DARTMOUTH, Mass. – The UMass Dartmouth Athletics Department will honor its student-athletes with its annual award gala, The Arnies, on Wednesday, April 30. The signature event, which will be held at the Main Auditorium of the MacLean Campus Center, will see 20 awards bestowed upon deserving student-athletes and staff members from the past year.
The event, which begins with a reception at 5:30pm in the campus center, will shift to the Main Auditorium for a 7pm start. Below is a listing of all 20 awards in the order of which they will be handed out tomorrow evening.
John C. Frye Award - This is awarded to the University member whose support of the Department of Athletics during the year has made a significant and positive impact on the student-athlete experience
Student Worker of the Year - This award recognizes a student-worker that personifies the ideals of UMass Dartmouth as well as the UMass Dartmouth Athletics Department. The award honors a worker that goes above and beyond what is asked, shows initiative and quality of work, and who has contributed to the UMass Dartmouth Athletics Department in a way that benefits the athletic and recreational community as a whole.
Corsairs Department Member of the Year – This award is presented to the department member whose support of the Athletics Department during the year has made a significant and positive impact on the student-athlete experience.
Team GPA Award – This award is presented to the team (women's or men's program) with the highest calendar year GPA.
True Grit Award – This award is presented to two student-athletes (one for a women's program and one for a men's program) for their personal commitment to the strength and conditioning program. The nominees represent the values of the strength and conditioning program. They bring a relentless work ethic to each session, continually possess a positive attitude, exhibit admirable accountability, and are leaders of their teams in the strength and conditioning room. They are excellent ambassadors of the Corsair athletics program, embodying UMass Dartmouth's values on and off the field.
Strength and Conditioning Armada Team Award – This award is presented to the best women's and men's programs in the strength and conditioning program. These teams continually have the best attendance, bring a great attitude, and use every strength and conditioning session to their advantage. They are an armada of student-athletes who are always prepared to battle the challenges we present to them.
Rookie of the Year Award – This award is presented to two student-athletes (one for a women's program and one for a men's program) that made significant athletic contributions that elevated the entire team performance. They are excellent ambassadors of the Corsair athletics program, embodying UMass Dartmouth's values on and off the field.
Senior Scholar Athlete Award – This award is presented to two senior student-athletes (one for a women's program and one for a men's program) who have achieved in the classroom (e.g., cumulative GPA through the end of the fall semester 2023) and who also made a significant impact athletically. They are excellent ambassadors of the Corsair athletics program, embodying UMass Dartmouth's values on and off the field.
Coaching Staff of the Year Award – This award is presented to two coaching staff's (one for a women's program and one for a men's program) that made a meaningful impact on their sport program. This coaching staff went above and beyond in building their team's culture and executed UMass Dartmouth's values through their coaching and leadership.
Coaches Award – This award is presented to two senior student-athletes (one for a women's program and one for a men's program) and is intended to recognize a student-athlete that personifies the ideals of sportsmanship, leadership, dedication, and character over their career that UMass Dartmouth hopes to instill in all of its student-athletes. The intent is to put more emphasis on these ideals than is generally given in statistic or performance-based awards and is voted on by the department's head coaches.
Athletic Performer of the Year – This award is presented to two student-athletes (one for a women's program and one for a men's program) that made significant athletic contributions that elevated the entire team performance. They are excellent ambassadors of the Corsair athletics program, embodying UMass Dartmouth's values on and off the field.
Outstanding Career Award – This award is presented to two student-athletes (one for a women's program and one for a men's program) in recognition of outstanding athletics performance in a UMass Dartmouth athletics department-sponsored sport over the course of their career at UMass Dartmouth. This award recognizes athletics excellence in the context of team history and the current team, and the individual's performance in the context of league, conference, regional and/or national competition.
