Ole Miss Athletics Celebrates Achievements at 2022 Rebels Choice Awards

For the first time in three years, Ole Miss Athletics returned to the traditional format to celebrate an outstanding year at the 2022 Rebels Choice Awards at the SJB Pavilion on Monday night.
 
The 11^th annual event, hosted by the Ole Miss Student-Athlete Engagement Staff and the Ole Miss Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), reflected upon successes and outstanding performances from last season, as well as the 2021-22 academic year.
 
Football and Women’s Golf earned the Team of the Year awards after registering the best seasons in history for both programs. On the gridiron, football registered its first 10-win regular season in program history, while on the golf course, women’s golf earned Ole Miss’ first women’s team national championship. Women’s golf also took home the award for game of the year, with its title clinching match against Oklahoma State.
 
Both leaders at the helm of these programs were honored as the Men’s and Women’s Coaches of the Year with Lane Kiffin and Kory Henkes taking home the awards. Henkes earned the award for the second time in her seven seasons at Ole Miss, while Kiffin was bestowed with the honor following his second year in Oxford.
 
Most Valuable Rebel was given to baseball’s Tim Elko and women’s basketball’s Shakira Austin, who was recently taken third overall in the 2022 WNBA Draft. Throughout a stellar senior campaign, Austin assisted women’s basketball to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 15 seasons, as well as being named a three-time honorable-mention All-American.
 
Elko paced Ole Miss last season with a team-leading 16 homeruns, as the Rebels reached their seventh Super Regional in program history. Elko’s first homerun following an ACL tear with a shot to right field at Texas A&M earned the award for Play of the Year. 
 
Baseball picked up yet another award with Jacob Gonzalez earning Men’s Rookie of the Year, following one of the best freshman campaigns in recent memory. The Glendora, California, native was named the 2021 D1Baseball National Freshman of the year after leading all true freshman nationally in hits and runs scored.
 
On the women’s side, track & field’s Olivia Womack earned the Rookie of the Year nod after making a trip to the 2021 NCAA Track and Field Championships in her first season on campus. Womack was a member of the 4×100-meter relay squad, earning Second-Team All-American recognition.
 
For the fifth straight year, men’s tennis won the men’s Chancellor’s Cup – which is given to the team with the highest GPA. Women’s golf success translated to the classroom as well, with the program’s first women’s Chancellor’s Cup.
 
Volleyball’s Katie Corelli was awarded the Bennie Abrams Award, which honors a student-athlete with a GPA of 3.0 or higher in honor of former non-scholarship athlete, Bennie Abram, who tragically passed away during an offseason workout.
 
Scholar-Athlete of the Year was given to softball’s Anna Borgen as well as cross country and track and field’s Anna Elkin and Tyler Moore for their excellence in the classroom.
 
Baseball as well as women’s basketball were honored for their dedication to the Oxford community, with both programs earning the Community Engagement Award.
 
2022 REBELS’ CHOICE AWARDS WINNERS
 
Women’s Team of the Year: Women’s Golf
Men’s Team of the Year: Football
 
Women’s Coach of the Year: Kory Henkes, Women’s Golf
Men’s Coach of the Year: Lane Kiffin, Football
 
Women’s Most Valuable Rebel: Shakira Austin, Women’s Basketball
Men’s Most Valuable Rebel: Tim Elko, Baseball
 
Women’s Rookie of the Year: Olivia Womack, Women’s Track and Field
Men’s Rookie of the Year: Jacob Gonzalez, Baseball
 
Women’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Anna Borgen, Softball & Anna Elkin, Cross Country and Track and Field

Men’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Tyler Moore, Cross Country and Track and Field
*Must have GPA of 3.5 or higher
 
Game of the Year: Women’s Golf National Title clinching match against Oklahoma State
 
Play of the Year: Tim Elko’s first home run at Texas A&M after returning from ACL injury 
 
Bennie Abram Award: Katie Corelli
*Given annually to a student-athlete with a GPA above 3.0 in honor of former non-scholarship football player, Bennie Abram
 
Chancellor’s Cup: Women’s Golf, Men’s Tennis
*Highest team GPA
 
Community Engagement: Women’s Basketball, Baseball
 
For further academic accolades, follow @RebelsAcademics on Twitter.
 
FedEx Student-Athlete Success Center and Ole Miss Student-Athlete Development Mission 
The mission of the FedEx Student-Athlete Success Center is to promote academic and personal achievement through quality developmental and need-based programs designed to empower and holistically develop student-athletes for life after collegiate athletics.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports