UVA punter Nicholas Conte has been named a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award, the Augusta Sports Council and Ray Guy Award committee announced Friday. The semifinalists were selected from a field of 66 candidates. The Ray Guy Award is given annually to the National Punter of the Year. Conte is the only player from the ACC on the list of semifinalists.
Conte (Sr., Roanoke, Va.) leads the ACC in punting with a 45.5 yards per punt average. He is also No. 10 in the nation in punting average. Conte has 25 punts, which ranks No. 2 in the nation. Of his 25 punts inside the 20, he has placed 11 inside the 10. Of his 11 punts inside the 10, six are inside the five with five downed at the one. Conte is a 2016 CoSIDA District Academic All-American and a semifinalist for the National Football Foundation’s Campbell Trophy, which is known as the Academic Heisman. Conte’s career punting average of 45.1 yards per punt is a UVA record.
Conte is the first Cavalier to be name a Ray Guy Award semifinalist since Mike Abrams was a finalist in 2001.
A national voting body of Football Bowling Subdivision (FBS) coaches, sports information directors, national media and former Ray Guy Award winners will decide the three award finalists, who will be announced on November 22. Voters will then vote again to decide the winner who will be announced live December 8 at theThe Home Depot College Football Awards in Atlanta, Georgia.
2016 Ray Guy Award Semifinalists
- Austin Barnes (Jr.), Eastern Michigan University
- Nicholas Conte (Sr.), University of Virginia
- Steven Coutts (So.), University of Louisiana at Lafayette
- Joseph Davidson (Jr.), Bowling Green State University
- Michael Dickson (So.), University of Texas
- Hayden Hunt (Sr.), Colorado State University
- Cameron Johnston (Sr.), Ohio State University
- Zach Sinor (So.), Oklahoma State University
- Johnny Townsend (Jr.), University of Florida
- Mitch Wishnowsky (So.), University of Utah
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