SAN FRANCISCO – Academy of Art University student-athletes, coaches, and staff began the month of May by coming together to celebrate the department's accomplishments from the 2024-25 season with the 12th Annual ARTYs Awards. The end-of-the-year presentation recognized Urban Knights from all 13 teams and featured honors for community service, academics, and athletic excellence.

Continuing a tradition started in 2016, members from the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee played a major role in the ceremony hosting and presenting awards throughout the evening.

The show's opening ARTY went to softball for their extraordinary efforts in serving the community and giving back to San Francisco. The team averaged over 23 hours per student-athlete for a total of more than 309 combined hours, earning them the Community Service Award for the third consecutive year.

The first individual awards presented were the ARTYs for the Best Male and Female Student-Athlete Grade Point Averages from the past two semesters (Spring 2024 and Fall 2024). Men's soccer and softball were represented as Xander Cleaves' 3.64 GPA in the School of Communications & Media Technologies was highlighted along with 3.89 GPAs from teammates Audrey Allen and Sydney Harmon in the Schools of Interior Architecture & Design and Advertising respectively. For the sixth consecutive occasion, the ARTY for Best Team GPA went to tennis who collectively delivered a 3.57 GPA over the last two semesters.

Starting in the realm of athletic achievement, the two new women's track & field program records achieved by Lina Hanich this season were recognized with the ARTY for Record-Breaking Performance. The Paderborn, Germany native bettered her own personal bests in both the indoor 800m (2:04.49) and outdoor 800m (2:03.60), each top seven in NCAA Division II history.

The next ARTY recognizing the Freshman of the Year went to Ethan Forbes of men's cross country/track & field. Following a cross country season that saw him lead the team in four of five races, Forbes proceeded to break the program's Indoor 800m record (1:50.81) en route to being named USTFCCCA Indoor All-Region. The Interaction & UI/UX Design major also claimed the second-fastest 600m and third-fastest Outdoor 800m respectively.

A memorable debut run with the men's track & field program came from Tre'Sean Bouie who followed by earning the ARTY for Newcomer of the Year. The two-time All-Region honoree would go on to become an All-American in the Indoor 4x400m relay then help break the program's 4x200m relay record, and collect PacWest titles in both the 4x100m and 4x400m relays.

Transitioning from those impressive campaigns to the ARTY for Best Moment of the Year, Bryce Moore of men's basketball was honored for his game-winning 3-pointer in the PacWest Conference Tournament Semifinal against Biola. The shot launched from 30 feet out not only beat the final buzzer but also sent the Urban Knights into the PacWest Championship game as ART U prevailed 67-66 on Mar. 7.

Introduced in 2015, two more awards were announced that focused on "servant leadership" or a student-athlete'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, Giulio Zanichelli of men's golf was bestowed the Dr. Jamie Williams Male Servant Leadership Award and Tegan Smith of women's soccer received the Meghan Bushnell Female Servant Leadership Award. Zanichelli dedicated 22 community service hours while Smith gave back with more than 28 community service hours.

The various Most Valuable Player honors were assigned by the respective head coaches and the women's side included Christy Ojide Boiko (basketball), Grace Southern (cross country), Isabella Christy (golf), Mia Gonzalez (soccer), Amelija Supulniece (tennis), Toni-Ann Lindsay and Lina Hanich (indoor & outdoor track & field), Audrey Allen (softball), and Elly McInerney (volleyball).

On the men's side, the respective head coaches selected Isaiah Williams (basketball), Ethan Forbes (cross country), Giulio Zanichelli (golf), Keita Goto (soccer), and Ajani Ince plus Yacouba Gnacko (indoor & outdoor track & field).
 
From the collection of MVPs emerged the Male Athlete of the Year, men's track & field's Yacouba Gnacko, and the Female Individual Athlete of the Year, tennis' Amelija Supulniece. The USTFCCCA Indoor West Region Field Athlete of the Year, Gnacko finished third in the triple jump at Indoor Nationals to become an All-American for the ninth time in his career before capturing his fourth PacWest Triple Jump title a little over one month later. Supulniece won 13 singles and 11 doubles matches, was a PacWest Player of the Week, and ranked as high as No. 10 in the nation in singles en route to being named the PacWest Player of the Year, All-PacWest First Team in singles and All-PacWest Second Team in doubles.

The announcement of dual 2025 Richard & Clara Gil Stephens Urban Knights of the Year saw Amelija Supulniece return to the stage along with Maddie Morrow of women's basketball. In addition to her aforementioned athletic accomplishments, Supulniece earned a 3.44 GPA in the School of Interaction & UI/UX Design and completed 10 hours of community service while Morrow, owner of a 3.79 GPA in the School of Communications & Media Technologies and 12 community service hours, led her team in free throw percentage and was a vice president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

Closing out the evening, men's basketball earned its second Team of the Year honor. On their way to reaching the PacWest Tournament Championship game and having three PacWest All-Tournament Team honorees, the Urban Knights finished with three All-PacWest Team honorees, four PacWest weekly awards, and broke program's single-season blocks record.

Full list of ARTYs winners below:
 

Community Service Award	Softball
Best Individual GPA	Xander Cleaves (MSOC), Audrey Allen & Sydney Harmon (SB)
Best Team GPA	Women's Tennis
Record-Breaking Performance	Women's Track & Field's Lina Hanich breaking two program records
Freshman of the Year	Ethan Forbes (MXC/MT&F)
Newcomer of the Year	Tre'Sean Bouie (MT&F)
Best Moment the Year	Bryce Moore's game-winning 3-pointer in the PacWest Tournament Semis
Dr. Jamie Williams Male Servant Leadership Award	Giulio Zanichelli (MG)
Meghan Bushnell Female Servant Leadership Award	Tegan Smith (WSOC)
Male Team MVPs	Isaiah Williams (MBB), Keita Goto (SOC), Ethan Forbes (XC), Ajani Ince & Yacouba Gnacko (T&F), Giulio Zanichelli (MG)
Male Individual Athlete of the Year	Yacouba Gnacko (T&F)
Female Team MVPs	Audrey Allen (SB), Mia Gonzalez (SOC), Isabella Christy (WG), Amelija Supulniece (WT), Christy Ojide Boiko (WBB), Grace Southern (XC), Elly McInerney (VB), Toni-Ann Lindsay & Lina Hanich (T&F)
Female Individual Athlete of the Year	Amelija Supulniece (WT)
Richard & Clara Gil Stephens Urban Knight of the Year	Maddie Morrow (WBB) & Amelija Supulniece (WT)
Team of the Year	Men's Basketball