SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— Drury University has announced the finalists for the Newcomer or Freshman of the Year in women's sports as part of their 2020 All-Sports Awards. 
 
Each year, Drury Athletics announces their end-of-year awards in a ceremony near the end of the academic year. With the campus closed due to concerns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's event was canceled, but the athletics department moved forward to continue to honor student-athletes for outstanding achievements in competition, in the classroom and in the community for 2020-21. 
 
The finalists for the Women's Newcomer/Freshman of the Year are listed below. 
 
Alma Abazi – Tennis
Alma Abazi went 9-1 for the Panthers tennis team in her freshman season. The native of Wiesloch, Germany went 1-0 in Drury's number two singles position, 7-1 at number three, and 1-0 playing in the fourth slot. With Yu-Ning Lee as the Panthers number one doubles team, she compiled a 6-4 record in doubles and helped her team to a 9-1 record for the season. 
 
Olivia Hall – Triathlon
Olivia Hall was an honorable mention All-American as a freshman on the Panthers triathlon squad. A Springfield-Kickapoo product, Hall helped her team win the NCAA Central Regional Qualifier in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin last fall, and she finished 25th in the Division II national championship race in Tempe, Arizona in November. 
 
Sydney Horton – Bowling
Sydney Horton was the Great Lakes Valley Conference Freshman of the Year for women's bowling in 2019-20. The native of Kansas City, Missouri is the first women's bowler in program history to win a major conference award for the Panthers. She was also named Second Team All-GLVC as she led all newcomers in the conference with an average score of 188.3 in a Traditional game, and a Baker game average of 184.4. Her total average of 183.0 per contest was the best mark ever by a Drury freshman. Horton finished fourth in the voting for NCAA Freshman of the Year in her sport, which competes in a single division. She was named to two all-tournament teams during the season and was the 87th ranked player in RPI for all of NCAA bowling. Horton set 11 freshman records for Drury and was the GLVC Bowler of the Year Feb. 16-23. 
 
Katarzyna Rogowska – Swimming & Diving
A native of Poland, Katarzyna Rogowska was part of two NCAA-II All-American relay teams - 200 Free Relay and the 400 Free Relay teams and was on an honorable mention 200 Medley Relay team. She won three events at the GLVC Championships, taking first in the 50 Free, the 200 Medley Relay, and the 200 Free Relay. Rogowska helped the Panthers to their fourth-straight GLVC championship, and she was a national qualifier in five events – the 50 Free, the 100 Free, and three relays. She also won the 50 Free and the 100 Free against Missouri State in January. 
 
Makina Wratten – Volleyball
Makina Wratten competed in her first year for the Panthers after transferring from Missouri State. The sophomore from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma was a Second Team All-GLVC selection and finished fourth in the league in blocks averaging 1.23 per set. Wratten ranked second on Drury's team in kills with 2.85 per set and had a .234 hitting percentage. This spring, she earned a try-out for the U.S. Women's National Team and the U.S. Collegiate National Team at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Wratten helped her team to a 17-16 record and an 11-4 mark in the conference. 
 
The winner of the 2020 Women's Newcomer/Freshman of the Year will be announced next week.
 
Earlier this month, Drury Athletics announced its 2020 Panther Pride Awards. 
 
Future DU All-Sports Awards announcements will include: 
 

• Finalists for Men's Newcomer/Freshman of the Year
• Finalists for Women's Dr. Edsel Matthews Award
• Finalists of Men's Dr. Edsel Matthews Award 
• Winner of Women's Newcomer/Freshman of the Year
• Winner of the Women's Dr. Edsel Matthews Award
• Winner of the Men's Dr. Edsel Matthews Award

 
 
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