Kansas State University Athletics
SAAC Announces Powercat Choice Award Winners
Aug 27, 2024 | Baseball, Athletics
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State celebrated another outstanding athletics year on Sunday as student-athletes from each of the school's 14 varsity sports converged for the 14th annual Mark A. Chapman Powercat Choice Awards.
The ceremony includes all team and individual highlights from the 2023-24 school year, both on the field and in the classroom. All the performance-related awards were voted on by members of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).Â
For the fifth consecutive year, baseball garnered the Wildcat Cup for its excellence in the five core areas of student-athlete well-being: academics, athletics, career, personal and service.
Top team honors on the night went to the baseball and women's basketball squads. The baseball team reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013 and made its second Super Regional appearance in school history. Overall, the team secured a record of 35-26 during the 2024 season, while five student-athletes were selected in the 2024 MLB Draft.
The women's basketball squad concluded the 2023-24 season with 26 wins, the most since the 2002-03 season. The Wildcats made the 18th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history and advanced a round in the tournament for the 13th time.
Volleyball's upset over No. 3 and eventual National Champion Texas captured the Showstopping Moment of the Year honor, while women's basketball head coach Jeff Mittie was named the Coach of the Year from the student-athletes.
Kaelen Culpepper (baseball) took Male Athlete of the Year honors after having a highly decorated junior season which included D1Baseball All-American Second Team, ABCA/Rawlings All-Region Second Team, and All-Big 12 Second Team honors from the league's coaches. Culpepper, the program's first positional player taken in the first round, was also voted the Fayetteville Regional MVP for his dominating performance during the regional tournament.
Ayoka Lee of women's basketball won Female Athlete of the Year after a historic season where she collected All-American honors by The Athletic, The Sporting News and WBCA, while she also was named a 2024 John R. Wooden Award National Ballot top-15 candidate, an All-Big 12 First Team selection, a Big 12 All-Defensive Team member and Big 12 All-Tournament Team. Last season, Lee became the first player in school history and third in Big 12 history to reach 2,000 or more points, 1,000 or more rebounds and 300 or more blocks.
Cooper BeeBe (football), a 2023 Consensus All-American and third round pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, was crowned Male Scholar Athlete of the Year, while Lee, who is a three-time CSC Academic All-American, took home top female scholar honors.
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Haley Vargas (women's golf) was named Women's Unsung Hero, which honors an important reserve who has made a major impact to the team's success, while Jaden Parsons (baseball) took honors as the Men's Unsung Hero.
In addition, Nick English (baseball) and Carla Bernat (women's golf) were named the male and female Newcomers of the Year.
The recipient of the Most Inspirational Award was Kyla Traub of the rowing team, while Austin Moore of the football team earned the Purple Pride Award, which is given to the student-athlete who demonstrates the most school spirit.Â
Shalom Olotu (women's track and field) and Ty Bowman (football) were this year's recipients of the Bob and Lila Snell Award of Excellence and Effort, recognizing the outstanding male and female student-athletes who improved their academic standing through sustained effort and commitment to learning.
Football's director of strength and conditioning Trumain Carroll was voted the Staff Member of the Year.
Jazmin Brown (soccer) was the recipient of the Veryl and Fern Switzer Campus Leadership Award. The award recognizes a student-athlete who is involved in student organizations and multicultural affairs, demonstrates leadership on a team and on campus, and is active in community service. Football's Cody Stufflebean was also honored with the Outstanding Service to the Community Award.
Two student-athletes from the women's cross country squad were awarded the Scholastic Achievement Award, which recognizes a senior letterwinner with the highest cumulative grade-point average in undergraduate work, as Sydney Burton and Helen Giefer were honored.
2023-24 Powercat Choice Awards
Wildcat Cup Trophy Winner
Baseball
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Athletic Award Winners
Men's Team of the Year – Baseball
Women's Team of the Year – Women's Basketball
Coach of the Year – Jeff Mittie
Female Athlete of the Year – Ayoka Lee, Women's Basketball
Male Athlete of the Year – Kaelen Culpepper, Baseball
Male Newcomer of the Year – Nick English, Baseball
Female Newcomer of the Year – Carla Bernat, Women's Golf
Men's Unsung Hero of the Year – Jaden Parsons, Baseball
Women's Unsung Hero of the Year – Haley Vargas, Women's Golf
Purple Pride Award – Austin Moore, Football
Outstanding Service to the Community – Cody Stufflebean, Football
Showstopping Moment of the Year – Volleyball, upset over Texas
Staff Member of the Year – Trumain Carroll, Football
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Academic Award Winners
Female Scholar Athlete of the Year – Ayoka Lee, Women's Basketball
Male Scholar Athlete of the Year – Cooper Beebe, Football
Scholastic Achievement Award – Sydney Burton, Women's Cross Country
Scholastic Achievement Award – Helen Giefer, Women's Cross Country
Bob & Lila Snell Academic Award for Excellence & Effort – Shalom Olotu, Women's Track and Field
Bob & Lila Snell Academic Award for Excellence & Effort – Ty Bowman, Football
Veryl & Fern Switzer Campus Leadership Award – Jazmin Brown, Soccer
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The ceremony includes all team and individual highlights from the 2023-24 school year, both on the field and in the classroom. All the performance-related awards were voted on by members of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).Â
For the fifth consecutive year, baseball garnered the Wildcat Cup for its excellence in the five core areas of student-athlete well-being: academics, athletics, career, personal and service.
