A new sports editor but an old tradition.
Henry Hargrave, the former DU Clarion Sports Editor, came up with the great idea to recap the athletics seasons by highlighting the best performances across DU athletics. This time, instead of one person giving out “awards,” the whole sports desk will be contributing their thoughts and opinions on the best team and individual performances in the 2022-23 DU athletic season. So now, for the fourth year in a row, it’s time to recognize the best of what Denver’s 18 varsity programs had to offer this past year.
Best Male Athlete
Riley – Tommy Bruner, men’s basketball
The men’s basketball squad has improved from last year, largely due to the junior transfer from Columbia, South Carolina. Bruner was named to the All-Summit League Newcomer Team and was given an honorable mention on the All-Summit League team as well. 15.9 points per game and 4.2 assists per game were both by far team highs and Bruner dropped 20 points in eight games this season. The 2023-24 season is in the hands of Bruner who will look to lead the young squad to success in the Summit League amidst transferring and graduating players.
Josie – Carter Mazur, men’s hockey
This should come as no surprise as he turned pro after just two years in college. This season alone he was selected to represent Team USA at the World Championship. For DU, he had 22 goals including a hat trick vs. Miami OH, and 15 assists. He also had six game-winning goals and a .168 shot percentage. He was also named a second-team All-American this season. He also received multiple NCHC awards this season including forward of the week. Very excited to see where his career goes from here.
John – Mike Benning, men’s hockey
The Florida Panthers prospect is my pick for the most outstanding male athlete this season. He has great character on and off the ice and his signature one-timer has pinpoint accuracy that allowed him to be one of the highest-scoring defensemen in the country. Benning had 13 goals this season and 21 assists with his best outing against Western Michigan back in February where he scored 2 goals and assists to lift DU to a 5-2 victory. Benning will look to bring his reality-creating perspective to the Florida Panthers organization this next season as he will not return to the DU Hockey program this fall.
Sam – Carter Mazur, men’s hockey
He had an outstanding season for Denver in what was his last year in the Crimson and Gold. After a breakthrough freshman season where he scored 38 points, he followed that up with a 37-point campaign where he improved his goal-scoring. He scored 22 goals this season, improving on the 14 he scored in DU’s national championship season. With Carter Savoie, Cole Guttman and Bobby Brink all leaving after last year, Mazur had to step up in a bigger role, something he did well. After leaving DU, he scored six points in six AHL games for the Red Wings AHL affiliate and has scored four points in 10 games in the World Championships in Finland, where he has played alongside established NHL players. This was an important year for Mazur’s development.
Best Female Athlete
Riley – Sam Thacker, women’s lacrosse
Although there are so many great players on the women’s lacrosse team that could also win this award, Thacker is the one that stands out for me. Big East Defensive Player of the Year, IWLCA First-team All-American, one of two players in the country with more than 50 caused turnovers and ground balls alongside 40 draw controls. She is the embodiment of the success of the women’s lacrosse team this season. It is hard to imagine how successful this team would be without their defensive captain.
Honorable mention: Lynnzee Brown, women’s gymnastics
Josie – Taylor Meville, women’s tennis
Our tennis team is not usually our most recognizable sport, but their work as a team and Meville’s contribution specifically should absolutely be talked about. She played top-line singles this season and had a 16-4 record in doing so. She also spent the majority of the season playing line one doubles as well and had a 10-5 record. Going from playing line one singles and then playing an additional line one doubles match in one day is an impressive feat in itself, but also having such an impressive record in both areas is something to show for. She made the NCAA tournament as an individual singles qualifier. She also received numerous Summit League awards this season including Summit League Player of the Year, 3x Summit League Women’s Tennis Player of the Week and was named to the All-Summit League Team. She will absolutely be missed on next year’s team.
John – Emila Bohi, women’s lacrosse
Bohi is an impressive sophomore player on the DU women’s lacrosse team. She was named the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association’s National Defensive Player of the Week May 9. This is her first career national honor and she is the first DU goalie to be named National Defensive Player of the Week since 2020. She combined for 19 saves in DU’s wins against Villanova and UConn en route to being crowned Big East Champions. She stopped five shots and had two caused turnovers in the 12-7 victory over Villanova in the championship and was named Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament. Bohi was also named as an IWLCA Third-Team All-American.
