DURHAM, N.H. – Danielle Mulligan (Farmingdale, N.Y.) of the gymnastics team and Neil O'Connor (Leominster, Mass.) of the football team were named recipients of the Jim Urquhart Student-Athlete of the Year Award at the University of New Hampshire athletic department's inaugural Senior Showcase held Tuesday night at Johnson Theatre.
Nine other Wildcats were major award recipients.
Katie Audino (Severn, Md.) of the field hockey team and Alex Valencia (Tracy, Calif.) of men's soccer were bestowed the Cathy Coakley Student-Athlete Community Involvement Award. The Community Involvement Award debuted in 2011 and was re-named in memory of Cathy Coakley this year.
Jenna Rheault (Deering, N.H.) of women's ice hockey and Jared Kuehl (Plymouth, N.H.) of football won the Tina True Memorial Award, which as been given annually since 2007 to a pair of Wildcat seniors for their commitment to strength and conditioning.
Jessica Lee (Southington, Conn.) of women's lacrosse and football's Kyle Reisert (Plymouth, N.H.) earned the Senior Academic Recognition and Academic Excellence Award. It has been presented annually since 2010 to the duo with the highest cumulative grade-point average.
Devan Miller (Bristol, R.I.) of women's lacrosse was named the first-ever recipient of the Coaches Award.
Anna Metzler (Regensburg, Germany) of swimming & diving and Angus Crookshank (North Vancouver, British Columbia) of men's ice hockey were honored as Rookie of the Year, another award presented for the first time this year.
Urquhart Student-Athlete of the Year Award Danielle Mulligan
The Student-Athlete of the Year award began in 1999 and is named in memory of longtime UNH coach Jim Urquhart, who coached the New Hampshire men's lacrosse team for 17 years and the wrestling team for 11 seasons before taking the position of Associate Athletic Director of Event Management in 1997.
Characteristics of these award winners include: good work ethic; strong leadership and motivational skills; individual athletic accomplishments; being a team player; good academic standing; and involved in community service.
Mulligan, who began her UNH career as a specialist after incurring an injury in high school, expanded her repertoire year-by-year until, as a senior, she became an outstanding all-around gymnast. In her four years as a Wildcat, Mulligan was a seven-time All-EAGL First Team honoree and made the EAGL All-Tournament First Team six times, as well as the EAGL All-Tournament Second Team once.
Mulligan won both the EAGL regular-season uneven bars and EAGL Championship uneven bars titles three consecutive years (2017, 2018, 2019). She is the only conference gymnast to win three straight bar championships, and she tied the highest bar score in EAGL Championship history in back-to-back years with a 9.950 in '18 and '19.
Mulligan earned a spot on the bar All-EAGL First Team all four years and was also a member of the bar EAGL All-Tournament First Team four times. Her other accolades included All-EAGL First Team on beam twice (2018, 2019) and All-EAGL First Team all-around in '19. She made the All-Tournament First Team three times as a senior; in addition to bars, Mulligan received a high judgment in both vault and all-around.
In the 2019 season alone, she placed or tied for first 27 times, including 12 on bars and eight in the all-around. Mulligan was honored as EAGL Gymnast of the Week four times.
Mulligan recorded career highs in both the vault (9.900) and all-around (39.425) at North Carolina in a February dual meet, and she matched her personal best of 9.950 on bars at the EAGL Championship. Her other career-high scores include 9.925 on balance beam and 9.900 on floor exercise.
Mulligan's excellence in the gym is matched in the classroom. She will graduate with a degree in Biomedical Science: Medical and Veterinary Sciences with a 3.79 GPA. She made the EAGL All-Scholastic Team all four years and will be a three-time NACGC/W Scholastic All-American. Mulligan is a two-time inductee into Chi Alpha Sigma, the National College Athlete Honor Society, and has been named to the Dean's List six times.
In addition to her studies, Mulligan shadowed local surgeons and physician's assistants for 10 hours a week. She was also an active participant in the gymnastics team's community service activities, such as the 700-Family Community Yard Sale, SHAARP events, You Can Play events and numerous fundraiser walks.
