MOBILE, Ala. - University of South Alabama men's track and field national champion Vincent Rono highlighted the annual USA All-Sports Banquet Friday night by being named the winner of the prestigious President's Award and inducted four athletes into the South Alabama Hall of Fame; including Eduardo Carvacho, Tyrone Dixon, Mark Johnston and Cedric Yelding.
Several other awards also were presented based on academic and athletic achievement.
The night kicked off the with induction of the four Hall of Fame members. Carvacho played for Coach Roy Patton men's soccer team from 1987-1990 and during that period, the Jags were 65-14-4. A native of Vina Del Mar, Chile, he was named Met Life Second Team All-America goalkeeper in 1990 and was a two-time invitee for the USA Marlboro Cup Team. Carvacho led the South Region wit han incredible 0.55 goals against average in 1989. He ranks second in a single-season shutouts with 11 and was a four time all-Sun Belt Conference member, while owning the school's career shutout mark with 32. In addition, he is first in saves with 266, games played (81) and goals against average (0.88).
Dixon was a four year letterwinner for Coach Steve Kittrell's baseball team from 1990-93. A native of Grand Bay, Ala., he ranks second all-time in career games played with 230, second in hits with 248, third in walks with 128 and is the all-time leader in career steals wwith 125. He also holds the all-time record for at bats with 792, while holding the career doubles mark with 54. An all-region, all-conference pick in 1991, Dixon batted .391 with 30 RBI. In his career, he started 216 games while carrying a .313 batting average with 105 RBI. He also was a two-time all-Sun Belt Conference member.
Johnston was a member of the USA baseball program from 1976-78. During that thime, the Jags were 114-40. He was named first team All-America by American Association of College Baseball Coaches in 1978. He also was named to the 1977 All-South Independent Team and 1978 ABCA All-South/Central Region member. A native of East Detroit, Mich., he it 42 career home runs ranking him second all-time in school history. His 21 home runs in 1978 ties for the highest total in a single season. He had 160 career RBI, ranking him fifth all-time. Johnston was a lifetime .364 hitter which included 180 hits.
Yelding was a four year starter from 1990-93 for the men's basketball team. He is the all-time leader in assists (566) and steals (241). A native of Fairhope, Ala., he helped lead the men's program as point guard to the 1991 NCAA Tournament. He started 31 ames that year and was a member of the all-Sun Belt Conference team in 1993 and named Sun Belt Conference Sophomore of the Year in 1991. He finished his eligibility playing in 112 games, fifth most in school history and 14th all-time in scoring with 890 points.
Since arriving in Mobile in 2005, Rono has won 10 Sun Belt Conference titles, set eight school record, earned two All-Region Cross Country selections and grabbed South Alabama's first-ever outdoor National Championship, earning him the 2007 President's Award.
The Jaguar Athletic Fund Award went to two student-athletes this year as LaRonius Reddix of the men's track team and Shannon Van Antwerp of the volleyball team won the award. Reddix is a very well-know student-athlete throughout the student body and faculty. He attends many Jaguar events and has set four school records including the indoor and outdoor 400m, 4x100m and 4x4 relays and one Sun Belt Conference record with the 4x400m relay.
Van Antwerp also can be seen at almost every Jaguar athletic event. She led the club in digs with a career-best 338 for the season, including a career-high 25 in a victory over Birmingham-Southern. Her 3.38 digs per game led the club. She is majoring in exercise science and has a 3.75 GPA.
Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine was honored as the second 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. Equipment Manager John Singletary won the award last year.
Newman, who has been at USA for 14 years, works tirelessly with every sport and is seen at just about every Jaguar event. Newman is the head athletic trainer at South Alabama and this past summer was promoted to Assistant Athletic Director. He earned two very prestigious awards at the National Athletic Trainers' Association meeting this past summer as he received the Athletic Trainer Service Award and the more prestigious of award of the the two, The Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award.