Sam – Jessica Hutchinson, women’s gymnastics
Jessica Hutchinson is one of the best gymnasts DU has ever seen. Born into a gymnastics family, where both her mother and grandmother represented Bulgaria at the Olympics, Hutchinson was destined for greatness. The highlight of her season was when she got a perfect 10 on the same floor routine her mother used at the 1992 Olympics. She is now a two-time Big 12 gymnast of the year and is still only a junior. Hutchinson has already built an impressive legacy at DU and still has time to add to it.
Male Newcomer of the Year
Riley – Daniel Sancho Arbizu, men’s tennis
The transfer portal has allowed this category to be transformed into not just freshmen but older students as well. The biggest impact from a male newcomer comes from a sophomore from Zaragova, Spain. Sancho Arbizu dominated the WAC last season at Lamar University and continued his success with DU this season. He won Summit League Newcomer of the Year, made the All-Summit League Team and won five out of six No.1 singles matches he played in. He was a key figure in the Summit League regular season title and the undefeated conference regular season record.
Josie – Aidan Thompson, men’s hockey
The hockey team had a lot of successful freshmen on the roster this year but Thompson stood out among them all. The Colorado native had a .137 shot percentage and totaled 32 points (10g/22a) in the same amount of games played. He also received multiple NCHC honors including Rookie of the Week. Very excited to see where his career heads from here.
John – Isaac Nehme, men’s soccer
Nehme had a tremendous freshman year with the men’s soccer program and made a name for himself as one of the best collegiate goalkeepers this season. Nehme ranked ninth in the country in minutes played, sixth in the country in shutouts, and 14th in the country in goals against average. He was named Summit League Newcomer of the Year this season along with Summit League Tournament MVP and All-Summit League 2nd team. He had all of these accomplishments in just his first year with Denver.
Sam – Aidan Thompson, men’s hockey
On a team that always brings in talented freshmen, Aidan Thompson was the one that stood out the most. He was a point-per-game player playing on the second line. The Fort Collins native was drafted by the Blackhawks in the third round last year, a pick that looks very wise a year later. With Carter Mazur and Mike Benning leaving, Thompson will need to fill the void and stuff the stat sheet if Denver wants to go back to the Frozen Four after a disappointing finish to this past season.
Female Newcomer of the Year
Riley – Emma Smith, women’s basketball
Without Smith, the women’s basketball team would have not won as many games as they did this season. This award could honestly go to the entire freshman class, but Smith was the one leading the charge with a team-leading 13.7 points per game. She is a scoring machine who finished in double figures in 20 games this season, including a game-high 27 points against North Dakota State on Feb. 11. The program has a lot to look forward to with their new star from Vestavia Hills, Alabama and their freshman class in general.
Josie, John & Sam – Trinity McPherson, women’s lacrosse
A John Hopkins transfer, McPherson completed the women’s lacrosse team this season and should be rewarded for her contributions to the best defensive team in the country. She had 37 caused turnovers as well as 61 ground balls. She also had 60 draw controls. She had a .733% shooting percentage, impressive for someone on defense. It is unfortunate we didn’t get to have her for longer on our team, but we are glad we were able to have her for a year.
Best Individual Performance
Riley – Anna Krekling at Summit League Championships, women’s golf
One of the biggest tournaments of the season proved to be no pressure for Krekling who took home the individual title at the Summit League Championships back in April. She recorded the lowest score in a conference tournament round in program history with a 7 under par round, breaking the Summit League record for the lowest 54-hole score. No one even came close to her in the tournament–the next closest opponent finished nine strokes behind Krekling. This was amidst a record-breaking tournament for the women’s golf squad but Krekling’s performance stood out the most.
