Enechukwu, Forbes Earn Top Honors at Night of the Owl
4/24/2023 8:33:00 PM | Baseball, Football, General, Men's Basketball, Men's Cross Country, Men's Golf, Men's Tennis, Men's Track & Field, Women's Basketball, Women's Cross Country, Women's Soccer, Swimming & Diving, Women's Tennis, Women's Track & Field, Women's Volleyball
HOUSTON – Rice student-athletes celebrated a successful year Monday evening at the annual Night of the Owl event, presented by SAAC and the "R" Association. Senior football player Ikenna Enechukwu and senior cross country and track and field athlete Grace Forbes took home the Bob Quin and Joyce Pounds Hardy awards, respectively.
Enechukwu, a native of Kansas City, Missouri, had an incredible 2022 season leading the team with 31 total pressures and 21 hurries. His career-best 9.5 tackles for losses ranked second on the team and he added a career high 4.5 sacks on the season, earning him 2022 All-Conference USA Phil Steele (fourth team) and coaches (honorable mention) honors. Enechukwu was credited with a season--best four hurries at Western Kentucky and forced a fumble while also recovering another fumble against Southern Miss in the LendingTree Bowl. He added a sack against USC in the season opener and added 1.5 sacks vs. McNeese. He was the highest-graded Owl defender by PFF (74.3) and was on the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List and AFCA Good Works Team Nominee. Enechukwu was also an East West Shrine Bowl Selection and an NFL Combine Selection.
Enechukwu is majoring in Kinesiology and is a four-time C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll honoree, CoSIDA 2021 Academic All-District and two-time Rice Honor Athlete.
Forbes, from Wallingford, Pa., graduates as one of the greatest athletes in Rice cross country and track and field history. Forbes has 12 C-USA titles (10 T&F, 2 XC) and 13 All-CUSA honors to her name while also having claimed five Rice all-time records for track and field (Indoor- Mile, 3000m, 5000m, Outdoor- 1500m, 10,000m). Forbes won the 2021 NCAA South Central XC Championship, and was the 2022 NCAA West Prelims champion while finishing second at the NCAA Outdoor Championship. The five-time All-American, Forbes was named the 2022 Michael L. Slive Conference USA Female Athlete of the Year.
A Kinesiology major, Forbes is a four-time USTFCCCA All-Academic and three-time C-USA Scholar Athlete of the Year. Forbes also is a three-time C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll honoree.
Haley Allen (women's cross country/track and field) and Daniel Cohen (men's cross country/track and field) were honored with the Margie E. Sass and Dr. Hubert E. Bray Scholar Athlete of the Year awards, recognizing them as Rice's top student-athletes.
Zoe Spitz was the recipient of the Leland Winston, MD Courage and Diligence Award, presented to the student-athlete who displayed exceptional courage and diligence in the face of a serious injury.
Mekhi Mason (men's basketball) and Ella Dyson (swimming) were named the Male and Female Newcomers of the Year.
The Stancliff-Sass and Stancliff-Duckett "R" Association Scholarships went to Alyssa Balandran and Forbes (women's cross country/track and field) respectively. Forbes also received the Clanton/Winston Medical School Scholarship.
Rice volleyball coach Genny Volpe was named Head Coach of the Year after winning the C-USA title, while track and field assistant coach Brek Christensen was named Assistant Coach of the Year.
The Best Moment Award went to Arielle Hayon's 100m come-from-behind butterfly win at The American Championship.
Night of the Owl Award Recipients
Joyce Pounds Hardy Award – Grace Forbes (women's track and field)
Bob Quin Award – Ikenna Enechukwu (football)
Best Moment Award – Arielle Hayon's 100m Butterfly win at The American Championship (swimming)
Stancliff-Duckett "R" Association Scholarship – Grace Forbes (women's track and field)
Stancliff-Sass "R" Association Scholarship – Alyssa Balandran (women's track and field)
Clanton/Winston Medical School Scholarship – Grace Forbes (women's track and field)
The Leland Winston, MD Courage & Diligence Award – Zoe Spitz (swimming)
Head Coach of the Year – Genny Volpe (volleyball)
Assistant Coach of the Year – Brek Christensen (track and field)
Male Newcomer of the Year – Mekhi Mason (men's basketball)
Female Newcomer of the Year – Ella Dyson (swimming)
Margie E. Sass (Female) Scholar Athlete – Daniel Cohen (men's track and field)
Dr. Hubert E. Bray (Male) Scholar Athlete – Haley Allen (women's track and field)
Enechukwu, a native of Kansas City, Missouri, had an incredible 2022 season leading the team with 31 total pressures and 21 hurries. His career-best 9.5 tackles for losses ranked second on the team and he added a career high 4.5 sacks on the season, earning him 2022 All-Conference USA Phil Steele (fourth team) and coaches (honorable mention) honors. Enechukwu was credited with a season--best four hurries at Western Kentucky and forced a fumble while also recovering another fumble against Southern Miss in the LendingTree Bowl. He added a sack against USC in the season opener and added 1.5 sacks vs. McNeese. He was the highest-graded Owl defender by PFF (74.3) and was on the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List and AFCA Good Works Team Nominee. Enechukwu was also an East West Shrine Bowl Selection and an NFL Combine Selection.
Enechukwu is majoring in Kinesiology and is a four-time C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll honoree, CoSIDA 2021 Academic All-District and two-time Rice Honor Athlete.
Forbes, from Wallingford, Pa., graduates as one of the greatest athletes in Rice cross country and track and field history. Forbes has 12 C-USA titles (10 T&F, 2 XC) and 13 All-CUSA honors to her name while also having claimed five Rice all-time records for track and field (Indoor- Mile, 3000m, 5000m, Outdoor- 1500m, 10,000m). Forbes won the 2021 NCAA South Central XC Championship, and was the 2022 NCAA West Prelims champion while finishing second at the NCAA Outdoor Championship. The five-time All-American, Forbes was named the 2022 Michael L. Slive Conference USA Female Athlete of the Year.
A Kinesiology major, Forbes is a four-time USTFCCCA All-Academic and three-time C-USA Scholar Athlete of the Year. Forbes also is a three-time C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll honoree.
Haley Allen (women's cross country/track and field) and Daniel Cohen (men's cross country/track and field) were honored with the Margie E. Sass and Dr. Hubert E. Bray Scholar Athlete of the Year awards, recognizing them as Rice's top student-athletes.
Zoe Spitz was the recipient of the Leland Winston, MD Courage and Diligence Award, presented to the student-athlete who displayed exceptional courage and diligence in the face of a serious injury.
Mekhi Mason (men's basketball) and Ella Dyson (swimming) were named the Male and Female Newcomers of the Year.
The Stancliff-Sass and Stancliff-Duckett "R" Association Scholarships went to Alyssa Balandran and Forbes (women's cross country/track and field) respectively. Forbes also received the Clanton/Winston Medical School Scholarship.
Rice volleyball coach Genny Volpe was named Head Coach of the Year after winning the C-USA title, while track and field assistant coach Brek Christensen was named Assistant Coach of the Year.
The Best Moment Award went to Arielle Hayon's 100m come-from-behind butterfly win at The American Championship.
Night of the Owl Award Recipients
Joyce Pounds Hardy Award – Grace Forbes (women's track and field)
Bob Quin Award – Ikenna Enechukwu (football)
Best Moment Award – Arielle Hayon's 100m Butterfly win at The American Championship (swimming)
Stancliff-Duckett "R" Association Scholarship – Grace Forbes (women's track and field)
Stancliff-Sass "R" Association Scholarship – Alyssa Balandran (women's track and field)
Clanton/Winston Medical School Scholarship – Grace Forbes (women's track and field)
The Leland Winston, MD Courage & Diligence Award – Zoe Spitz (swimming)
Head Coach of the Year – Genny Volpe (volleyball)
Assistant Coach of the Year – Brek Christensen (track and field)
Male Newcomer of the Year – Mekhi Mason (men's basketball)
Female Newcomer of the Year – Ella Dyson (swimming)
Margie E. Sass (Female) Scholar Athlete – Daniel Cohen (men's track and field)
Dr. Hubert E. Bray (Male) Scholar Athlete – Haley Allen (women's track and field)
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Free/Back/IM
/ Swimming & Diving
DE
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Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Free/Fly
/ Swimming & Diving
G
/ Men's Basketball
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