FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (April 25, 2022) – After a one-year hiatus, the Louie's Awards returned Sunday night at Prochnow Auditorium as the Northern Arizona's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee hosted the Eighth Annual year-end award show celebrating the department's best of the best of the 2021-22 year.
The award considerations were for the fall 2021 and winter 2022 seasons, while the men's and women's tennis, golf and men's and women's outdoor track & field seasons were from the spring of 2021.
Taking home the Male and Female Athlete of the Year awards were distance runners Abdihamid Nur and Jessa Hanson. On the men's side, Nur has had a sensational 2021-22 year highlighted by becoming the second Lumberjack male to be named USTFCCCA National Men's Track Athlete of the Year. He became the first men's double national champion in school history during the indoor season, winning the 3K and 5K titles while leading NAU to a podium finish for the first time in school history. Nur also earned All-American honors at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in the fall, guiding the 'Jacks to their fifth all-time national title.
Meanwhile, Hanson earned her first-ever NCAA Championship bid last spring in the 10K during the 2021 outdoor track & field season. Clinching the final national qualifying spot at the West Regional, she proceeded to place 11th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships to earn Second Team All-American honors.
The Male and Female Lumberjack recipients were men's basketball's Jalen Cone and diver Alyssa Jones. The Lumberjack is given to the male and female student-athlete who excels not only in competition, but in the community and classroom.
That was just one of two awards for Cone, who also was voted the Male Newcomer of the Year after a high-scoring debut season with the Lumberjacks on the hardwood. The Female Newcomer of the Year was Ekaterina Malakhova, who was honored for her performance last spring as a freshman.
The five-time National Champion men's cross country team was selected as the Male Team of the Year, while the swimming & diving team earned Female Team of the Year honors following their ninth consecutive WAC Championship. The swimming & diving team also claimed the Sharp Axe Award with the highest team GPA in the department.
For a full list of the 2022 Louie's award recipients, see the list below.
Male Newcomer of the Year: Jalen Cone, Men's Basketball
Female Newcomer of the Year: Ekaterina Malakhova, Golf
Male Athlete of the Year: Abdihamid Nur, Cross Country/Track & Field
Female Athlete of the Year: Jessa Hanson, Track & Field
Guiding Axe Award:
Jessica Lopez, Associate AD/Academics
Coach of the Year: Mike Smith, Director of Cross Country and Track & Field
True Blue Award: Lorel Hayward, Golf
Inspiration Award: Lauren Orndoff, Women's Basketball
Sharp Axe Award: Swimming & Diving
Record Breaking Performance: Men's Cross Country
The Lumberjack: Jalen Cone, Men's Basketball; Alyssa Jones, Swimming & Diving
Male Team of the Year: Men's Cross Country
Female Team of the Year: Swimming & Diving
Canned Food Drive: Soccer
Gallery: (4-24-2022) 2022 Louie's Awards
