PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Sofia Chichaikina (swimming & diving) and Noah Vedral (football) both represent Rutgers University as winners of the Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship Award, announced Tuesday by the conference office.

One member of each varsity sports team on every campus was chosen by his or her institution as a Sportsmanship Award honoree throughout the year, and two Outstanding Sportsmanship Award winners were then selected from each institution. All of the Sportsmanship Award winners have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. In addition, these honorees must be in good academic standing and must have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.


SOFIA CHICHAIKINA
Chichaikina wrapped up her Scarlet Knight swimming career with five school records, four Rutgers Aquatic Center pool records and 10 Big Ten Championship podium finishes. In addition to holding the school record in the 100 free and with the 400 free, 800 free and 200 medley relays, Chichaikina also holds the second-fastest times in the 200 free and 200 butterfly and is among the all-time top ten in the 50 free and 200 IM.

During her senior year, she set both the school and pool records in anchoring the 200 medley relay as well as swimming the anchor leg on the pool record-setting 200 free relay. At the 2023 Big Ten Championships, Chichaikina helped Rutgers to its highest point total since joining the league and reached the podium four times including a seventh-place performance with the 200 medley relay team and eighth-place finishes in the 200 fly and with the 400 and 800 free relay squads. She also reached the B finals of the 200 free and 100 fly as well as the C final of the 50 free at the conference championships. An Information Technology & Informatics major, Chichaikina is a two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.


NOAH VEDRAL
A two-time captain for the Scarlet Knights, Vedral ranks seventh in program history in both completions (337) and total offense (3,876), being 12th in passing yards (3,340). He claimed the team's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award the past two years, also being selected to the AFCA Good Works Team for exemplary community service, academic dedication and impact on and off the field. The quarterback is a three-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and won the 2022 Paul Robeson Award, which is bestowed to the individual whose performance, leadership and dedication on and off the field had the greatest impact on Rutgers football.

Involved with the community, Vedral served in numerous projects for Chop4Change, a Rutgers football initiative to spread a message of unity and equality. Events Vedral participated in included the Special Olympics opening ceremony and Saturdays in Motion at the YMCA Somerset Hills. It is the longest running recreational program in the United States for children with autism and their families. In addition, he was part of raising money for Easter dinner gift cards for families in need and for purchasing new winter coats and school supplies for local children. At the bowl game in 2021, the Nebraska native took part in packing bags of food for schools with special notes of encouragement. Vedral was a semifinalist for the 2021 William V. Campbell Trophy, which recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation.

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