COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs Department of Athletics is announcing major award winners every day from April 20-24. Today, UCCS Executive Director of Athletics Nathan Gibson is announcing four Mountain Lions who are receiving the Athletic Director's Award – Alex Cook (Phoenix, Ariz.), Deshon Elcock (Longmont, Colo.), Madison Ellis (New Freedom, Pa.) and Daniel Silva (Granada Hills, Calif.).
 
"The Athletic Director's Award honors individuals who lead positive change, created a championship culture, showed leadership in the face of adversity, accomplished new heights and left a lasting legacy for future Mountain Lions to live up to," said Gibson. "This year, all four recipients of the AD's Award made significant contributions to their programs during a time of transition and change.  This class of student-athletes bought into new programs and showed great leadership to build their teams to new heights.  Their legacy will be felt for years to come!"
 
A four-year member of the Mountain Lion softball program, Alex Cook suited up for 131 games while starting all but five games. A 2019 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Honorable Mention recipient, Cook collected a career batting average of .312 behind 133 hits.  She drove in 86 runs, crossed home plate 90 times, and tallied 35 extra-base hits (25 doubles, 16 home runs, four triples) while drawing 21 walks. In the outfield, she snagged a .944 fielding percentage.  Cook, who will graduate from UCCS with a Nursing degree and a 3.503 GPA, was named to the 2020 RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll team.
 
One of the most decorated student-athlete for the men's track & field program, Deshon Elcock helped the Mountain Lions to their first ever RMAC Indoor Track & Field championship title this past season after scoring 18 points with a gold medal finish in the 60m (6.80) and a second place finish in the 200m (22.09).  In four years competing for the Mountain Lions, Elcock is a three-time United States Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCA) All-South Central Region honoree (60m twice, 4x100m), a four-time RMAC Champion (60m, 100m, 200m, 4x100m), a six-time All-RMAC First Team selection (60m, 100m, 200m three times, 4x100m), and a four-time All-RMAC Second Team selection (High Jump, 60m, 100m, 4x100m).  He earned 2018 All-American accolades in the 4x100m relay and was selected the 2019 RMAC Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year and the 2019 RMAC Outdoor Athlete of the Meet.  A Mechanical Engineering major with a 3.420 GPA, Elcock was voted to the RMAC All-Academic First Team in 2020 after being named to the Honor Roll the past four years.
 
The first signee to the inaugural UCCS women's lacrosse program, Madison Ellis is a member of the first four-year class for the Mountain Lions.  A 2018 Team Captain, Ellis recorded the first assist and ground ball in program history.   A Biology major with a 3.522 GPA, Ellis started 50 of the 53 games she competed in over the past four years.  She registered 97 points, scored 72 goals (including nine game-winning goals), attempted 146 shots (133 shots on goal), picked up 60 ground balls, won 25 draws and caused 20 turnovers.  Ellis has been a three-year member of the UCCS Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and received the 2018 D2ADA Academic Achievement Award, while earning RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll and RMAC Honorable Mention honors twice.
 
A Business major at UCCS, Daniel Silva is a four-year student-athlete and a part of the first four-year class for the Mountain Lions baseball program.  A 2019 All-RMAC Second Team selection, Silva has appeared in 50 games on the mound with 37 starts.  In 26 decisions, he has collected 14 wins and has pitched nearly 240 innings in his career.  He owns a 5.38 ERA while registering 175 strikeouts and pitching five complete games.  Last spring, he threw a complete game shutout against Regis while fanning 11 batters in a 6-0 win.
 
The final 2019-20 Department of Athletics Award – Male and Female Freshman of the Year – will be announced on Friday.
 
McLaughlin Award – Monday, April 20
Male: Matt Clarke, Baseball
Female: Alessa Muir, Soccer
 
Athlete of the Year – Tuesday, April 21
Male: Padiet Wang, Basketball
Female: Hannah Meek, Track & Field
 
Student-Athlete of the Year - Wednesday, April 22
Male: Will Ross, Track & Field
Female: Maia Austin, Track & Field
 
AD Award – Thursday, April 23
Male: Deshon Elcock & Daniel Silva
Female: Alex Cook & Madison Ellis
 
Freshmen of the Year – Friday, April 24
Male: TBA
Female: TBA