Top team honors on the night went to the baseball and women's basketball squads. The baseball team reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013 and made its second Super Regional appearance in school history. Overall, the team secured a record of 35-26 during the 2024 season, while five student-athletes were selected in the 2024 MLB Draft.
The women's basketball squad concluded the 2023-24 season with 26 wins, the most since the 2002-03 season. The Wildcats made the 18th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history and advanced a round in the tournament for the 13th time.
Volleyball's upset over No. 3 and eventual National Champion Texas captured the Showstopping Moment of the Year honor, while women's basketball head coach Jeff Mittie was named the Coach of the Year from the student-athletes.
Kaelen Culpepper (baseball) took Male Athlete of the Year honors after having a highly decorated junior season which included D1Baseball All-American Second Team, ABCA/Rawlings All-Region Second Team, and All-Big 12 Second Team honors from the league's coaches. Culpepper, the program's first positional player taken in the first round, was also voted the Fayetteville Regional MVP for his dominating performance during the regional tournament.
Ayoka Lee of women's basketball won Female Athlete of the Year after a historic season where she collected All-American honors by The Athletic, The Sporting News and WBCA, while she also was named a 2024 John R. Wooden Award National Ballot top-15 candidate, an All-Big 12 First Team selection, a Big 12 All-Defensive Team member and Big 12 All-Tournament Team. Last season, Lee became the first player in school history and third in Big 12 history to reach 2,000 or more points, 1,000 or more rebounds and 300 or more blocks.
Cooper BeeBe (football), a 2023 Consensus All-American and third round pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, was crowned Male Scholar Athlete of the Year, while Lee, who is a three-time CSC Academic All-American, took home top female scholar honors.
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Haley Vargas (women's golf) was named Women's Unsung Hero, which honors an important reserve who has made a major impact to the team's success, while Jaden Parsons (baseball) took honors as the Men's Unsung Hero.
In addition, Nick English (baseball) and Carla Bernat (women's golf) were named the male and female Newcomers of the Year.
The recipient of the Most Inspirational Award was Kyla Traub of the rowing team, while Austin Moore of the football team earned the Purple Pride Award, which is given to the student-athlete who demonstrates the most school spirit.Â
Shalom Olotu (women's track and field) and Ty Bowman (football) were this year's recipients of the Bob and Lila Snell Award of Excellence and Effort, recognizing the outstanding male and female student-athletes who improved their academic standing through sustained effort and commitment to learning.
Football's director of strength and conditioning Trumain Carroll was voted the Staff Member of the Year.
Jazmin Brown (soccer) was the recipient of the Veryl and Fern Switzer Campus Leadership Award. The award recognizes a student-athlete who is involved in student organizations and multicultural affairs, demonstrates leadership on a team and on campus, and is active in community service. Football's Cody Stufflebean was also honored with the Outstanding Service to the Community Award.
Two student-athletes from the women's cross country squad were awarded the Scholastic Achievement Award, which recognizes a senior letterwinner with the highest cumulative grade-point average in undergraduate work, as Sydney Burton and Helen Giefer were honored.
2023-24 Powercat Choice Awards
Wildcat Cup Trophy Winner
Baseball
Â
Athletic Award Winners
Men's Team of the Year – Baseball
Women's Team of the Year – Women's Basketball
Coach of the Year – Jeff Mittie
Female Athlete of the Year – Ayoka Lee, Women's Basketball
Male Athlete of the Year – Kaelen Culpepper, Baseball
Male Newcomer of the Year – Nick English, Baseball
Female Newcomer of the Year – Carla Bernat, Women's Golf
Men's Unsung Hero of the Year – Jaden Parsons, Baseball
Women's Unsung Hero of the Year – Haley Vargas, Women's Golf
Purple Pride Award – Austin Moore, Football
Outstanding Service to the Community – Cody Stufflebean, Football
Showstopping Moment of the Year – Volleyball, upset over Texas
Staff Member of the Year – Trumain Carroll, Football
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Academic Award Winners
Female Scholar Athlete of the Year – Ayoka Lee, Women's Basketball
Male Scholar Athlete of the Year – Cooper Beebe, Football
Scholastic Achievement Award – Sydney Burton, Women's Cross Country
Scholastic Achievement Award – Helen Giefer, Women's Cross Country
Bob & Lila Snell Academic Award for Excellence & Effort – Shalom Olotu, Women's Track and Field
Bob & Lila Snell Academic Award for Excellence & Effort – Ty Bowman, Football
Veryl & Fern Switzer Campus Leadership Award – Jazmin Brown, Soccer
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– k-statesports.com –
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How to follow the Cats: For complete information on the K-State Volleyball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
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How to follow the Cats: For complete information on the K-State Volleyball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
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