RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Intercollegiate Athletics recognized 23 award winners at the annual V Awards ceremony, presented by KRGV, on Sunday at the Plains Capital Bank Theater.
 
Those winning awards include:
Influencer of the Year – Lea Karren (women's tennis)
Student-Athlete of the Year (Male) – Brandon Pimentel (baseball)
Student-Athlete of the Year (Female) – Sarah Cruz (volleyball)
Rookie of the Year (Male) – Taj Sutherland (men's golf)
Rookie of the Year (Female) ­– Luanna Emiliano (volleyball)
Newcomer of the Year (Male) – Brandon Pimentel (baseball)
Newcomer of the Year (Female) ­– Luisa Silva Dos Santos (volleyball)
Breakout Athlete of the Year (Male) – Brett Cain (baseball)
Breakout Athlete of the Year (Female) – Samantha Gonzalez (cross country/track & field)
Comeback Player of the Year – Halie Jones (women's basketball)
Team Performance of the Year – Women's basketball knocks off Western Athletic Conference Champion Stephen F. Austin and then goes on a run in the WAC Tournament
Legacy Award (Male) – Bryce Box (men's soccer)
Legacy Award (Female) – Veronika Jandova (volleyball)
Lou Hassel Award – Victor Medellin (men's soccer)
Anheuser Busch/Ann LaMantia Award – Sandra Putz (women's tennis)
Academic Team of the Year – Men's Golf
Community Engagement Team of the Year – Women's Tennis
Spirited Team of the Year – Volleyball
Iron V – Brett Cain (baseball), Sarah Cruz (volleyball), Taylor Muff (women's basketball), Leonardo Novella (men's golf)
Student Athletic Trainer of the Year – Paige Whitehead
 
The influencer of the year is a student-athlete with a positive social media presence. The newcomer of the year awards are given to first year student-athletes that are not freshmen. The breakout athlete of the year. The legacy awards are given to seniors who have made a significant impact during their careers at UTRGV. The Lou Hassel and Anheuser Busch/Ann LaMantia awards are given to the senior student-athletes with the highest grade point averages (GPA) who competed during the current academic year. The academic team of the year is the team with the highest GPA.
 
The Iron V award recognizes student-athletes whose athletic accomplishments reflect their dedication to strength training and conditioning by earning All-American Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year Awards.
 
"Tonight was about celebrating the success of our student-athletes in competition, the classroom and the community," UTRGV Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque said. "I'm excited about our future and very appreciative of each and every one of our student-athletes, coaches and administrators."
 
"We are proud of all of our student-athletes for their accomplishments this season. Their hard work and dedication as both students and athletes is apparent, and while we've only honored a select group tonight, they are all deserving of recognition
 
Student-Athlete of the Year (Male)
Brandon Pimentel (Baseball)
Hitting .374/.421/.635 with 11 home runs, 16 doubles, two triples, 42 RBI, and 49 runs scored … On the Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award Watch List … Earned Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week honors on March 7 … Ranks tied for eighth in program history in home runs in a season … Entered the weekend ranked ninth in the NCAA and second in the WAC in hits, 21^st in the NCAA and second in the WAC in total bases, 32^nd in the NCAA and second in the WAC in hits per game, 63^rd in the NCAA and sixth in the WAC in hitting, 74^th in the NCAA and third in the WAC in runs scored, 103^rd in the NCAA and fifth in the WAC in slugging, 117^th in the NCAA and sixth in the WAC in home runs and 124^th in the NCAA and fifth in the WAC in doubles.
 
Student-Athlete of the Year (Female)
Sarah Cruz (Volleyball)
Averaged 4.37 kills, 2.33 digs, 0.55 blocks and 0.30 aces per set … Broke program record for kills per set while ranking sixth in total kills (437) and tied for fifth in attacks per set (11.19) en route to All-WAC First Team honors … Led UTRGV in kills 22 times, digs twice and blocks three times … Recorded 23 matches of 10+ kills, including nine of 20+, and 10 matches of 10+ digs, including one of 20+ en route to 10 double-doubles … For her career, ranks fifth in program history in kills per set (3.31), sixth in attacks per set (9.36), and seventh in aces pet set (0.30).
 
Rookie of the Year (Male)
Taj Sutherland (Men's Golf)
After playing in just one tournament in the fall, played in all six tournaments this spring, posting a team-high three top-10 finishes and tying for seventh at the Colin Montgomerie Invitational and the Big Texan Invitational, and 10^th at the GCU Invitational while posting a 74.2 stroke average. 
 
