WINONA, Minn. — It was a year to remember for Saint Mary's University's Ary Ziakas (Palatine, Ill.) and Raheem Anthony (Chicago, Ill.).
 
Ziakas made the most of her final year as a member of the Cardinal women's hockey team, being named MIAC Defensive Player of the Year, while Anthony was among the league's best in virtually every offensive category as a member of the SMU men's basketball team.
 
And Sunday evening, the duo were rewarded for their efforts during the 2021-22 season, as Ziakas was named Saint Mary's Outstanding Female Athlete and Anthony was selected Outstanding Male Athlete as part of Saint Mary's athletic department's Best In The Nest awards ceremony.
 
Ziakas and Anthony weren't the only Cardinal student-athletes recognized during the evening of celebration, either.
 
Brady Lindauer (Cary, Ill.) of the men's hockey team and Emily Kern (Buffalo, Minn.) of the women's cross country/track and field team were named Outstanding Male and Female Scholar-Athletes, respectively, while fastpitch softball standout Riley Hall (Dallas, Iowa) was tabbed Newcomer of the Year, Jack Hurley's (Homewood, Ill.) goal for the Saint Mary's men's soccer team earned Play of the Year honors, and the Cardinal women's soccer team took home Team of the Year honors.
 
The Cardinal Inspiration Award — presented to an individual who has gone above and beyond the call of duty in an effort to further the successes of Cardinal athletics — was also presented Sunday evening, going to Dr. Timothy Gossen.
 
Here's a look at all the Best of the Nest award winners:
 
ARY ZIAKAS — OUTSTANDING FEMALE ATHLETE
A first-team all-conference pick, and the league's Defensive Player of the Year, Ary was a finalist for the American Hockey Coaches Association National Player of the Year, after compiling a 2.44 goals-against-average and .914 save percentage with two shutouts.
 
RAHEEM ANTHONY — OUTSTANDING MALE ATHLETE
A first-team all-conference selection, Anthony averaging 16.4 points-per-game and 8.6 rebounds-per-game. He led the conference in assists and was among the top five in the league in virtually every statistical category.
 
BRADY LINDAUER/EMILY KERN — OUTSTANDING MALEL & FEMALE SCHOLAR ATHLETES
A member of the men's hockey team, Lindauer carries a 4.0 GPA as a double major in Business Intelligence & Analytics / Finance, while Kern, who competes for the SMU cross country and track and field teams, is a 4.0 majoring in Psychology
 
CARDINAL WOMEN'S SOCCER — TEAM OF THE YEAR
?The Cardinals closed out the 2021 season with a 7-3-1 record in conference play and a 13-5-2 overall record — and reached the MIAC Tournament semifinals. In 2021, Saint Mary's led all MIAC teams in goals, assists, points, goals-against-average, and shutouts — and their seven conference wins were the most since 1995 and the 13 overall victories were the most since the 2005 team finished 13-5-0.
 
JACK HURLEY — PLAY OF THE YEAR
Hurley's tally against Edgewood on Sept. 4 was his only goal of the year — but what a goal it was, pulling Saint Mary's even with the Regents in a game that SMU eventually won 3-1. Hurley feathered a 28-yard bomb over the outstretched arms of the Rockford goalkeeper and into the upper right-hand corner of the net for his first collegiate goal.
 
DR. TIMOTHY GOSSEN — CARDINAL INSPIRATION AWARD
Dr. Gossen symbolizes all that is good about Saint Mary's, and has gone above and beyond each day to move Cardinal athletics forward. The Cardinal athletic department, the student-athletes, and the university are eternally grateful for his efforts.