SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- The Southern Conference and Coleman Lew & Associates, Inc., a national executive search firm, announced the selection of 23 student-athletes as recipients of the fifth annual Coleman Lew Leadership Award. Elon sophomore football player Chris Shafto and junior women’s soccer player Amanda Jones were among this year’s recipients.

The award recognizes student-athletes from each of the Southern Conference’s 12 member institutions. Coaches, faculty athletic representatives and senior woman administrators nominate prospective candidates based on leadership, academic excellence and athletic achievement in both the college environment and the community. Athletic directors and representatives from Coleman Lew & Associates conducted one-on-one interviews with finalists before determining the award winners.

“Our firm has a strong educational partnership with the Southern Conference,” said Kenneth D. Carrick, Jr., “We are proud to present the fifth annual Coleman Lew Leadership Award to these outstanding student-athletes who have excelled in academic performance, athletic skill, community service and leadership ability.”

Shafto, a holder and backup quarterback for the Phoenix football squad, holds a 3.613 grade point average as a business administration major. The native of Cary, N.C. has been a member of the dean’s list and the SoCon Academic Honor Roll throughout his time in the maroon and gold. He saw action in 11 games for the Phoenix in 2009. Shafto has been active in the community, serving at the Boys and Girls Club and taking part in Students of AMF.

Jones is a strategic communications major with a GPA of 3.77. The midfielder out of Roswell, Ga. competed in 11 contests for Elon this past fall, earning the starting nod in two games. A member of the Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll, Jones was also selected out of 500 applicants to the Journalism and Communications Fellows Program, a competitive honors program at Elon. She participated in the Skills on Wheels Tournament in Elon, helping to increase awareness and raise money for handicapped children, while also volunteering at Atlanta’s Children’s Healthcare Rehab Games.

Recipients of the Coleman Lew Leadership Award will be recognized at the Southern Conference Honors Dinner on Tuesday, June 1 at the Crowne Plaza Resort in Hilton Head, S.C.

The 2010 Coleman Lew & Associates Leadership Award Recipients
Name (Institution)                                             Sport                            Academic Major
Darryl Smith (Appalachian State)                        Football                        Accounting
Kristina Reese (Appalachian State)                     Track & Field                 Communications
Branko Gavric (College of Charleston)                Soccer                          Biology
Kristi Lyn Woodall (College of Charleston)          Softball                        Business Administration
Blaine McAlister (The Citadel)                             Volleyball                      Business
Danny Weiss (Davidson)                                   Baseball                       English
Allison Drutchas (Davidson)                               Soccer                          Philosophy
Chris Shafto (Elon)                                  Football                        Business Administration
Amanda Jones (Elon)                                        Soccer                          Communications
Richard Furman (Furman)                                   Football                        Economics
Shannon Cantwell (Furman)                                Track & Field                 Economics
Logan Blondell (Georgia Southern)                     Golf                              Finance
Caroline Bevillard (Georgia Southern)                 Swimming & Diving       Sports Management
Andrew Clyne  (UNC Greensboro)                       Cross Country               Accounting
Jennifer Partenheimer (UNC Greensboro)            Soccer                          Kinesiology
Gary Cramer (Samford)                                      Baseball                       Sports Medicine
Hillary Fountain (Samford)                                 Volleyball                      Childhood Education
Gordon Davis Rudell (Chattanooga)                   Tennis                           Biology
Annie Green (Chattanooga)                                Tennis                           Communications
Zachary Michael Jaynes (Western Carolina)         Football                        Business
Emily Clarke (Western Carolina)                          Volleyball                      Psychology
Jamar Diggs (Wofford)                                      Basketball                     Business Economics