CLAREMORE, Okla. – Rogers State Athletics will celebrate another highly successful year of athletics, academics and community service with the 2023 Outstanding Moments in Athletics (OMAs) Award Show presented by House of Trophies on May 1 at 7 p.m. in the Will Rogers Auditorium on RSU's Claremore Campus.
 
"This is an event that we all look forward to each year," Director of Athletics Chris Ratcliff said. "It is always a fun way to recognize and celebrate all of our student-athletes' accomplishments on and off the field over the last year."
 
The semi-formal event features 19 department awards honoring the best in Hillcat Athletics during the 2022-2023 season. The red carpet "pre-show" starts at 7 p.m. with the awards show set to begin at 7:30 p.m. inside the Will Rogers Auditorium.
 
The award show, hosted by Voice of the Hillcats Josh Haley, will feature highlight videos, top plays from the year, and awards presented to Hillcat student-athletes. Award nominees for the OMAs were submitted by the coaching staff and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. The award winners were chosen by the OMAs Selection Committee.
 
The full list of awards can be found below. The event is free and open to the public.
 
Male & Female Courage Award
This award will honor one male and one female student-athlete who have demonstrated heart and perseverance in the face of adversity. This student-athlete should show determination and a will to succeed despite having to overcome a hardship. Whether she has had to fight through injuries, the loss of a loved one or some other personal tragedy, this athlete maintains a good attitude and has a positive impact on her team.
 
Male & Female Best Supporting Role
This award goes to one male and one female student-athlete who have been the "unsung hero" of their team. These high-impact student-athletes do not receive much credit or recognition, but are crucial to their teams' success.
 
Male & Female Newcomer of the Year
This award will go to one male and one female student-athlete in their first year of competition at RSU, who have had the most profound impact on their team. Academics, community involvement and athletic performance should all be considered in this award. Any freshman, redshirt freshman or transfer student competing in their first year as a Hillcat is eligible for this award.
 
Male & Female Highlight of the Year - This award will go to one male and one female student-athlete who delivered a clutch play, game or tournament performance, etc. While this award can be awarded for a single play, race, shot, hit, or routine, it can also go to the female student-athlete who delivers an amazing overall performance in a game, tournament, match, or meet in an important situation. In short, this award should go to the athlete that had an excellent play that affected the outcome of the game, tournament, meet.
 
Hillcat Spirit Award
This award is given to a cheerleader or dance team member who exemplifies what it is to be a Hillcat during games, competitions, practices, in the classroom and in the community.
 
Male & Female Athlete of the Year - This award will be given to one male and one female student-athlete who consistently performs at a high level and leads her team to success. In short, this award should go to the female Most Valuable Player at RSU based on their performance for this school year. All student-athletes are eligible for this award.
 
All-Academic Team
This award is presented to the student-athlete from each team that has earned the highest cumulative grade point average following sixty or more credit hours earned at Rogers State. (No voting or nominations required)
 
Corporate Sponsor of the Year
This award is our way to recognize corporate sponsors for their loyal support to the entire Rogers State athletic department. They go out of their way to provide the athletic department with support on and off the field of play.
 
Male & Female Community Ambassador Award - This award is a career achievement award given to a senior who is exhausting their eligibility or is not returning for a 5th year. It is given to a model representative of RSU Athletics on campus and in the Claremore community. They have displayed exemplary leadership skills and they must also be on track to finish their degree at RSU. This award emphasizes achievements in the community.
 
Male & Female Distinguished Athletic Achievement Award
This award is given to a one senior male and one senior female who have been at RSU for 3 or more years in recognition of their outstanding career achievements. They have displayed athletic excellence and they must also be on track to finish their degree at RSU. This award emphasizes achievements on the court, field, track or course.
 
Male & Female Hillcat Award
This award is a career achievement award given to a one senior male and one senior female who are exhausting their eligibility or is not returning for a 5th year. It is given to a model representative of RSU on and off the playing field and they must have displayed an unselfish/team-first attitude at all times. They have displayed athletic excellence along with exemplary leadership skills and they must also be on track to finish their degree at RSU. This award emphasizes both community engagement and on the court, field, track or course achievements.