Landa and Mulkey Earn Top Honors at Night of the Owl

HOUSTON – For a second straight year, Rice University student-athletes celebrated a memorable year with a virtual version of the annual Night of the Owl event, presented by the R Association on Monday. Men's cross country/track and field athlete Hociel Landa and women's basketball's Nancy Mulkey earned the top honors bestowed on Rice University scholar-athletes, respectively.

Landa was named the 90th winner of the Bob Quin Award while Mulkey became the 46th winner of the Joyce Pounds Hardy Award, which are presented each year to Rice's most outstanding male and female student-athletes.

Landa, from Phoenix, Ariz., competed at his first career NCAA Cross Country Championship back in March and did so under unique circumstances. Landa was just two weeks removed from placing fifth in the 5000m at the C-USA Indoor Championships and then a week later placed third in the 3000m steeplechase to open the outdoor season at the Texas Invite.

Landa had earned C-USA All-Conference honors with a fourth place finish at the cross country championship in the fall, the fourth cross country all-conference accolade of his career. Landa has won a pair of races this outdoor season and currently ranks fifth in C-USA in the 3000m steeplechase.

Landa holds the school record in the indoor 5000m (14:26.63) and was the 2018 USATF Junior national champion in the 10,000m. He also finished third in the 3000m steeplechase at the 2018 USA Juniors.

Mulkey graduates from Rice as one the greatest players in program history, having earned three consecutive C-USA Defensive Player of the Year awards. In addition, Mulkey was a three-time C-USA First Team and All-Defensive Team selection and was named a semifinalist this year for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, the Lisa Leslie Award, and the Senior CLASS Award.

During Mulkey's era the Owls went 65-14 and this past season won the program's first-ever WNIT Championship. Mulkey completed her Rice career ranked second in career blocks (266) and twice set the single-season blocks record, including 95 this past season. She leaves as Rice's all-time leader in career field goal percentage (55.1%) and blocks per game (3.5 bpg).

In addition to the WNIT title, Mulkey also helped lead the Owls to three straight Conference USA titles and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2019.

Corbett Fong (men's track & field) and Teesa Mpagi (women's track & field) were honored with the Dr. Hubert E. Bray and Margie E. Sass Scholar Athlete of the Year Awards, recognizing them as Rice's top student-athletes.

Travis Evee (men's basketball) was named the Male Newcomer of the Year while Imogen Meers (swimming) and Mikala Furuto (soccer) shared the Female Newcomer of the Year award.

Rice volleyball head coach Genny Volpe was named Head Coach of the Year while men's track and field assistant coach Brek Christensen was named Assistant Coach of the Year.

Michelle Fokam (women's track & field) earned the Excellence in Rice Athletics Award, presented by SAAC.

Trey Schuman (football) was presented with the Dr. Leland Winston, MD Courage and Diligence Award, presented to the athlete who displayed exceptional courage and diligence in the face of a serious injury.

The Stancliff-Duckett "R" Association Scholarship was presented to Nicole Limberg (swimming) while Lindsay Mathys (swimming) took home the Stancliff-Sass "R" Association Scholarship.

The evening also included the "Best Team and Individual Moments Awards, which went to soccer advancing to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament and Tara Simpson-Sullivan (women's track & field) breaking the school record in the hammer throw and earning a No. 3 national ranking.

Night of the Owl Award Recipients
Joyce Pounds Hardy Award – Nancy Mulkey (women's basketball)
Bob Quin Award – Hociel Landa (men's cross country/track & field)
Best Team Moment Award – Soccer advancing to the Sweet 16
Best Individual Moment Award – Tara Simpson-Sullivan (women's track & field)
Stancliff-Duckett "R" Association Scholarship – Nicole Limberg (swimming)
Stancliff-Sass "R" Association Scholarship – Lindsay Mathys (swimming)
The Leland Winston, MD Courage & Diligence Award – Trey Schuman (football)
Head Coach of the Year – Genny Volpe (volleyball)
Assistant Coach of the Year – Brek Christensen (men's/women's track & field)
Male Newcomer of the Year – Travis Evee (men's basketball)
Female Newcomer of the Year – Imogen Meers (swimming)/Mikala Furuto (soccer)
Margie E. Sass (Female) Scholar Athlete – Teesa Mpagi (women's track & field)
Dr. Hubert E. Bray (Male) Scholar Athlete – Corbett Fong (men's track & field)

-RiceOwls.com-

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