Stepp, Wade earn top honors at Fifth Annual Frosty Awards

Tanner Stepp brings home the Frosty Award for Male Athlete of the Year

Posted: May 01, 2018

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - Carson-Newman high jumper Tanner Stepp (Jefferson City, Tenn.) and women's soccer striker Lauren Wade (Coleraine, Northern Ireland) brought home top honors as the Frosty Award winners for Male and Female Athlete of the Year, respectively, Tuesday evening at the Fifth Annual Frosty Awards ceremony in Gentry Auditorium.

Wade becomes the first repeat winner of the Female Athlete of the Year award in Frosty Award history.

The winners, finalists and award history is all below.

Male Athlete of the Year, Tanner Stepp - Track and Field

VIDEO: Male Athlete of the Year Finalists

Stepp laid claim to the national championship in the high jump during the indoor season. The senior cleared a school-record 2.17 meters. He was a perfect five-for-five during the indoor season in the high jump. He won each meet he competed in, including the SAC title. He has made the NCAA Championship Meet in every semester he has competed at Carson-Newman.

Other finalists: Charles Clark (men's basketball), Tom Forster (golf), Luke Greer (cross country)

Past winners:

2014: Ross Frame (Men's Soccer)

2015: Andy Hibbett (Football)

2016: Damian Baker (Football)

2017: Charles Clark (Basketball)

2018: Tanner Stepp (Track and Field)

Female Athlete of the Year, Lauren Wade - Women's Soccer

VIDEO: Female Athlete of the Year Finalists

Wade wrapped up one of the most decorated seasons of any Carson-Newman athlete. The senior was lauded a school-record 13 times with postseason accolades. She earned All-America honors for a second time from both the D-2-C-C-A and the United Soccer Coaches. The native of Coleraine, Northern Ireland also notched Southeast Region Player of the Year for the second-straight year. She finished the year with 49 points which was good for third in the nation.

Other Finalists: Maggie Melhorn (Swimming), Mika Wester (Basketball), Haris Price (Basketball)

Past Winners:

2014: Kelli Hensley (Softball)

2015: Rachel Harper (Volleyball)

2016: Margaret Stansberry (Swimming)

2017: Lauren Wade (Women's Soccer)

2018: Lauren Wade (Women's Soccer)

Team of the Year - Women's Soccer

VIDEO: Team of the Year Finalists

The only team in the history of women's athletics at Carson-Newman and the South Atlantic Conference to make it to the National title game. The Eagles recorded a program high 21 wins during the season and a record 22-straight games unbeaten. C-N outscored teams 72-12 over the 23 games and only trailed for a total of 42 minutes and 44 seconds of a possible 2,112 minutes. The Eagles became the only team in SAC history to finish the regular season and conference tournament unbeaten.

Other Finalists: Men's Golf, Women's Swimming, Women's Basketball

Past winners:

2014: Men's Soccer

2015: Volleyball

2016: Volleyball

2017: Women's Soccer and Softball

2018: Women's Soccer

Comeback of the Year - Volleyball v. Anderson

VIDEO: Comeback of the Year Finalists Video

In the South Atlantic Conference Tournament semifinals, Carson-Newman was on the ropes against regular season champion Anderson. Down 20-13 in the fourth set on the brink of elimination, fourth-seeded Carson-Newman scored 12 of the final 13 points before posting a .529 attack percentage in the fifth set to upend top-seeded Anderson. Dave Franklin's team never trailed in the fifth set starting the game off on a 5-1 spurt. Back-to-back smashes from Marnie Streeter sealed a semifinal win for the Eagles.

Other Finalists: Men's Basketball v. King, Men's Basketball v. Lenoir-Rhyne, Softball v. Wingate

Past winners:

2014: Women's Basketball and Whitney Kyle at Newberry

2015: Women's Golf at the SAC Championships

2016: Men's Basketball at Newberry

2017: Women's Tennis v. Newberry

2018: Volleyball v. Anderson

Female Performance of the Year, Maggie Melhorn - Swimming

VIDEO: Female Performance of the Year Finalists Video

Melhorn went on to claim two individual All-America swims at the Division II National Championships and another as a member of the 200 medley relaey. The senior swimmer collected third-place in the 100 breaststroke breaking a school record on her way to the brozne. In her final individual swim as an Eagle, Melhorn put in a school record performance at 2 minutes and 13.09 seconds to grab third-place in the 200 breast stroke.

