04/23/06– FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

USA STUDENT ATHLETES HONORED AT ANNUAL ALL-SPORTS BANQUET
DAVID FREESE NAMED PRESIDENT'S AWARD WINNER

CONTACT: Kit Strief

MOBILE, Ala. - University of South Alabama baseball player David Freese highlighted the annual USA All-Sports Banquet Sunday night by being named the winner of the prestigious President's Award.

Several other awards also were presented based on academic and athletic achievement.

Freese, senior on the baseball team, has proven to be one of the top baseball players in the nation since arriving as a Junior in 2005 and has been a leader both on and off the field. He was selected as a pre-season all-Sun Belt selection and leads the team with a .446 average and is near or at the top of every offensive category. Freese sports a 3.21 Grade Point Average.

The Jaguar Athletic Club Award went to two student-athletes this year as Leandro Buboltz of the men's basketball team and Summer Pilgrim of the volleyball team won the award. Buboltz is a very well-know student-athlete throughout the student body and faculty. He attends many other Jaguar events and played his first year for the Jaguars this season helping the team to its best record in over 20 years and first Sun Belt Conference Championship and first NCAA Tournament appearance in eight years.

Pilgrim, became a true defensive force in the middle for the Jaguars this season. She led the team in total blocks with 105 and also recorded 98 block assists, the fourth most in a single season in school history. She also volunteers her time to help out the athletic department whenever needed.

Equipment Specialist John Singletary was honored as the first Matt Smith Award recipient this year. Smith, who had been in the Sports Information department since 1997 and was the Sports Information Director since 2001, passed away in December of 2004. This award is presented to a member of the Athletic Staff who consistently goes the extra mile and is an example of the spirit and commitment, strong work ethic and a deep sense of pride in their job.

Singletary, who has been at USA for over 20 years, works tirelessly with every sport and oversees the organization and supervision of the Health, Physical Education and Athletic Facility. He also coordinates scheduled activities and maintenance for Jaguar Gymnasium.

Women's Soccer freshman Kelsie Langford received the Auralia Crowell Award as the top freshman. Not only did she excel in the classroom with a 4.0 GPA, she played and started in goal in every game this year for the Jaguars. She tallied a school-record 0.92 Goals Against Average, helping the Jaguars to their best record since 2001 and a berth in their first Sun Belt Conference Championship game. She also was named to the Sun Belt All-Tournament team.

Like with the Jaguar Athletic Club Award, the Perseverance Award also has two winners this evening. Jaguar men's basketball senior Michael Phillips and women's basketball junior Whitney Woodard are the 2006 winners. Phillips has overcome adversity and persevered through family hardship, reconstructive wrist surgery and academic obstacles. He was one of five seniors on the men's basketball team that helped lead the Jaguars to their first Sun Belt Conference Championship in eight years and the best record in over 20 years. He played in all 31 games and averaged 7.9 points per game and 3.5 rebounds per game after sitting out all of last season due to academics. He will graduate this summer.

Woodard tore her ACL each of the past two season and she has battled back to regain her all-conference form this season. She was named to the Sun Belt Third Team All-Conference and led USA in scoring nine times, while leading the team on the glass 20 times.

The Eddie Stanky Award is presented to the baseball player who best exemplifies the spirit of former Major League player, coach and manager and former South Alabama head baseball coach Eddie Stanky and senior P.J. Walters is a perfect example of that. Walters is in his third year as a Jaguar and has anchored the USA pitching staff, pitching 117 innings as a freshman and 142 as a sophomore. Heading into the 2006 season, he was 14 wins shy of the USA school record. He has a 6-2 record so far this season. He ranks second in all-time career strikeouts.

Women's Track and Field student-athlete Florence Edi was the recipient of the USA's NCAA Woman of the Year Award. Edi, who has a 3.13 GPA and holds three records at South Alabama; the indoor shot put, pentathalon and heptathlon. She won last year's outdoor Sun Belt crown in the heptathlon, making her the SBC Championship Meet record-holder and placing her second all-time in the Sun Belt Conference. She was the only Jaguar to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships last season, where she finished 26th. This year, she won the pentathlon at the SBC Indoor Championships and was ninth at this year's prestigious Texas Relays.

