Shaffrey and Hansen named 2022 Grizzly Cup recipients
4/26/2022 5:05:00 PM | General, Men's Tennis, Soccer
After helping lead Montana to a pair of historic seasons that capped already stellar careers, Oisin Shaffrey of men's tennis and soccer star Taylor Hansen were named the 2021-22 Grizzly Cup award-winners at the annual Grizzly Scholar-Athlete banquet on Tuesday.
The coveted Grizzly Cup has been honoring Montana's top overall student-athletes for over a century, with the first award presented to three-sport star Larry Higbee in 1921. After a hiatus from 1988 to 2008 the award was reinstated to honor Montana's top male and female athletes in 2009.
It marks the first time a men's tennis player has won the Grizzly Cup. Head coach Jason Brown's squad also swept this year's major awards, with senior Pontus Hallgren winning the President's Award for top individual GPA in Grizzly Athletics for a second-straight year and the team earning the Dusten Hollist Team Award for best GPA for a fourth-straight year.
Hansen is the second UM soccer player to win the Grizzly Cup in program history, joining 2015 recipient Brooke Moody with the honor.
During his time as a Grizzly, Shaffrey helped lead Montana to a 15-9 Big Sky team record and an impressive 21-3 team record in home matches during one of UM's most successful four-year runs in program history.
With one final Big Sky Conference tournament to play in this week, he holds a 19-5 record in Big Sky Conference singles play and won 15-straight league matches between April 14 of 2019 and April 12 of this year. He never missed a Big Sky match in his career, earning a place in the lineup in 24-straight duals.
Not only has he won the majority of his dual matches, he's dominated. Of his 19 Big Sky Conference wins, he's won 15 in straight sets. He also took 31 of his 42 dual wins in straight sets.
In his senior season, the native of Dublin, Ireland, helped lead the Griz to their first-ever ITA national ranking, spending seven weeks in the national poll this year, ranked as high as No. 62.
A 2021 first-team All-Big Sky pick, he's also a three-time ITA Scholar-Athlete and Academic all-conference selection who is set to graduate with a 3.83 GPA in management information systems who will be taking a job with PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York this summer.
"Without a doubt, this is one of my proudest moments as a coach because this award speaks to more than just his ability on the playing field. It shows what a great student and human being he is, what a good leader and a role model, and as good a guy we could ever have wearing maroon and silver," said Brown.
"At this point, he's family to me and feels like a son. I'm so excited that more people see him that way because I see it every day. He's brought it consistently since he showed up on campus. He's matured into a guy who has set this program up to be better than when he found it, and that's an incredible accomplishment."
Hansen seemingly did it all during her time at Montana and has moved on to the professional ranks after winning five Big Sky championships – two in the regular season and three conference tournaments.
The native of Cardiff by the Sea, California, was a two-time Unites Soccer Coaches All-West Region pick and a three-time All-Big Sky selection who played on teams that went 34-8-11 in conference play in her tenure.
She ranks first in program history in matches (92) and minutes played (7,544), ranks second in program history in matches started (81), and sixth in assists (15).
Hansen recently became the first Grizzly to play in the nation's top professional level as a member of the San Diego Wave in the National Women's Soccer League.
"Taylor has worked so hard to get to where she is at today. She developed so much over her time here in Montana, and it's all of that sacrifice and effort that opened up the door for the NWSL," said UM head soccer coach Chris Citowicki.
"I'm thrilled to see her playing at that level and can't wait to see how far she can go."
