SAN FRANCISCO – Finishing off one of the most collectively successful years in Academy of Art University Athletics history, the fifth installment of the ARTY Awards offered a chance to celebrate the numerous accomplishments of student-athletes, coaches, and staff in 2017-18. The end-of-the-year banquet recognized Urban Knights from all 16 teams and featured honors for community service as well as academic and athletic excellence.

Continuing a tradition started two years ago, members from the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee played a major role in the ceremony hosting and presenting awards throughout the night.

The first individual awards presented were the ARTYs for the Highest Female and Male Student-Athlete Grade Point Averages from the past two semesters. Women's golfer Maria Fernanda Traboulsi was selected after offering a 3.89 GPA in the School of Interior Architecture & Design while men's soccer forward Alexander Tombach earned the other, having posted a 3.72 in the School of Advertising. Traboulsi helped lead women's golf to its third consecutive ARTY for Highest Team GPA as the Urban Knights collectively delivered a 3.44 GPA over the last two semesters.

"Being a student-athlete at Academy of Art was a remarkable experience, both on and off the field," said Tombach. "I got to be part of an amazing team, travel the country, and live in one of the most creative cities in the world. It was an honor to be recognized for my academic achievements at this year's ARTYs. I worked hard in the classroom all four years and every academic award I received throughout my career pushed me to keep going and further improve."

For the second year, head strength & conditioning coach Jessica Balzano recognized individuals for their work in the weight room. Gender-specific "Beast Award" ARTYs honors credited women's cross country/track & field runner Madeline Dignadice, men's track & field hurdler/sprinter Marlon Britton, and baseball outfielder Izac Bauer for their consistent efforts to improve their physical bodies and those of their teammates.

This year's ARTY for Record-Breaking Performance went to women's golfer Anahi Servin for setting a new PacWest Championship Tournament record (10-under par) which included a PacWest, course, & program single-round record of 64 shot on the first of three days. That selection was followed by the ARTY for Best Moment: women's tennis making its first NCAA Nationals appearance in program history.

The ARTYs Freshman of the Year honor rewarded a particularly dynamic talent in softball pitcher/utility Brooke Larsen. A nine-time weekly award winner including the program's first NFCA National DII Pitcher of the Week, Larsen set program single-season records in wins (22), shutouts (10), strikeouts (217), and doubles as a hitter (20) en route to the team's first All-American honors. For her efforts leading women's cross country to its highest finish ever at both the PacWest Conference Championship and NCAA West Regionals, PacWest Newcomer of the Year and All-American in the Distance Medley Relay Swann Phelippeau also took home ARTYs Newcomer of the Year.

Introduced in 2015, two more awards were announced that focused on "servant leadership" or one's responsibility to serve as a positive role model for others in all aspects of life. The gender-specific honors were named after two individuals dedicated to this concept, inaugural Director of Athletics Dr. Jamie Williams and former Associate Athletics Director/Senior Woman Administrator Meghan Bushnell. Each for their work in the community, dedication to their craft in the classroom, and inspirational athletic efforts, men's golfer Lawrence Liang was bestowed the Dr. Jamie Williams Male Servant Leadership Award and softball's Samantha Klune received the Meghan Bushnell Female Servant Leadership Award.

Of the many talented Most Valuable Players for each gender, men's track & field sprinter Mobolade Ajomale and Larsen were each selected as ARTYs Individual Athletes of the Year. Ajomale was a four-time national champion (Indoor 60m, 200m and Outdoor 100m, 200m) and earned five All-American trophies throughout his 2018 campaign. Larsen closed out a record-breaking freshman year as the program's first All-American and leader in nine major statistical categories.

From one talented softball pitcher starting her collegiate career to another concluding her career, the Urban Knight of the Year honor went to senior Brenna Mitchell. She finished with a cumulative GPA of 3.07 in the School of Interior Architecture & Design, completed 13.5 community service hours in 2017-18, and earned All-PacWest Second Team all while leading the team in runs batted in (42) and ranking second in doubles (14), home runs (5), and ERA (1.80).

"I have enjoyed my time at this university from start to finish," said Mitchell. "From instructors, to coaches and even to other athletes; we push for success in all areas. While days may have been tough, what I loved most about this university and this athletic program was the amount of love and support we all have for each other. There was always this feeling that there were others wanting you to succeed and wanting to help you succeed and I truly credit that atmosphere to my success. I don't think I will find a place or environment like the one this university and athletic program has given me and I truly will miss it. I've enjoyed my ride!"

Beyond the field, ART U Softball was a fixture serving the surrounding Bay Area community. En route to the ARTYs Community Service Award, the team's student-athletes had 100 percent participation across six events and averaged 12.5 hours of service per Urban Knight. In her fourth season at the program's helm, PacWest Coach of the Year Sonja Garnett was also recognized as the ARTYs Coach of the Year.

"I am honored to be selected by my peers for this award," said Garnett. "This was a fun year for ART U Athletics and I am very proud of the year our team had. It would not have been possible without Coach Alana Aweau ('12) and Coach Emily Montanez's uplifting support and leadership. I am happy and humbled to have played a role in what these student-athletes have accomplished this year."

Capping off a vast collection of honors, softball was also named ARTYs Team of the Year. After shattering the program single-season wins record, the Urban Knights went on to break numerous statistical records, collect seven PacWest postseason awards including Coach of the Year, have their first All-American, and reach the NCAA postseason for the first time to date.

Full list of ARTYs winners below:
 

Fifth Year of the Year	Chris Salas (MBB)
Community Service Award	Softball
Best Individual GPA	Maria Fernanda Traboulsi (WG) & Alexander Tombach (MSOC)
Best Team GPA	Women's Golf
Beast Award	Madeline Dignadice (WXC/T&F), Marlon Britton (MT&F), & Izac Bauer (BASE)
Record-Breaking Performance	Anahi Servin (WG) - Broke the PacWest Championship Tournament record with a 10-under par score which included a PacWest, course, & program single-round record of 64
Best Moment	Women's Tennis making first NCAA Nationals appearance in program history
Freshman of the Year	Brooke Larsen (SB)
Newcomer of the Year	Swann Phelippeau (WXC/T&F)
Coach of the Year	Sonja Garnett (SB)
Dr. Jamie Williams Male Servant Leadership Award	Lawrence Liang (MG)
Meghan Bushnell Female Servant Leadership Award	Samantha Klune (SB)
Male Team MVPs	Gatien Airiau (XC), Jón Jóhannesson (SOC), Mobolade Ajomale (T&F), Kendall Brown (MBB), Angel Mora (BASE), Gabriel De Leon Manotoc (MG)
Male Individual Athlete of the Year	Mobolade Ajomale (T&F)
Female Team MVPs	Swann Phelippeau (XC), Bailey Soolsma (VB), Monika Stanikova (WT), Pre'Franz Dominick (WBB), Anahi Servin (WG), Silvia Fernstrom (SOC), Schae Graham (T&F), Brooke Larsen (SB)
Female Individual Athlete of the Year	Brooke Larsen (SB)
Urban Knight of the Year	Brenna Mitchell (SB)
Team of the Year	Softball