SALEM, Ore. – After kicking off the 2021 Golden Warrior Awards last night with the announcement of the Mighty Warrior Award, Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and Male and Female Newcomers of the Year, the Corban University athletic department continued its virtual celebration with the unveiling of four more accolades on Tuesday evening.

The annual awards will be announced via CorbanWarriors.com throughout the week, with a portion of honorees unveiled at 7 p.m. each night through Thursday evening.

As is customary, this year's nominees were submitted by each of their respective head coaches, with the winners determined via a panel of voters that included athletic administration, faculty, avid Corban supporters, coaches, and Warrior fans.

Eligible nominations include any performances that occurred during the 2020-21 academic year.

Tonight's honors include the Unsung Hero, Comeback of the Year, Individual Performance of the Year, and Breakthrough Athlete of the Year awards, with the winners of each accolade listed below.

Unsung Hero Award – Evan Hoover, Men's Soccer

A picture of resilience and determination, Hoover collects the 2021 Unsung Hero Award after an impressive spring campaign.

Hoover hadn't registered minutes in either of his first two seasons with the Warriors, and ended up becoming an integral piece in the squad's path to a second-straight conference championship.

Head men's soccer coach Tim Kagey described Hoover by saying, "Evan stayed determined even though he wasn't seeing glamorous rewards in the early portion of his career. He went from not being rostered the year before to serving as a regular starter and key contributor for us this spring."

Previously a defender, Hoover transitioned from the Warrior back line to the forward position prior to the 2021 spring campaign. Undeterred by the change, he scored a pair of goals on the season, both of which were game-winners for the Navy and Gold.

Other nominees: Aidan Bunn (Baseball), Ivey Uppinghouse (Softball), Isiah Quintero (Men's Basketball), Jadyn Mullen (Volleyball), Joanna Wattimena (Women's Lacrosse), Markus Johnson (Men's Wrestling), Keila Tsutsui (Women's Basketball)

Comeback of the Year – Baseball vs. Oregon Tech at the CCC Tournament (May 8, 2021)

Corban's historic matchup in the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Tournament against the Owls will go down as one of the most exciting games ever played by the Warrior baseball program, as the two squads fought tooth-and-nail over the course of four hours and 12 minutes. The win had weighty implications on the line, as the Navy and Gold came from behind to win 6-4 in 13 innings, clinching the squad's first-ever trip to the NAIA National Tournament.

Trailing 2-1 heading into the ninth, Corban needed to conjure some late magic to earn the triumph. Estenio Sede led off the inning with an infield single, advancing to second on an errant throw. Representing the tying run, he later stole third, and stood just 90 feet away from home plate with two outs in the inning.

Down to the final out, a passed ball from Owl catcher Brodie Maloney allowed Sede to score, tying the game at two.

That is where the score would remain for the next three frames, as each team labored through a tense series of extra innings. 

Finally, Corban was able to break through in the 13^th, plating four runs to move in front. No hit was bigger than Dakota Fingar's, who brought both O'Brien and Cantonwine home with a two-run single to stretch Corban's lead to four. It was an unorthodox play, as Fingar actually hit the ball over the left-field fence, but was ruled out after touching first base for allegedly passing the runner ahead of him.

CLICK HERE to watch Fingar's clutch hit.

The incredible game will long be remembered as one of the most exhilarating contests in the program's history.

Read the full recap HERE.

Other nominees: Men's Basketball vs. Bushnell (April 2), Softball vs. Carroll (March 3)

Individual Performance of the Year – Valerie Schmidt, Women's Track & Field (CCC Multi-Event Championships)

After her brother (Michael Schmidt) claimed the accolade last year, NAIA All-American Valerie Schmidt adds to her incredible Warrior career with another prestigious honor as this year's Individual Performance of the Year award-winner.

Schmidt made history this spring, becoming Corban's first-ever CCC Champion in the heptathlon at the CCC Multi-Event Championships. She scored over 200 points higher than the second-place finisher, and registered the third-best performance in the entire NAIA at the time, all while breaking her own school record in the combined events.

Other nominees: Matheus Giron vs. Northwest (Men's Soccer), Denis Kirichenko vs. Eastern Oregon (Men's Basketball), Levi Perry at NAIA Championships (Men's Wrestling), Brigid Shannon at NAIA Championships (Women's Wrestling), Halle Wright vs. Linfield (Women's Basketball)

Co-Breakthrough Athletes of the Year – Zack Simon (Baseball) and Gracie Long (Women's Track & Field/Cross Country)

Simon and Long split the votes for the Breakthrough Athlete of the Year award category, with each rising to elite status in their respective crafts due to exceptional performances in 2020-21.

Simon went from pitching in four games in 2020 to anchoring the Navy and Gold rotation as the Warriors' ace on the mound in 2021.

Simon boasted the 36^th-lowest ERA in the entire NAIA at 2.63, averaging a CCC-high 6.2 innings pitched per game and playing a pivotal role in the squad's historic run to the NAIA National Tournament. For his efforts, he was named the CCC Pitcher of the Year and an NAIA Honorable-Mention All-American, becoming just the second player in program history to earn each of those awards.

Meanwhile, Long broke onto to the scene both in cross country and track & field, spearheading both Navy and Gold squads. She was an All-Conference honoree in cross country, earning a trip to the NAIA Championships and falling just short of reaching NAIA All-American status. Her 41^st-place finish is the highest-ever in the Warrior women's program's history.

She was an All-Conference performer and NAIA Qualifier in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, as well, excelling in the event despite having virtually no experience in it prior to the spring season. She placed ninth in the national race, just one spot away from earning NAIA All-America honors.

Other nominees: Madison Wyllie (Softball), Carlos Llamosa (Men's Soccer), Taylor Anderson (Men's Basketball), Avari Ridgway (Volleyball), Gracie McCoy (Women's Basketball)

Stay tuned to CorbanWarriors.com for all of this year's Golden Warrior Award honorees, with the Head Coach of the Year, Team GPA Award, Game of the Year, and Mark Neustel Athletic Scholarship slated to be announced tomorrow night.