Mulligan's leadership ability extends to coaching a wide range of levels of gymnasts, from the UNH Gymnastics Camp to her former club program and clinics.
Neil O'Connor
O'Connor is one of the most prolific pass catchers in UNH football history. This wide receiver ended his career with 235 receptions for 3,117 yards, both of which rank third on New Hampshire's all-time leaderboard. He scored 19 touchdowns and also threw for one TD.
O'Connor is a five-time All-American and was named a finalist for the 2017 Walter Payton Award as the nation's top player in FCS. His other accolades included ECAC First Team, All-New England Team, and All-CAA First team, as well as CAA Academic Team and CAA Commissioners Academic Honor Roll.
He had a breakout year as a junior in '17, when he led UNH in receptions (97), receiving yards (1,396) and receiving TDs (10), as well as all-purpose yards (1,510) and points (60); he averaged 14.4 yards per reception and 99.7 receiving yards per game. Those numbers are No. 2 in receptions and No. 4 in receiving yards on the program's all-time leaderboard.
On the national leaderboard, O'Connor ranked No. 3 in receiving yards, 11th in receptions per game and receiving yards per game, and 14th in receiving TDs. He led he CAA in receptions, receiving yards, receiving yards/game and receiving TDs; was also No. 5 in all-purpose yards/game.
As a senior, O'Connor once again led the 'Cats in receptions (71), receiving yards (814) and receiving TDs (three). The 71 receptions tied for 10th on UNH's list of single-season superlatives. He ranked 13th in the nation with a CAA-leading 6.5 receptions per game. The wideout also ranked third in the conference in both receiving yards and receiving yards per game.
O'Connor who will receive a degree in Business Management, exemplifies what a true Wildcat is: an extremely hard worker, outstanding player, and great role model and teammate.
Other nominees for the female Student-Athlete of the Year award were Rachel Bossi (Chelmsford, Mass.; field hockey), Vivienne El-Sibay (Munich, Germany; swimming & diving), Geneviève Frigon (Laval, Quebec; skiing) and Danielle Gajewski (Danville, N.H.; cross country/track & field).
The two other nominees for the male Student-Athlete of the Year were Brett Hoerner (Manchester, N.H.; cross country/track & field) and Jordan Reed (Lucas, Texas; basketball).
The Cathy Coakley Student-Athlete Community Involvement Award
Alex Valencia and Katie Audino
The Cathy Coakley Student-Athlete Community Involvement Award recognizes seniors who have demonstrated a commitment to serving the University, athletics department and community during his/her time as a Wildcat with involvement in campus organizations, volunteer work, SAAC, University or other athletic department committees, and other service-oriented activities.
Coakley, a former student-athlete (Class of '72) and coach at UNH, was the coordinator of student-athlete development. She was a lifelong battler for and supporter of Wildcat athletes.
Audino was co-captain of the 2018 field hockey team and served as SAAC President for two years. In her time with SAAC, Audino helped organize UNH's Soles for Souls shoe drive as well as Hoops for Hunger, Bench Out the Stigma and the Pease Greeters.
She also represented UNH as a member of America East SAAC, where she has helped set up the Spread Respect initiative for inclusion, Food Frenzy games and the Better Together Games as part of the conference's mental health initiative.
As a UNH Wildcat, Audino has committed innumerable hours toward community service.
Valencia is a men's soccer SAAC representative who was also involved in Soles for Souls and Hoops for Hunger. His other community service included Read Across America and highway cleanup. Valencia also committed significant time to Northeast Passage power soccer, Special Spirit, Be the Match bone marrow drive, Kickin' it for Kidneys, Alpha Phifa Soccer Tournament and Dance Marathon.
Tina True Award Jared Kuehl and Jenna Rheault
True was a co-captain and coxswain of the women's crew team from 2000 to 2002; her commitment to training and her passion for her sport greatly contributed to the success of the team; in January of her junior year, Tina's life was tragically cut short in a car accident.
Rheault, selected 25th overall by the Boston Pride in the 2018 NWHL draft, was a defensive defenseman who contributed 10 points on two goals and eight assists as a senior. She ranked second on the team in blocked shots, one year after being third in that stat as a junior. Rheault excelled on the ice, in the weight room and in the classroom; she has made the Hockey East All-Academic Team every year and been inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma, the National Collegiate Athletic Honor Society.
