WHUAHH. And there it was, in it’s purest form. Jackson Simmons did “The Nae Nae.”
This is what the Rammys is all about. The second annual North Carolina athletics awards ceremony highlights the best and brightest among UNC’s 26 Division I teams. UNC’s athletes gathered under one roof, from sophomore point guard Marcus Paige to freshman tennis phenom Jamie Loeb, to recognize each other’s achievements and talents on and off the court.
The ceremony, which was held in Memorial Hall Monday night, was a chance to make fun of themselves. Redshirt freshman Matt Williams from the wrestling team, momentarily dwarfed beside 6-foot-2 rower Lucie Kloak as the two presented an award, had a stepladder brought out to close the gap.
In the second annual Minute to Win it competition, where teams submitted a 60 second clip to be judged by their peers, the gymnastics team vaulted past its competition, winning with a compilation of falls and flops from the season.
The night also featured a clogging performance from women’s basketball redshirt freshman Hillary Fuller, a ‘90s mashup from a group of athletes known as the “Carolina Throwbacks,” and a “Frozen” rendition of “Let it Go” by Rosie Wood. Roy Williams was even spotted swing dancing with Paige, who cameoed as Pharrell in a lip-syncing of “Happy.”
Paige also graced the stage multiple times to accept awards for himself and on behalf of his team, appreciating the chance to trade in his Tar Heel blues for a suit and tie.
“It’s a great time too, we get to dress up and look cool,” he said. “I’m just glad to represent my team. A couple of those awards are a tribute to as much work as I’ve put in — just anything I can do to represent the team well.”
Junior pitcher Benton Moss looked at the night as a welcome relief from a student-athlete’s rigorous schedule.