Grizzly Cup winners
1921: Larry Higbee (football/basketball/baseball)
1922: Gil Porter (football/basketball/track)
1923: Gil Porter (football/basketball/baseball/track)
1924: Angus "Cammie" Meagher (football/baseball)
1925: Russ Sweet (football/basketball/track)
1926: Ted "Chief" Illman (football/basketball/baseball)
1927: Clarence Coyle (football/basketball/track)
1928: Ed Chinske (football/basketball/baseball)
1929: Tom Davis (football/track)
1930: Ray Lewis (football)
1931: Glenn Lockwood (basketball/track)
1932: Lowell Dailey (football)
1933: Dale Hinman (football/basketball)
1934: Al Dahlberg (football/basketball/track)
1935: Naseby Rhinehart Sr. (football/basketball/track)
1936: Henry Blastic (football/basketball)
1938: Bill Lazetich (football/basketball/track)
1940: Bob Thornally (football)
1941: Tom O'Donnell (football)
1942: Bill Jones (football/basketball)
1943: Henry Dahmer (football)
1948: Charles "Timer" Moses (basketball)
1949: John Helding (football/basketball/baseball)
1950: Jack O'Loughlin (football/baseball)
1951: Ray Bauer (football)
1952: Robert "Lefty" Byrne (football/basketball/baseball)
1953: Jack Luckman (basketball/track)
1954: Ed Anderson (football/basketball/baseball)
1955: Murdo Campbell (football/baseball)
1956: Dale Shupe (football/track)
1957: Don Williamson (football/baseball)
1958: Naseby Rhinehart Jr. (football/track)
1959: Mike Granbois (track)
1960: Rudy Ruana (skiing)
1961-62: Bob O'Billovich (football/basketball/baseball)
1963: Paul D. Miller (football)
1964: Tim Aldrich (basketball)
1965: William M. Rice (basketball/track)
1966: Gary B. Peck (basketball/baseball)
1967: Greg Hanson (basketball)
1968: Willie Jones (football/track)
1969: Mick Harrington (track)
1970: Roy Robinson (football/track)
1971: Lonzo Lewis (football/basketball)
1972: Steve Okoniewski (football)
1973: Earl Tye (basketball)
1974: Robin Selvig (basketball)
1975: Rock Svennungsen (football)
1976: Dean Erhard (track/cross country)
1977: Marsha Hamilton (gymnastics/track)
1978: Tim Kerr (football)
1979: Ed Cerkovnik (football)
1980: Craig Zanon (basketball)
1981: Rocky Klever (football)
1982: Greg Iseman (football)
1983: Brian Salonen (football)
1984-86: Larry Krystkowiak (basketball)
1987: Scott Zanon (basketball/track/football)
1988-2008: No Grizzly Cup awarded
2009: Jordan Hasquet (basketball), Jade Roskam (volleyball)
2010: Anthony Johnson (basketball), Lauren Beck (basketball)
2011: Erik Stoll (football), Jaimie Thibeault (volleyball)
2012: Bryan Waldhauser (football), Katrina Drennen (cross country/track and field)
2013: Mathias Ward (basketball), Olivia Weber (golf)
2014: Brock Coyle (football), Jordan Sullivan (basketball)
2015: Jordan Gregory (basketball), Brooke Moody (soccer)
2016: Tyrone Holmes (football), McCalle Feller (basketball)
2017: Brandon Gfeller (basketball), Sammy Evans (track and field)
2018: Fabijan Krslovic (basketball), Delene Colburn (softball)
2019: Michael Oguine (basketball), Erika McLeod (track and field)
2020: Dante Olson (football), McKenzie Johnston (basketball)
2021: No Grizzly Cup Awarded due to pandemic
2022: Oisin Shaffrey (men's tennis), Taylor Hansen (soccer)
The coveted Grizzly Cup has been honoring Montana's top overall student-athletes for over a century, with the first award presented to three-sport star Larry Higbee in 1921. After a hiatus from 1988 to 2008 the award was reinstated to honor Montana's top male and female athletes in 2009.
It marks the first time a men's tennis player has won the Grizzly Cup. Head coach Jason Brown's squad also swept this year's major awards, with senior Pontus Hallgren winning the President's Award for top individual GPA in Grizzly Athletics for a second-straight year and the team earning the Dusten Hollist Team Award for best GPA for a fourth-straight year.
Hansen is the second UM soccer player to win the Grizzly Cup in program history, joining 2015 recipient Brooke Moody with the honor.
During his time as a Grizzly, Shaffrey helped lead Montana to a 15-9 Big Sky team record and an impressive 21-3 team record in home matches during one of UM's most successful four-year runs in program history.
With one final Big Sky Conference tournament to play in this week, he holds a 19-5 record in Big Sky Conference singles play and won 15-straight league matches between April 14 of 2019 and April 12 of this year. He never missed a Big Sky match in his career, earning a place in the lineup in 24-straight duals.
Not only has he won the majority of his dual matches, he's dominated. Of his 19 Big Sky Conference wins, he's won 15 in straight sets. He also took 31 of his 42 dual wins in straight sets.
In his senior season, the native of Dublin, Ireland, helped lead the Griz to their first-ever ITA national ranking, spending seven weeks in the national poll this year, ranked as high as No. 62.
A 2021 first-team All-Big Sky pick, he's also a three-time ITA Scholar-Athlete and Academic all-conference selection who is set to graduate with a 3.83 GPA in management information systems who will be taking a job with PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York this summer.
"Without a doubt, this is one of my proudest moments as a coach because this award speaks to more than just his ability on the playing field. It shows what a great student and human being he is, what a good leader and a role model, and as good a guy we could ever have wearing maroon and silver," said Brown.
"At this point, he's family to me and feels like a son. I'm so excited that more people see him that way because I see it every day. He's brought it consistently since he showed up on campus. He's matured into a guy who has set this program up to be better than when he found it, and that's an incredible accomplishment."