The Auralia Crowell Award had two winners this year from soccer and softball. Freshman Sam Stocker compiled a 4.0 GPA and as a freshman led the team in points (20) goals (9), shots (32) and shots on goal with 21. She is the first freshman to lead the team in goals and was the lone Jaguar to record a hat trick during the season.
Jenny Stevens also compiled a 4.0 GPA and as a true freshman she has played in 42 games for the inaugural softball team at South Alabama. She has scored 20 runs and has 34 hits, including three doubles and seven home runs. She tallied the game winning walk with the bases loaded against Southern Miss earlier in the season.
Like with the Jaguar Athletic Fund and Auralia Crowell Awards, the Perseverance Award also has two winners this evening. Jaguar men's basketball senior Stephen Cowherd and women's soccer senior Brianna Nelson are the 2007 winners. Cowherd has overcome adversity and persevered through family hardship with the death of his father, Stan, following Stephen's final game at the Mitchell Center against Troy on Feb. 24. Cowherd played in 31 games and was the lone Jaguar to play all 40 minutes in a regulation game this season. In that game, Cowherd had a career-high eight assists helping the Jaguars come-from-behind win over Louisiana-Monroe. Nelson has torn her ACL four different times and has continued to to work hard and be a leader on the field and in the classroom. She has a 3.8 GPA.
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 junior Joel Collins is a perfect example of that. Collins was named to the Johnny Bench Watch List and has been a key factor at the plate and behind the dish this season. He is hitting over .300 and has been a constant force throwing out over 60 runners.
Nelson won her second award of the night as she was won the Shirly Holt Scholarship Award. She exemplified "Team Spirit" and has shown great character and concern for her fellow student-athletes. She suffered season-ending and career-ending ACL injury this season which only allowed her to play in four matches. Although she was unable to compete, she was named Captain of team by her teammates.
Sophomore forward Brandon Davis 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. Davis was one of two Jaguars to play in all 32 games this season and was sixth on the team in scoring and second on the team in blocks. He had three double-digit scoring performances during the final month of the season.
Men's tennis student-athlete Dias Doskarayev won the Jimmy Taylor Award, a monetary award to assist in future academic endeavors. Doskarayev currently is ranked 56th nationally in the latest ITA poll and has helped lead the Jaguars to a 17-4 record and currently 26th nationally as a team.
The men's basketball team also was recognized for capturing the Sun Belt Conference East Division title and the men's cross country team won the 2006 Sun Belt Championship as did the men's indoor track team.
2007 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA
ATHLETIC BANQUET AWARD WINNERS
RECOGNITION OF CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS
****MEN'S BASKETBALL****
****MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY****
****MEN'S INDOOR TRACK****
(Awarded to teams that won conference championships in 2006-2007)
JAGUAR ATHLETIC FUND AWARD ? LaRonius Reddix, Men's Track; Shannon Van Antwerp, Volleyball
(Awarded to the male and female student-athlete who best exemplify enthusiasm and support for the total athletic program)
MATT SMITH AWARD ? Paul Newman
(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 ? Sam Stocker, Women's Soccer; Jenny Stevens, Softball
(For the Most Outstanding Freshman Based on Excellence in Academics and Athletics)
PERSEVERANCE AWARD ? Stephen Cowherd, Men’s Basketball; Brianna Nelson, Women's Soccer
(For Succeeding in the classroom or in competition while overcoming adversity)
EDDIE STANKY AWARD ? Joel Collins
(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 ? Erin Kinnear, 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 ? Brianna Nelson, Women's Soccer
(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 ? Brandon Davis
(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 ? Dias Doskarayev Men’s Tennis
(Presented to the student-athlete who has exhausted eligibility, maintained an outstanding GPA and achieved significant athletic accomplishment)
PRESIDENT’S AWARD ? Vincent Rono, Men's Track and Field/Cross Country
(Presented to the most-outstanding student-athlete based on scholarship, athletic ability and citizenship)
