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April 26, 2009 Highlight Video by Chris Hooks DURHAM, N.C. - North Carolina Central University senior softball infielder Sophia Blue and senior football and track & field standout Eric Smalls were recognized as the male and female student-athletes of the year with the presentation of the LeRoy T. Walker Medallion of Honor Sunday night at the annual NCCU Athletic Awards Banquet inside McLendon-McDougald Gymnasium. Blue, a native of Hope Mills, N.C., currently leads the Lady Eagles softball team with a .418 batting average. As a starter in all 44 games this season, she also tops the team with 56 hits, six doubles, 66 total bases, 15 stolen bases and 111 fielding assists. During her stellar four-year career, Blue has started in every game, amassing a career batting average of .475, which ranks second in the NCCU record books. The senior utility infielder is the school's career leader in hits (289) and triples (26), and ranks second in runs scored and stolen bases. Smalls, a native of Raleigh, N.C., is a two-sport standout for the Eagles. He ranked fifth on the football squad with 54 total tackles and was second on the team in sacks with 5.5. In the spring, he won the discus throw competition at three meets, while also finishing second twice. In the shot put, he posted three second place performances and two third place efforts. This past weekend at the prestigious Penn Relays, Smalls again placed second in the shot put with a toss of 17.34 meters. During his track & field career at NCCU, he participated in the NCAA Division II Track & Field Championships in both the shot put and discus throw and is a two-time CIAA Champion in shot put (2006, 2007) and discus throw (2006, 2007). Senior Kristan Fields, a volleyball setter from Fayetteville, N.C., received the Chancellor's Award as the student-athlete with the highest grade point average for the second consecutive year. She currently boasts a 3.923 grade point average as an elementary education major. For the fourth year in a row, the men's tennis team earned the Faculty Athletic Council award as the team with the highest grade point average.
The team most valuable player awards were presented to Troy McConico (football - defense), Will Scott (football - offense), Brandon Gilbert (football - special teams; Billy Coward Award as overall football MVP), Rachel Lloyd (women's volleyball), James Kukat (men's cross country), Desinia Johnson (women's cross country), Lindsey Green and LaTia Blacknell (women's bowling), Jamar Briscoe (men's basketball, Billy Coward Award), Jori Nwachukwu (women's basketball), Eric Smalls and Charles Lindsay (men's indoor track & field), Lakisha Gantt (women's indoor track & field), Sophia Blue and Ashanti Stroud (softball), Akeem Hood (baseball), Jack Waissen and Trey Chatman (men's tennis), Kateryna Chorna (women's tennis), Josue Garza (men's golf), Eric Smalls (men's outdoor track & field), Chavaria Williams (women's outdoor track & field), and April Gramby (cheerleading). The team academic award winners were Kim Derrickson (women's track & field), Kristan Fields (women's volleyball), Elizabeth Schuster (women's bowling), Justin Campbell (football), Tremain Holloway (men's basketball), Sheresa Mills (women's basketball), Trishann Hayes (softball), Stephen Allsop (men's tennis), Tatiana Velasquez (women's tennis), Juan Sanchez (men's golf), Daran Gill (men's track & field), Brandon Oatis (baseball), and Camille Strachan (cheerleading). In other special awards, Ajia Covin was chosen as the Student Athletic Trainer of the Year, Brittany Brown (track & field) and Eric Smalls (football) were presented with the Strength & Conditioning "All Day, Every Day" Award, Blaire Houston (basketball) and Joseph Hutchinson (football) received the Academic Support STARS (Students Taking Active Responsibility for Success) Awards, while the baseball and softball teams shared the AIM (Athletes in Motion) Award. ________________________________________ 2008-09 NCCU Athletics Award Recipients MOST VALUABLE PLAYER James Kukat, Men's Cross Country Desinia Johnson, Women's Cross Country Rachel Lloyd, Women's Volleyball Lindsey Green and LaTia Blacknell, Women's Bowling Troy McConico, Football (Defense) Will Scott, Football (Offense) Brandon Gilbert, Football (Special Teams) Eric Smalls and Charles Lindsay, Men's Indoor Track & Field Lakisha Gantt, Women's Indoor Track & Field Jamar Briscoe, Men's Basketball Jori Nwachukwu, Women's Basketball Akeem Hood, Baseball Sophia Blue and Ashanti Stroud, Softball Josue Garza, Men's Golf Jack Waissen and Trey Chatman, Men's Tennis Kateryna Chorna, Women's Tennis Eric Smalls, Men's Outdoor Track & Field Chavaria Williams, Women's Outdoor Track & Field April Gramby, Cheerleading
TEAM'S HIGHEST G.P.A. Kristan Fields, Women's Volleyball Elizabeth Schuster, Women's Bowling Justin Campbell, Football Tremain Holloway, Men's Basketball Sheresa Mills, Women's Basketball Trishann Hayes, Softball Stephen Allsop, Men's Tennis Tatiana Velasquez, Women's Tennis Juan Sanchez, Men's Golf Daran Gill, Men's Track & Field Kim Derrickson, Women's Track & Field Brandon Oatis, Baseball Camille Strachan, Cheerleading OTHER AWARDS Student Athletic Trainer of the Year - Ajia Covin Training Room Junkie Award - Christopher Davis, Track & Field Strength & Conditioning "All Day, Every Day" Award - Female - Brittany Brown, Track & Field Male - Eric Stanley, Football Academic Support STARS (Students Taking Active Responsibility for Success) Award - Female - Blaire Houston, Basketball Male - Joseph Hutchinson, Football Champs Life Skills AIM (Athletes in Motion) Award - Baseball and Softball Faculty Athletic Council Award - Men's Tennis - Presented to the team with the highest grade point average Chancellor's Award - Kristan Fields, Volleyball - Presented to the Student-Athlete with the highest grade point average Dr. LeRoy T. Walker Medallion of Honor - Eric Smalls, Football / Track & Field Sophia Blue, Softball - Presented to the Male and Female Student-Athletes of the Year |
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