2020 HOGSPYs: Female Rookie of the Year

April 27, 2020

The female rookie of the year award recognizes a standout rookie who demonstrated outstanding athletic performance and academic achievement. A rookie is defined as any freshman student-athlete in their first year of competition at the University of Arkansas.

The nominees are:

Makayla Daniels (WBB)

The freshman from Frederick, Maryland, averaged 9.3 points per game on a sparkling .495 percent shooting during her first season on the Hill, while also averaging 2.4 assists per game.
Daniels has had some stellar single-game performances over the course of the 2019-20 season for the Razorbacks, none better than her 27-point barrage against Oral Roberts.
Her 27 points in that game, which she only needed 11 shots to get (8-11), were the most scored by a freshman in five years.

Daszay Freeman (TF)

SEC Indoor – 4^th place in 60m hurdles.
In SEC final set career best 8.15, No. 5 on Arkansas all-time list.
One of three freshmen in SEC 60m hurdle final.

Jillian Gillen (VB)

Led the Razorbacks in kills, kills per set, service aces, total digs, points, and total receptions.
SEC All-Freshman Team and won Freshman of the week twice, ranking first among conference freshmen in kills per set, seventh overall.
First freshman in Arkansas history to log three 28+ kills performances in a single season. Only SEC player with a performance of 20+ kills and 20+ digs, only SEC player with three performances of 28 kills or more.
31 kills vs Ole Miss ties for 8th most kills in a single match & her 84 attempts is the most in a single match in Arkansas history.

Kajal Mistry (GOLF)

Mistry hit the ground running on the Hill, as the true freshman played in all six of the Hogs’ competitive events during her freshman season.
She started her career with a 20th-place finish at the Cougar Classic, firing a 215. Mistry was simply dominant in her encore performance, placing fourth individually at the loaded ANNIKA Intercollegiate, helping guide the Hogs to a runner-up finish.
Her fourth-place finish at the ANNIKA was the only Top-5 individual finish from a Hog this season.

Anna Podojil (SOC)

Led all freshman nationally in total points (35) and was tied for second among rookies with 14 goals scored. Podojil also led the Razorback squad in both categories.
Recorded a hat trick against Mississippi State on Oct. 13 and scored a pair of goals in Arkansas’ first back-to-back wins over ranked teams in program history (No. 22 Baylor and No. 1 North Carolina).
Joined Haley VanFossen to become the first United Soccer Coaches All-Americans in program history. All-Southeast Region First Team. First Team All-SEC. SEC All-Freshman Team. First SEC Freshman of the Year in program history. All-SEC Tournament Team. Two-time United Soccer Coaches National Player of the Week (9/17, 10/15). SEC Offensive Player of the Week (10/14) and three-time SEC Freshman of the Week (9/3, 9/16, 9/23). TopDrawerSoccer.com Team of the Week (9/17 HM, 10/15 HM, 10/22 HM).

And the winner is…