Josie – Jack Devine and Tristan Broz four-goal games vs. Miami OH
Though Jack Devine and Tristian Broz’s all-star games came on separate days, they were against the same opponent. Broz’s game came first on Jan. 14 where he scored over half the total goals in the 7-0 shutout win. Three of the four goals came within the last ten minutes of the game and the last two came on the same powerplay. Devine’s performance came on March 10 at the NCHC semifinals here at home. His first two goals came within just 8 minutes of each other in the first period while his third came halfway through the second and his fourth came early on in the third. Devine intervention to say the least.
John – Carter Mazur vs. Maine (Oct 8), men’s hockey
My best individual performance goes to Mazur who put up two goals and an assist in a crucial game against Maine at the start of the hockey season. Mazur’s ability to deke by people and find the back of the net with his incredible shot led DU to be crowned Icebreaker Champions. Mazur will look to continue his great performances with Team USA in future competitions and the Detroit Red Wings organization this upcoming season.
Sam – Jessica Hutchinson floor routine (Feb 5)
Hutchinson secured her first-ever perfect 10 for DU using a version of her mother’s Olympic routine. Her brilliant floor routine helped Denver win their meet that day. It was the first perfect 10 for a DU gymnast in three years. She also scored a perfect 10 on the beam a month later, which helped DU gymnastics have a memorable season.
Best Team Performance
Riley – Swim and Dive at Summit League Championships
Although the swim and dive team does not get enough recognition for their recent conference dominance, I believe they had the best team performance this season at the Summit League Championships. Both the men’s and women’s sides nearly swept every post-season award and almost every race as well. The women’s squad captured their tenth straight conference title while the men’s captured their ninth straight. An underrated, impressive team performance.
Josie & John – Women’s Lacrosse entire season
It should come as no surprise that women’s lacrosse is the best team performance. You can’t have a great team performance if you don’t have great teamwork, which I think is really demonstrated by having the best defense in the country. That only works if the team is really connected. This is really the main reason we had such a successful season and had one of the best records in D1 Women’s Lacrosse. I think the whole season has been a great demonstration of team performance, especially in the games against schools like Boston College and Maryland when they weren’t expected to win.
Sam – Women’s Lacrosse vs North Carolina at NCAA Quarterfinals
The DU Women’s Lacrosse performance against North Carolina was my performance of the year. The 5-4 win secured Denver a birth in the Final Four and it showcased everything great about the team. They were down 4-2 at halftime, but their defense locked down the Tar Heels who did not score a goal in the second half. The Denver attack did enough to make the monumental defensive effort count, with Julia Gilbert and Kayla Derose’s goals getting Denver over the line.
Most Improved Team
Riley – Women’s Gymnastics
I have similar reasoning that aligns with Sam’s: the women’s gymnastics team made the jump from good to great. Last season the team finished fourth in the NCAA regionals, this year they finished first. They have not made it to the NCAA Semifinals since 2019, and they advanced this season. It seemed like every week the squad broke individual and team records, and was ultimately super impressive to watch and cover this season.
Honorable Mention: Men’s Basketball
Josie – Women’s Gymnastics
Similarly to many of our sports, we come in as underdogs and aren’t expected to win due to our small school but our gymnastics team had the largest problem with this over their season and they overcame that very well. Take their competitions with Michigan and Oregon State for example. Both teams have previous Olympians and are award-winning programs year after year. They placed second to both Michigan and Oregon State earlier in their season but then later in the season ended up beating them both where it really mattered, NCAA regionals and actually knocking them both from the National Stage.
Honorable Mention: Women’s Lacrosse
John – Men’s Basketball
The men’s basketball team is my pick for the most improved team this season. They improved their overall record by four wins this season which is a good sign for the program. The team improved their shooting percentage from .460 to .487 along with their free-throw percentage from .697 to .717. Junior guard Tommy Bruner and graduate forward Lukas Kisunas were both instrumental transfers that helped this team improve as much as they did. Bruner was the leading scorer for DU and Kisunas averaged 10.2 points and 6.4 rebounds; both contributing on both ends for the improving program.