The Shirly Holt Scholarship Award went to Tyler Kerns of the baseball team as he exemplified "Team Spirit" and has shown great character and concern for his fellow student-athletes. Kerns transferred from Spring Hill and has switched positions from being an outfielder to a pitcher. While that is not easy, he has kept a positive attitude and tries to help his teammates and fellow whenever he can both on the field and in the classroom. Kerns maintains a 3.42 GPA while juggling baseball and school.

Senior forward Chey Christie earned the Goldie Ungar Heart of Gold Award, which is presented annually to a men's basketball player who gives 110 percent to his sport. Christie, who transferred from Clemson, helped lead the Jaguars back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in eight years and helped the team to its best record in over 20 years. He also was named the Most Valuable Player at the 2006 Sun Belt Conference Championship where the Jaguars defeated Western Kentucky in the championship game.

Women's tennis student-athlete Klara Jarova won the Jimmy Taylor Award, a monetary award to assist in future academic endeavors. Jarova helped lead the Lady Jags this season to a 15-10 record and earned all-conference honors this season. She ranked 57th nationally according to the latest ITA poll.

The men's basketball team also was recognized for capturing the Sun Belt Conference West Division title and the Sun Belt Conference Tournament title.

2006 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA
ATHLETIC BANQUET AWARD WINNERS

RECOGNITION OF CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS
****MEN'S BASKETBALL****
(Awarded to teams that won conference championships in 2005-2006)

JAGUAR ATHLETIC CLUB AWARD – Leandro Buboltz, Men's Basketball; Summer Pilgrim, Volleyball
(Awarded to the male and female student-athlete who best exemplify enthusiasm and support for the total athletic program)

MATT SMITH AWARD – John Singletary
(Awarded to member of the Athletic Staff, who consistently goes the extra mile. This individual is honored as an example of the spirit of commitment, strong work ethic, and a deep sense of pride in their job. This recipient is dedicated to achieving the highest goals and objectives of the Department of Athletics and the University of South Alabama.)

AURALIA CROWELL AWARD – Kelsie Langford, Women's Soccer
(For the Most Outstanding Freshman Based on Excellence in Academics and Athletics)

PERSEVERANCE AWARD – Michael Phillips, Men’s Basketball; Whitney Woodard, Women's Basketball
(For Succeeding in the classroom or in competition while overcoming adversity)

EDDIE STANKY AWARD – P.J. Walters
(Presented Annually to the Baseball Player who Best Exemplifies the Spirit of Former Major League Player, Coach and Manager and Former South Alabama Head Baseball Coach Eddie Stanky)

NCAA WOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD – Florence Edi, Women's Track and Field
(Presented to a Varsity Letterwinner who has completed her Intercollegiate eligibility by the end of the Spring Sports Season and has excelled in academics, athletics, service and leadership with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5)

SHIRLEY HOLT SCHOLARSHIP AWARD – Tyler Kerns, Baseball
(Presented to the student-athlete who has exemplified “Team Spirit” and who has shown great character and concern for his or her fellow student-athletes)

THE HEART OF GOLD AWARD – Chey Christie
(Presented Annually to a Men’s Basketball Player who gives 110% to his sport. The recipient represents tireless effort, deep desire and total dedication during practice and competition. The student-athlete who receives the Heart of Gold Award is an Overachiever, competitor and a Leader in every sense)

JIMMY TAYLOR AWARD – Klara Jarova, Women’s Tennis
(Presented to the student-athlete who has exhausted eligibility, maintained an outstanding GPA and achieved significant athletic accomplishment)

PRESIDENT’S AWARD – David Freese, Baseball
(Presented to the most-outstanding student-athlete based on scholarship, athletic ability and citizenship)