FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU trio of Kierstan Bell of women's basketball, Petra Halmai of women's swimming and diving, and Van Holmgren of men's golf have been announced as the recipients of the 2021 Eagles Club Most Outstanding Athlete awards as announced by Director of Athletics Ken Kavanagh today.
 
All three were bestowed the distinction after a year in which the group competed in their sports' respective NCAA Tournaments, earned multiple conference championships, high individual honors, and even a spot to compete in the Olympics.
 
"Kierstan, Petra and Van each had phenomenal overall seasons, arguably the finest collectively in the history of each of their individual programs," Kavanagh said. "No doubt they personify what this highest of Green & Blue athletics honors represents.  Although we will now look to Van's post-FGCU playing career to cheer him on, we are excited to have Kierstan and Petra back again as key contributors to their respective teams and our department overall."
 
The award recognizes the annual top overall female and male FGCU student-athlete(s) as voted on by the Eagles' head coaches and administrative staff. To be part of the initial candidate pool, student-athletes needed to have earned all-conference first-team honors or have been named as a league player of the year (or superlative player of the year) in their respective sport. WBCA Honorable Mention All-American … AP Honorable Mention All-American … USBWA Honorable Mention All-American … Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year … ASUN Player of the Year (unanimous) … ASUN Newcomer of the Year (unanimous) … All-ASUN First Team (unanimous) … ASUN All-Tournament Team (MVP) … Had one of the best seasons of any player in the country by averaging 24.3 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.3 blocks, and 1.9 steals per game ... Became the first player in ASUN history to be tabbed both the ASUN's player and newcomer of the year … A six-time ASUN player of the week and a conference-record 10-time ASUN newcomer of the week ... Compiled 16 double-doubles which not only shattered the program's single-season record but already ranks third among all Eagles in a career and ranked tied for seventh nationally ... Finished the season as the nation's fourth-leading scorer - her 24.3 points per contest was the sixth-best average in the ASUN's 36-year history ... Her 81 3-point field goals made tied for seventh-most in program history, which also tied her for 12th-most in a single season in ASUN history and were eighth best nationally ... Her 3.12 three-point field goals per game tied for the highest average in conference history, as well placed tenth in the country … She also finished ranked sixth in the nation in defensive rebounds per game (9.1) and 14th in total rebounds …. After earning an NCAA Transfer Waiver, FGCU won 25 consecutive games with Bell in the line-up before falling to No. 14 Michigan in the first round of the NCAA Tournament – that streak was one shy of the program's longest in its Division I era. The Eagles finished 24th in the final Associated Press poll and 25th in the USA Today Coaches rankings.

Kierstan Bell
''I'm honored to be selected for this award. This past year was an incredible experience with what we achieved as a team, and I'm grateful for that. It's also an honor to be in a group with Petra and Van."
 
Head Women's Basketball Coach Karl Smesko:
''Kierstan had the best season an FGCU women's basketball player has ever had. She was without a doubt one of the best players in the country. She's an extraordinary athlete and combines that with exceptional basketball intelligence. She was also one of the most efficient players in the nation. Kierstan is a great shooter, scorer, rebounder and shot blocker. She led us to two ASUN championships last season and is very deserving of this honor." Petra Halmai – Swimming & Diving – Dombovar, Hungary – Lanczos Kornel Secondari Grammar School
2021 Olympic Team Member (Hungary) … Hungarian National Champion … NCAA Honorable Mention All-American … Coastal Collegiate Sport Association Swimmer of the Year …  CCSA Swimmer of the Meet … At the NCAA Championship, placed 11th overall in the 200 Breast with a school and conference record time of 2:06.89 ... Overall, her swim time was the ninth-fastest of the event as she out-paced a pair of swimmers in the A Final ... Additionally swam the 100 Breast (23rd, 59.76) and the 200 IM (47th, 1:59.59), out-performing her seed in both races … Her NCAA performances made her the third two-time All-American in program history and also achieved six points for FGCU, which placed the Eagles tied for 32nd at the NCAA Championships … At the CCSA Championship Meet, she collected three individual medals (100 Breast, 200 Breast, 200 IM) and was a part of two of the Eagles' winning relay entries (200 and 400 Medley Relays) … In turn, she was the only record-breaker of the meet, taking down the previous 100 Breast mark with her preliminary swim of 59.98 …. For her overall outstanding season, she was named the first ever to win consecutive CCSA Swimmer of the Year accolades … She currently owns the FGCU and CCSA individual career best times for both the 100 and 200 Breasts and is in the top four for the Eagles in five events (200 IM – 2nd, 200 Fly/400 IM – 4th) and has earned a combined seventeen CCSA Championship medals (10 gold, 6 silver, 1 bronze) …. Finally, in December she won the gold medal in the 100 Breast at the Hungarian National Championships (she also earned a silver medal in the 200 Breast), with a record 1:08.02 and her eventual placement on their Tokyo Olympic Team, where she is participating this week.   
 
