The Sixth Annual TiSCy Awards
By Josh Griffin
The Santa Clara sports scene reached new heights last December 9 when the women's soccer team won the school's first outright national championship by defeating North Carolina 1-0 in Dallas, Texas. The accomplishments of the women's soccer program are obviously unprecedented, but the sports staff at The Santa Clara has determined that this year's edition of the TiSCy's will not be a repeat of the women's soccer banquet.
While the members of this amazing team are eligible, and favored, for every award - except male athlete of the year - this is our humble attempt at sharing the wealth by acknowledging the entire Santa Clara athletic department.
Female Athlete of the Year
Danielle Slaton, women's soccer.
In a close vote between Slaton and her teammate, junior midfielder Aly Wagner, Slaton gets the nod based on her ability to not only defend but also to provide some offensive spark for the team from the sweeper position, scoring two goals and assisting on 11 this year.
Slaton's accomplishments on the back line stood out for a team historically noted for its ball-control offensive attack, and in February she was chosen with the first pick in the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) draft by the Carolina Courage. Honorable Mention - Aly Wagner, Veronica Zepeda (women's soccer), Becki Ashbaugh (women's basketball), Becki Potter (women's volleyball) and Kelley Mays (women's water polo).
Male Athlete of the Year
Joey Gomes, baseball.
Gomes rebounded from an atrocious junior season where he batted .223 with two homeruns and 15 RBIs to one of the greatest offensive seasons in the history of the school. He batted .408 with 10 homeruns, 51 RBIs, and a school-record 31 doubles. He led the team in the first year of the Mark O'Brien era, and is a sure-fire draft pick in the June Major League Baseball draft. Honorable Mention - Jeff Stewart (men's soccer), Kyle Bailey (men's basketball), Thomas Chapman (men's cross country) and Jay Moorhead (men's water polo).
Team of the Year - Women's soccer. This is as close to a no-brainer as possible. Not only did the women's soccer team win the national championship, but they beat the Tar Heels of North Carolina, owner of 16 of the last 20 NCAA Championships. The team featured three of the nation's premier upperclassmen - Slaton, Wagner and senior Anna Kraus - as well as one of the best freshmen classes in the history of the sport.
Freshman of the Year - Chris Lam, men's tennis. Arriving at Santa Clara as one of the nation's top 100 18-year-olds, Lam led the tennis team to its best season playing No. 1 singles. He completed the season with a 25-9 overall record, and peaked at No. 104 in the national rankings. Honorable Mention - Robin Bell (women's cross country), Jordan Legge (men's basketball), Leslie Osborne (women's soccer), Ryan Cochrane and Steve Cronin (men's soccer).
Coach of the Year - Chris Denker, women's basketball. In his second season, Denker led the Broncos to another 20-win season and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. In their first round game against favored LSU, Santa Clara fought the sixth-seeded Tigers to the end, finally giving way by a final of 84-78. Denker's career record is 41-18, and he ranks among the nation's best young coaches in basketball. Honorable Mention - Tom Service (women's cross country), Jerry Smith (women's soccer) and Mark O'Brien (baseball).
Breakthrough Performance of the Year - Santa Clara women's softball. After teasing their opposition with breakthrough potential all season, the softball team entered the Western Independent Softball League championships as the third seed in the four-team tournament. Their record entering the tournament was a disappointing 21-36. All this changed when Santa Clara qualified for the championship game where they defeated favored Loyola Marymount 12-5. Honorable Mention - Sean Eirich (men's crew), Dan Figoni (men's water polo) and Aly Wagner (women's soccer).
Clutch Performance of the Year - Steve Ross, men's basketball. Ross entered the season as the focal point of the Bronco offense, which lost its two most productive players - Brian Jones and Jamie Holmes - from the previous season. Ross struggled in the preseason, but in the conference opener at the Kennel in Spokane, Ross had the best individual performance in a game since Steve Nash. He lit up the Zags for 38 points on 12 for 23 shooting, including 7 for 14 from behind the three-point line. The scare was the closest that any team came to defeating Gonzaga at home all season, and marked one of the high points of the Bronco's season. Honorable Mention - Justin Holbrook's game-tying three versus Saint Mary's in the WCC Tournament, Aly Wagner's goal in the national championship game and Kyle Bailey's game-winning three pointer against San Jose State.
This concludes the sixth annual edition of the TiSCy Awards, also known as the Oscars of Santa Clara athletics. The decisions were based on a compilation of input from the sports staff at The Santa Clara.