The Best of the Best Honored at 2025 Spiro Awards
GREENSBORO, N.C.- The UNCG athletics department celebrated a memorable 2024-25 season (with some more on the horizon) by recognizing several outstanding teams and standout individuals during the festive evening inside of Piedmont Hall on the Greensboro Complex on Thursday, May 1.
In addition to the individual accolades that were presented, each of UNCG's athletic teams honored their senior student-athletes.
A couple of additional highlights of the event included Executive Associate AD & Senior Woman Administrator Jody Smith being presented with the Cathy Roberts' Legacy Award by Cathy Roberts and senior Mason Rudel of the men's cross country and track teams. Rudel received the Minerva Wisdom Appreciation Award.
The following teams won awards: women's tennis (Highest Team GPA), softball (Community Engagement Award) and women's basketball (Team of the Year).
Here is more on each individual that won awards:
Male Rookie of the Year
Issah Haruna, men's soccer
- SoCon Freshman of the Year
- All-SoCon Second Team
- SoCon All-Freshman Team
- Ranked No. 96 in TopDrawerSoccer's Freshman Top 100 (Oct. 18)
- TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Week Honorable Mention (Oct. 22)
- Recorded three goals and three assists in the 2024 season
Congrats to Issah Haruna on winning UNCG's Male Rookie of the Year at The Spiros!#letsgoG pic.twitter.com/VkVBVhShCG
— UNCG Athletics (@uncgspartans) May 1, 2025
Female Rookie of the Year
Allie Sweet, volleyball
- SoCon Freshman of the Year
- All-SoCon First Team
- SoCon All-Freshman Team
- SoCon Offensive Player of the Week twice (Sept. 2 & Nov. 11)
- Finished second in the SoCon with 458 kills and 4.16 kills per set
- Registered four double-doubles on the season
Congrats to Allie Sweet on winning UNCG's Female Rookie of the Year at The Spiros!#letsgoG pic.twitter.com/mXhDUnm6Ap
— UNCG Athletics (@uncgspartans) May 1, 2025
Male Newcomer of the Year
Colin Dutton, men's golf
- Claimed first place in The 2025 SoCon Championships to earn an automatic bid into the 2025 NCAA Regionals
- Finished sixth in the SoCon with a 72.14 stroke average
- Named to All-SoCon Team
- Finished in a tie for 49th place at the NCAA Amherst Regional
- Named SoCon Golfer of the Week on Feb. 26
- Carded a career-best round of 66 in the second round of the SoCon Championships
Congrats to Colin Dutton on winning UNCG's Male Newcomer of the Year at The Spiros!#letsgoG pic.twitter.com/QvfIZbM7og
— UNCG Athletics (@uncgspartans) May 1, 2025
Female Newcomer of the Year
Jaila Lee, women's basketball
- Led the team with a 73.6 free throw percentage
- Finished third on the team in points per game (9.3), field goals (4.3) and assists (1.5)
- Finished second on the team with 1.3 steals per game
- Started in all 32 games
- Recorded a season best 15 points at Coastal Carolina on Nov. 13
Congrats to Jaila Lee on winning UNCG's Female Newcomer of the Year at The Spiros!#letsgoG pic.twitter.com/YKiacwQPob
— UNCG Athletics (@uncgspartans) May 1, 2025
Comeback Player of the Year
Emma Berrier, women's cross country and track
- Dropped six seconds on Jan. 13 for a career-best time of 2:37.24 in the indoor 800-meter event at Mondo College Invitational
- Dropped 13 seconds on Feb. 7-8 for a career-best time of 5:26.38 in the indoor mile at Liberty Open
- On Feb. 22, she ran a career-best time of 10:37.19, dropping 1:04 from her 2024 time, in the indoor 3000-meter event at the JDL Last Chance Invitational
- Shaved off 1:21 for a career-best time of 18:13.06 in the outdoor 5000-meter run at the Dennis Craddock Coaches Classic
- Ran a career-best time of 4:54.43 in the outdoor 1500-meter event, dropping 15 seconds from her 2024 time, at the VertKlasse Meeting
Congrats to Emma Berrier on winning UNCG's Comeback Player of the Year at The Spiros!#letsgoG pic.twitter.com/qGCCBUVYXt
— UNCG Athletics (@uncgspartans) May 2, 2025
Male Player of the Year
Yoshiya Okawa, men's soccer
- SoCon Player of the Year
- All-SoCon First Team
- Finished on top for the team in points (20), goals (8) and assists (4)
- Led the SoCon on the 2024 season in points and goals
- Second on the team in shots (25) and shots on goal (14)
- TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Week (Oct. 15)
Congrats to Yoshiya Okawa on winning UNCG's Male Player of the Year Award at The Spiros!#letsgoG pic.twitter.com/vtEMojGgU5
— UNCG Athletics (@uncgspartans) May 2, 2025
Female Player of the Year
Grace Loftin, softball
- SoCon All-Conference First Team
- NFCA All-Mid-Atlantic Region Second Team
- Led the team this season in home runs (14), RBI (53), doubles (13), triples (3), runs scored (46) total bases (121), slugging percentage (.712) and walks (29)
- Paced the team with 17 multi-hit games and 15 multi-RBI games this season
- Played in center field for all 57 games this season for the Spartans
- Made 91 catches with 81 putouts and seven assists for a .967 fielding percentage
- Finished second in the SoCon in home runs (14) and a .718 slugging percentage
Congrats to Grace Loftin on winning UNCG's Female Player of the Year at The Spiros!#letsgoG pic.twitter.com/Ir8oG8WpM5
— UNCG Athletics (@uncgspartans) May 2, 2025
Male Spartan of the Year
Luke Jenkins, baseball
- Has recorded 22 runs this season
- Third on the Spartans in with a .273 batting average and two sacrifice bunts
- Fourth on the team in games played (40), stolen bases (7), sacrifice flies (1), hits (36), RBI (19), doubles (6) and triples (1)
- Appeared in 40 games with 34 starts this season
- Has so far registered 50 putouts and a .946 fielding percentage
Congrats to Luke Jenkins on winning UNCG's Male Spartan of the Year Award at The Spiros!#letsgoG pic.twitter.com/g2CPGKzFUG
— UNCG Athletics (@uncgspartans) May 2, 2025
Female Spartan of the Year
Khalis Cain, women's basketball
- All-SoCon Second Team
- SoCon All-Defensive Team
- SoCon Tournament MVP and All-Tournament First Team
- Named SoCon Player of the Week (Jan. 82)
- Reached her 1,000th career points in the SoCon Championship win over Chattanooga
- Reached 1,000 career rebounds in the team's win over Carolina University
- Recorded 10 double-doubles on the season
Congrats to Khalis Cain on winning UNCG's Female Spartan of the Year Award at The Spiros!#letsgoG pic.twitter.com/heQsWmx6ui
— UNCG Athletics (@uncgspartans) May 2, 2025
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