CHARLOTTE, N.C. — High Point University men's soccer student-athlete
Daniel Lugo has been voted the Big South Conference Howard Bagwell Male Athlete of the Year recipient, which was announced by the league office Tuesday afternoon.
Lugo is High Point's second consecutive honoree, joining baseball's Konni Durschlag, and the first HPU men's soccer player to be named the Big South Male Athlete of the Year.
A native of Saint Petersburg, Fla., Lugo earned United Soccer Coaches (USC) Third-Team All-America honors after being voted the 2025 Big South Offensive Player of the Year, Big South Newcomer of the Year, Big South Tournament MVP and Big South First-Team All-Conference, in addition to being named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Midseason Watch List as well as a TopDrawerSoccer.com (TDS) Player of the Year Finalist and to the TDS "Best XI" First Team. Ranked No. 4 on the TDS Postseason Top 100 Players list, Lugo started 19 of 20 matches while scoring a league-best 14 goals — including a single-season program-best seven game-winning scores — and assisted on five for a team and conference-leading 33 points in 1,191 minutes played. High Point's fourth all-time USC All-American scored in 12 matches, two of those with a brace, en route to the Panthers' best season in program history that featured a 14-2-4 record, two Big South Conference trophies and first-ever Sweet Sixteen appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Lugo was selected in the first round of the MLS SuperDraft by the Vancouver Whitecaps FC with the 29th overall pick. He will be returning to HPU for another season before heading to Vancouver.
The Howard Bagwell Big South Male Athlete of the Year has been voted on by the league's Athletics Directors, Senior Woman Administrators and Athletics Communications Directors. The candidates for the annual award consist of the Players of the Year from each sport, and must be deemed eligible for the honor by their respective school.
In March 2000, the Big South Conference Executive Committee voted to create an annual Male Student-Athlete of the Year award, and named the male award in honor of former Charleston Southern Athletic Director Howard Bagwell, who was one of the founders of the Big South Conference and an inaugural inductee into the league's Hall of Fame.
The Athlete of the Year awards have been presented annually since 1999-00, with the exception of 2019-20 due to the season being incomplete and eventually canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The annual honorees are listed below.
#GoHPU
HOWARD BAGWELL MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
2025-26
Daniel Lugo, High Point (soccer)
2024-25 Konni Durschlag, High Point (baseball)
2023-24 Drew Pember, UNC Asheville (basketball)
2022-23 Drew Pember, UNC Asheville (basketball)
2021-22 Athanas Kioko, Campbell (cross country/track & field)
2020-21 Athanas Kioko Campbell (cross country/track & field)
2018-19 Chris Clemons, Campbell (basketball)
2017-18 Amon Kemboi, Campbell (cross country/track & field)
2016-17 Amon Terer, Campbell (cross country/track & field)
2015-16 Andrew Beckwith, Coastal Carolina (baseball)
2014-15 Quinn Backus, Coastal Carolina (football)
2013-14 Lorenzo Taliaferro, Coastal Carolina (football)
2012-13 Miguel Maysonet, Stony Brook (football)
2011-12 Ashton Bennett, Coastal Carolina (soccer)
2010-11 Sam Chelanga, Liberty (cross country/track & field)
2009-10 Sam Chelanga, Liberty (cross country/track & field)
2008-09 Sam Chelanga, Liberty (cross country/track & field)
2007-08 Josh McDougal, Liberty (cross country/track & field)
2006-07 Josh McDougal, Liberty (cross country/track & field)
2005-06 Josh McDougal, Liberty (cross country/track & field)
2004-05 Mike Costanzo, Coastal Carolina (baseball)
2003-04 Joseph Ngwenya, Coastal Carolina (soccer)
2002-03 Joseph Ngwenya, Coastal Carolina (soccer)
2001-02 Justin Owens, Coastal Carolina (baseball)
2000-01 Jason Colson, Winthrop (baseball)
1999-00 Keith Butler, Liberty (baseball)
