CHICAGO (April 29, 2026) – The UIC Department of Intercollegiate Athletics celebrated a year defined by excellence across the board at its 13th annual SPARKYS awards show, held Wednesday evening at the Isadore and Sadie Dorin Forum on the UIC campus. The event brought together student-athletes, coaches and supporters to recognize excellence in competition, the classroom and the community, with CBS 2 Chicago sports reporter Jori Parys serving as host for an evening that showcased the very best of the Flames.

Here's a look at the 2025-26 SPARKYS nominees, with the award recipients highlighted in bold:

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Given to one male and one female student-athlete who sparkled during their rookie season at UIC.

Men's Nominees: Andy Johnson (basketball), Jay Stewart (swimming & diving), Daniel Zepeda (soccer)
Women's Nominees: Ava Molina (swimming & diving), Ari O'Connell (softball), Ava Young (volleyball)

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Presented to a UIC non-freshman male and female student-athlete who experienced great success in their first year as a Flame.

Men's Nominees: Mason Lei (baseball), Mekhi Lowery (basketball), Edouard Nys (soccer)
Women's Nominees: Marinna Campos (soccer), Julia Coleman (basketball), Julieta Sandez (volleyball)
  
PLAY OF THE YEAR
Recognizes a standout moment that was visually spectacular, physically remarkable or generated unforgettable excitement for UIC Athletics.

Nominees: Vidal Colon (baseball) diving catch vs. UNC Greensboro, men's soccer 13-pass sequence leading to opening goal in 3-2 win at Northwestern, Rashund Washington Jr. (basketball) baseline hammer dunk at Valparaiso that ultimately was chosen for ESPN SportsCenter's "Top 10 Plays"
 
MISSION DRIVEN COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD (SPONSORED BY THE ALVIN H. BAUM FAMILY FUND)
The Mission Driven Service Award spotlights a UIC athletics program that has made a significant impact on the UIC and Chicagoland communities through a tradition of service. This year's award was sponsored by the Alvin H. Baum Family Fund. For the third year in a row, the 2025-26 recipient was the UIC women's basketball team, which averaged 27 service hours per student-athlete and recorded 430 total hours of service this year. During that time, the Flames made meaningful contributions across Chicagoland through their "Book Buddies" program at local elementary schools, as well as partnerships with organizations such as Like My Block, My Hood, My City, The American Heart Association and Special Olympics.
 
Following the presentation of this award, UIC Athletics recognized retiring Provost Dr. Karen Colley with a framed UIC basketball jersey to celebrate her longtime support and advocacy for Flames student-athletes.
 
Later in the evening, UIC Athletics was also honored for winning the "Food Fight" against the University Library, gathering more than 1,700 food items for the Flames Food Pantry. In recognition of this accomplishment, UIC Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Andrea Williams accepted the Above and Beyond Trophy on behalf of the entire Flames Family.
 
UIC then celebrated another distinguished alum, baseball great Curtis Granderson, for his philanthropy, leadership and service, including the tremendous impact he has made in addressing student food insecurity at UIC and throughout Chicagoland. Granderson would also provide an inspiring keynote address (the first in the 13-year history of the SPARKYS) for those in attendance at Wednesday's gala.

FIRE UP AWARD
Presented to one male and one female UIC student-athlete who give tirelessly to support his/her fellow student-athletes while helping to build a strong and inclusive community and a sense of unity among the Flames Family.

Men's Nominees: Nano Barrantes (basketball), Bruno Carrillo (swimming & diving), Marv Quinones (cross country/track & field)
Women's Nominees: Beatrice Carulli (volleyball), Paula Rodriguez Gregoris (tennis), Magdalena Winter (basketball)

PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Awarded to one male and one female student-athlete who delivered an extraordinary performance, beyond one singular moment, for the Flames in competition.

Men's Nominees: Men's indoor track & field distance medley relay wins MVC title, Eldin Nokic (tennis) sweeps Illinois' Hayden Jones who was one of top-10 ranked junior players in world and competed in the 2025 Australian Open, Harrison Nolan (swimming & diving) wins MVC 3-meter diving title
Women's Nominees: Alejandra Ereno (golf) wins her first college title at Windy City Classic, Korima Gonzalez (track & field) finishes second in 800 meters at MVC Indoor Championships, Sara Sanabria (soccer) makes three saves in MVC Tournament title match penalty shootout to help UIC win its first MVC title and make its first NCAA Tournament appearance, Women's tennis defeats Indiana (4-3) for its first win over a Big Ten opponent since 2010

CHANCELLOR'S CUP
Presented by UIC Chancellor Dr. Marie Lynn Miranda to celebrate the outstanding academic achievements of UIC teams, honoring the men's and women's program with the highest collective grade-point average (GPA) during the 2025 calendar year (spring and fall semesters). This year's Chancellor's Cups went to the UIC men's soccer team (3.419 GPA) and the Flames' women's golf team (3.788 GPA).

