´óÏóAPP

The Wildcats took home conference titles in three sports: baseball, women’s golf and men’s tennis. Arizona also won the Territorial Cup series against rival Arizona State for the third straight year.

More notably, the Arizona triathlon team won the university’s first national championship since 2018.

To celebrate, the Star is giving out awards — The Wilburs? Star Cats? — for Team of the Year, Male Athlete of the Year, Female Athlete of the Year, Transfer of the Year, Freshman of the Year, Coach of the Year and Moment of the Year. One of these years, we’ll workshop a catchy name for these awards.

Here are the winners of the 2024-25 season:

Team of the Year: Women’s triathlon

In the program’s second season as a university sport, Arizona set the bar high by winning a national championship in November.

Arizona had four Wildcats place in the top 10: junior and New Mexico native Kelly Lyn Wetteland (59 minutes, 20 seconds), Slovakian freshman Margareta Vrablova (59:24), Canadian junior Molly Lakustiak (59:50) and sophomore and Czech Republic native Dana Prikrylová (01:00:09).

Pennsylvania product Ellison Wolfe finished 13th (01:00:32); she had the fastest bike time (30:11) at the event. Senior Lydia Russell, a Pennsylvania native and New Mexico transfer, was the only triathlon athlete to have a sub-17-minute run time (16:59); she finished 21st overall.

Arizona dethroned ASU, which won the previous six women’s triathlon national championships.

Other nominations: Baseball, volleyball, men’s tennis, women’s golf

Male Athlete of the Year: Tetairoa McMillan/Colton Smith

We couldn’t decide which legendary career and season was worthy of winning this award, so it was a draw between arguably the best tennis player in Arizona history or the best offensive player in Arizona football history.

Smith stamped his career at the UA as the winningest singles player in program history. Smith led Arizona to a Big 12 championship win over UCF in Waco, Texas, a year after winning the Pac-12 championship. Smith also led Arizona to three straight Sweet 16 appearances during his career at Arizona. He’s currently at the Wimbledon qualifiers after recently competing at the French Open.

Arizona football didn’t have the team success that UA men’s tennis had, but McMillan set Arizona’s career receiving yards, single-game receiving yards and single-game touchdown records in the same season, then became the highest-selected offensive player from Arizona in NFL Draft history — the first-ever UA receiver drafted in the first round, too.

Both McMillan and Smith are once-in-a-generation talents. They can share custody of this award.

Other nominations: Mason White (baseball), Zach Extine (track), Zach Pollo (golf), Caleb Love (basketball), Trayvion White-Austin (track)

Female Athlete of the Year: Devyn Netz

After missing last season due to injuries, Netz became arguably the best two-way college softball player. Netz is the eighth UA softball player ever to earn conference Player of the Year honors — the first in the Big 12. Netz won Big 12 Player of the Year over Texas Tech’s NiJaree Canady, who is the face of college softball right now.

In addition to hitting 19 home runs, Netz was also the Wildcats’ ace pitcher and had a 2.25 ERA. She is the only player in program history to pitch a perfect game and hit a home run in the same contest. Netz is currently pitching for the Bandits of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League.

Other nominations: Kelly Lyn Wetteland (triathlon), Jordan Wilson (volleyball), Jaelyn Hodge (volleyball)

Transfer of the Year: Sydney Stewart

The Washington transfer started 53 games at catcher for Arizona softball and led the Wildcats in home runs (20). Stewart led Arizona in slugging percentage (.819) and RBIs (68).

In her first season at Arizona, Stewart was named an All-Big 12 Team selection, All-Big 12 Tournament Team choice and a second-team NFCA All-American. Stewart is returning to Arizona in 2026 as one of the Wildcats’ top players.

Other nominations: Quali Conley (football), Aaron Walton (baseball)

Freshman of the Year: Smith Bailey

The Peoria native emerged as one of Arizona’s top pitchers and one of the best arms in the Big 12. Bailey had the ninth-best ERA (3.94) in the Big 12 as Arizona’s No. 2 pitcher this season; his ERA was a team-best. In four starts in the postseason, Smith posted a 2.31 ERA with 18 strikeouts. Bailey’s 18 starts are tied for the most by a freshman in Arizona history. Bailey started in Arizona’s series-clinching game against North Carolina at the Super Regional in Chapel Hill to advance to the College World Series.

Other nominations: Carter Bryant (men’s basketball), Lauryn Swann (women’s basketball), Margareta Vrablova (triathlon), Tomas Lukminas (swimming), Jenna Sniffen (softball)

Coach of the Year: Chip Hale

Since Hale took over the program four years ago, the only achievement missing on his résumé was leading his alma mater to the College World Series. Hale checked it off this year — and received a contract extension through the 2030 season.

After a slow start at the Shriners Children’s College Showdown in Arlington, Texas, where the Wildcats were outscored by a combined 31-7 and dropped three straight games, Arizona won 19 of the next 21 games.

The Wildcats went into a lull in April, but won the Big 12 Baseball Tournament as the No. 4 seed and then won the NCAA Regional in Eugene, Oregon, and Super Regional in North Carolina. The Wildcats advanced to the College World Series for the first time since 2021, the season before Hale took over.

Other nominations: Giovana Maymon (women’s golf), Wesley Johnson (triathlon), Charita Stubbs (volleyball), John Court (gymnastics)

Moment of the Year: Caleb Love’s 60-footer

Third-ranked Iowa State had the Arizona men’s basketball team on the ropes until senior guard Caleb Love took an inbounds, dribbled once and heaved a 60-foot shot at the buzzer. Love’s shot tied the game, 71-71, and Arizona went on to beat the Cyclones in overtime. Love’s late-game heroics will go down as one of the most memorable shots in McKale Center history.

Love, who is set to play with the Portland Trail Blazers, became the 13th player in college basketball history to score over 1,000 points at two different schools (North Carolina and Arizona).

Other nominations: Volleyball winning NIVC championship, baseball winning the Super Regional against North Carolina, football defeating No. 10 Utah in Salt Lake City for the first time since 2014, McMillan getting drafted eighth overall by the Carolina Panthers