CHARLESTON, S.C. – Team award winners and 91 seniors across all 22 varsity sports and support groups were honored at the 2014 College of Charleston Athletics “Coug Awards” Sports Banquet sponsored by The Cougar Club and catered by Taziki's on Thursday night at TD Arena.
Most Valuable Player Award recipients included Mackenzie Johnston (Hilton Head Island, S.C.) of men's cross country, Trish Rein (Philadelphia, Pa.) of women's cross country, Tam McGowan (Glasgow, Scotland) of men's soccer, Sarah Cardamone (Downingtown, Pa.) of women's soccer, Alex Wood (Duncan, S.C.) of men's swimming and diving, Sarah Boyle (Columbia, S.C.) of women's swimming and diving, Alex Ellis (Austin, Texas) of men's golf, Laura Fuenfstueck (Frankfurt, Germany) of women's golf, Crescente Lesser (Santiago, Chile) of men's tennis, Alon Faiman (Ramat Hasharon, Israel) of men's tennis and Samantha Maddox (Lexington, Ky.) of women's tennis.
The CofC women's tennis team won the 2014 Cougar Cup, which is presented annually to the team with the most participation points in the NCAA Student-Athlete Development commitment areas of athletic excellence, academic excellence, personal development, career development and service.
2014 Second Team All-CAA and 2014 NABC All-District 10 Second Team selection, Willis Hall, was honored with the prestigious J. Stewart Walker Cup, which the highest award given by the athletics department to a deserving student-athlete. The award is named after J. Stewart Walker, Jr., a 1978 CofC graduate, who was very active in athletics until his death in 1983.
The other eight finalists for the award included Lizzy Vaughn (Placerville, Calif.) of softball, Claire Newman (Greensboro, N.C.) of women's soccer, Sarah Boyle of women's swimming and diving, Brandon Murray (Nassau, Bahamas) of baseball, Christa Horrocks (Glen Mills, Pa.) of women's track and field, Clerc Cooper (New Orleans, La.) of women's sailing, Elizabeth Chambers (Mooresville, N.C.) of sailing and Kelly Kambourelis (Melbourne, Fla.) of women's tennis.
Academically, 290 student-athletes and trainers were named scholar-athletes this school year. To qualify, a student-athlete must earn a term grade-point average of at least a 3.0 during the spring and fall 2013 terms.
The CofC women's tennis team turned in the highest annual average team GPA in 2013, while the volleyball team had the most improved annual average team GPA. Kelly Kambourelis, who holds a perfect 4.0 grade-point average in communication, earned the Academic MVP Award given to the graduating senior with the highest cumulative GPA at the end of the fall prior to graduation.
Carl Johnson was honored with the Myrt Riggs Fan of the Year Award along with Camille Weaver as the Student Fan of the Year and Dr. Andrew Lewis, College of Charleston Director of Professional Development in Education in the Department of Health and Human Performance, as the Anita Van de Erve Staff/Faculty Fan of the Year.
2014 COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON ATHLETICS “COUG AWARDS” SPORTS BANQUET
April 24, 2014
TD Arena
MEN'S AND WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
Men's MVP: Mackenzie Johnston
Men's Coaches Award: Tyler Wood
Women's MVP: Trish Rein
Women's Coaches Award: Elle Brewer
MEN'S SOCCER
Kirk Kessler Team MVP: Tam McGowan
Aaron Olitsky Most Improved: Tucker Coons
Glaucos Diamantino Best Attitude Award: Connor Coons
Seniors: Jake Currie, Connor Coons, Kees Heemskerk, Porter Massey, Tam McGowan and Thomas Winstead
WOMEN'S SOCCER
MVP: Sarah Cardamone
C.H.A.M.P. Award: Hope Walker
Daniel Ravenel Friends of Cougar Women's Soccer Award: Brooke and Cathy Jones
Seniors: Victoria Fichman, McCallie Jones, Jena Mohr, Jade Reynolds and Eli Sarasola
