Highlight . of . the Season Award

The HAC winter sports season was very exciting this year, filled with thrilling comebacks, personal records, and sectional victories. However, in the midst of all of this success, The Howler would like to recognize one specific moment that stood out as the 2022-23 Winter Sports “Highlight of the Season.”

Similar to an NFL MVP or Nobel Prize, being the athlete behind The Howler’s “Highlight of the Season” award comes with the utmost prestige. This award is given to an HAC student athlete who made an athletic play to be remembered by the AC community for years to come. For the winter sports season, The Howler staff had no trouble selecting our first ever recipient for the “Highlight of the Season” award.

This season’s award is proudly presented to Awak Thongjang ‘23 for his incredible Senior Night dunk which narrowed the gap between HAC and Bloomfield to three points with less than four minutes to go, created tremendous momentum for the team, and left the Wolf Pack cheering like never before. As someone who witnessed this incredible play with my own two eyes, I can say it was certainly a time to be alive. Watch the full clip using the QR code below.

Now, let’s have a quick word with our recipient, Awak Thongjang:

Q. WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND WHEN YOU DECIDED TO GO FOR THE DUNK?

“I saw that I had an open layup, and I was thinking ‘oh well, I’ll go for the dunk.’ However, when I went up, the guy went up with me, and then I was thinking ‘oh shoot why did I do this.’ Once I saw I had made the dunk, I was like ‘oh well, I guess I made it.’

Q. HOW HAS YOUR LIFE CHANGED SINCE YOU MADE THAT DUNK?

“I became a permanent starter for a while. People congratulated me left and right. In fact, I was told I made the second dunk in the Gannett gym in AC history.”

Q. HOW DO YOU FEEL AS THE FIRST EVER RECIPIENT OF THE HOWLER’S HIGHLIGHT OF THE SEASON AWARD?

“I feel honored to receive this award, and I am happy that I was recognized for my athletic accomplishments.” •