86 Wildcats Honored With 2020-21 CATSPYs

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 24, 2021) — The CATSPY Awards presented by University of Kentucky Federal Credit Union included 86 outstanding individuals and five teams recognized at the 19th annual celebration of UK Athletics.

The most prestigious honors presented were with national champion volleyball team, the national champion rifle team and the first-time Southeastern Conference champion women's swimming and diving team named Teams of the Year.

Six Wildcats — Josh Paschal (football), Landon Young (football), Madison Lilley (volleyball), Akvile Parazinskaite (women's tennis), Avery Skinner (volleyball) and Abby Steiner (women's track & field) — won UK Athletics' highest individual honor in being named Mr. and Miss Wildcat. Paschal accomplished the rare feat of being named Mr. Wildcat in consecutive seasons. The Mr. and Miss Wildcat honors are presented in honor of late Kentucky tennis star Bruno Agostinelli to Wildcats who have displayed all-around excellence in athletics, academics, character and service during their Kentucky careers.

This year's CATSPYs were presented virtually for the second time due to the ongoing response to COVID-19, with winners announced on "BBN Tonight," with hosts Keith Farmer and Anna Tarullo. Winners and other special guests joined "BBN Tonight" all week and the stellar work of UK Sports Video was featured both on the live show and on social media. The CATSPYs are presented in the spring of each year, with this year's awards recognizing achievements from April 2020 through April 2021.

A complete list of awards and winners is below:

2021 CATSPY Winners                  

Community Service       

Tori Orcutt, Swimming & Diving

Raena Worley, Gymnastics

Scholar-Athlete

Payton Neff, Swimming & Diving

Olivia Huffman, Swimming & Diving

Allen Hamilton, Men's Golf          

Academic Teams            

Gymnastics        

Men's Golf                       

Keightley Assist

Taylor Berryman, Men's Basketball

Rachael Blackburn, Women's Basketball

Andrew Holt, Swimming & Diving

Carter Hayslett, Men's Tennis              

Scratch Award  

Parker Herren, Women's Swimming & Diving

Tori Herman, Women's Track & Field/Cross Country

Zach Johnson, Football

Anna Haigis, Gymnastics         

Supporting Role              

Akvilė Paražinskaitė, Women's Tennis

César Bourgois, Men's Tennis

Rikke Svejgård Nielsen, Women's Golf

Mitchell Nelson, Rifle

Mallory Peyton, Softball

Maddie Berezowitz, Volleyball

Lance Lang, Men's Track and Field

Yusuf Corker, Football

Masai Russell, Women's Track & Field

Robert Screen, Men's Soccer     

Female Rookie of the Year         

Madi Skinner, Volleyball

Bailey Bunn, Gymnastics

Male Rookie of the Year              

Liam Draxl, Men's Tennis       

ELITE    

Raena Worley, Gymnastics

Josie Angeny, Gymnastics

Bailey Bunn, Gymnastics

Anna Haigis, Gymnastics

Arianna Patterson, Gymnastics

Caitlin Brooks, Women's Swimming & Diving

Bailey Bonnett, Women's Swimming & Diving

Izzy Gati, Women's Swimming & Diving

Riley Gaines, Women's Swimming & Diving

Kaitlynn Wheeler, Women's Swimming & Diving

Sophie Sorenson, Women's Swimming & Diving

Gillian Davey, Women's Swimming & Diving

Lauren Poole, Women's Swimming & Diving

Kyndal Knight, Women's Swimming & Diving

Danny Zhang, Men's Swimming & Diving

Jordyn Rhodes, Women's Soccer

Rhyne Howard, Women's Basketball

Will Shaner, Rifle

Mary Tucker, Rifle

Madison Lilley, Volleyball

Avery Skinner, Volleyball

Alli Stumler, Volleyball

Madi Skinner, Volleyball

Azhani Tealer, Volleyball

Gabby Curry, Volleyball

Jenna Gearing, Women's Cross Country

Lance Lang, Men's Track & Field

Dwight St. Hillaire, Men's Track & Field

Jacob Smith, Men's Track & Field

Kennedy Lightner, Men's Track & Field

Kenroy Williams, Men's Track & Field

Matt Peare, Men's Track & Field

Abby Steiner, Women's Track & Field

Dajour Miles, Women's Track & Field

Megan Moss, Women's Track & Field

Masai Russell, Women's Track & Field

Annika Williams, Women's Track & Field

Jamin Davis, Football

Drake Jackson, Football

Darian Kinnard, Football

Chris Rodriguez Jr., Football

Landon Young, Football

Marcel Meinzer, Men's Soccer

Leon Jones, Men's Soccer

Liam Draxl, Men's Tennis

Gabriel Diallo, Men's Tennis

Akvilė Paražinskaitė, Women's Tennis

Fiona Arrese, Women's Tennis            

Team of the Year            

Volleyball           

Rifle      

Women's Swimming and Diving             

Blue Heart Award           

Avery Skinner, Volleyball          

Heart of a Wildcat          

John Schlarman, Football

Cullan Brown, Men's Golf

Ben Jordan, Baseball/Men's Basketball

Terrence Clarke, Men's Basketball            

Mr. Wildcat       

Josh Paschal, Football

Landon Young, Football

Miss Wildcat     

Avery Skinner, Volleyball

Madison Lilley, Volleyball

Abby Steiner, Track & Field

Akvilė Paražinskaitė, Women's Tennis              

Mike Lyden Courage     

Chris Oats, Football

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.