Kuehl utilized strength and conditioning to become one of the football team's top tacklers from the linebacker position. As a sophomore in 2016, he ranked fourth in total tackles. Despite missing four games as a junior, Kuehl was third in sacks and fourth in total tackles. He was also a top student in the classroom, as evident by his selections to the CAA All-Academic Conference Team and CAA Academic Honor Roll, as well as induction into Chi Alpha Sigma and National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society. Athletic Director's Award for Academic Excellence Jessica Lee and Kyle Reisert
Lee will receive a degree in Communications Sciences & Disorders with a stellar 4.0 cumulative GPA. She has been named to the America East Commissioner's Honor Roll every year and UNH's Dean's List every semester. She is also a two-time Chi Alpha Sigma inductee and was voted to the 2019 America East All-Academic Team. Lee stepped into a starting role on the defensive unit of the women's lacrosse team as a senior; her stats included 16 ground balls and seven caused turnovers.
Reisert has a 3.98 cumulative GPA in mechanical engineering. The defensive end is the first two-time Academic All-American in the history of the UNH football program. Reisert was recently named to the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame Hampshire Honor Society. He was previously selected to the FCS Athletics Directors Association Academic All-Star Team. After starting 13 games as a sophomore in 2016, injuries limited Reisert to a total of 14 games his last two years as a Wildcat. The Coaches Award
Devan Miller
The Coaches Award was created to recognize a senior student-athlete who has a compelling story on or off the field of play that has impacted a team or University in an outstanding/positive/memorable way. A nominee has either overcome adversity, is an unsung hero, or is someone that has gone above and beyond what is expected.
Miller was on her way to a breakout junior year for the women's lacrosse team in the 2017 season with 15 points through five games. But then an ACL injury sidelined her the rest of the season. After months of rehab, Miller tore her ACL again and missed the entire 2018 season. But she did not quit. Miller persevered. Her commitment to the team and support of her teammates never wavered. And this year, finally back on the field, she was an offensive force. She scored a goal each of the first nine games of the 2019 season and scored a goal in 16 of 17 games. Miller closed out her UNH career in style with a career-high six goals and personal best of seven points in her final collegiate game. She netted a team-leading 40 goals and ranked third in points with 47. Beyond the numbers, Miller learned invaluable lessons by overcoming the adversity of not one, but two, season-ending injuries. The Rookie of the Year
Anna Metzler and Angus Crookshank
The Rookie of the Year is presented to UNH Wildcats in their first year of collegiate competition who has had the most outstanding performances/achievements as an individual or as part of a team.
Metzler was named Most Outstanding Women's Rookie Swimmer at the 2019 America East Championships, where she won individual titles in both the 500-yard freestyle and 200 backstroke, and was runner-up in the 400 individual medley. She earned All-America East in all three events.
At the conference championship meet, all three times were UNH freshman records. In the 500 free, Metzler touched the wall in 4 minutes, 48.58 seconds. Her winning time of 1:58.33 set the benchmark in the 200 back. In the 400 IM, she set the record with an effort of 4:13.43.
Metzler went on to compete at the National Invitational Championship, where she placed third in the 400 IM.
Crookshank skated in all 36 games as a freshman forward on the men's ice hockey team and recorded 23 points on 10 goals and 13 assists. He tied for second on the squad in goals and points, as well as tied for third in plus/minus. Crookshank's season highlights included six multiple-point games with a high of three points (2g, 1a) against intrastate rival Dartmouth College. He also had an eight-game point streak from Nov. 23 to Jan. 12 with 15 points (6g, 9a) in that span.
Jim Urquhart Student-Athlete of the Year
1999- Jerry Azumah (football), Jason Krog (men's ice hockey), Melanie Morin (women's cross country, track)
2000- Orsi Farkas (women's basketball), Kyle Schneck (men's cross country, track), Mike Souza (men's hockey)
2001- Colleen Christopher (women's lacrosse), Ty Conklin (men's hockey), Ryan DiNunzio (men's soccer), Andrea Encarnacao (women's soccer)