Other finalists: Magda Mosengo (soccer v. Columbus State), Lauren Wade (soccer v. Wingate), Kayla Marosites (basketball v. Lander)

Past Winners:

2014: Tiana Mills (track and field)

2015: Kristen Pickett (Volleyball)

2016: Alli Webster (Softball)

2017: Elizabeth England (Golf)

2018: Maggie Melhorn (Swimming)

Upset of the Year, Baseball v. #2 Belmont Abbey

Matt Bradley earned his first career save and three rookie hitters had two hits each as Carson-Newman toppled second-ranked Belmont Abbey 4-2. Carson-Newman had been 0-3 all-time since 1990 against teams ranked second in the country. The win for C-N snapped Belmont Abbey's 10-game winning streak. Jordan Griffin went 2-for-3 with the home run and two runs scored.

Other Finalists: Softball v. #21 Queens, Men's Soccer v. #5 Lenoir-Rhyne, Baseball v. #14 Northwood

Past Winners:

2014: Men's Basketball v. #7 LMU

2015: Men's Basketball v. #1 LMU

2016: Women's Basketball v. #6 Columbus State

2017: Baseball v. #15 Catawba

2018: Baseball v. #2 Belmont Abbey

Male Newcomer of the Year, Dillon Cate - Baseball

VIDEO: Male Newcomer of the Year Finalists Video

One of the top strikeout producers in the country, Cate took over the Friday role in the C-N rotation. The right-hander ranks 11th in the country in strikeouts on the season as he flirts with triple-digit punchouts. He has three games with at least 10 K's on the season. Cate has been named NCBWA National Pitcher of the Week, the NCBWA Region Pitcher of the Week and SAC Pitcher of the Week for his efforts.

Other finalists: Twan Verweij (Soccer), Diantae Thomas (Football), Grant Teichmann (Basketball)

Past Winners:

2014: Ross Frame (men's soccer)

2015: Tanner Stepp (Track and Field)

2016: Kevin Snead (Track and Field)

2017: Shaun Jones (Basketball)

2018: Dillon Cate (Baseball)

Male Performance of the Year, Tom Forster - Golf

VIDEO: Male Performance of the Year Finalists

Forster earned his first career tournament win at the Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate in March. The sophomore shot three-day 203. That's the second-lowest 54-hole total in the history of the South Atlantic Conference. His mark missed the record by a shot. His round two 65 was also one stroke off the Sevierville Golf Club's River Course record. Forster was 12-under for the tournament.

Other Finalists: Derrick Evans (Football v. Lenoir-Rhyne), Kris Potts-Howard (Track at the SAC Championship Meet), Dillon Cate (Baseball v. Northwood)

Past Winners:

2014: De'Andre Thomas (football)

2015: Charles Clark (Men's Basketball)

2016: Andrew Hall (Men's Golf)

2017: Charles Clark (Men's Basketball)

2018: Tom Forster (Men's Golf)

Play of the Year, Tanner Stepp - Track and Field

VIDEO: Play of the Year Finalists

Tanner Stepp won the indoor national championship with a 2.17-meter leap, which also nets him the Frosty Award for Play of the Year

Other Finalists: Charlie Brown's seed to Ethan Goforth (Baseball), Lauren Wade's rocket (Women's Soccer), Desmond Fairell's grip and rip (Football)

Past Winners:

2014: Rachel Harper (volleyball)

2015: Rurik Pereira (Men's Soccer)

2016: Zack Pangallo (Men's Basketball)

2017: Jake Headrick (Men's Golf)

2018: Tanner Stepp (Track and Field)

Female Newcomer of the Year, Kayla Marosites - Basketball

VIDEO: Female Newcomer of the Year Finalists

In her first season in the Orange and Blue, Kayla became just the second player since the year 2000 to average a double-double. She posted 12.1 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. The sophomore set a new school record with 21 rebounds, 10 offensive, against 25th-ranked North Georgia in the Southeast Region final. Overall, she had 22 double-digit scoring efforts and 20 games with at least 10 boards.