Rookie of the Year (Female)
Luanna Emiliano (Volleyball)
Earned All-WAC Second Team, WAC All-Freshman Team and four WAC Freshman of the Week honors … Averaged 9.88 assists per set, the sixth-highest single-season total in program history, on 1,057 assists, the seventh-highest total and second among freshmen, along with 345 digs, the third-highest total among freshmen, and 37 aces, tied for the fifth-highest total among freshmen … Led UTRGV in assists in all 28 matches and digs seven times … Posted 28 matches of 20+ assists, including eight 21 of 30+, 13 of 40+ and three of 50+ … Recorded 10+ digs in 21 matches en route to 10 double-doubles.
 
Newcomer of the Year (Male)
Brandon Pimentel (Baseball)
A Mississippi State transfer, Pimentel is hitting .374/.421/.635 with 11 home runs, 16 doubles, two triples, 42 RBI, and 49 runs scored … On the Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award Watch List … Earned Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week honors on March 7 … Ranks tied for eighth in program history in home runs in a season … Entered the weekend ranked ninth in the NCAA and second in the WAC in hits, 21^st in the NCAA and second in the WAC in total bases, 32^nd in the NCAA and second in the WAC in hits per game, 63^rd in the NCAA and sixth in the WAC in hitting, 74^th in the NCAA and third in the WAC in runs scored, 103^rd in the NCAA and fifth in the WAC in slugging, 117^th in the NCAA and sixth in the WAC in home runs and 124^th in the NCAA and fifth in the WAC in doubles.
 
Newcomer of the Year (Female)
Luisa Silva Dos Santos (Volleyball)
After playing two seasons at Odessa College, Santos finished her first year at UTRGV ranked eighth in single-season program history in blocks per set (0.96), eighth in block assists (85), and 10^th in total blocks (100) … Led UTRGV in blocks 19 times and kills once … Posted five matches of 10+ kills.
 
Breakout Athlete of the Year (Male)
Brett Cain (Baseball)
After hitting .135/.238/.243 in 14 games (11 starts) last season, Cain is batting .397/.472/.697 with eight home runs, 11 doubles, two triples, 35 RBI and 34 runs scored in 43 games (42 starts), primarily in center field … Entered the weekend ranked 37^th in the NCAA and second in the WAC in hitting, 103^rd in the NCAA and fourth in the WAC in on-base percentage, and 122^nd in the NCAA and sixth in the WAC in slugging percentage.
 
Breakout Athlete of the Year (Female)
Samantha Gonzalez (Cross Country/Outdoor Track & Field)
Cross Country: Improved time in 6K by over a minute compared to 2020-21 PR, finishing the prestigious Arturo Barrios Invitational in a time of 22:28.6 after topping out at 22:33.6 the previous season.
 
Outdoor Track & Field: Improved time in 5,000-meter run by 21.28 seconds by finishing in a time of 17:45.76 at the UIW Invitational after topping out at 18:07.76 the previous season … Set PR in 3,000-meter steeplechase with time of 11:06.92, an improvement of nearly 30 seconds in less than a month, at the Texas A&M Alumni Muster … Ranked 12^th in the conference in the steeplechase ahead of the WAC Outdoor Championships, which begin Thursday.  
 
Comeback Player of the Year
Halie Jones (Women's Basketball)
Battled an illness that kept her off the court for the start of WAC play but when she returned to action, she made her presence felt by putting together a stretch of six games of scoring in double-figures, including a season-high 19 points against Abilene Christian … Recorded three double-doubles in that stretch with 13 points and 10 rebounds at Seattle U, 10 points and 10 rebounds against Tarleton, and 10 points and 10 rebounds against Seattle U in the first round of the WAC Tournament.
 
Team Performance of the Year
Women's basketball knocks off Western Athletic Conference Champion Stephen F. Austin and then goes on a run in the WAC Tournament
Played their best game of the season by knocking off Stephen F. Austin on the road in the regular season finale … Snapped SFA's 32-game conference and 38-game home winning streaks, which had been the longest in nation … Win gave UTRGV momentum going into the WAC Tournament as they knocked off No. 9 Seattle U and No. 5 Abilene Christian in the first two rounds … Made 36 three-pointers during those three games, the most the team had made in a three-game stretch since Dec. 12-19, 2010, when they made 37.
 
