TEMPE – At Wings of Gold on Monday night, women's golf senior Ashley Menne and volleyball head coach JJ Van Niel earned the top awards to highlight the fundraising event which was held at the Omni Hotel in Tempe.
The highlight of the event were the two big awards given, which were the Heather Farr Award, which Menne won, and the Linda Vollstedt Coach of the Year, which Van Niel won. Menne has been an All-American and a leader for the successful women's golf team. Van Niel in his first season as the head coach led volleyball to a Sweet Sixteen and one of the winningest seasons in program history.
After the silent auction prior to the event, emcee Lina Washington, a sports reporter for 12 News in Phoenix and an ASU alumnus, first recognized the successes of the women's sports programs at ASU throughout the recent athletic seasons. She mentioned another national championship for triathlon, volleyball's Sweet Sixteen run, another tournament appearance for soccer, Sheila McInerney's 40th season and the numerous academic accomplishments by the female student-athletes.
Three student-athletes spoke about their experiences to the crowd. Lindsay Looney, a swimmer, shared what it was like to come from a small town and still have Tempe feel like home. Beach volleyball's Kate Fitzgerald talked about starting her own business and how ASU set her up for success. Finally, Andrea Kraetzer from soccer recounted her spring break when she went on a study abroad that was focused on marine conservation through ASU, helping her pursue her career goals outside of sports.
The Heather Farr Award was then awarded to Menne and was presented by Farr's sister, current Sun Devil women's golf head coach Missy Farr-Kaye. The award was named in honor of one of the most successful female student-athletes in school history. Farr passed away in November 1993 after a long, valiant fight against breast cancer. This award honors her legacy of what it means to be a great Sun Devil student-athlete.
"I'm deeply honored to stand before you tonight as the recipient of the Heather Farr award," Menne said. "This recognition holds immense significance not just for me, but for all of those who've supported and inspired me along this journey. Heather Farr's legacy as a tenacious competitor and a beacon of strength in the face of adversity continues to resonate deeply within the realms of sportsmanship and perseverance."
After the live auction, the Linda Vollstedt Coach of the Year award was presented to Van Niel. The 2023 recipient and women's soccer head coach Graham Winkworth presented the honor. The award is given to the Sun Devil women's coach who most exhibits the four pillars of the Sun Devil Way: integrity, championship performance, graduation and tradition.
"I want to thank my team because I'm not here if it's not for them," Van Niel said. "When you take a new job and go through some new changes, you don't know what you're going to get and the group of kids I've gotten are really special."
The Wings of Gold fund supports the rich tradition of women's collegiate athletics at Arizona State by acting as an advocate and support system for all 14 Sun Devil women's athletic programs. The unrestricted dollars raised through the Wings of Gold fund are evenly distributed between the 14 programs and will be used for recruiting, academic and other essential needs necessary to compete at the highest level.
For more information, head to sundevilclub.com/wog. The story of Heather Farr and how her award came to be can be found here.
The highlight of the event were the two big awards given, which were the Heather Farr Award, which Menne won, and the Linda Vollstedt Coach of the Year, which Van Niel won. Menne has been an All-American and a leader for the successful women's golf team. Van Niel in his first season as the head coach led volleyball to a Sweet Sixteen and one of the winningest seasons in program history.
After the silent auction prior to the event, emcee Lina Washington, a sports reporter for 12 News in Phoenix and an ASU alumnus, first recognized the successes of the women's sports programs at ASU throughout the recent athletic seasons. She mentioned another national championship for triathlon, volleyball's Sweet Sixteen run, another tournament appearance for soccer, Sheila McInerney's 40th season and the numerous academic accomplishments by the female student-athletes.
Three student-athletes spoke about their experiences to the crowd. Lindsay Looney, a swimmer, shared what it was like to come from a small town and still have Tempe feel like home. Beach volleyball's Kate Fitzgerald talked about starting her own business and how ASU set her up for success. Finally, Andrea Kraetzer from soccer recounted her spring break when she went on a study abroad that was focused on marine conservation through ASU, helping her pursue her career goals outside of sports.
The Heather Farr Award was then awarded to Menne and was presented by Farr's sister, current Sun Devil women's golf head coach Missy Farr-Kaye. The award was named in honor of one of the most successful female student-athletes in school history. Farr passed away in November 1993 after a long, valiant fight against breast cancer. This award honors her legacy of what it means to be a great Sun Devil student-athlete.
"I'm deeply honored to stand before you tonight as the recipient of the Heather Farr award," Menne said. "This recognition holds immense significance not just for me, but for all of those who've supported and inspired me along this journey. Heather Farr's legacy as a tenacious competitor and a beacon of strength in the face of adversity continues to resonate deeply within the realms of sportsmanship and perseverance."
After the live auction, the Linda Vollstedt Coach of the Year award was presented to Van Niel. The 2023 recipient and women's soccer head coach Graham Winkworth presented the honor. The award is given to the Sun Devil women's coach who most exhibits the four pillars of the Sun Devil Way: integrity, championship performance, graduation and tradition.
"I want to thank my team because I'm not here if it's not for them," Van Niel said. "When you take a new job and go through some new changes, you don't know what you're going to get and the group of kids I've gotten are really special."
Being recognized by peers hits different. Congrats to @jjvanniel for earning this special award! ???? https://t.co/iEFyKRfGTQ pic.twitter.com/Z1kBwAl4Vw
— Sun Devil Volleyball (@SunDevilVB) March 26, 2024
The Wings of Gold fund supports the rich tradition of women's collegiate athletics at Arizona State by acting as an advocate and support system for all 14 Sun Devil women's athletic programs. The unrestricted dollars raised through the Wings of Gold fund are evenly distributed between the 14 programs and will be used for recruiting, academic and other essential needs necessary to compete at the highest level.
For more information, head to sundevilclub.com/wog. The story of Heather Farr and how her award came to be can be found here.