JOHNSON C. SMITH HONORS STUDENT-ATHLETES AT ANNUAL ATHLETIC BANQUET
April 30, 2009
Charlotte, NC - Johnson C. Smith University recognized the athletic and academic accomplishments of its student-athletes at the Annual Athletic Banquet, held on Monday evening (April 27th) inside the Grimes Lounge on the campus of JCSU. Sophomores Shermaine Williams and Leford Green were honored with Pettis Norman Award as the female and male Student-Athletes of the Year, respectively.
The Voice of the Golden Bulls, Mr. Otis Stroud was the master of ceremony and presided over the event.
Shermaine Williams, a member of the women's indoor/outdoor track and field program, repeated as the national indoor champion this season in the 60 meter hurdles at the NCAA Division II Winter Festival in Houston, TX. In the preliminary round, Williams set a national record with a time of 8.07 seconds, smashing the previous record of 8.23 Williams set a year ago in Minnesota.
In March, Williams was named Women's Track Athlete of the Year in the Atlantic Region by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. During the Raleigh Relays, Williams opened her 100m hurdles outdoor campaign with a scorching 13.29 in the preliminaries to record the fastest time in the nation for Division II hurdlers. Williams automatically qualified for the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships on May 21-23, 2009 in San Angelo TX. She also placed first in the 100m hurdles at the 2009 CIAA Outdoor Championships with a time of 13.41 seconds.
Williams is a native of St. Andrews, Jamaica, who is also carrying a grade point average above a 3.5 as a Biology major. Williams will represent Johnson C. Smith and the city of Charlotte as the cover athlete for the NCAA Champion Magazine summer edition.
Leford Green, a native of St. Catherine, Jamaica, was named Male Student-Athlete of the Year for his production on the JCSU Men's Cross Country and Indoor/Outdoor Track and Field teams. Green led the way for JCSU Men's Track, opening the 2009 indoor season with a win in the 500m and setting a new Clemson facility record of 1:03.52 seconds. This year, Green has competed in the 60m, 200m, 400m, 500m, and anchor on the 4x100m and 4x400m.
Green earned his second All-American honors in NCAA indoor track and field. Green established a new personal best in the 200m and the fastest collegiate performance in the nation (20.41 seconds). This season, Green has produced automatic qualifying times for the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 200m and 400m.
At the CIAA Outdoor Championships, Leford Green was named Championship MVP, after placing first in the 200m, 400H, and second in the 400m. In addition to performing so well on the track this year, Green is also a 4.0 GPA student majoring in Information Systems Engineering.
Carlton Richardson (Football) and Brittany Laws (Women's Tennis) received the Coca-Cola Academic Award as the male and female senior student-athletes with the highest grade point average.
Richardson finished his career off having completed 419-855 passes for 5,433 yards and 32 touchdowns. He also rushed for 828 yards and six touchdowns, giving him a grand total of 6,261 total offensive yards. Richardson is currently sixth all-time in CIAA history in total offense and ninth all-time in passing. He is JCSU's all-time leader in passing and total offense. Richardson will receive his degree in Sports Management later this week.
Laws played at the number three singles and number two doubles position on the JCSU Women's Tennis team. Laws is a three-time selection to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-Academic Team (2006, 2007, and 2008). The JCSU women's tennis team was ranked ninth in the Atlantic Region by the ITA earlier this season (April 3rd) thanks to Laws' contributions. She will receive her degree in English Education.
In addition to honoring the student-athletes, a donation was made by JCSU 100 Club in support of the Johnson C. Smith Athletic Department. Mr. Floyd D. Young of FDY Catering Services received the Athletic Director's Service Award. The evening came to a conclusion with some motivational closing remarks and the benediction by JCSU President, Dr. Ronald L. Carter.
