USC Athletics Presents: 2024-25 Tommy Awards

Director of Athletics Jen Cohen joined with women's soccer player Simone Jackson to present President Folt with the the Legend of Troy Award, which is presented by the USC Athletic Department in recognition of and appreciation for an individual whose impact on the Trojan athletic program and the University has advanced the mission of USC Athletics. Top individual honors went to Max Miller of men's water polo and JuJu Watkins of women's basketball as Athletes of the Year, while three Trojans earned Newcomer of the Year honors in Emily Ausmus (women's water polo), Jasmine Koo (women's golf) and Moritz Wesemann (men's diving).

With organizing support from USC's Trojan Athletic Senate members, the 2024-25 Tommy Awards also featured recognition for Overcoming Adversity, Best Plays and Most Inspirational Teams, along with more lighthearted superlative awards. See below for a full list of award finalists and winners for the 2024-25 Tommy Awards.

2024-25 TOMMY AWARDS

FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
WINNER: JuJu Watkins (basketball) 
A finalist for the Honda Basketball Award, JuJu Watkins earned National Player of the Year honors from the USBWA, AP, The Athletic and Sporting News, while winning the Naismith Trophy and Wooden and Dawn Staley awards as the nation's top player. The sophomore standout averaged 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.8 blocks per game. She became the fastest Trojan to 1,000 career points and holds USC's single-season scoring record with 21 career 30-point games — just four shy of the all-time program record. The Big Ten Player of the Year, Watkins posted her 20th career 30-point game to help propel her Trojans to an 80-67 win over rival No. 2 UCLA to claim the Big Ten regular-season championship. Also this year, Watkins became the first basketball player at the Division I collegiate, WNBA and NBA levels since 2000 to score 38 points, 11 rebounds, eight blocks and five assists in a single game with her work for the Women of Troy in their win over then-No. 1 UCLA at Galen Center.
FINALISTS: Tilly Kearns (water polo) | Minna Abraham (swimming) | Helena Sampaio (soccer) | Jasmine Koo (golf) | Mia Tuaniga (volleyball)

MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
WINNER: Max Miller (water polo)
A finalist for the Peter J. Cutino Award and named to the All-America First Team for the second straight year, Miller helped lead USC to its third straight MPSF Tournament championship for a 20th consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. There, Miller picked up NCAA All-Tournament Team honors after USC's run to the NCAA final. He scored 54 goals for the Trojans in 2024 to top off his USC career ranked No. 16 all-time in career scoring with 147 goals. He scored in 27 of USC's 29 games on the year, with 15 multiple-goal outings. A force to reckon with at set, Miller drew a whopping 56 exclusions in his final season at Troy. Miller scored in USC's final nine games of the year, with six goals scored at the MPSF Tournament and seven in NCAA action. During this past season, Miller was named to the Cutino Award Watch List and also earned himself All-MPSF First Team and MPSF Player of the Week accolades.
FINALISTS: Dillon Klein (volleyball) | JC Stevenson (track & field) | Johnny Brackins Jr. (track & field) | Ja'Kobi Lane (football) 

FEMALE NEWCOMERS OF THE YEAR
CO-WINNER: Emily Ausmus (water polo) 
A 2024 Olympian with Team USA, Emily Ausmus is on the 2025 Cutino Award Watch List in her first season at USC. Recently named the MPSF Newcomer of the Year and an All-MPSF First Team honoree, Ausmus has set a new USC record for single-season scoring with 109 goals during her freshman season. In hitting the 100-goal mark, she became the fastest USC player to reach 100 career goals, doing so in her 29th game as a Trojan. Also a team leader in assists, steals and field blocks, Ausmus tied the MPSF record for conference Newcomer of the Week awards. Her freshman season scoring total also ranks her third all-time in MPSF single-season scoring history. One of just three Trojans to have broken the 90-goal barrier in a single season, she continues to expand on her new USC record for goals scored by a Trojan true freshman. As of April 9, USC ranks No. 1 in the nation. Ausmus has been named MPSF Newcomer of the Week six times with two weeks still to play in the regular season. USC's top scorer this season so far, Ausmus also is one of USC's leaders in assists and field blocks
CO-WINNER: Jasmine Koo (golf) 
Jasmine Koo finalized a historic regular season as the No. 2 ranked player in collegiate golf. Koo tied the program record with four wins – including three in a row – during the regular season. The freshman helped propel the Trojans to four tournament wins. Koo recently competed in the Augusta National Women's and one of the five LPGA Major Championships - the Chevron Championship. Koo is only one round in the 60s away from breaking the program record for a season, as she is currently tied with USC alumni Amari Avery. Overall the freshman has seven top ten finishes - second on the team. any personal highlights for script)
FINALISTS: Jana Hossam (tennis) | Kennedy Smith (basketball) | Dajaz DeFrand (track & field) | Kate Miller (diving)
 
MALE NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
WINNER: Moritz Wesemann (diving)
USC's Moritz Wesemann became a First Team All-American and Big Ten Champion as a first-year driver for Troy. He captured USC's first-ever men's Big Ten individual title, winning the 3-meter diving competition in February. At NCAA's, he was third in the 1-meter diving event and 10th in the 3-meter diving final. At Big Ten's, Moritz was USC's leading individual scorer, tallying 73 points for Troy while also finishing runner-up in the 1-meter competition. Moritz broke the 3-meter diving school record in January – a record that stood for nearly 15 years. He was also an NCAA Zone E Diving Champion, capturing the men's 1-meter diving event. Before his first season with USC, Moritz represented Germany at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, where he was 12th in the 3-meter springboard event. 
FINALISTS: Nathan Trouve (tennis) | Johnny Dykstra (volleyball) | Garrett Kaalund (track & field) | Jack Buchanan (golf) | Robert López Duart (water polo) 

