April 21, 2010
FAYETTEVILLE - Fayetteville State put a cap on the 2009-10 athletic season at the 25th annual athletic awards banquet on Wednesday inside Capel Aprena.
Junior Tiffany Haywood (Fayetteville, NC) and senior Marcos Esquivel (Kearny, AZ) were honored as the female and male athletes of the year.
Juniors Kristy Mitchell (Fayetteville, NC) and Paul Murphy (Charlotte, NC) were given the female and male meritorious awards.
Ray Thomas, host of the Bronco Café on 91.9 WFSS and voice of the Broncos, presided over the event and assisted in paying homage to more than 200 student athletes in nine sports at FSU.
Haywood, a forward on the 2010 CIAA Champion FSU women's basketball team, was named female athlete of the year after leading FSU and the CIAA with 10.3 rebounds per game. She recorded 12 or more rebounds 10 times during the 2009-10 season and had a five-game stretch where she had five-straight double doubles.
Against Bowie State on Jan. 11 she had 14 points and a career-high 20 rebounds An All-CIAA first team selection, Haywood also named on All-CIAA tournament team and was named the tournament's most valuable player.
Manning his linebacker position, Esquivel was a two-year starter, captain and two-time All-CIAA first-team selection for the 2009 CIAA Champion FSU football team.
He led FSU with 106 tackles and 22.5 tackles for loss while amassing 7.5 sacks, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble and a blocked kick.
In the CIAA Championship game, he recorded 10 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.
Mitchell and Murphy received the Meritorious Award for their academic excellence and community contributions. A member of the FSU women's tennis team, Mitchell had six total wins in her first season with the Broncos. A math major, she had a 3.98 GPA, is in the FSU honors program and on the Chancellor's list, served as Chancellor for a day in 2009, is an orientation leader, math tutor and a member of the women's leadership academy.
An offensive lineman and member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Murphy has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, is a Bronco Ambassador and a RA with the Upward Bound Program. In October, he was named CIAA Offensive Lineman of the Week after helping the Broncos roll up 483 yards of total offense in a 30-12 win over Johnson C. Smith List of Awards:
Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC)
Most Outstanding Leadership - Doniecia Ebron
Most Involved - Breana Wilson
Sports Medicine
Female Comeback Athlete of The Year - Demarius Pankey
Male Comeback Athlete of The Year - Jeffrey Brooks
Cheerleading
Academic Excellence - Shomika Edmonds
Coach's Award - Courtney McNeil
Most Spirited - Carla Peguese
Most Dedicated - Audri Wooten
Best All-Around - Bianca Malloy
Bronco Pride Award - Daniel Watson
Cross County
Academic Excellence - Kezie Mwaniki
Coach's Award - Kenya Vice
Most Valuable - Tressa Aughburns
Academic Excellence - Delaurence Rudd
Coach's Award - Courtney Slaughter
Most Valuable - Stevie Sumpter
Tennis
Academic Excellence - Kristy Mitchell
Most Improved - Danielle Boone
Rookie of The Year - Shantana Donegan
Most Valuable - Amber Mitchell
Softball
Academic Excellence - Ashley Wlezen
Coach's Award - Demarius Pankey
Leadership - Tracey Brighter
Most Outstanding Newcomer - Misty Huber
Most Valuable - April Branch
Bowling
Academic Excellence - Jamie Donnely
Coach's Award - Jessica Collins
Most Improved Bowler - Kelly Wakerhauser
Most Outstanding Newcomer - Clarrisse Bible
Most Outstanding Bowler - Jessica Styers
Most Valuable - Akira Turner
Volleyball
Academic Excellence - Gewyl Galberth
Coach's Award - Samantha Meeks
Sportsmanship - Ifeyinwa Nwokolo
Most Improved Player - Joi Emanuel
Most Valuable - Achari Mainor
Men's Basketball
Academic Excellence - Paul Lane
Hustle Award - Benjamin Davis
Most Outstanding Defensive Player - Jarmel Baxter
Leadership & Most Valuable Player - Jamel Carpenter
Golf
Academic Excellence - Bryan Connor
Sportsmanship - Jeremy Ringled
Most Improved Golfer - William McClure
Most Outstanding Newcomer - Matt Crescenzo
Most Valuable - Jedidiah Frazier
Women's Basketball
Academic Excellence - Britney Whitehead
Coach's Award - Randi Watts
Most Outstanding Defensive Player Deja Middleton
Most Outstanding Offensive Players -- Tiffany Haywood and L'oreal Price
Most Valuable Player - Danielle Russell
Football
Academic Excellence - Larry McDonald
Coach's Award - Jeffery Gowdy
Most Outstanding Special Teams Player - Austin Turner
Larry "Jackhammer" McClain Award for Defense - Adrian Horton
Larry "Jackhammer" McClain Award for Offense - Larry McDonald
Most Outstanding Offensive Player - Calvin Harris and Austin Turner
Most Outstanding Defensive Player - Marcos Esquivel
Iron Mike and Female Soldier of the Year Award - Shacovia Shepard
Meritorious Award
Male - Paul Murphy
Female - Kristy Mitchell
Student-Athlete of the Year
Male - Marcos Esquivel
Female - Tiffany Haywood