A complete listing of the student-athlete award recipients is as follows:
BASKETBALL/MEN
1. MOST OUTSTANDING NEWCOMER - Michael Cooper
2. MOST IMPROVED PLAYER - Ronald Thornhill
3. MOST OUTSTANDING DEFENSIVE PLAYER- James Dillard
4. MOST OUTSTANDING OFFENSIVE PLAYER- Ryan Scott
5. MOST VALUABLE PLAYER - Jerry Hollis
6. HIGHEST GPA - Brian Mobley
BASKETBALL/WOMEN
1. MOST OUTSTANDING NEWCOMER Wendy Stywalt
2. MOST IMPROVED PLAYER Demetria Bell
3. MOST OUTSTANDING DEFENSIVE PLAYER Demetria Bell
4. MOST OUTSTANDING OFFENSIVE PLAYER Wendy Stywalt
5. MOST VALUABLE PLAYER (CO-MVP) Wendy Stywalt
6. HIGHEST GPA Shontanette Shaw
BOWLING
1. MOST OUTSTANDING NEWCOMER Sasha Thornhill
2. MOST IMPROVED PLAYER China Mcrae
3. HIGHEST BOWLING AVERAGE Sasha Thornhill
4. HIGHEST GAME BOWLED/SEASON Nijah Braddox
5. MOST VALUABLE PLAYER Nijah Braddox
6. HIGHEST GPA Vivian Ellis
CHEERLEADERS
1. MOST OUTSTANDING NEWCOMER Janaye' Cofield
2 MOST IMPROVED CHEERLEADER SAISHEA MCNEIL-COOK
3. MOST DEDICATED CHEERLEADER Megan Reynolds
4. MOST VALUABLE CHEERLEADER Erin Davis
5. HIGHEST GPA Marshae Puryear
CROSS COUNTRY/MEN
1. MOST OUTSTANDING NEWCOMER Daniel Roach
2. MOST IMPROVED RUNNER Richard Harkness
3. MOST OUSTANDING RUNNER Leford Green
4. MOST VALUABLE PLAYER Leford Green
5. HIGHEST GPA (PLAQUE) 7'9 Leford Green
CROSS COUNTRY/WOMEN
1. MOST OUTSTANDING NEWCOMER Nada Al-Arahshun
2. MOST IMPROVED RUNNER Jesseca Gray
3. MOST OUTSTANDING RUNNER Shermaine Williams
4. MOST VALUABLE PLAYER Shermaine Williams
5. HIGHEST GPA Rosemarie Carty
FOOTBALL
1. MOST OUTSTANDING NEWCOMER Darius Johnson
2. MOST OUTSTANDING DEFENSIVE PLAYER Elijah Ashley
3. MOST OUTSTANDING OFFENSIVE PLAYER Jeremy Franklin
4. MOST VALUABLE PLAYER Carlton Richardson
5. HIGHEST GPA Joe Smiley
MEN'S GOLF
1. MOST OUTSTANDING NEWCOMER Carleton Beamer
2. MOST IMPROVED PLAYER Julien Polk
3. LOWEST SCORING AVERAGE Andre Kelley
4. MOST CONSISTANT GOLFER Carleton Beamer
5. MOST VALUABLE PLAYER Jamaal Brown
6. HIGHEST GPA Julian Polk
SOFTBALL
1. MOST OUTSTANDING NEWCOMER Alexis Webb
2. MOST IMPROVED PLAYER Allycia Watanabe
3. MOST OUTSTANDING DEFENSIVE PLAYER Nijah Braddox
4. MOST OUTSTANDING OFFENSIVE PLAYER Kawehionapua Chan
5. MOST VALUABLE PLAYER Mauranda Elliott
6. HIGHEST GPA Ryan Quirol
TENNIS/MEN
1. MOST OUTSTANDING NEWCOMER Jerald Stuckey
2. MOST IMPROVED PLAYER Jerald Stuckey
3. MOST OUTSTANDING DEFENSIVE PLAYER Jamil Jones
4. MOST OUTSTANDING OFFENSIVE PLAYER Aaron Hutcherson
5. MOST VALUABLE PLAYER Jason Stuckey
6. HIGHEST GPA Jason Stuckey
TENNIS/WOMEN'S
1. MOST OUTSTANDING NEWCOMER Cameron Chatman
2. MOST IMPROVED PLAYER Rolanda Sue
3. MOST OUTSTANDING DEFENSIVE PLAYER Jae Hargett
4. MOST OUTSTANDING OFFENSIVE PLAYER Brittany Laws
5. MOST VALUABLE PLAYER Cameron Chatman
6. HIGHEST GPA Brittany Laws
TRACK/MEN
1. MOST OUTSTANDING NEWCOMER Cedric Simmons
2. MOST IMPROVED PARTICIPANT Everette Berry
3. MOST OUTSTANDING RUNNER Leford Green
4. MOST OUTSTANDING FIELD PARTICIPANT Julius Wright
5. MOST VALUABLE PLAYER Leford Green
6. HIGHEST GPA Leford Green
TRACK/WOMEN
1. MOST OUTSTANDING NEWCOMER Rosemarie Carty
2. MOST IMPROVED RUNNER Nikki Boston
3. MOST OUTSTANDING RUNNER Shermaine Williams
4. MOST OUTSTANDING FIELD PARTICIPANT Kimberly Jones
5. MOST VALUABLE PLAYER Shermaine Williams
6. HIGHEST GPA Nikki Boston
VOLLEYBALL
1. MOST GIVING PLAYER Shawntanna Proctor
2. MOST IMPROVED PARTICIPANT Mylindra Diggs
3. MOST VERSATILE PLAYER Ashley Young-Jones
4. MOST OUTSTANDING OFFENSIVE PLAYER Mauranda Elliott
5. MOST VALUABLE PLAYER Mauranda Elliott
6. HIGHEST GPA Nikki Boston
PETTIS NORMAN AWARD
1. FEMALE STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR Shermaine Williams
(TRACK)
2. MALE STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR Leford Green
(TRACK)
COCA-COLA ACADEMIC AWARD (HIGHEST GPA)
1. SENIOR (MALE) ATHLETE Carlton Richardson
2. SENIOR (FEMALE) ATHLETE Brittany Laws