VOLLEYBALL
Leadership Award: Emily Neideffer
Most Outstanding Attacker: Darcy Dorton
Seniors: Taeler Davis, Emily Neideffer, Darcy Dorton and Kerstin Koehler
SAND VOLLEYBALL
Good Hands Award: Catey Warren
Most Improved: Sloane White
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Offensive Player of the Year: Willis Hall
Defensive Player of the Year: Anthony Stitt
Most Improved: Canyon Barry
Seniors: Judson Hall, Willis Hall, Nori Johnson and Anthony Thomas
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Chairwoman of the Boards: Afreyea Tolbert
Sharp Shooter Award: Alyssa Frye
Floor General Award: Jillian Brown
Best Defensive Player: Breanna Bolden
Rim Protector Award: Mikaela Hopkins
Most Improved Award: Jazz Green
Seniors: Jill Brown, Alyssa Frye, Brittany Johnson, Deidre Ramer and Afreyea Tolbert
MEN'S AND WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING
Men's MVP: Alex Wood
Men's Coaches Award: Will Ryan
Women's MVP: Sarah Boyle
Women's Coaches Award: Meredith Smith
Seniors: Blake Buchanan, Patrick Foos, Greg Karel, Jackson Marine, Cameron Oakley, Evan Renn, Dave Sherrier, Chris Verboncoeur, Elizabeth Berry, Sarah Boyle, Tess Shacknow, Meredith Smith and Erin Steffen
BASEBALL
Seniors: Ben Boykin, Brandon Murray, Blake Ross, Derrick Smith, Michael Hanzlik and Ryan Welke
EQUESTRIAN
Laura Carr Horsemanship Award: Julie Barton
Team Sportsmanship Award: Olivia Gotwald
Leadership Award: Sophie Gotwald
Seniors: Christina Couper, Jane Goodwin, Sophie Gotwald, Morgan McMillan, Trudy Noll, Lexi Rider, Elizabeth Ulicny and Sara Von Schweinitz
MEN'S GOLF
MVP: Alex Ellis
Most Improved Player: John Jonas
Seniors: Parker Allen, Alex Ellis and Tim Mitchell
WOMEN'S GOLF
MVP: Laura Fuenfstueck
Coaches Award: Kathryn Miranda
Seniors: Kathryn Miranda
SAILING
Team Captain: Roy Shaw
Team Captain: Ali Blumenthal
SAAB Representative: Elizabeth Chambers
SAAB Representative: Ryan Davidson
Offshore Team Captain: Brandon Folkman
Seniors: Courtney Alexander, Katherine Baker, Elizabeth Chambers, Nicole Hause, Amy Kubie, Grace Lucas, Carly Shevitz and Taylor Penwell
SOFTBALL
Seniors: Carly Corthell, Kelsey Hodgson, Katie O'Brien, Jen Rosene, Lizzy Vaughn and Maria Zavala
MEN'S TENNIS
MVP: Crescente Lesser and Alon Faiman
Most Improved: Zack Lewis
Seniors: Stephen Hardy and Crescente Lesser
WOMEN'S TENNIS
MVP: Samantha Maddox
Most Improved: Katherine Schofield
Seniors: Jamie Harrell and Kelly Kambourelis
WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD
Seniors: Elle Brewer, Christa Horrocks, Christine Klinar and Kaitlin McWhorter
CHEER
Coaches Award: Niki Bedenbaugh
Most Improved: Candice O'Connor
On The Prowl: Chelsea Gantt
Best All Around: Landon Turner
Seniors: Alexandra Gillmore
DANCE
Most Improved: Jacqueline Reagor
Coaches Award: Mary Bouyea
On The Prowl: Melissa Whiting
Best All Around: Remy Starker
Seniors: Whitney Martin and Remy Starker
ATHLETIC TRAINING
Trainer of the Year: Grace Popham
Seniors: Maggi Campanaro, Lara Christian, Kimberly Holliday, Lauren Looper, Lindsey Morgan, Adam Mutz, Autumn Oakley, Chelsey Perry, Grace Popham, Brandi Schumacher and Shelley Wise
2014 COUGAR CUP
Women's Tennis (2,885 points)
ACADEMICS
Highest Annual Average GPA 2013
Women's Tennis
Most Improved Annual Average GPA 2013
Volleyball
Senior Highest Cumulative GPA (end of Fall 2013)
Kelly Kambourelis (Women's Tennis)
SILCOX AWARD
Charlie Ghriskey (Men's Tennis) and Jamie Harrell (Women's Tennis)
MYRT RIGGS FAN OF THE YEAR AWARD
Carl Johnson
STUDENT FAN OF THE YEAR AWARD
Camille Weaver
ANITA VAN DE ERVE STAFF/FACULTY FAN OF THE YEAR AWARD
Dr. Andrew Lewis
CHARLIE POST AWARD
Deidre Ramer (Women's Basketball)
J. STEWART WALKER CUP AWARD
Willis Hall (Men's Basketball)
