And The Nominees Are: Male Athlete Of The Year
04/28/16 | O Heroes, @GoDucksMoseley
By Rob Moseley
Editor, GoDucks.com
On Monday, May 2, the UO athletic department will stage the O Show awards night in Matthew Knight Arena, hosted again by ESPN's Neil Everett.
The second annual ceremony shines a spotlight on department awards that have long been bestowed internally, providing a more public stage on which to honor UO student-athletes who are truly exceptional on and off the field. Nominations were made by UO student-athletes, and winners were selected through a vote by student-athletes and athletic department staff.
The male athlete of the year award speaks for itself: The student-athlete judged by his peers and the UO staff to have enjoyed the most success in the past academic year.
DeFOREST BUCKNER, Football
Led the Ducks with 83 tackles on his way to winning the Morris Trophy as the Pac-12's top defensive lineman, as voted on by conference offensive linemen. All-American piled up 10 ½ sacks and 17 tackles for loss, and went on to be a top selection in this week's NFL draft.
EDWARD CHESEREK, Track & Field / Cross Country
Became the first man in NCAA history to win three straight national titles in cross country. Then, completed a nearly unprecedented feat at the NCAA Indoor championships. On the first day of the meet, won the 5,000-meter individual title in 13:47.89, and shortly after doubled back by anchoring the victorious distance relay team with a 3:52.84 split for 1,600 meters. The next day, he won the 3,000 meters in 8:01.40, the junior's 13th national championship trophy with the Ducks.
ELGIN COOK, Basketball
Was the second-leading scorer at 14.8 points per game for the Pac-12 champion Ducks, whose season ended a game short of the Final Four. The senior put aside individual glory by setting a team-first tone on and off the court, leading the Ducks in steals per game (1.4) while also finishing the season third on the team in rebounds (5.1) and assists (2.3).
DAAN MAASLAND, Tennis
Put together a 19-12 record in singles play and a 22-7 playing doubles with Simon Stevens this season for the Ducks, who learn their NCAA Regional fate next week. The senior from The Netherlands played at No. 1 singles this season, and at one point was ranked No. 49 as an individual, highest for a player in the tenure of current coach Nils Schyllander.
AARON WISE, Golf
Semifinalist for the Ben Hogan Award, which is given each season to the nation's top collegiate golfer. Has six top-three finishes in 10 events as a sophomore, entering this weekend's Pac-12 Championships. Looking to lead the Ducks into the NCAA Championships, which will be hosted by Eugene Country Club in late May. Also has compiled a 3.26 grade-point average.
Players Mentioned
