MARTIN, Tenn. – It was a festive evening at the UTMmys presented by Leaders Credit Union as the University of Tennessee at Martin department of athletics recognized its student-athletes for another strong year in 2023-24.
Each Skyhawk head coach submitted a Team Most Valuable Player and the major awards – Bob Carroll Male Athlete of the Year and Bettye Giles Female Athlete of the Year – were selected from that list. UT Martin’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee also chose five separate award winners while the athletic department recognized three additional honorees (Col. William R. Kaler Academic Achievement Award, Phil Dane Community Service Award, Jerry Carpenter Spirit of the Skyhawk Award).
Gavin Olson from the Skyhawk football team was elected as Bob Carroll Male Athlete of the Year. The two-time All-American and three-time all-conference honoree capped off his remarkable career with his third straight conference championship last fall. The Memphis, Tenn. native started 51 career games on the UT Martin offensive line and tallied 74 knockdowns while grading out at 84 percent or better in 827 snaps.
There was a tie in the Bettye Giles Female Athlete of the Year voting as Kaci Fuller (softball) and Dylan Mott (beach volleyball) each brought home the award. A Huntingdon, Tenn. native, Fuller wins this honor for the second straight season. The three-time All-Ohio Valley Conference recipient became the program’s all-time hits leader (244) on April 16 and currently sits atop the school record book in career batting average (.387) while starting in 192 contests. The senior outfielder additionally ranks in the top-five in several other all-time statistical categories. A redshirt junior from Hendersonville, Tenn., Mott recently helped the Skyhawks to their third consecutive OVC regular season championship. Last week, she became the first player in program history to be named to the All-OVC first team in three separate seasons. She ranks third at UT Martin with 58 individual victories and was one of six OVC Scholar-Athlete Award recipients (one of three females) last November.
The SAAC awards included presentations for Clutch Performance (football’s Zoe Roberts hauling in the game-winning touchdown catch in overtime at Tennessee Tech), Newcomer of the Year (women’s basketball’s Kenley McCarn), Signature Win (equestrian’s victories over nationally ranked opponents on back-to-back days in February), Coach of the Year (football’s Jason Simpson) and Team of the Year (football).
The Col. William R. Kaler Academic Achievement Award went to women’s basketball’s Shae Littleford while the Phil Dane Community Service Award was received by Natalie Marques from the equestrian squad. Catey Hunt from the soccer team earned the Jerry Carpenter Spirit of the Skyhawk Award.
Career Achievement Awards were distributed to Kayla Carrell (beach volleyball), Nick Fares (rifle), Fuller (softball), Sydney Hott (equestrian), Hunt (soccer), Haley Kane (equestrian), Lamar Morgan (football), Olson (football), Haeleigh Paulino (beach volleyball), Emma Schaefer (equestrian) and Will Smith (baseball).
