ELON, NC -- The Phoenix recognized its top student-athletes for the 2001-02 sports year at the 28th Annual Elon University Athletics Awards Banquet Tuesday night at Alumni Gym.
Senior right fielder Whit Bryant (Greenville, NC/Rose) and sophomore guard Holly Andrews (Hudson, NC/South Caldwell) were declared the Basnight Outstanding Athletes. The honor has been presented annually since 1958 to Elon’s most outstanding male and female athletes of the year, as determined by the athletics staff, in memory of the late Stein H. Basnight of Chapel Hill, NC.
A two-time Basnight winner and four-year team MVP, Bryant has led the 2002 Phoenix baseball squad to a 33-19 record with victories over No. 1 Clemson and No. 3 Wake Forest. Last month, he was named a Baseball America mid-season All-American senior. Last week, he was announced as a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy, which the NCBWA presents annually to the country’s top college baseball player. Bryant paces the Big South Conference in hits and ranks among the league’s top five players in nine different categories. Bryant is Elon’s all-time leader in career hits, career doubles and career runs batted in.
Elon’s lone Big South Conference Player of the Year in any sport so far this year, Andrews paced the Phoenix women’s basketball team to a 15-13 record and its second-straight league regular season runner-up finish. The team MVP and First Team All-Big South player led the conference in three-point field goal accuracy while rating second in scoring and free throw percentage.
The Robert C. Browne Memorial Sportsmanship Award went to senior cross country runner Brian Zent (Dublin, OH/Dublin) and junior volleyball player Laura Griffin (Wilmington, NC/Hoggard). Established in 1972, the award is presented annually to the Elon athlete who has best displayed exemplary qualities of sportsmanship.
Griffin, an academic all-conference selection and team captain this past season, also serves as president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council. Zent, his squad’s captain the last two years, was a member of Elon’s United States Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic team.
Senior baseball player Jim Swenson (Richmond, VA/James River) and junior cross country harrier Amanda Easoz (Alpharetta, GA/Milton) were named the A.L. Hook Scholar-Athletes. Since 1975, the honor has been presented annually to the Elon male and female junior or senior athletes with the highest cumulative grade-point average.
Swenson, a Verizon Academic All-District team member, garners a 3.64 GPA in computer science while Easoz dons a 3.86 GPA in public administration. Both Academic All-Big South selections, Swenson has landed on Elon’s President’s List once and Dean’s List four times while Easoz has earned President’s List distinction four times so far.
Team MVP’s are junior football player Arketa Banks (Warrenton, NC/Warren County), senior soccer player Robert Latimer (Deltona, FL/Deltona), sophomore soccer player Marlo Wooden (Vorhees, NJ/Eastern Regional), sophomore volleyball player Maria LaBrutto (Vestal, NY/Vestal), freshman cross country runner Brett Willi (Dublin, OH/Dublin Coffman), senior cross country runner Sarah McLellan (Bridgewater, MA/Raynham Regional), senior cheerleader Andy Linn (Springfield, VA/Lake Braddock), junior dancer Amanda Anderson-Rainie (Vienna, VA/James Madison), senior basketball player David Hall (Centreville, VA/Centreville), Andrews, senior athletic trainer Mary Jo Foster (Henderson, NC/Southern Vance), senior public address announcer (service MVP) Erik Furlan (Parkton, MD/Hereford), freshman tennis player Mikael Houlst (Stockholm, Sweden/Tibble), senior tennis player Jessica Fisher (Baltimore, MD/Hereford), Bryant, senior softball player Pam Brock (Herndon, VA/Chantilly), junior golfer Ryan Loucks (Little Silver, NJ/Red Bank Regional), senior golfer Laura Orlen (South Hadley, MA/South Hadley), senior indoor track athlete Nia Douglas (Roanoke, VA/Roanoke Valley Christian) and senior outdoor track and field athlete Carolynne Erwin (Bristol, VT/Mt. Abraham).
A total of 39 endowed scholarships were also awarded. Men's golf honors bestowed were the Marvin B. Comer Golf Scholarship (Most Consistent Award) to freshman Andrew Koenig (Plantation, FL/St. Thomas Aquinas), the Jim Hair Golf Scholarship (Blue Collar Award) to sophomore J.D. McNeill (Pinehurst, NC/Pinecrest), the Clyde Johnston Golf Scholarship (Most Improved Award) to senior Brett Diakon (Newtown, PA/Council Rock), the Clyde and Ester Ward Golf Scholarship (Academic Achievement Award) to Loucks, the Max Ward Golf Scholarship (Leadership Award) to senior Mark Hunsicker (Allentown, PA/Parkland) and the Dwight L. Dillon Scholarship (Freshman of the Year Award) to freshman James Hockman (Durham, NC/C.E. Jordan).
