< Previous28 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH ATHLETICS TOP MOMENTS Gymnastics Head Coach Casey Jo MacPherson celebrates in the team huddle after the first ACC victory of the 2024 season with the third highest team score in program history. Cameron Cash (right) and Dylan Reed (left) finish in first and second place on the 3 meter at the 2024 ACC Swimming & Diving Championships. Led by Panther Award honoree Cole Matthews, Pitt Wrestling earned a signature dual win at No. 5 Ohio State and qualified seven Panthers for the 2024 NCAA Championships to highlight another strong season under Head Coach Keith Gavin. Lacrosse defender Rachel Familetti, #10, celebrates after scoring her first and only goal of the season.H2P MAGAZINE SPRING 2024 29 2023-24 Softball Head Coach Jenny Allard poses with the team after defeating Akron, 10-2, for her 700th career win. Phil Fox shuts the door on No. 8 Florida State as the Panthers shut them out and take the series from the Seminoles. Ilse Steigenga became the first ACC Outdoor Champion in women’s program history as she took first place in the heptathlon with 5,637 points. Steigenga went on to earn Honorable Mention All-American honors in both the heptathlon and the long jump at the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The men’s 4x400 meter relay team of Malik Ricketts, Nigel Hussey, Stephon Brown and Devin Nugent placed 20th at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon, to earn Honorable Mention All-American status. 30 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH ATHLETICS CHEER AND DANCE "ROC" AT NATIONALS Dance-Jazz The Cheer team (and Roc) anxiously awaiting the results! The Dance team taking the floor! Dance-Pom In April 2024, the University of Pittsburgh Spirit Teams competed at the National Cheerleaders Association and National Dance Alliance College Nationals in Daytona Beach, Florida. Competing in a field of more than 480 universities, 64 divisions and more than 10,000 athletes, both the Pitt Cheer and Dance Teams advanced to the finals. The Panthers cheerleaders placed fourth in Intermediate Small Coed Division 1A, while the Panthers dance team finished fifth overall in Pom Division 1A and had a top-20 finish in an incredible Jazz Division 1A. H2P MAGAZINE SPRING 2024 31 Game-Changing Giving Contributions to Dollar Energy Fund are used to provide one-time assistance grants to local families who are struggling to restore or maintain safe utility services due to unexpected circumstances. You can become a team player and help your neighbors in need this winter by donating to Dollar Energy Fund. Find out how your contribution can produce winning results. Visit us online at dollarenergy.org32 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH ATHLETICSH2P MAGAZINE SPRING 2024 33 ILSE STEIGENGA Ilse Steigenga (A&S ’24), who hails from Exmorra, Netherlands, has solidified herself as one of the Pitt greats by becoming the first women’s ACC outdoor champion this past season as well as the first to win a Most Valuable Performer award at the ACC Championships . 1 st place in Heptathlon 5,637 points (PR) First Team All-ACC 100H – 14.09 (PR, 3rd) High Jump – 1.64m (PR, 4th) Shot Put – 12.21m (PR, 2nd) 200 – 24.73 (PR, 3rd) Long Jump – 6.11m (1st) Javelin Throw – 32.36m (4th) 800 – 2:14.72 (PR, 2nd) 2 nd place in the Long Jump 6.29 meters First Team All-ACC 6 th place in the Triple Jump 12.79 meters (PR) Second Team All-ACC *PR notates personal record, followed by her placement in each event that takes place in the heptathlon.34 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH ATHLETICS “ FEATURE Bre Kelley and Emmy Klika from the Volleyball team show off their chicken parmesan Raeven Boswell from the Women’s Basketball team cooking with her teammates Mackenzie Sullivan of Track and Field chopping garlic Auburn Paulone joins Mackenzie Sullivan in the kitchen Cooking with Champions ach month during the academic year, the Pitt Sports Nutrition team partners with Pitt Eats and does a cooking demo with all student-athletes to teach them basic kitchen tool and cooking skills so they can make their own meals. Follow the Pitt Sports Nutrition team on Instagram and X @ Pitt_Fuel , where the team highlights a recipe each week on its social media page called Meal Prep Monday. The team also has a series called Diverse Dishes in which international student-athletes share their favorite recipes from their home countries. It is so important to teach our student-athletes basic cooking skills, as it will not only better prepare them to fuel their bodies, but they will use these skills for the rest of their lives.” – Auburn Paulone Assistant Athletic Director, Performance Nutrition Panthers Sports Nutrition Hot Honey Salmon Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes 3-4 Servings Ingredients: • 2 tbsp honey • ¼ cup stone ground mustard • 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced • Juice of 1 lemon • ½ tsp