KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Kutztown University’s Brandon Raguz of the track & field team and Emily Zwiercan of the women’s soccer team have been named the 2018 KU Athletes of the Year.
Raguz is the first male track & field performer to win the award since Justin Collins in 2004, while Zwiercan marks the third women’s soccer winner in the last four years. Raguz capped his career with a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship and All-America First Team honors in the pole vault. He had a career-best seventh-place finish in the pole vault at the NCAA Outdoor Championships to become a two-time All-American. He won his first career PSAC Championship this spring and broke the meet record by clearing over 17′. Raguz qualified for his second NCAA Championship in 2018, third of his career, finishing in the top-15 at nationals for the third time in his career. The Chalfont-native earned his fourth consecutive All-Atlantic Region honor, having now accumulated six total All-Region awards in his career. The five-time All-PSAC selection owns the fourth-best indoor and second-best outdoor heights in school history, 16-4.75 and 17-0.25, respectively. He is also a Dean’s List student and earned a KU Chambliss Academic Achievement Award Copper Medal. Zwiercan was honored as the PSAC Athlete of the Year, the Atlantic Region Player of the Year and was named to the All-America Third Team as a sophomore. The Reinholds-native also garnered First Team All-PSAC and All-Atlantic Region accolades, finishing the season as the team-leader with 14 goals and nine assists. A Dean’s List student, Zwiercan also received recognition for her hard work in the classroom, being named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District team. Members of the KU athletic department staff voted upon the nominees to determine KU’s year-end awards. The awards will be formally presented at halftime of the Sept. 8 football game vs. California (PA) at 12:05 p.m. KU Male Athlete of the Year Award Winners
Year
Winner
1987
Mike Cantrel, Track & Field
1988
Marty Eggleston, Basketball
1989
Butch Hills, Basketball
1991
Bart Wasiolek, Cross Country/Track
1992
Mark Steinmeyer, Football
1993
Todd Wiley, Cross Country
1994
Mike Fantanarosa, Football/Track
1995
John Mobley, Football
1996
John Mobley, Football
1997
Andy Bausher, Baseball
1998
Ryan Vogelsong, Baseball
1999
Chris Spinozzi, Baseball
2000
Paul Schmitt, Track & Field
2001
Tim Bausher, Baseball
2002
Glenn Woolard, Baseball
2003
Scott Eisenhart, Track & Field
2004
Justin Collins, Track & Field
2005
Matt Keller, Baseball
2006
Mike McCardell, Baseball
2007
Joe Kemmerer, Wrestling
2008
Elfren Quiles, Football
2009
Joe Kemmerer, Wrestling
2010
Stephen Dennis, Basketball
2011
Kevin Morton (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford), Football
2012
Kevin Morton (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford), Football
2013
Kevin Morton (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford), Football
2014
Ziad Haddad, Wrestling
2015
Ziad Haddad, Wrestling
2016
Josh Johnson, Basketball
2017
Jordan Morgan, Football
2018
Brandon Raguz (Chalfont, Pa./Central Bucks South), Track & Field
KU Female Athlete of the Year Award Winners
Year
Winner
1987
Fran Metz, Basketball
1988
Sharon Toth, Softball
1989
Gwen Kerr, Field Hockey
1990
Lisa Marrella, Field Hockey
1991
Missy Boettger, Basketball/Softball
1992
Shayn Mosley, Field Hockey, Diving
1993
Daphne Hoyt, Cross Country/Track
1994
Lorie Erie, Softball
1995
Deidre Lynn Rhodes, Track & Field
1996
Deidre Lynn Rhodes, Track &Field
1997
Tara Crozier, Track and Field
Claudine Gruver, Swimming
1998
Tara Crozier, Track & Field
1999
Amy Wahl, Basketball
2000
Kristi Braine, Track & Field
2001
Megan Seefeldt, Cross Country/Track
2002
Kellie Evans, Softball
2003
Missy Klein, Volleyball
2004
Jessie Didier, Volleyball
2005
Kerstin Kloeffer, Tennis
2006
Laura Kline, Field Hockey/Track
2007
Steph Denlinger, Softball
2008
Ashley Fitzgerald, Softball
2009
Steph Denlinger, Softball
2010
Steph Jeppesen, Swimming
2011
Melissa McQuade, Basketball
2012
Kayla Jones, Bowling
2013
April Doyle, Track & Field
2014
Erin Reynolds, Field Hockey
2015
Sam Costello, Soccer
2016
Anna Behm, Field Hockey
2017
Alaina Curry, Soccer
2018
Emily Zwiercan (Reinholds, Pa./Cocalico), Soccer