UVUSA held the fifteenth annual Wolverine Achievement Awards on April 7 and among those awarded were two of UVU’s athletes.
Allyce Jones, a UVU volleyball player, was awarded Female Athlete of the Year and Ben Kjar, a UVU wrestler, was awarded Male Athlete of the Year.
An emotional Jones thanked family members for their support over the many years and praised the Utah Valley volleyball program.
“If any of you have been to a game or been around it (UVU volleyball) there’s something else about that program that not only athletes feel, but the people that are watching feel it too,” said Jones.
Jones concluded her acceptance speech by saying, “Sam, Lacey and Scott have been coaches that have not only made me a better player, but a better person. I wouldn’t be here without my wonderful teammates, that’s one thing that’s great about playing in athletics – you not only have teammates, you have friends for a lifetime.”
An excited and energetic Kjar began by telling the audience, “It’s incredible to be part of UVU, to bleed green and to be Wolverine.” Kjar continued by talking about what UVU athletics is to him.
Kjar concluded with a vision for his final year at UVU. “With the coaches that we have, with the support from you, with incredible staff behind us, I know that we can achieve everything that we have up to this point and the dreams and the goals that we have in the future.”
Director of Athletics Mike Jacobsen and Assistant Athletics Director Nate Mathis presented Jones with her award and Associate Director of Athletics Dr. DJ Smith and Megan Kennedy presented Kjar with his award.
Brook Salcido and Katey Turner with UVU Soccer were also finalists for Female Athlete of the Year and Jace Brinkerhoff with UVU Baseball and Jacob Buhler with UVU men’s cross-country and track were finalists for Male Athlete of the Year.
