BYU Dishes Out ‘Y Awards’ Recognizing Best Teams, Athletes

PROVO, Utah – The “Y Awards” are given out each year to recognize the best athletes, coaches, and teams in the BYU Athletic Department. Usually, the Y Awards are given out during an awards ceremony at the Marriott Center. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the awards were announced on BYUtv’s BYU Sports Nation.

BYU’s Olympic sports dominated the awards. Highlighted by Cross Country who won Team of the Year honors for both the male and female categories.

What a year. 🏆#BYUSN #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/6fB8sCM7AY

— BYU Sports Nation (@BYUSportsNation) May 29, 2020

Only one of the Y Award winners came from the money-driver sports in football or men’s basketball. TJ Haws was the lone winner as he was named the Dale R. McCann Spirit of Sport Award winner.

BYU Football offensive tackle Blake Freeland was a nominee for “Male Rookie of the Year” but that award was given to Volleyball’s Davide Gardini.

List of BYU’s 2020 Y Award winners

Male Athlete of the Year: Clayton Young, Cross Country

Female Athlete of the Year: Whittni Orton, Track & Field

Men’s Team of the Year: Cross Country

Women’s Team of the Year: Cross Country & Soccer

Head Coach of the Year: Ed Eyestone, Track & Field/Cross Country

Male Rookie of the Year: Davide Gardini, Volleyball

Female Rookie of the Year: Whitney Bower, Volleyball

Male Crowd Pleaser of the Year: Gabi Fernandez, Volleyball

Female Crowd Pleaser of the Year: Mary Lake, Volleyball

Comeback Athlete of the Year: McKenna Miller, Women’s Volleyball

Walk-On of the Year: Justin Sterner, Baseball

Assistant Coach of the Year: Brent Anderson, Women’s Soccer

Cougar Club Memorial Award Winners: Kennedy Eschenberg (Women’s Volleyball); Matt Owens (Cross Country)

Floyd Johnson Service Award: Makayla Cazier, Swimming

Kimball Memorial Award (Highest GPA): Miki Jauhiainen, Men’s Volleyball – 4.0 Computer Science

Lu Wallace Outstanding Senior Female Athlete Award: Elise Flake, Soccer

Ed Stein Outstanding Senior Male Athlete Award: Brock Hale, Baseball

Leona Holbrook Spirit of Sport Award: Sabrina Davis, Soccer

Dale R. McCann Spirit of Sport Award: TJ Haws, Basketball

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12-3 pm) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.