UNO Athletics Honors Its Seniors
Apr 26, 2011 | General
OMAHA, Neb. - The UNO athletic department recognized its 58 graduating seniors for their contributions the Maverick athletics at its annual event on Monday. The department also handed out individual awards.
Golfer Dani Suponchick was presented with the Connie Clausen Female Career Senior Student-Athlete award, sponsored by the Leland and Dorothy Olson Foundation. It recognizes career achievement in competition, in the classroom and in the community. Suponchick has been a four-year letter winner for the UNO golf team and a captain during the last three seasons. She is a three-time member of the MIAA All-Tournament team and has been the individual medalist of the MIAA Championship twice including this season when she helped the Mavericks to their third straight league championship. She was also named the MIAA's Player of the Year.
Suponchick is currently the co-president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, a group she has served with since 2008. She is also a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She is an eight-time member of the Dean's List and a five-time member of the Chancellor's list and she currently carries a 3.89 grade-point average.
Basketball player Tyler Bullock was the recipient of the Don Leahy Male Career Senior Student-Athlete award sponsored by Othowest. Bullock put together a sterling career at UNO in just two years. As a member of the UNO basketball team, he became the fastest to reach 1,000 career points, doing so in just 59 games. His 1,124 career points rank 15th all-time in school history. He is a two-time All-South Central Region selection and a two-time All-MIAA first team pick. He was the Mavericks' leading scorer in each of the last two years, averaging 19 point each season.
Bullock also took the initiative among his teammates with community service and led the team in a visit to a local nursing home where the student-athletes spent time with residents there. He currently carries a 3.2 grade point average in general studies.
The Mavericks also presented the Dr. John Langan Phoenix Award, given to the student-athlete who has overcome extreme hardship or challenge and contributed to the success of Maverick athletics, to senior women's basketball player Katie Kane. The award is named for Professor John Langan, a long-time supporter of UNO athletics who passed away last year.
Kane was sidelined not once but twice during her UNO basketball career, first by injuries sustained in a car accident; and second by a knee injury. She went through many months of rehabilitation each time to get herself back on the court. Because of that hard work, she was voted as team captain this season. This year, she sustained yet another injury but played through it rather than have surgery and miss her senior season.
Former UNO hockey player David Brisson was the keynote speaker for the evening. He encouraged the seniors to maintain their connections with their teammates and their professors and urged them to make new connections within the community.
At the end of the night, each senior in attendance received their varsity "O" from Alberts and Associate Athletic Director Mike Kemp, the chairman of the Senior Banquet committee. The event marked the second year that UNO athletics has recognized its outgoing seniors.
