The Upper Iowa Athletics Department recognized the accomplishments of its student-athletes on Monday, April 25 at the eighth-annual PETEY Awards held in the Student Center ballroom. The awards event was held in person for the first time since the spring of 2019.
 
The PETEYs or "Peacocks Enriching Tradition & Excellence Yearly" is a yearly award show that showcases both athletic and academic performances from the previous school year. The last two years have been a virtual event due to the pandemic.
 
The night began with each attendee grabbing some ice cream from the Sugar Bowl, a brief welcome from Associate AD for Communication Howard Thompson and comments by Upper Iowa President Dr. William R. Duffy.
 
The welcome message was based on the department's mission and core values. Thompson said, "In our athletics department's mission, we talk about inspiring growth and empowering you, the student-athlete, on your journey toward personal excellence… and tonight is a celebration of not only your achievements, but a celebration of your GRIT in preparation and competition, your PRIDE in Upper Iowa and your Peacock teammates and your GROWTH as you continue to pursue the best version of yourself."
 
Graduating seniors, from both this May and next December, were brought to the stage to be recognized and receive a gift from the Peacock Athletics Department. The 24 Peacocks that earned the NSIC/Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction honor were also brought to the stage to receive their commemorative watch from the Northern Sun Conference. Following the senior awards, the PETEY awards began.
 
Members of the Upper Iowa Student-Athlete Advisory Committee presented the nominees for each award, named the winner and presented their fellow Peacock with the award. Each award winner then took a little time at the microphone to thank their teammates, coaches, athletic trainers and support staff for all they do.
 
Awards presented, along with winners, can be found below. The night ended with closing remarks by Vice President for Athletics Rick Hartzell where he told the hundreds of Peacocks in attendance that he was proud of their effort all year and encouraged the seniors to stay invested and connected to the University after they graduate and begin their lives away from college athletics.
 
Male Newcomer of the Year
Nick Reid – Men's Basketball
 
After transferring in from Emporia State, Nick averaged became an integral part of the Peacock men's basketball team. He averaged 6.8 points per game and led the team with 202 rebounds or 6.8 rebounds per game.  He was also had 34 block which put him fourth in the NSIC.
 
Female Newcomer of the Year
Charalampia Grammatikaki – Women's Tennis
 
Despite being a freshman, it didn't take long for Chara to claim the Peacock's No. 1 spot and take the NSIC by storm. She ended with a 14-2 record as an individual and a 11-5 record in doubles.
 
Male Iron Peacock
Sam Grushkin – Baseball
 
Since his first day on campus, Sam has been committed to improving as a student athlete. He's cut over a tenth of a second off his 10-yard sprint, added 10 pounds of muscle, and over an inch to his vertical jump. Sam loves the process, and his dedication to improvement and development has translated over into his game.
 
Female Iron Peacock
Sydney Wilcox – Softball
 
Since last year, Sydney has improved her 10-yard sprint time from 2.02 to 1.90 seconds, her broad jump has improved by 5 inches, and her four-lift total has improved by 85 lbs. Syd exemplifies everything UIU. She has a contagious positive energy about her, uplifts and leads her teammates, and loves the training process making her and her team better.
 
Male Breakthrough/Comeback of the Year
Jerry Garcia – Baseball
 
After a season-ending injury last season, nobody worked harder than Jerry as he battled his way back into the starting lineup for Peacock baseball. Jerry is currently second on the team in both batting average and hits. He also boasts a .957 fielding percentage.
 
Female Breakthrough/Comeback of the Year
Maggie Streightiff – Volleyball
 
After serving a more limited role in previous seasons, Maggie became an important part of the potent Peacock offense this season. She finished with 257 kills, 80 digs, 39 blocks, and 10 service aces. She was named NSIC Second Team All-Conference and also received NSIC offensive player of the week & AVCA Division 2 Player of the Week after registering a career-high 22 kills against SMSU.
 