FEMALE INSPIRATIONAL TEAM
WINNER: Soccer
In its inaugural Big Ten season, the USC women's soccer team made its presence known immediately, winning the Big Ten regular-season title with an undefeated 10-0-1 record in conference play. The Trojans secured the title with a 1-0 win over UCLA in front of 6,500 fans at the LA Galaxy's stadium at Dignity Health Sports Park. Overall the Trojans went 18-1-4, posting the best winning percent in program history and earning the program's first ever No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, where they made a run into the quarterfinals. 
FINALISTS: Basketball | Water Polo | Track & Field 

MALE INSPIRATIONAL TEAM
WINNER: Track and Field
The USC men's track & field team put together a remarkable season, culminating with the NCAA Indoor Championships team title, USC's first since the 1972 season.  Johnny Brackins Jr. led the country in the 60m hurdles and set the school record. JC Stevenson led the nation in the long jump and set the USC 60m dash record.  The Trojans won multiple Big Ten individual titles and placed second in its first conference meet.  The men's team has been ranked in the top 5 outdoors all season and has 10 athletes ranked in the top 5 in the country. With record-setting sprints and powerful field event performances, the team showed resilience and unity every step of the way—lifting each other up through adversity and competition.
FINALISTS: Volleyball | Baseball | Swimming & Diving | Water Polo 

FEMALE BEST PLAY
WINNER: Helena Sampaio (soccer) — WATCH
In a battle against Big Ten powerhouse Penn State, with the game deadlocked and 30 seconds remaining, senior midfielder Helena Sampaio stepped up for a free kick just outside the box. With ice in her veins, she curled a gorgeous strike over the wall and into the upper corner of the net—sending the Trojans into celebration and sealing one of the team's biggest wins of the season. The goal was not only technically perfect, but also emotionally resonant—highlighting Sampaio's leadership and her ability to deliver in clutch moments.

MALE BEST PLAY
WINNER: Robert López Duart (water polo) — WATCH
With the NCAA semifinal hanging in the balance and overtime underway, Robert Lopez Duart delivered one of the most jaw-dropping plays in USC water polo history. Facing intense pressure and heavy defensive coverage, López Duart spun and executed a backhand helicopter shot — a high-difficulty move even in training, let alone overtime. The ball skipped past the goalie, putting the Trojans ahead 15-14 in the first overtime period en route to a final 18-16 OT victory that sent USC on to the NCAA final. It was a moment of brilliance that combined creativity, control and composure under maximum pressure — a play that will be remembered for years to come.

FEMALE OVERCOMING ADVERSITY
Alma Yaacobi (water polo)  
A native of Israel, USC freshman Alma Yaacobi has had family members and friends directly impacted by war. She was competing in Italy when bombings broke out on October 7, and she lost a childhood friend in those attacks. While at USC, she is in constant worry about her family and friends back home, trying to balance her feelings and distractions with school and sports. She carries the fear and sorrow of the continuing war as she goes through her days as a student-athlete at USC, but feels the support of her team and coaches and has found a positive approach for her life from her experiences, and now she lives life to the fullest here at USC. Alma's visit to her home during winter break gave her a better perspective on the situation for her family and friends in Israel, and she is open and honest about her experience and feelings. She is willing to tell her and her country's story, talk and explain to people about the difficulties of the situation she lives in, and help people understand why it's so important to find peace and live life to the fullest.

MALE OVERCOMING ADVERSITY
Shangfei Wang (diving) 
For the past few years, Shangfei has been managing an injury that can be especially challenging for an athlete in such a physically demanding sport. With the issue still ongoing, he managed to Fight On and close his USC career with a championship final appearance in the men's three-meter competition at NCAA's. He was fifth on 3-meter, earning First Team All-America honors and 15th in the 1-meter diving event, earning honorable mention All-America honors. Wang has consistently been one of the top divers in the country, not allowing his back pain to distract from his incredible technique and skill in the springboard diving events. 

TEAM ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE (Highest overall academic performance)
FEMALE TEAM: Lacrosse
MALE TEAM: Tennis

SUPERLATIVE AWARDS
MOST LIKELY TO SURVIVE THE HUNGER GAMES
FEMALE WINNER: Christine Mallard (track & field)
Also nominated: Kennedy Coakley (beach volleyball), Lily Fairclough (tennis), Isabella Lysaker (rowing), Anna Regan (lacrosse), Claire Tuggle (swimming & diving)
MALE WINNER: Racquil Broderick (track & field)
Also nominated: Andrew Harbour (baseball), Chris O'Grady (swimming & diving), Tobias Raymond (football), Antonio Safa (golf), Aidan Wattson (water polo)

MOST LIKELY TO BRIGHTEN YOUR DAY
FEMALE WINNERS: Gigi Maccagnini (track & field) & Dani Thomas-Nathan (volleyball)
Also nominated: Sally McCarthy (water polo), Sloane Morra (tennis), Catherine Park (golf), Alice Waldow (swimming & diving)
MALE WINNERS: Bryce Brock (track & field) & Ben Dillard (swimming)
Also nominated: Rashaun Agee (basketball), Kash Amos (football), Nicolas Dominguez (golf), Matteo Morazzi (tennis)

MOST LIKELY TO COME BACK AS A COACH
FEMALE WINNER: Evita Franckevica (rowing)
Also nominated: Jassani Carter (track & field), Allie Hazelwood (volleyball), Bella Grust (soccer), Mia Triolo (lacrosse), Madison White (beach volleyball)
MALE WINNER: Stefan Brankovic  (water polo)
Also nominated: Harrison Hornery (basketball), Fisher Johnson (baseball), Peter Makk (tennis), Mateo Parker (swimming & diving), Max Thomas (track & field)