Petra Halmai:
"I feel honored to be selected as one of the Most Outstanding Athletes from the past year. Congratulations for Kierstan and Van for having tremendous seasons as well. I also would like to mention that I would not be here now without my teammates and my coaches. I am grateful that they are always helping me reach my goals. I worked a lot to be an Olympian, which is still unbelievable for me, and my teammates, coaches and the FGCU staff keep me motivated to work harder every single day."
 
Head Swimming and Diving Coach Dave Rollins:
"Congratulations to Petra for being named the co-winner of the Eagles Club Most Outstanding Female Athlete for this past year. These student-athletes all had incredible, record-setting years and to be acknowledged for that by our fellow coaches is humbling. Petra ended her freshman year four years ago ranked 126th in the country with a 2:13.63 in the 200 breaststroke. At the conclusion of this past year, Petra is now a two-time All-American, a Hungarian Olympian, and ranked 11th in the country and down to 2:06.86. Overall, she is our most versatile swimmer in team history. Not to mention, she's been a member of the Dean's and President's lists and is pursuing her master's degree. We couldn't ask for a better example of someone who trusts the process, believes in the program, and loves her team. Congratulations Petra, we are incredibly proud of you and cannot wait to see what you do next." Van Holmgren – Men's Golf – Plymouth, Minn. – Wayzata HS – North Dakota State
NCAA Individual Automatic Qualifier … PING All-Southeast Regional Team … ASUN Individual Champion … All-ASUN First Team (Unanimous) … Became the men's golf program's first-ever PING All-Southeast Region Team selection … Concluded his FGCU career tied for 13th at the Kingston Springs NCAA Regional as an individual … Holmgren won the 2021 ASUN Championship Tournament medalist honors, leading the Eagles to a program-tying best ever second-place overall finish and highest final GolfStat 65th team ranking in team history … Became the first-ever Eagle to win the championship crown and was the second-ever FGCU golfer to be named a unanimous First Team honoree … At the ASUN Championship, he shot 204 (69-68-67) to win and become the fourth Eagle to qualify for the NCAA Regionals … Finished two-under at the NCAA Regional where he shot 211 (69-74-68) falling just three strokes away from advancing to the NCAA Championship Tournament final rounds - his third-round score of 68 tied the program's lowest round for an NCAA Regional ... At 0.07 versus par and a season scoring average of 71.52, Holmgren had the fourth-best individual season in program history and played a major role in FGCU earning the Golf Coaches Association of America's 2021 Mark Laesch Award as the top DI program based on improvement in adjusted stroke average per round over the past two seasons (15.26 strokes) …. His 211 at the ASUN Championship tied for the second-best lowest 54-hole total as well ... Finished the year ranked as the 97th-best NCAA golfer nationally with a 32-18 record against top-50 players including 13 wins against top-25 players. Over the past twelve months he also qualified for the 2020 US Amateur Championship in Oregon where he advanced to the round of 64 and the upcoming 2021 US Amateur at Oakmont (PA) Country Club.
 
Van Holmgren:
"I feel very blessed to have received this award; seeing all of the past Eagles who have earned this accolade, I am honored to be joining that prestigious group. I believe that FGCU has housed some extraordinary student-athletes and I'm happy to represent the Eagles moving forward with my career. I wouldn't be here if I feared making hard decisions. I'm glad I trusted in myself and the coaches at FGCU. Go Eagles!!"
 
Head Men's Golf Coach Andrew Danna:
"I'm really proud of Van and congratulations to Petra and Kierstan as well. He has overcome a tremendous amount of adversity these last couple years. In spite of that, he's always remained motivated and driven to help our program reach its goals while pushing himself to be better every day. Van represents what it means to be a FGCU Eagle. He also embodies what it means to be a part of our men's golf program – "take nothing for granted and work for everything".  I will miss Van immensely, along with our other graduates, but the priceless memories we made together will last a lifetime."

