he 21st annual CATSPY Awards were held on Monday at the Central Bank Center, celebrating the achievements of student-athletes at the University of Kentucky during the 2022-23 academic year. In total, 44 individuals and eight teams were recognized for their outstanding athletic and academic performances between April 2022 and April 2023.
Six teams were awarded the prestigious Team of the Year title, including volleyball, rifle, men’s tennis, men’s soccer, gymnastics, and women’s track and field. These teams demonstrated exceptional performance and exceeded expectations during the year, with many earning championship titles and breaking records.
Kentucky volleyball claimed its sixth consecutive Southeastern Conference Championship, and the UK rifle team won the Great American Rifle Conference regular-season title for the fourth year running. The men’s tennis and men’s soccer teams also achieved historic successes, with the former winning their first SEC Tournament Championship since 1992 and the latter enjoying an undefeated regular season.
Gymnastics and women’s track and field rounded out the Team of the Year honors, both having record-breaking seasons. Women’s track and field also made headlines with a collegiate record set by their 4×400 relay team and Abby Steiner’s 200-meter individual title.
Steiner received the Female Athlete of the Year award, while men’s tennis star Liam Draxl was named Male Athlete of the Year. The Mr. and Miss Wildcat awards, presented for all-around excellence in athletics, academics, character, and service, were awarded to Eli Cox (football) and a quartet of female athletes – Masai Russell, Kaitlynn Wheeler, Kayla Kowalik, and Raena Worley.
Men’s golf and women’s swimming and diving were named Academic Teams of the Year, and four Wildcats maintained perfect 4.0 GPAs to earn Scholar-Athlete of the Year titles.
The Blue Heart Award and Heart of a Wildcat awards recognized those who demonstrated dedication and perseverance in overcoming obstacles. A total of 16 Wildcats were acknowledged with the Elite Performance Award for outstanding moments and performances over the past year.
Christi Thomas from the UK Sports Network hosted the event, which showcased the incredible achievements of the University of Kentucky’s student-athletes and teams.