NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Southern Connecticut State University Athletics hosted the first-ever Owl Awards - a gala-style event that honored its student-athletes for their success in competition and in the classroom. Assistant director of athletics Christopher Lynn emceed the event, which featured keynote addresses from Director of Athletics Chris Barker and Vice President of University and Student Affairs Tracy Tyree.



Track & field All-American and NCAA Division II record holder Nigel Green was selected as the 2021-22 SCSU Athletics Male Athlete of the Year while women's soccer's Nadine Hilkert was selected as the Female Athlete of the Year. The top award of the night, the Inaugural Michael J. Adanti Top Owl Award was given to James Moore Field House custodian Agata Melendez. 

Zach Penn won the University Student-Athlete of the Year award as well as the SCSU Athletics Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, while Noely Macias and Greta Brunello were honored for the awards as well, respectively. Women's soccer and baseball were both announced as the Academic Teams of Champions for hosting the best cumulative grade-point average over the last two semesters. 

After the academic award recognition, strength & conditioning coach Dave Hashemi presented softball's Jayden Delaporta and football and track & field standout Cameron Belton with the Iron Owl Awards. Women's lacrosse's Bayleigh Takacs and football's Kwadir Delgado-McIntyre were selected as Owl Leadership Award recipients while Brunello and football's Tim O'Shea received the Community Service Award. Gymnastics' Chelsa Baker and baseball's Mike DeMartino were honored as Comeback Players of the Year while track & field's Ella MacLean and Jonathon Volpe received Rookie of the Year honors.