ATH LETI C S
SPORTS STAR OF THE YEAR Women’s basketball player recognized for superior skills and perseverance
You might call women’s basketball standout player McKenzi Williams, ’21, a star on and off the court. And the Seattle Sports Commission and fans alike would agree as she was selected as the 2021 Seattle Sports Commission’s Female Sports Star of the Year. “I’m so excited to receive this award,” says Williams. “There's so much talent in Seattle that often gets underrecognized and I’m thankful for the Seattle Sports Commission for giving athletes this stage to highlight their skills. I want to thank my coaches and teammates for always having my back throughout my career. I want to thank my family, especially my mom, for supporting me and keeping me going. Thank you to my athletic trainers, Eric Raustein and Tiffany Mallick, and my strength and condition coach Jen Petersen for helping with my rehab process and allowing me to get back on the court. Thank you to the other finalists for being so talented and inspiring and thanks to the fans who voted…” The native of Auburn, Wash., has been Seattle U’s top performer this season, ranking second in the Western Athletic Conference in scoring at 16.2 points per game. On Dec. 21, Williams set a Division I program record with 36 points at Idaho. Williams beat out four other finalists in the fan-voting contest, as Alysha Clark (Seattle Storm), Morganne Flores (Washington softball), Charlisse Leger-Walker (Washington State basketball) and Jenn Wirth (Gonzaga basketball) were in the running.
Athletics Unveils New App Fans of Redhawks sports teams can now stay connected even when on the go. Recently the Athletics department unveiled GoSeattleU, its official mobile app. Powered by SIDEARM Sports, the app features real-time news alerts, schedules, exclusive multimedia content, gameday details and more. Even more, it’s 2 0 S E AT T L E U N I V E R S I T Y M AG A Z I N E | S P R I N G 2 0 2 1
“Kenzi has been challenged throughout her young life and has shown great perseverance to overcome and succeed,” says SU Coach Suzy Barcomb. “This is a testament to her fighting spirit and belief in herself.” Williams joins a prestigious group in Seattle U athletics history to receive a Sports Star of the Year Award, joining Johnny O’Brien (1952), Pat Lesser Harbottle (1955), Elgin Baylor (1958), Jim Whittaker (1963), Tom Gorman (1972), Bill Fenton (1973) and Stephanie Verdoia (2014). Williams, a redshirt junior, has worked to recover from two torn ACLs in her collegiate career. She has played in 77 career games and has two years of eligibility remaining. Seattle U student Matthew Esselstrom also took home an honor at the awards show as the recipient of the Wayne Gittinger Inspirational Youth Award. Graphic courtesy of Seattle Sports Commission
free and compatible with both Apple and Android devices. Through the app, Redhawk fans get a personalized mobile experience with breaking news and score notifications for the teams they follow, along with the ability to purchase official Seattle U merchandise and tickets. The user-friendly app will also offer links to video and audio streams of live games. “We are excited to add the GoSeattleU mobile app to our
digital presence,” says Director of Athletics Shaney Fink. “The app allows us to reach the Seattle U community in new and engaging ways and provides additional avenues to connect partners with the Redhawk fan base. As mobile is increasingly how people access online content, this is an important component to enhancing and expanding the Seattle U brand.” To download the app to your smartphone or tablet, visit the App Store or Google Play and search for “Seattle U Athletics.”