BACKBONE AWARD
Now in its second year, the Backbone Award recognizes one UIC male and female student-athlete who embody what it means to be a great teammate — dependable, respected by their peers, committed in the classroom and relentless in their work ethic.
 
Men's Nominees: Owen Cornell (soccer), Elliott Dam (tennis), Jayce Nathaniel (basketball)
Women's Nominees: Bella Baker (soccer), Jada Young (volleyball), Sara Zabrecky (basketball)

STAFF AWARDS
The newest awards to the SPARKYS lineup are three honors presented to UIC Athletics support staff members.
 
Rising Ember Award (individual in their first five years at UIC who lifts others up, leads with empathy, builds connection and strengthens our community): Paige Pender (women's basketball director of operations)
Spirit of the Flames Award (individual who fully embodies the values, pride and purpose of UIC Athletics, leading with heart and commitment in all they do): Michael DiClementi (assistant sports performance coach)
Golden Lunch Pail Award (individual who has demonstrated exemplary service and leadership while advancing the standard of excellence, mission and values of UIC Athletics): Danielle Colegrove (associate athletics director – athletic medicine)

COACH OF THE YEAR
Given each year to a head coach who led his/her team to success during the 2025-26 season.

Nominees: Rob Ehsan (men's basketball), David Nikolic (women's soccer), Paul Zavala (cross country/track & field)

TEAM OF THE YEAR
Recognizes the Flames' program that enjoyed an extraordinary amount of success during its season.

Nominees: Men's Basketball, Men's Cross Country, Women's Soccer

STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
One of the signature moments of the SPARKYS is the announcement of the UIC Student-Athletes of the Year. These honors are presented annually to one male and one female student-athlete who demonstrate superior athletic achievement, but also the finest attributes of leadership, sportsmanship and teamwork.

Men's Nominees: Daniel Chavez (cross country/track & field), Harrison Nolan (swimming & diving), Edouard Nys (soccer)
Women's Nominees: Jessica Carrothers (basketball), Madison Helmick (swimming & diving), Cleo Lorenzo (volleyball)

ULTIMATE FLAME AWARD
Goes to one male and one female senior student-athlete who are, in every sense of the phrase, the ultimate Flame. Nominees must have a 3.0 GPA or higher, be a significant athletic contributor to their team's success, be actively engaged in mission-driven service, be a leader on their team and an outstanding representative of the Flames Family.
 
Men's Nominees: Brandon Bak (baseball), Bruno Carrillo (swimming & diving), Darrell Turcios (soccer)
Women's Nominees: Hannah Gryzik (soccer), Molly Kroeger (swimming & diving), Sara Zabrecky (basketball)

TEAM MVPs
Along with Wednesday's specialty awards, each UIC coaching staff recognized its team Most Valuable Player (MVP), honoring an individual who led the Flames to success this season. The 2025-26 UIC team MVPs were:

Fall 2025
Men's Soccer – Edouard Nys
Women's Soccer – Sara Sanabria
Volleyball – Julieta Sandez
Men's Cross Country – Daniel Chavez
Women's Cross Country – Emma Dubie
 
Winter 2025-26
Men's Basketball – Mekhi Lowery
Women's Basketball – Jessica Carrothers
Men's Swimming & Diving – Jay Stewart (swimming), Harrison Nolan (diving)
Women's Swimming & Diving – Madison Helmick (swimming), Kerry-Leigh Morrison (diving)
Men's Indoor Track & Field – Theodore Cunningham
Women's Indoor Track & Field – Korima Gonzalez
Spirit Squad – Mia Ramirez

Spring 2026
Baseball – To Be Determined
Softball – Siena Stickney
Men's Tennis – Eldin Nokic
Women's Tennis – Anaïs Brion
Women's Golf – Camille Rosier
Men's Outdoor Track & Field – Daniel Chavez
Women's Outdoor Track & Field – Chinenye Ifeajekwu
  
For more information on UIC athletics, fans are encouraged to visit UICFlames.com, or follow the Flames on social media through X (@UICFlames) and Instagram (@uicflames).