In women's golf, Orlen received the James C. Scott Golf Scholarship (Leadership Award), junior Katie Knoepffler (Blue Point, NY/St. Joseph's) received the Mr. and Mrs. Hunt Ward Golf Scholarship (Inspiration Award) and freshman Becky Poindexter (Martinsville, VA/Martinsville) received the A. Frank Andrews Golf Scholarship (Freshman of the Year Award).
For football, junior Josh Rowan (Gainesville, GA/West Hall) received the Gene Brewer Scholarship (Mr. Consistency Award), senior Marshall Rickenbacker (Rock Hill, SC/Rock Hill) received the Bob Dunlap Scholarship (Most Outstanding Defensive Back Award), senior Scott McLain (Springfield, VA/West Springfield) received the John Frye Scholarship (Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award), senior Ike Herndon (Oxford, NC/Webb) received the Hill-York Scholarship (Most Outstanding Defensive Lineman Award), sophomore Stephen McCoy (Laurinburg, NC/Scotland County) received the Jerry Tolley Scholarship (Most Outstanding Specialist Award), freshman Calvin Sutton (Grifton, NC/North Lenoir) received the Sid Varney Scholarship (Most Outstanding Linebacker Award), junior Martin Swindell (Swan Quarter, NC/Mattamuskeet) received the D.C. "Peahead" Walker Scholarship (Coach’s Award), sophomore Rashaud Palmer (Norlina, NC/Warren County) received the S.S. "Red" Wilson Scholarship (Most Outstanding Offensive Back Award) and freshman Brandon Mason (Martinsville, VA/Martinsville) received the Zac Walker Scholarship (Scholar-Athlete Award).
Baseball awards bestowed were the Chester Huey Scholarship (Freshman of the Year Award) on freshman Gary Morris (Franklin, NC/Franklin), the Rufus Thomas Blanchard Scholarship (Coach's Award) on junior Tyson Blocker (Roswell, GA/Appalachian State), the Harris-Such Scholarship (Pitcher of the Year Award) on sophomore Matt Garner (Reidsville, NC/Reidsville), the Graham "Doc" Mathis Scholarship (Golden Glove Award) on senior Jason Tuttle (Winston-Salem, NC/Parkland) and the Danieley Memorial Scolarship (Sportsmanship Award) on Swenson.
For women’s basketball, the Luther Byrd Scholarship (Most Improved Award) went to sophomore Courtney Nyborg (Apex, NC/Southeast Raleigh), the Rachel and Bethany Ward Scholarship (Hustle Award) went to junior Jayme Chikos (Baton Rouge, LA/Bishop Sullivan) and the Haywood Simpson Scholarship (Inspiration Award) went to senior Mariam McLeod (Gastonia, NC/North Gaston).
Men’s basketball honors issued were the I.L. "Ike" Fesmire Scholarship (Hustle Award) to junior Ross Sims (Powder Springs, GA/McEachern), the Bill Miller Scholarship (Coach's Award) to freshman Gary Marsh (Lillington, NC/Harnett Central), the C.L. Wilburn & Verna Wilburn Lee Scholarship (Top Defensive Player Award) to senior David Hall (Centreville, VA/Centreville), the C. Carl Woods Scholarship (Most Improved Award) to freshman Jackson Atoyebi (Chicago, IL/Culver Military Academy) and the Haywood Simpson Scholarship (Inspiration Award) to Sims.
Other awards bestowed were the R.H. Barringer Scholarship (Coach's Award) to sophomore tennis player Justin Roberson (Winston-Salem, NC/Mount Tabor), the Tom Sawyer-Huck Finn Scholarship (Leadership Award) to sophomore tennis player Aubrey Rhoads (Landisville, PA/Hempfield), the C.V. "Lefty" Briggs Scholarship (Heart & Hustle Award) to freshman softball player Danielle Concepcion (Virginia Beach, VA/Frank W. Cox), the Florence & L.G. Matkins Scholarship (Coach's Award) to senior volleyball player Robyn West (Ellicott City, MD/Centennial), the W.B. "Bill" Terrell Scholarship (Most Inspirational Player Award) to senior soccer player Erin Lautermilch (Glen Rock, NJ/Glen Rock), the L.J. "Hap" Perry Scholarship (Top Newcomer Award) to freshman soccer player Steven Aparicio (Plano, TX/Plano East), the Kimberly Ann Barkman Scholarship (Support Services Award) to women’s basketball student assistant Genna Ramseur (Fayetteville, NC/Northwood Temple Academy) and the Rhodes-Ford Scholarship (Sports Medicine Award) to athletic trainer Jennifer Catalfano (Bethlehem, PA/St. Rose).
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