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OTHER 2020-21 MALE CANDIDATES:

• Ethan Dudley – M. Soccer - ASUN Defensive Player of the Year … All-ASUN First Team … ASUN All-Academic … ASUN All-Tournament Team … CoSIDA Academic All-District
• Brian Ellis – Baseball - All-ASUN First Team
• Richie Garcia – Baseball - All-ASUN First Team
• Magnus Johnson – M. Tennis - NCAA Individual Automatic Qualifier … ASUN Co-Player of the Year … ASUN Freshman of the Year … All-ASUN First Team
• O'Vonte Mullings – M. Soccer - ASUN Player of the Year … All-ASUN First Team … ASUN All-Tournament Team
• Shandel Senior – M. Soccer - All-ASUN First Team
• Gustavo Vasconcelos – M. Soccer - ASUN Goalie of the Year … All-ASUN First Team … ASUN All-Tournament Team 

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OTHER 2020-21 FEMALE CANDIDATES:

• Wiktoria Czarnecka – Swimming & Diving – CSCAA Scholar All-America Second Team … CCSA Medalist (50 Free, 100 Free)
• Reedy Davenport – Softball - ASUN Co-Defensive Player of the Year … All-ASUN First Team … ASUN All-Tournament Team
• Sarah Edwards – W. Golf - ASUN Freshman of the Year … All-ASUN First Team … ASUN All-Freshman Team … ASUN All-Tournament Team
• Kacie Johnson – Beach Volleyball - All-ASUN First Team … ASUN All-Freshman Team
• Kajsa Lang – W. Soccer - USC All-South Region Second Team … All-ASUN First Team … ASUN All-Freshman Team … ASUN All-Tournament Team
• Chelsey Lockey – Volleyball - ASUN Setter of the Year … All-ASUN First Team … ASUN All-Academic
• TK Morehouse – W. Basketball - All-ASUN First Team (unanimous) … ASUN All-Tournament Team … Gulf Coast Showcase All-Tournament Team
• Fanny Norin – W. Tennis - All-ASUN First Team … ASUN All-Freshman Team
• Nene Rowe – Softball - All-ASUN First Team … ASUN All-Freshman Team
• Erin Shomaker – Volleyball - AVCA Honorable Mention All-American … VolleyballMag.com Honorable Mention All-American … AVCA All-Southeast Region Honorable Mention … ASUN Player of the Year … All-ASUN First Team … ASUN All-Tournament Team
• Cortney VanLiew – Volleyball - FGCU Hall of Fame Inductee … All-ASUN First Team … ASUN All-Academic Team
• Kayla Whetstone – Beach Volleyball - ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year … All-ASUN First Team … ASUN All-Academic Team

PREVIOUS AWARD WINNERS
2019-20: O'Vonte Mullings (M. Soccer) & Keri Jewett-Giles (W. Basketball)/Evdokia Popadinova (W. Soccer)
2018-19: Preston Kilwien (M. Soccer) & Cortney VanLiew (Volleyball/Beach Volleyball)/Evdokia Popadinova (W. Soccer)/Nasrin Ulel (W. Basketball)
2017-18: Brandon Goodwin (M. Basketball) & Amanda Carroll (Volleyball)/Ashley Parks (W. Soccer)
2016-17: Albert Ruiz (M. Soccer) & Tabby Tindell (W. Soccer)
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)   
E.A.G.L.E. CAMPAIGN
IT TAKES A TEAM to achieve our newest goal - a $10 million campaign to address student-athlete needs in continued academic success, life skills, mental health, nutrition, and strength and conditioning as well as departmental needs in facility expansion and improvement as well as mentoring and leadership training for coaches and staff. The name embodies our mission and the purpose of the E.A.G.L.E. Campaign - Eagle Athletics Generating Lifetime Excellence. Join Our Team and pledge your gift today to help the Eagles of tomorrow!
 
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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 85 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 13+ seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just nine seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 42 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Eight FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport - including women's basketball (No. 21, 2020-21), beach volleyball (No. 20, 2021) and both men's soccer (2018, 2019) and women's soccer (2018) as three of the most recent. 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. In 2018-19, the Eagles had an ASUN and state of Florida best seven teams earn the NCAA's Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate in their sport. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.38 GPA in the classroom in the spring 2021 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for 24 consecutive semesters. The 2020 Fall, 2019 Fall, 2020 Spring, and 2020 Fall semesters each saw another milestone reached as all 15 programs achieved a 3.0-or-higher team GPA. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours in 2017 - being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.
 
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