kosher salt • ½ tsp red pepper flakes • ½ tsp paprika • 1-2 pounds salmon Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix the sauce ingredients in a small dish. 2. Line a baking sheet with foil. Please salmon skin side down. Brush or spoon the sauce over the salmon, getting it really well coated on top. Bake for 8-10 minutes, depending on desired doneness and the thickness of your salmon filet, and broil for just a few minutes at the end to get it extra browned on top. 3. Top each piece with more red pepper flakes. Store in fridge and use within 3 days. Reheat for 2-3 minutes in microwave. recipe adapted from pinchofyum.comH2P MAGAZINE SPRING 2024 35 Reconnect with more. Delta is proud to support Pitt Athletics. MORE SPIRIT, MORE TEAMWORK, MORE WINS .36 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH ATHLETICS Below is a partial list of the awards presented and the awardees. For the full listing, scan the QR code. he University of Pittsburgh Department of Athletics hosted the seventh annual Panthers’ Choice Awards on April 7, 2024, celebrating student-athlete achievements in academics, athletics and citizenship made during the 2023-24 academic year. The awards honor Pitt’s top athletic performances and community service participation as well as the top teams in terms of both athletic and academic accomplishment. Top Overall Academic Teams of the Year (Highest cumulative GPA for the 2023 spring and fall terms) WINNERS:Men’s Soccer and Women’s Cross-Country Bridge Builder Award Presented to the team whose student- athletes demonstrate the strongest commitment to making an impact in the community WINNER: Spirit Squad Heart of a Panther Award Presented to student-athletes who best embody the spirit of service through the Pitt Promise and who are involved in the community above and beyond what is required WINNER:Ellie Coffield (Women’s Soccer) James Conner Comeback of the Year Presented to a student-athlete who, having recovered from an injury, illness or hardship, returns to make a noteworthy contribution to their team’s athletic success WINNER:Chiamaka Nwokolo (Volleyball) David Sandberg Champion Award In memory of the former Pitt wrestler and assistant coach, presented to the senior who best exemplifies the qualities that Sandberg embraced: dedication to academic and athletic excellence, with an unyielding spirit and passionate commitment to the improvement of the University of Pittsburgh and its surrounding communities WINNER:David Green (Football) Male and Female Performance of the Year WINNER:Cameron Cash (Men’s Diving) WINNER:Foluke Olujide-Ajibade (Women’s Track and Field) Newcomer of the Year Presented to the student-athlete who has made an immediate impact at Pitt Ellie Coffield David Green 2023-24 Blue-Gold Award and Panther Award recipients are forever recognized on the Varsity walk.H2P MAGAZINE SPRING 2024 37 Foluke Olujide-Ajibade 2024 in their first year of intercollegiate competition (nominees may include first years and redshirts) WINNER:Olivia Babcock (Volleyball) Team Moment of the Year WINNER:Volleyball,for advancing to the program’s third-straight NCAA Final Four in a reverse sweep over Louisville Male and Female Athlete of the Year WINNERS:Rachel Fairbanks (Volleyball) and Blake Hinson (Men’s Basketball) Script Writer Award Presented to the student-athlete who best embraces comprehensive excellence within the classroom, on the field/court of play, within our University community, and within the city of Pittsburgh, ultimately “writing the script” of what it means to be a University of Pittsburgh student-athlete. WINNER:Ciara Ward (Gymnastics) Blue-Gold Award Presented to the male and female senior student-athletes who best represent the student-athlete ideal based on academic scholarship, athletic achievement, leadership qualities and citizenship and whose names will be forever recognized on the Varsity Walk WINNERS:Landy Mertz (Women’s Soccer) and Dylan Reed (Men’s Diving) Panther Award Presented to the male and female senior student-athletes who have promoted Pitt athletics through their outstanding athletic achievement and whose names will be forever recognized on the Varsity Walk WINNERS:Blake Hinson (Men’s Basketball), Cole Matthews (Wrestling) and Amanda West (Women’s Soccer) Carson Graduate Fellowship Full Award Stewarded to the best candidate who is of high moral character and has shown outstanding undergraduate academic achievement at the University of Pittsburgh and who demonstrates the potential for outstanding graduate study in continuing their graduate or professional education at the University of Pittsburgh WINNER:Jerry Chen (Men’s Swimming) Herb Douglas Mentorship Award Stewarded to the candidate who best embodies Douglas’ dedication to leading, inspiring and mentoring the world’s future achievers WINNER:Sam Clancy (Varsity Letter Club) Congratulations to all of this year’s Panthersʼ Choice Award recipients. Spirit SquadDylan ReedCole Matthews Cameron CashNext >