May 29, 2007
by Doug Richards
With the 2006-07 academic year over, now is the time to look as UCF's top performers from this past season. Several individuals recorded impressive campaigns. Knights earned all-league, all-region and even All-America honors during the year. Here is a look at UCF's top performers from 2006-07:
Kiko Vazquez, Baseball
Vazquez was the Knights' top performer at the plate in 2007. The sophomore first baseman paced UCF in batting average (.364), doubles (17), home runs (9) and RBI (57). He showed great improvement from his rookie campaign, when he hit .247. After the regular season, Vazquez was an All-Conference USA First Team pick.
Josh Peppers, Men's Basketball
The senior small forward led UCF to a 22-9 overall record and a second-place showing in C-USA play. He averaged a team-high 15.3 points in league games and was a second-team all-conference selection. In December, he became the 13th player in school history to surpass the 1,000-point mark for his career.
Francine Houston, Women's Basketball
Houston averaged a team-best 14 points and connected on 82 3-pointers as a senior. The shooting guard was unstoppable in the Knights' home win over Tulsa, making a school-record eight treys en route to 34 points against the Golden Hurricane.
Ryan White, Men's Cross Country
White came on strong at the end of his senior campaign. He placed 17th at the C-USA Championship and followed that performance by finishing a team-high 67th at the NCAA South Regional.
Jenny Clausen, Women's Cross Country and Track and Field
Clausen did it all as a rookie. She began her collegiate career in the fall by quickly becoming UCF's top cross country runner. She placed 12th at the C-USA Championship. The New Jersey native was more impressive in the spring. Clausen was named the C-USA Track and Field Freshman of the Year after taking second in the 10,000-meter run and fifth in the 5,000m at the league's outdoor championship.
Mike Walker, Football
A third-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2007 National Football League Draft, Walker set UCF's single-season record for receptions as a senior with 90 catches. Not bad for a wide receiver who had a severe knee injury at the end of the 2006 campaign.
Nuno Henriques, Men's Golf
Henriques posted a pair of top-20 finishes during his rookie campaign. He was named to the All-C-USA Freshman Team. At the NCAA East Regional, the native of Portugal finished a team-high 28th.
Sara Hurwitch, Women's Golf
Hurwitch was named the C-USA Freshman of the Year after turning in a pair of top-10 finishes as a rookie. She tied for sixth at both the Lady Pirate Invitational in October and the Ryder/Florida Women's Collegiate Championship in April.
Krystina Sarff, Rowing
A senior captain, Sarff guided UCF's varsity eight boat to the finest campaign in school history as the Knights were invited to the NCAA Championship for the first time. Following the season, she garnered first-team all-region recognition for the second-consecutive year. An English education major, Sarff shined in the classroom as well. She was one of seven Knights were garnered Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association Scholar-Athlete honors.
Zak Boggs, Men's Soccer
In his first year at UCF after transferring from West Virginia, the sophomore led all Knights with five goals and an assist for 11 points. Boggs had a pair of game-winning goals. Following the season, he was a second-team all-league and third-team all-region selection.
Roberta Pelarigo, Women's Soccer
Pelarigo was a force offensively as a senior. The forward was named to the All-C-USA First Team after scoring eight goals, including four game-winners, and recording five assists. After scoring three goals in matches at Rice and Houston, she was selected as the National Soccer Coaches Association Player of the Week.
Allison Kime, Softball
Kime had a record-setting junior year for the Knights in the circle. She went 24-13, allowing only 33 earned runs in 266.1 innings of work. The hurler shattered numerous single-season school records, including strikeouts (266) and shutouts (15). Kime also established UCF's career strikeouts mark with 488.
Johan Beigart, Men's Tennis
Beigart registered one of C-USA's top singles records, going 17-6. The freshman posted an 11-2 mark at the No. 3 position and garnered a spot on the all-conference second team.
Elvira Serrot, Women's Tennis
Serrot concluded her sophomore year with a 16-13 singles record. She posted an 11-7 mark at the No. 1 position. Serrot won 11 of her last 14 matches in the spring, while also posting a straight-set victory in the first round of the C-USA Championship against East Carolina. She was an All-C-USA Second Team selection.
Schanell Neiderworder, Volleyball
Neiderworder had a consistent campaign in 2006. The junior outside hitter paced the Knights with 3.32 kills per game. She also averaged 2.55 digs per game.