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.
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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