Peacock Service Award
Sarah Johnson – Volleyball
 
Since joining the Peacock volleyball team, Sarah has found numerous ways to get involved and give back to the community. She's served two years as the SAAC Secretary, is the co-president of Best Buddies, is involved in FCA, and serves as a student ambassador for Upper Iowa Admissions.  
 
Staff Member of the Year
Amy Tucker
 
Amy Tucker is a tremendous supporter of Upper Iowa athletics and is always willing to help the student-athletes as they strive to succeed in the classroom. She works well with the coaching staff and administration and is quick to volunteer and throw her time and effort behind UIU.
 
Faculty Member of the Year
Mariah Cushion
 
Always willing to go above and beyond for her students, it's not surprising that Mariah Cushion is a favorite among Peacock student-athletes. She genuinely cares about each student in class and rarely misses a home Peacock athletic event.
 
Win of the Year
Volleyball's Win over No. 10 Southwest Minnesota State University
 
The Peacock volleyball team (20-10, 13-7 NSIC, 5^th Place) outlasted No. 10 Southwest Minnesota State in a five-set match in Dorman Memorial Gymnasium on Saturday, Oct. 16. The win marked UIU's third-straight victory and first in program history over the Mustangs; SMSU had won the previous 20 meetings. The home team lost the first and third sets by scores of 26-24 and 25-13, but used wins in the second, fourth and fifth sets by scores of 25-20, 25-19 and 15-13 to secure the victory. Maggie Streightiff's left hand was electric for the Peacocks all evening. The right-side hitter recorded 22 kills in the match and hit .486 with just 5 errors in 35 swings. UIU's middles also played well on offense with Zoe Semelroth (12), Kylie Willis (6) and Sarah Johnson (1) combining for 19 kills with only 6 attack errors. Nicole Pozorski handed out 33 assists and Jaima Tonne added 17; Pozorski added three service aces. Madelyn Rettler picked up 17 digs and added 7 kills, while Charisma Herr registered 15 digs and 2 aces.
 
Coaching Staff of the Year and Team of the Year
Men's Basketball – Brooks McKowen, Trevor Hook, Joel Hanson, Carson Parker
 
The Peacock men's basketball team provided plenty of excitement in Dorman Gym all winter long. Their 26-6 overall record was the best in program history and pushed them into the Top-25 for most of the season. The Peacocks finished the regular season in 2^nd place in the NSIC and reached the NCAA Regional Round of 32 for the first team ever. 
 
Male Athlete of the Year
Joe Smoldt – Men's Basketball
 
Smoldt closed his career as one of two Peacocks, in program history to score over 2,000 points in his career. He is also one of two Peacocks to make more than 300 career three-pointers. Joe was a three-time All-NSIC performer and finished this year averaging 18.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.
 
Female Athlete of the Year
Katie Crogan – Softball
 
Katie has been absolutely crushing the ball this year. She currently leads NCAA DII in batting average at .520, OBP at.591, and RBIs per game at 1.66. She also ranks third nationally in RBIs with 68, fifth in slugging percentage at .992, ninth in total home runs with 15, and 24th in hits with 64.
 
Mr. Peacock
Jareese Williams – Men's Basketball
 
A three-time NSIC All-Conference award winner, Jareese has been staple in the Peacock lineup over the last five years. He finished his career ranked seventh all-time at UIU in points with 1,587, top-20 in rebounds with 521, and second in three-pointers made with 316.  He was also named to the NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence. 
 
Miss Peacock
Sydney Wilcox – Softball
 
Sydney has made 106 starts and appeared in 132 games for the Peacocks over her career has been. She has been the leader of the Upper Iowa pitching staff this season, pacing the Peacocks in every major category while spending time in the outfield and in the batter's box. Sydney is a three-time All-NSIC Academic Team of Excellence honoree and will leave UIU having earned both an undergraduate and graduate degree in business administration.