TEMPE, Ariz. – Arizona State women's basketball head coach Charli Turner Thorne and senior Kianna Ibis received the top awards at the annual Wings of Gold spring event last Wednesday night at the PERA Club.
 
The night was dedicated to showcasing the Sun Devil female student-athletes and raising funds to support all 14 programs. The two big awards that were given out were the Heather Farr Student-Athlete of the Year, which Ibis won, and the Linda Vollstedt Coach of the Year, which Turner Thorne won.
 

Congratulations to @ASUCoachCharli & @kianna_ibis on winning two prestigious awards tonight!

Linda Vollstedt Coach of the Year ?
Heather Farr Award ? pic.twitter.com/3hulB0Bztm

— Sun Devil WBB (@SunDevilWBB) April 11, 2019

Following the silent auction, the triathlon team was honored for their 2018 National Championship, their third title in a row. Head coach Cliff English spoke about the team's success and how it has all been able to come together.
 
"My program, like all programs here, really thank the supporters and the donors for helping us and joining us on this journey," English said. "We couldn't do it without you,"
 
Another national champion was recognized that night. Samantha Noenning won the indoor track and field national championship in shot put this past March. Head coach Greg Kraft, throws coach Brian Blutreich and Noenning all said a few words about that experience.
 
"I couldn't have done everything I've accomplished so far without my coaches and my teammates," Noenning said. "They provide so much support for me to do what I love and to be able to compete at the level I'm at."
 
The first award of the night was the Heather Farr Student-Athlete of the Year award. The three finalists were Ibis, Noenning and Anne Kuhm from gymnastics. All three of them were brought up to the stage for a short Q&A before Ibis was given the award. The Heather Farr Award was named in honor of one of the most successful female student-athletes in school history. She died in November 1993 after a long, valiant fight against breast cancer. This award honors her legacy of what it means to be a great Sun Devil student-athlete. 
 
"I want to thank Sun Devil athletics and my coach Charli and the staff for giving me the opportunity to excel both academically and athletically in my four years here," Ibis said. "I also want to thank every here for making everything possible for us. We wouldn't be able to do the great things we do without you all. I'm glad to be a Sun Devil and I'm going to be a Sun Devil for life."
 
After the live auction, the Linda Vollstedt Coach of the Year award was presented to Turner Thorne. Both Volldstedt and last year's winner Missy Farr-Kaye from women's golf came up to the stage to present the honor. The award is given to the Sun Devil women's coach who most exhibits the four pillars of the Sun Devil Way: integrity, championship performance, graduation and tradition.
 
"The coaches appreciate the support from all of you," Turner Thorne said. "It's not just financial, it's emotional. Thank you all so much. This honor means a lot to me. Linda has been an unbelievable mentor and role model to all of the coaches in the department."
 
The Wings of Gold fund supports the rich tradition of women's collegiate athletics at Arizona State by acting as an advocate and support system for all 14 Sun Devil women's athletic programs. The unrestricted dollars raised through the Wings of Gold fund are evenly distributed between the 14 programs and will be used for recruiting, academic and other essential needs necessary to compete at the highest level. 
 
For more information, head to sundevilclub.com/wog. The story of Linda Vollstedt and how her award came to be can be found here.