NORFOLK, VA-- Two-time All-American field hockey performer Kelsey Smither, and Conference-USA Newcomer of the Year Trey Freeman were named the Old Dominion University Alumni Association Athletes of the Year, while seniors Tristan Warner of wrestling and Karen Hayde of lacrosse were named the 2015 recipients of the Jack Wilkins/James Howard Scholar Athletes of the Year at the annual Old Dominion University Athletic honors banquet Monday night. Trey Freeman led the Monarchs and ranked second in Conference USA in scoring at 17.0 points per game. He was named C-USA newcomer of the Year, first Team All-C-USA and selected to the league’s All-Academic squad. A two-time C-USA Player of the Week selection, Freeman was named to the Paradise Jam All tournament squad in November. He scored a career high 27 points against LA Tech and Western Kentucky, and netted 25 against LSU. Freeman became the first Monarch since Mark West in 1982 to perform a triple-double when he had 14 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists against Charleston Southern in an NIT opener. His game-winner against Murray state was ESPN’s Sportscenter play of the day. Freeman graduated in December with a degree in communications and is working towards a graduate degree in sports management. Midfielder Kelsey Smither was named to the 2014 Longstreth/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division I All-American Teams for the second straight year. She was also named National Scholar Athlete. Smither finished the season ranked second on the team in assists with six in 19 games. She was also part of the defensive unit that allowed just 29 goals and posted six shutouts. Smither was named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team and closed out the season earning First Team All-BIG EAST honors, First Team All-South Region laurels and was named a Second Team Synapse Sports All-American. She was also selected to participate in the 2014 Victory Sports Tours / NFHCA Division I Senior game. The midfielder started in all 86 contests she has played over her career and notched 56 points on 44 assists and six goals. Smither was named recipient of the Gladiator SGI/NFHCA Division I Scholars of Distinction awards, by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association recently. She is one of 79 student-athletes selected as Scholars of Distinction that achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.90 or higher. She has already graduated with a degree in sports management with a minor in exercise science in December, and working towards a master’s degree in the same field. She joins her sister Katelyn who won this same award in 2008. The Jack Wilkins/James Howard Scholar Athletes of the Year are presented to the male and female senior athletes with the highest cumulative grade point averages. Both Howard and Wilkins were instrumental in the formation of the ODU Intercollegiate Foundation, now the Old Dominion Athletic Foundation. Tristan Warner repeated as the recipient of the prestigious Elite 89 Award for the 2015 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship. Warner is a double major in criminal justice and communications and currently holds a 3.984 cumulative grade-point average. Over Warner’s career, he earned Academic All-American laurels and NWCA Division I All-Academic Team honors, and has also been a member of the Dean’s List nine times, earning a 4.0 GPA on seven occasions.. The Elite 89 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s championships. Warner earned an automatic bid to the NCAA National Championships, finishing second at the Mid-American Conference Championships and seeded 11th at the NCAA National Championships at 165 pounds. He compiled a 29-3 record this season and 17-0 in duals. Karen Hayde hails from Phoenixville, Pa. and holds a 3.79 cumulative grade-point average in biology. She earned IWLCA Academic Honor Roll honors last year and made the Dean’s List six times during her career, including a perfect 4.0 twice. On the lacrosse field, she became ODU’s first Atlantic-Sun Defensive Player of the Week after she made five saves and allowed just one goal in the Monarchs' season opening win over Gardner-Webb. She has also stopped 84 shots for an 11.12 goals against average and a .452 save percentage. She has helped the Lady Monarchs lacrosse team equal a school record for the most wins in a season at 13-4. ODU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION’S MOKST VALUABLE PLAYERS
MALEBaseball: (after the season)Men’s Basketball: Trey Freeman (Virginia Beach, VA.)Football: Ray Lawry (Woolwich, NJ.)Men’s Golf: Jamison Randall (Cumberland, RI.)Men’s Soccer: Sidney Rivera (Hampton, NJ.)Coed Sailing: Esteban Forrer (Tucson, AZ.)Men’s Swimming & Diving: Reed Mathews (Denver, CO.)Men’s Tennis: Carlos Lopez Villa (Madrid, Spain)Wrestling: Chris Mecate (Highland, CA.) WOMENWomen’s Basketball: Jennie Simms (Accokeek, MD.)Field Hockey: Kelsey Smither (Suffolk, VA.)Women’s Golf: Maggie Simmermacher (Buenos Aires, Argentina)Women’s Lacrosse: Morgan Gallagher (West Chester, PA.)Women’s Rowing: Colleen Rennie (Gallaway, NJ.)Women’s Soccer: Jessie Klamut (Virginia Beach, VA.)Women’s Sailing: Andrea Luna (Caracas, Venezuela)Women’s Swimming & Diving: Rachel Eckert (Rochester, NY.)Women’s Tennis: Borislava Botusharova (Pazardzhik, Bulgaria) JACK WILKINS/JAMES HOWARD SCHOLAR AWARD Male: Tristan Warner – WrestlingFemale: Karen Hayde – Women’s Lacrosse ODU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION’S ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
Female: Kelsey Smither – Field Hockey
Male: Trey Freeman – Men’s Basketball
Smither Named Alumni Association's Female Athlete Of The Year
