Though all DU athletics came to a screeching halt in mid-March, Denver’s 2019-2020 season still brought lots of memorable moments, triumphant victories and great stories for the DU community to celebrate. It is time to recognize and commemorate the best of the best in DU sports this past year.

Best Male Athlete: Emilio Pettersen, hockey

Although we never got to see DU hockey in the playoffs and get a chance at winning another title, finishing at no. 6 in the nation is no small feat. There’s no player that contributed to DU’s prowess more than sophomore Emilio Pettersen (Manglerud, Norway). With 13 goals and 22 assists, Pettersen was a true team player and quickly became a go-to man for head coach David Carle, even though he only spent two seasons with the team. He led the team with 20 power-play points, was named DU’s offensive player of the year and made it to the NCHC Academic All-Conference Team. Pettersen’s impact on the team went far and wide, and we can’t wait to witness the legacy he will build at the next level. On April 27, he signed with the Calgary Flames. 

Honorable Mention: Ethan Walker, men’s lacrosse

Best Female Athlete: Maddie Karr, gymnastics

This was a tough one with senior Maddie Karr (Stillwater, Minn.) just slighting women’s lacrosse’s sophomore Quintin Hoch-Bullen (Orillia, Ontario). Karr was the dominating force behind DU gymnastics’ success this past season. She achieved or tied her career-high on five different events, including a perfect 10.0 on the vault. Karr collected five distinct national awards this season, including Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and was named to the All-Big 12 Conference Team for four different events. She holds a place in DU gymnastics history for being a co-record holder for the highest all-around score with a 39.775 out of 40. She also holds the record for the most career titles won at 106. 

Honorable Mention: Quintin Hoch-Bullen, women’s lacrosse

Best Coach: Liza Kelly, women’s lacrosse

The DU lacrosse teams did not get the chance to go very far in their seasons this year, with the women’s team only having played eight games before the season got canceled. However, the women’s team was building something truly special this season, having gone 7-1 and finishing 16th in the nation under the guidance of Kelly. The team had five players earn the Big East player of the week and started the season at no. 10 in the preseason polls, the highest in program history. Kelly, who will begin her 15th season with Denver next year, is one of the most decorated women’s lacrosse coaches in the NCAA and will continue building a dominating legacy for as long as she remains at DU.

Honorable Mention: David Carle, hockey

Newcomer of the Year: Bobby Brink and Magnus Chrona, hockey (tie)

Both these athletes wasted no time making a big impact on Denver as soon as they arrived on campus. It would be unfair to pick one. Freshman forward Bobby Brink (Minnetonka, Minn.) had a historic first year for DU. He was third overall in the number of goals scored for the team, with 11 goals. He was named a finalist for NCHC rookie of the year, and Brink was also unanimously named to the NCHC All-Rookie Team in March. Freshman goaltender Magnus Chrona (Stockholm, Sweden), on the other hand, showed up and became the primary goalie for DU, starting in 26 out of 36 games and finishing first in the NCHC in terms of save percentage with a .920. This percentage is the ninth-best in DU history. He moved to fifth overall in the DU hockey history books for GAA, goals-against-average, with a 2.17. These two are a dynamic force for Denver and are sure to be a huge contributing factor to DU’s success for as long as they remain on the team before going pro.

Honorable mention: Lorrin Poulter, volleyball

Best Team Overall: Gymnastics

Collegiate gymnastics is as competitive, if not more so, as any other NCAA sport. None of DU’s Division I teams performed at consistently as high of a level this year as the gymnastics squad. The team got first place in six different meets and came in second to only some of the most elite programs of all time, such as Oklahoma and Florida. Led by some of the best talent in the nation, including Karr, junior Lynzee Brown (Kansas City, Mo.) and sophomore Alexis Vasquez (Arcadia, Calif.), the team consistently wowed audiences and judges week after week this season with no signs of slowing down.

Honorable mention: Hockey