Legacy Award (Male)
Bryce Box (Men's Soccer)
Ranked tied for ninth in program history in assists with nine while also scoring eight goals in 78 matches since 2017 … Made first-career start as a freshman against No. 21 Omaha on September 3, 2017 and then later that season recorded his first career assists with a pair against Grand Canyon … Rarned All-WAC Honorable Mention as a sophomore by scoring a career-high four goals … Finished the 2020-21 season with a career-high three assists and then this season, started in all 17 matches while serving as one of the team captains.
 
Legacy Award (Female)
Veronika Jandova (Volleyball)
Ranks third in program history in hitting (.279) and blocks per set (0.83), fourth in block assists (264) and seventh in total blocks (309) … Averaged 1.89 kills and 2.47 points per set in 374 sets across 105 matches in five seasons … After averaging 1.22 kills on .305 hitting and 0.89 blocks per set as a freshman in 2017, played in just four sets as a sophomore in 2018 … Responded by wining the starting middle blocker position as a junior and posting 104 blocks, including 87 block assists the sixth and seventh-highest single-season totals in program history, respectively, while averaging 0.92 blocks per set, the eighth-highest single-season total in program history, and hitting .270, tied for the sixth-highest single-season total in program history … Averaged a career-high 2.41 kills, a career-high 0.71 digs and 0.70 blocks per set in 2020-21 … Closed out career by averaging 2.16 kills on .293 hitting, the second-highest single season mark in program history, and 0.77 blocks in 2021 … Graduated with Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies and a minor in health in May 2021 … Set to graduate with Master of Artis in Communication this summer.
 
Iron V
Brett Cain (Baseball)
Hitting .397/.472/.697 with eight home runs, 11 doubles, two triples, 35 RBI and 34 runs scored 43 games (42 starts), primarily in center field … Entered the weekend ranked 37^th in the NCAA and second in the WAC in hitting, 103^rd in the NCAA and fourth in the WAC in on-base percentage, and 122^nd in the NCAA and sixth in the WAC in slugging percentage.
 
Sarah Cruz (Volleyball)
Averaged 4.37 kills, 2.33 digs, 0.55 blocks and 0.30 aces per set … Broke program record for kills per set while ranking sixth in total kills (437) and tied for fifth in attacks per set (11.19) en route to All-WAC First Team honors … Led UTRGV in kills 22 times, digs twice and blocks three times … Recorded 23 matches of 10+ kills, including nine of 20+, and 10 matches of 10+ digs, including one of 20+ en route to 10 double-doubles … For her career, ranks fifth in program history in kills per set (3.31), sixth in attacks per set (9.36), and seventh in aces pet set (0.30).
 
Taylor Muff (Women's Basketball)
Started all 33 games in first basketball game since high school after wrapping up a four-year career in volleyball at Northern Colorado … Led UTRGV by averaging 13.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game … Reached double-figures in scoring 26 games times, including a stretch of 12 -straight to close out the season, with six of those games being over 20 points … Posted five double-doubles en route to All-WAC Second Team and WAC All-Newcomer Team honors. 
 
Leonardo Novella (Men's Golf)
One of two golfers to compete in all 10 events … Posted a 75.7 stroke average while posting a ninth-place finish at the Herb Wimberly Intercollegiate in the fall. 
 
Student Athletic Trainer of the Year
Paige Whitehead
Cassidy "Paige" Whitehead has been student athletic trainer since the spring of 2020. During her two and a half years with the department, Whitehead has worked with all 16 of UTRGV's sport programs, including volleyball and baseball this year.
 
"Her attention to detail and ability to run an athlete's rehab program and treatment regimen is astounding," UTRGV Assistant Athletic Trainer Nick Sauceda said. "I have a high confidence in leaving her with tasks and duties knowing that they will be completed with the utmost care and detail. I believe that Paige will make a great athletic trainer and I look forward to seeing how her career turns out.?"
 
Whitehead is graduating this week and will be continuing her education at Tarleton, where she will work toward a Master's in Athletic Training while preparing to take the Board Certification Exam. 
 
"Paige is constantly working to improve herself and her knowledge and set of skills, asking questions every day to learn as much as she can, with the drive to become better each semester compared to the last one," UTRGV Assistant Athletic Trainer Nicole Cardenas said. "She has a radiant personality that is enjoyable to be around, is not afraid to be hands on, and recognizes the need to challenge herself. Paige is anything but timid and is loved by all the student-athletes she works with, going out of her way to help anyone she can. She is everything this award embodies, and we are so proud of her."

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