been recognized as an ASUN Winner for Life Recipient (Fall 2018), ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year (2018) and a three-time ASUN All-Academic Team honoree (2016-18).
 
Rick serves the university as an academic tutor for multiple subjects at the Hartley Academic Resource Center. Other service activities on campus she's been part of include the Project Life Movement, FGCU Water Games, Spring Fling, SoVi Move-In, St. Baldrick's Day, and Eagles Council. She aids in the community at the Boys and Girls Club of Lee County, the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Habitat for Humanity, St. Matthew's House, Harry Chapin Food Bank, Path2Freedom, Collier County Conservation, and Gladiolus Learning and Development Center.
 
Her success on the court is extensive. She wrapped up her illustrious career as FGCU's all-time leader in assists (while ranking fifth in ASUN history) and matches played. She was named the 2016 ASUN Setter of the Year and landed on that season's All-ASUN First Team. She made the All-ASUN Second Team three times (2015, 2017-18) and landed on the 2015 All-ASUN Freshmen Team. As a senior, she helped lead the Eagles to their fourth ASUN Regular Season Championship and first ASUN Tournament Championship, while also guiding them to their first appearance and victory in the NCAA Championship tournament where they were the only team to knock off one of the top-16 host seeds (No. 13 UCF) in the opening round. She is the first four-time all-conference and three-time all-academic team selection in program history.
 
Head Coach Matt Botsford on Rick:
"I have been fortunate to coach Maggie for the past four years. During that time, she has excelled on the court and in the classroom, while demonstrating a commitment to our program's values and culture. She epitomizes excellence in multiple arenas and has done so in a fashion that demonstrates her devotion to FGCU, her teammates and to our community. Her combination of personality, professionalism, and a strong work ethic, has helped to propel our program to new heights and has made an impact on all of those who she has come in contact with."
 
2018-19 EAGLES CLUB MOST OUTSTANDING MALE AND FEMALE ATHLETES
Previously called the Most Outstanding Male and Female Athlete Award, it was renamed to the Eagles Club Most Outstanding Male and Female Athlete Award at the 2017 ceremony. The Eagles Club is the official booster organization which helps financially support and raise funds for each of FGCU's 15 programs. The winners of this award will be announced at the 'Welcome Back Picnic' in August, as not all teams have finished their seasons at this time. All nominees have either earned First Team All-Conference or better (i.e. Freshman of the Year), swimmers who came in first at the conference championship meet or for baseball and softball that have not yet finished, are individuals whom are under strong considerations for such accolades.
 
WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY: Carley Lutzow
MEN'S SOCCER: Shak Adams, Preston Kilwien, O'Vonte Mullings, Gustavo Vasconcelos
WOMEN'S SOCCER: Marjorie Boilesen, Holly Fritz, Lindsey Patton, Evdokia Popadinova
VOLLEYBALL: Dana Axner, Sharonda Pickering, Cortney VanLiew
SWIMMING & DIVING: Petra Halmai, Gracie Redding, Megan Wakefield
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Tytionia Adderley, Nasrin Ulel
MEN'S BASKETBALL: Schadrac Casimir
WOMEN'S TENNIS: Maja Ornberg
MEN'S TENNIS: Juan Montes
BEACH VOLLEYBALL: Snowy Burnam, Kirstine Garder, Kayla Whetstone
BASEBALL*: Alex Brait, Richie Garcia, Jay Hayes, Hunter McGarry, Mason Studstill
SOFTBALL*: Reedy Davenport, Racquel Fournet, Kate Kelly, Riley Randolph
* Anticipated; ASUN honors not yet released
 
2018-19 FGCU ATHLETICS AWARD WINNERS
Ken Kavanagh Eagle Scholar-Athlete Award: Holly Fritz, Maggie Rick
Wings Up Team Spirit Award: Volleyball
Stanley "Butch" Perchan Award: Mike Miller (Facilities and Operations)
Community Service Award: Julia Ascúa (Women's Tennis)
Carl McAloose Spirit Award: Felipe Escobar (Men's Tennis), Carley Lutzow (Women's Cross Country), Riley Randolph (Softball), Lisa Zderadicka (Women's Basketball)
Duane Swanson Sr. Inspirational Award: Kelsy Holbert (Women's Golf)
 
#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events in November and April 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.
 
ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 77 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 11+ seasons at the Division-I level. Additionally, in just seven+ seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 36 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Seven FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport - including both men's and women's soccer again in 2018. In 2016-17, the Green and Blue posted a department-best sixth-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.35 GPA in the classroom in spring 2018 and had an ASUN Conference and State of Florida best five teams earn the NCAA's Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate in their sport. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours - being recognized as one of two runner-ups for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.
 
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