PHILADELPHIA - The University of Pennsylvania's Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics (DRIA) handed out its major intercollegiate senior student-athlete awards on Monday night, April 23, in a ceremony held at The Palestra. Five awards were handed out.
 
In the two largest awards of the night, Justin Watson (Bridgeville, Pa./South Fayette) from football was honored with the Class of 1915 Award while field hockey star Alexa Hoover (Collegeville, Pa/Methacton) and women's basketball standout Michelle Nwokedi (Missouri City, Texas/St. Agnes Academy) were both awarded with the Association of Alumnae Fathers' Trophy. This marks the second time in four years that two women have shared the Fathers' Trophy.
 
The Class of 1915 Award, given annually since 1931, is presented to the male student-athlete who best exemplifies the spirit and tradition of University of Pennsylvania Athletics. The recipient must be a senior student-athlete who shows outstanding athletic, academic, and leadership qualities. The academic standard is a 3.0 GPA. Voting on the award is conducted by the head coaches of Penn's men's varsity programs.
 
The Fathers' Trophy has been given annually since 1945 to the woman who is recognized for her contribution to Women's Athletics at the University of Pennsylvania. The recipient must be a senior student-athlete who shows outstanding athletic, academic, and leadership qualities. The academic standard is a 3.0 GPA, and voting on the award is conducted by the head coaches of Penn's women's varsity programs.
 
Penn Athletics also announced winners of the Norman J. Goldring and George H. Frazier Awards on Monday night. The Goldring Award is given to one graduating male and female student-athlete with the highest GPA who earned a varsity letter in his/her senior year. The Frazier Award, meanwhile, is given to a graduating student-athlete (male or female) with the highest GPA who competed on one of the following teams: basketball, crew, track, soccer, baseball or football.
 
Men's swimmer Taylor Uselis (Oldsmar, Fla./Palm Harbor) was the male recipient of the Goldring Award, while women's diver Maggie Heller (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Jerome) was the female recipient. The Frazier Award was presented to Wyatt David (Bozeman, Mont./Bozeman) from the men's track & field program.
 
CLASS OF 1915 AWARD – Justin Watson, football
A STATS FCS first-team All-American and Associated Press (AP) third-team All-American this season, Justin Watson will graduate as a five-time All-American over the course of his career and the holder of four career Penn football records and three single-season Penn team records. A three-time unanimous first-team All-Ivy selection, Watson set the Ivy League records for consecutive games with a reception (40), consecutive games with a touchdown catch (10) and career 1,000-yard seasons (3) while representing the Red and Blue. This season, he led Penn Led Penn in receptions (81), receiving yards (1,083) and receiving TDs (14). Watson was a two-time finalist for the Walter Payton Award, given annually to the Football College Subdivision (FCS) Offensive Player of the Year. Watson is a Finance concentration in the Wharton School of Business.
 
ASSOCIATION OF ALUMNAE FATHERS' AWARD – Alexa Hoover, field hockey
Alexa Hoover is the first four-time first-team All-Ivy pick in program history, and will graduate as the program's record-holder in career goals (68, previous record 44) and points (163, previous record 98). She also holds the program record for goals in a season (27, set in 2015) and points (63, also in 2015), as well as the mark for goals in a game (5, set against Saint Joseph's in 2015). One of this year's captains, Hoover also was a two-time second-team All-America pick by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association, the first Penn player to earn All-America status since 2003. She also was a three-time first-team NFHCA All-Region pick, the 2014 Ivy League Rookie of the Year, and a first-team All-ECAC selection as a junior. Following her senior season, Hoover was invited to play in the NFHCA Senior All-Star Game, and in December she was named to the USA Field Hockey Women's Olympic Development Team and will travel to Chile for a Test Series in May. Hoover is a cognitive science major in the College of Arts & Sciences.
 
ASSOCIATION OF ALUMNAE FATHERS' AWARD – Michelle Nwokedi, women's basketball
Michelle Nwokedi is just the third player in program history to earn first-team All-Ivy three times during her career, and also was a three-time first-team All-Big 5 selection. She was the Ivy League Rookie of the Year as a freshman, its Player of the Year as a junior, and Most Outstanding Player at the 2017 Ivy League Tournament when she helped the Quakers advance to the NCAA Tournament. A member of the winningest class in program history, Nwokedi was a captain this year and led Penn to just the second Philadelphia Big 5 title in program history. She also played on two Ivy championship squads. Nwokedi is the first player in Ivy League history to record 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 300 blocked shots. She will graduate second in program and Ivy League history in blocked shots (308); second in program and sixth in Ivy League history in rebounds (1,048); fifth in program history with 1,517 points; and third in program history with 39 double-doubles. Nwokedi is a communication major in the College of Arts & Sciences.
 
NORMAN J. GOLDRING AWARD (male) – Taylor Uselis, men's swimming & diving
• Three-time 'A' finalist at Ivy League Championships in 1,000 freestyle (3rd So., 5th Jr., 5th Sr.)
• Three-time 'A' finalist at Ivy League Championships in 1,650 freestyle (6th So., 6th Jr., 6th Sr.)
• Two-time 'A' finalist at Ivy League Championships in 500 freestyle (7th Jr., 4th Sr.)
• Three-time Dean's List (Fr., So., Jr.)
• Finance concentration in the Wharton School of Business
 
NORMAN J. GOLDRING AWARD (female) – Maggie Heller, women's swimming & diving
• Top diving scores at Penn are 251.54 (1-meter) and 274.80 (3-meter)
• Three-time Dean's List (Fr., So., Jr.)
• Biological Basis of Behavior major in the College of Arts & Sciences
 
GEORGE H. FRAZIER AWARD – Wyatt David, men's track & field
• Sprinter has competed in 60 (indoor), 100 and 200 (outdoor)
• Scored on Penn's 4x100 relay team at 2015 Outdoor Heps and also ran on 4x100 at 2017 Heps
• Three-time Dean's List (Fr., So., Jr.)
• Biochemistry major in the College of Arts & Sciences