Hansen seemingly did it all during her time at Montana and has moved on to the professional ranks after winning five Big Sky championships – two in the regular season and three conference tournaments.
The native of Cardiff by the Sea, California, was a two-time Unites Soccer Coaches All-West Region pick and a three-time All-Big Sky selection who played on teams that went 34-8-11 in conference play in her tenure.
She ranks first in program history in matches (92) and minutes played (7,544), ranks second in program history in matches started (81), and sixth in assists (15).
Hansen recently became the first Grizzly to play in the nation's top professional level as a member of the San Diego Wave in the National Women's Soccer League.
"Taylor has worked so hard to get to where she is at today. She developed so much over her time here in Montana, and it's all of that sacrifice and effort that opened up the door for the NWSL," said UM head soccer coach Chris Citowicki.
"I'm thrilled to see her playing at that level and can't wait to see how far she can go."
Grizzly Cup winners
1921: Larry Higbee (football/basketball/baseball)
1922: Gil Porter (football/basketball/track)
1923: Gil Porter (football/basketball/baseball/track)
1924: Angus "Cammie" Meagher (football/baseball)
1925: Russ Sweet (football/basketball/track)
1926: Ted "Chief" Illman (football/basketball/baseball)
1927: Clarence Coyle (football/basketball/track)
1928: Ed Chinske (football/basketball/baseball)
1929: Tom Davis (football/track)
1930: Ray Lewis (football)
1931: Glenn Lockwood (basketball/track)
1932: Lowell Dailey (football)
1933: Dale Hinman (football/basketball)
1934: Al Dahlberg (football/basketball/track)
1935: Naseby Rhinehart Sr. (football/basketball/track)
1936: Henry Blastic (football/basketball)
1938: Bill Lazetich (football/basketball/track)
1940: Bob Thornally (football)
1941: Tom O'Donnell (football)
1942: Bill Jones (football/basketball)
1943: Henry Dahmer (football)
1948: Charles "Timer" Moses (basketball)
1949: John Helding (football/basketball/baseball)
1950: Jack O'Loughlin (football/baseball)
1951: Ray Bauer (football)
1952: Robert "Lefty" Byrne (football/basketball/baseball)
1953: Jack Luckman (basketball/track)
1954: Ed Anderson (football/basketball/baseball)
1955: Murdo Campbell (football/baseball)
1956: Dale Shupe (football/track)
1957: Don Williamson (football/baseball)
1958: Naseby Rhinehart Jr. (football/track)
1959: Mike Granbois (track)
1960: Rudy Ruana (skiing)
1961-62: Bob O'Billovich (football/basketball/baseball)
1963: Paul D. Miller (football)
1964: Tim Aldrich (basketball)
1965: William M. Rice (basketball/track)
1966: Gary B. Peck (basketball/baseball)
1967: Greg Hanson (basketball)
1968: Willie Jones (football/track)
1969: Mick Harrington (track)
1970: Roy Robinson (football/track)
1971: Lonzo Lewis (football/basketball)
1972: Steve Okoniewski (football)
1973: Earl Tye (basketball)
1974: Robin Selvig (basketball)
1975: Rock Svennungsen (football)
1976: Dean Erhard (track/cross country)
1977: Marsha Hamilton (gymnastics/track)
1978: Tim Kerr (football)
1979: Ed Cerkovnik (football)
1980: Craig Zanon (basketball)
1981: Rocky Klever (football)
1982: Greg Iseman (football)
1983: Brian Salonen (football)
1984-86: Larry Krystkowiak (basketball)
1987: Scott Zanon (basketball/track/football)
1988-2008: No Grizzly Cup awarded
2009: Jordan Hasquet (basketball), Jade Roskam (volleyball)
2010: Anthony Johnson (basketball), Lauren Beck (basketball)
2011: Erik Stoll (football), Jaimie Thibeault (volleyball)
2012: Bryan Waldhauser (football), Katrina Drennen (cross country/track and field)
2013: Mathias Ward (basketball), Olivia Weber (golf)
2014: Brock Coyle (football), Jordan Sullivan (basketball)
2015: Jordan Gregory (basketball), Brooke Moody (soccer)
2016: Tyrone Holmes (football), McCalle Feller (basketball)
2017: Brandon Gfeller (basketball), Sammy Evans (track and field)
2018: Fabijan Krslovic (basketball), Delene Colburn (softball)
2019: Michael Oguine (basketball), Erika McLeod (track and field)
2020: Dante Olson (football), McKenzie Johnston (basketball)
2021: No Grizzly Cup Awarded due to pandemic
2022: Oisin Shaffrey (men's tennis), Taylor Hansen (soccer)
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