The Nominees Are: Higdon Trophy
By Rob Moseley
Editor, GoDucks.com
On Monday, May 11, the UO athletic department will host its O Show award night in Matthew Knight Arena, hosted by ESPN’s Neil Everett.
The awards to be handed out have long been considered distinguished accolades within the department, and this year the nominees and winners will be acknowledged on a more public stage. Nominations were made by UO student-athletes, and winners were selected by the student-athletes and athletic department staff.
The Doyle Higdon Memorial Trophy is named in honor of a former member of Oregon’s football and track and field teams, who was killed in an accident following his sophomore year. It’s awarded to a sophomore student-athlete for achievements in athletics, scholarship and citizenship.
And the nominees are …
DEVON ALLEN, football/track and field
After redshirting in football and winning an NCAA championship on the track as a freshman, Allen made his gridiron debut as a sophomore last fall. He earned a starting role for his first career appearance against South Dakota, and had a breakout game one week later with three receptions for 110 yards and two touchdowns against Michigan State. In his first career Pac-12 game, Allen caught seven passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns at Washington State, and he finished the season as Oregon’s third-leading receiver with 41 catches for 684 yards and a team-high seven touchdowns. Allen missed the national championship game due to injury, but the following Saturday he visited a local senior living facility, visiting with the residents and playing piano for them. He was named honorable mention Pac-12 all-academic, and has a 3.03 GPA in pre-business.
ED CHESEREK, cross country/track and field
In the fall, Cheserek became just the second Man of Oregon to repeat as NCAA cross country champion, following in the legendary footsteps of Steve Prefontaine. Cheserek won the mile and was second in the 3,000 meters at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, and more good things are in store when the NCAA Outdoor Championships return to Hayward Field next month. While competing in cross country, Cheserek participated in O Heroes’ annual Thanksgiving basket collection for families in Eugene and Springfield, and he earned honorable mention on the Pac-12 all-academic team with a 3.34 GPA in pre-business.
MARLOU KLUIVING, tennis
A victory at the Pac-12 Championships gave Kluiving 23 wins in singles play this season, tied for seventh in UO history for a single season. She teamed with Nicole Long as the Ducks’ No. 2 doubles pairing, and the duo won 14 matches on the year, second-most on the team. Kluiving did all of that while carrying a 3.91 GPA in human physiology. She and her teammates also helped raise money and canned goods for families in need around the Thanksgiving holiday, and they planted vegetables and prepared meals at a farm managed by Food for Lane County.
CATHLEEN SANTOSO, golf
Oregon plays later this week at NCAA Regionals, and Santoso enters that tournament with a season scoring average of 73 strokes per round, second-best on the team. She shot 5 under for three rounds to finish second at the Westbrook Invitational, and her 2-under, sixth-place finish at the Bay Area Intercollegiate included a season-best round of 68. Santoso has also been generous with her time in the community, participating in the Thanksgiving basket collection, the UO Miracle Dance to raise money for families with children under long-term hospitalization, and the Duck Into A Book reading program at a local elementary school. A journalism major, Santoso carries a 3.69 GPA.
NIKKI UDRIA, softball
Entering the second-ranked Ducks’ final series of the regular season, at Arizona beginning Thursday, the UO shortstop and recently installed leadoff hitter is batting .365 with eight doubles, five home runs and 27 RBIs. She has a fielding percentage of .936, and on Sunday made SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays, coming in at No. 1 for a diving play on which she threw a runner out from her knees. Udria has a 3.33 GPA in communication disorder science, and her O Heroes participation includes the Thanksgiving basket collection, a fundraiser for kids fighting cancer at Portland’s Dorenbecher Children’s Hospital, and a visit with elementary school students to talk about how academics and athletics can impact their futures.
Check back later this week for previews of more O Show award nominees.