Other Finalists: Kelci Marosites (Basketball), Morgan Ballard (Volleyball), Catarina Realista (Soccer)

Past Winners:

2014: Combined male and female newcomer of the year was presented to men's soccer's Ross Frame

2015: Elizabeth England (Women's Golf)

2016: Jules Herrity (women's soccer)

2017: Lauren Wade (women's soccer)

2018: Kayla Marosites (women's basketball)

Coach of the Year, Simon Duffy - women's soccer, and Mike Mincey - women's basketball

VIDEO: Coach of the Year Finalists

The first-year head coach set about every single season record at C-N in a four-month span. Duffy helped guide the Eagles to a program record 21 wins and their third-consecutive SAC regular season and tournament championships. He was named the SAC's Coach of the Year, the first C-N coach to be named to the award in his first season.

As of the architect of the fifth-ranked team in the final WBCA coaches' poll, Mincey saw the Lady Eagles produce the most wins in school history and get the team to the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time. He was the SAC Coach of the Year and the WBCA Southeast Region top coach. The Lady Eagles were ranked in every single poll released by the organization starting on Nov. 21, 2017, a string of 16 straight weeks.

Other Finalists: Randy Wylie (Men's Golf), Jordan Taylor (Swimming)

Past Winnners:

2014: Richard Moodie (men's soccer)

2015: Vickee Kazee-Hollifield (Softball)

2016: Richard Moodie (women's soccer)

2017: Vickee Kazee-Hollifield (Softball)

2018: Simon Duffy (Women's Soccer) and Mike Mincey (Women's Basketball)

Male Freshman of the Year, Devon Moore - Track and Field

VIDEO: Male Freshman of the Year Finalists

As a freshman, Moore entered the Indoor South Atlantic Conference Championships with just three meets under his belt. The Baxley, Ga. native collected freshman of the year for the league after turning in national qualifying times in both the 60 meter dash and the 200 meter dash. He finished second-place in both events. Moore was named second-team All-America in the 60 meter after an 11th-place finish at Nationals.

Other Finalists: Nicola Tadic (Swimming), Kelvin Ronoh (Cross Country), Matt Bradley (Baseball) \

Past Winners:

2014: No award given

2015: No award given

2016: Carson Wise (football)

2017: Tom Forster (Golf)

2018: Devon Moore (Track and Field)

Female Freshman of the Year, CJ Jensen - Swimming

VIDEO: Female Freshman of the Year Finalists

The freshman out of Copenhagen, Denmark collected two honorable mention all-america swims at the National Championships. For Jensen, that included a first-place finish in the consolation final of the 400 individual medley. Jensen broke the school record in the event in the preliminary swims before breaking it again in the finals at 4 minutes, 25.09 seconds.

Other Finalists: Leah Sohm (Softball), Haley Caldwell (Softball), Tia Davis (Track and Field)

Past Winners:

2014: No award given

2015: No award given

2016: Varin Ness (women's soccer)

2017: Lacie Rinus (Softball)

2018: CJ Jensen (Swimming)

Team Performance of the Year, Women's Soccer v. Columbus State

VIDEO: Team Performance of the Year Finalists

In the Southeast Region Title match, the Eagles defeated 10th-ranked Columbus State 6-0. It was the most goals CSU allowed in a match since 2005. The six-goal drubbing is the largest loss for Columbus State since coach Jay Entlich took over in 2004. Goalkeeper Jackie Burns and the C-N defense held the No. 1 offense in the nation at bay as the Cougars let off a season-low eight shots on goal and were shut out for just the second time all year.

Other Finalists: Women's Soccer v. Wingate, Women's Basketball v. Columbus State, Baseball v. Anderson