Sam – Women’s Lacrosse
Sometimes the hardest jump to make is going from good to great, and that is exactly what Women’s Lacrosse has done this season. They were very good last year going 18-3, but they took it to a new level this year going 22-1. They went from a second-round exit to a final four appearance. In my opinion, the jump from very good to elite is harder than the jump from bad to respectable.
Best Coach
Riley – Liza Kelly, women’s lacrosse
There is no doubt why Kelly should be named best coach of the 2022-23 season. The best defensive team in the country was run by the best defensive-minded coach in the country. The team’s defensive stats speak for themselves on the dominance Kelly has instilled in the “Hot Pink” (defensive) unit. She reached the 300-win landmark this season and became just the 13th coach in the sport to do so. Kelly was snubbed of the Big East Best Coaching Staff award, so hopefully she will settle for a Clarion Best Coach award, or better yet the IWLCA Coach of the Year award later this Summer.
Josie – Liza Kelly, women’s lacrosse
As with above this should also come as no surprise that Liza Kelly is the coach of the year. She led her team to the best finish in program history, making it to the final four for the first time. She also led the best defensive team in the country and ended the season with one of the best records in NCAA D1 women’s lacrosse.
Honorable Mention: Bill Tierney, men’s lacrosse
Though men’s lacrosse didn’t end the season like they hoped it does not mean that they didn’t have a successful season. Tierney’s career is one of the best of all time, which still goes to show he fits in the best coach category.
John – David Carle, men’s hockey
One of the youngest coaches in college hockey should be the pick for Coach of the Year. Carle was a nominee for NCHC Coach of the Year and was named Head Coach of the 2024 USA Hockey World Juniors squad, which is a tremendous deal in the sport of hockey. Carle’s team was a number one seed in the NCAA tournament, they won the Icebreaker tournament, they had an impressive 30-10 record and three of this year’s players signed with NHL squads.
Sam – Liza Kelly, women’s lacrosse
Liza Kelly is the obvious choice for coach of the year. They made the final four without losing a game, before running into an unstoppable Northwestern team. They had the best defense in the country, which is thanks to the defensive system she put in and the intensity in which the system was played. This was a historic season for the program and has placed DU among the elites of Women’s Lacrosse. It will be interesting to see how Kelly will build on this success now that she has inked a new contract.
Best Overall Team
Riley – Women’s Lacrosse
Unquestionably, Liza Kelly’s squad was the top dog on campus this year. 22 straight wins. Big East Champions. The no.1 defense in the country. A record no.3 placement in the poll rankings this season. The women’s lacrosse team should be proud of how they played this season they have plenty to look forward to with the group they have going into next season. The team is extremely underrated on campus and it is unfortunate they do not get the same love as the men’s hockey team or the men’s lacrosse team. They were by far the best overall team this season.
Josie – Women’s Lacrosse
Not only did they have the best finish out of any of Denver’s sports this season, ending the season at the NCAA final four but they had an impressive season all around to get them to the ending that they had. A number one defensive offense that let in minus ten points to every team except the number one offense in the country in the biggest matchup of the year.
Honorable Mention: Women’s Gymnastics
John – Women’s Gymnastics
It was a hard decision for me to pick a team as there were a couple in mind, but I think women’s gymnastics deserves the recognition here. The team had great success at the NCAA Regionals, defeating LSU, Michigan and Oregon State in front of a home crowd. They made their way to the NCAA Semifinals where they battled and broke several program records en route to a fourth-place finish. They had great success in the regular season where they finished first or second in every single regular season meet. Their highest ranking in the polls was at No.8 in the country, an impressive feat and they deserve to be named the best overall team this season.
Honorable Mention: Men’s Soccer
Sam – Women’s Lacrosse
Women’s Lacrosse was the only choice for me. They made it the furthest of any DU team while vastly exceeding expectations. They had by far the best defense in the country and made the program first ever final four appearance and if they did not match up with Northwestern in the semifinals, I believe they would have made the championship game. They comfortably beat Boston College, the team who played in the final. They did it with a lockdown defense led by Sam Thacker. With Thacker gone, it will be interesting to see how the defense holds up.
