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It’s time for the 2022 Black & Gold Banneret Awards!
Each year we pass out a bunch of awards honoring the best athletes, coaches, teams, and moments of the previous UCF Knights athletic year. Our staff votes, and so do you, the fans.
Here’s how it works: We, the staff, put together our nominees for each award. You can listen to our nominations podcast episode here. Over the next couple of weeks, we will open fan voting for each award. Each staff member gets one vote, and the winner of the fan vote will get one vote. If there is a tie, the fan vote will be the tiebreaker. We will announce the winners in two weeks.
Our 2022 Black & Gold Banneret Awards continue with Women’s Breakout Athlete of the Year. Here are your nominees:
Amber Olson
Setter — Volleyball
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2020: Played 16 of 18 matches (starting 11), 328 assists
2021: Started in all 34 matches, 1,243 assists
Resume:
- AAC Setter of the Year
- All-AAC 1st-Team
- 14th in the nation in assists (Leads AAC)
- 3rd in AAC in Service Aces (41)
- 3rd in AAC in Assists Per Set (9.94 A/S)
- 3rd on the team in Digs (273)
- 4th-most career assists in program history (2,756)
⚔ ⚔@amberolson03 earns @American_VBall Setter of the year, becoming the first Knight to do so!#ChargeOn⚔ pic.twitter.com/GtYUisMdxm
— UCF Volleyball (@UCF_Volleyball) November 30, 2021
Destiny Thomas
Forward — Women’s Basketball
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2020-21: Played in 20 games (Started 0), 88 rebounds
2021-22: Played in 30 games (Started 20), 236 rebounds
Resume:
- 6th in the AAC in rebounds (4th in AAC in offensive rebounds)
- 5th in the AAC in rebounds per game (7.87 rebounds per game)
Destiny. Thomas.
— UCF Women's Hoops (@UCF_WBB) February 26, 2022
Reverse layup? Reverse layup pic.twitter.com/1i74LFzTUj
Latasha Smith
Sprinter — Track and Field
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2021 season bests: 55.19 (Indoor 400m), 53.75 (Outdoor 400m), 3:35.82 (Outdoor 4x400m Relay)
2022 season bests: 52.32 (Indoor 400m), 52.01 (Outdoor 400m), 3:31.88 (Outdoor 4x400m Relay)
Resume:
- Gold medalist in both Indoor and Outdoor 400-meter dash in AAC meets
- Achieved five podium finishes at AAC meets (2 Indoor, 3 Outdoor)
- Selected to NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship (400-meter dash)
- Set new program Indoor 400-meter dash record (Previous: Ashley Jocelyn, 53.45, 2/29/17)
- Set new program Outdoor 400-meter dash record (Previous: Afia Charles, 52.49, 5/12/13)
- Part of Outdoor 4x400-meter relay team that set new program record (Previous: 3:32.22, 5/30/15)
- 14th-fastest Indoor 400-meter dash in the nation
- 24th-fastest Outdoor 400-meter dash in the nation
- 27th-fastest Outdoor 4x400-meter relay in the nation
.@UCF_Track claims the top two spots in the women 400 meters as Latasha Smith and Kiah Williams take gold and silver. @UHCougarTF's Iman Babineaux takes the bronze. pic.twitter.com/SZJCKwioCs
— American XC Track (@AmericanXCTrack) May 15, 2022
Justene Molina
2B — Softball
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2021: .234 batting average/.278 on-base percentage
2022: .284 batting average/.406 on-base percentage
Resume:
- AAC Defensive Player of the Year
- All-AAC 1st Team
- 4th on the team and 7th in the AAC in Walks
- 3rd in the AAC in Fielding Assists
Justene Molina plates two more @UCF_Softball runs with a single up in the middle. pic.twitter.com/urAR4Q66iz
— American Softball (@American_SBall) May 14, 2022
Jada Cody
C, 3B — Softball
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2021: .324 batting average/.412 on-base percentage; 28 RBIs
2022: .361 batting average/.439 on-base percentage; 75 RBIs
Resume:
- Unanimous All-AAC 1st Team
- Set new school record for most RBIs in a single season
- 4th in the nation in RBIs
- 8th in the nation in RBIs per game (1.19 RBIs/G)
- 2nd in the AAC in RBIs and Hits
- 3rd in the AAC in Home Runs
- 5th in the AAC in Batting Average and Walks
Jada Cody tried to hit this ball back to Orlando! @UCF_Softball now leads the Bulls 7-0. pic.twitter.com/mQyD9RiZgU
— American Softball (@American_SBall) May 14, 2022
Vote for who you think is the 2022 UCF Women’s Breakout Athlete of the Year below:
Poll
Who is the 2022 UCF Women’s Breakout Athlete of the Year?
This poll is closed
-
64%
Amber Olson
-
0%
Destiny Thomas
-
1%
Latasha Smith
-
4%
Justene Molina
-
29%
Jada Cody
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