2012 Pete Tolbert Night of Champions Photo Gallery
MOBILE, Ala. — Lindsay Schwartz picked up two awards, including being named the Jaguar Female Student-Athlete of the Year, while the football and softball programs had five and three individuals honored, respectively, as part of the University of South Alabama’s third annual Pete Tolbert Night of Champions.
The event, which recognizes the achievements of USA’s nearly 400 student-athletes in the classroom and competition, took place on the main floor of the Mitchell Center Monday.
In addition to taking the athletic department’s top female honor, Schwartz (Watertown, Wis.) was selected as the school’s NCAA Woman of the Year nominee. In March, she finished 13th at the NCAA Indoor Championships in the pentathlon after winning the event at the Sun Belt Conference Championships for the second year in a row, while she is the two-time defending champion in the heptathlon at the league’s outdoor championships; her mark of 5,468 points in the event last month at the Texas Relays leads the SBC and is 14th in the country.
While the Student-Athlete of the Year Award is presented to the most outstanding individual based on scholarship, athletic ability and citizenship, the qualifications to be nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year honors are that the individual is a varsity letterwinner who will complete her intercollegiate eligibility by the end of the spring sports season, and has excelled in academics, athletics, service and leadership with a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.5.
Jake Johnson (Fredericksburg, Va.) was selected the Jaguar Male Student-Athlete of the Year after leading the USA football team with a season-record 83 tackles in the fall — that figure included 6½ stops for loss and two sacks. Johnson led the Jags in tackles in five of their 10 games en route to a 6-4 finish, with a school game-record 17 at NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision opponent Kent State. He also was credited with two tackles for loss among his eight stops at North Carolina State in the program’s first match-up with an NCAA FBS school.
Schwartz is carrying a 3.71 grade-point average and will earn her degree in May in leisure studies, while Johnson is a junior with a 3.11 GPA majoring in exercise science.
Four other members of the football team were honored. Trey Clark (Prattville, Ala.) was presented the Tom and Barbara Corcoran Scholar-Athlete Endowed Scholarship Award, which goes to a USA junior who most excels in sports while maintaining at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA. Bryant Lavender (Gulfport, Miss.) was selected to receive the Shirley Holt Scholarship Award, an honor presented to a student-athlete who has exemplified “Team Spirit,” and who has shown great character and concern for his or her fellow student-athletes. Andy Dalgleish (Milton, Fla.) earned the Male Perseverance Award after overcoming multiple procedures on his knees as well as torn ligaments in an ankle to contribute to the Jaguar defense, and the Male Jaguar Athletic Fund Award — which goes to the student-athlete who best exemplifies enthusiasm and support for the total athletic program — was given to Scott Garber (Port St. Lucie, Fla.).
Clark — who has a 3.90 grade-point average in exercise science — anchored the USA offensive line starting every game at center, leading the team in pancake blocks on four occasions while receiving the highest grade up front twice. Lavender led the Jag receiving corps with 28 catches for 370 yards a year ago, while Dalgleish posted a career-best 25 stops including seven for loss during the 2011 campaign.
Dalgleish and Johnson both were honored with the football program’s Jim Yance Heart of a Jaguar Award as well.
The Jaguar softball program — which currently stands 33-15, 15-7 in the SBC — had three individuals honored. The Jimmy Taylor Scholarship Award, which is given to a student-athlete who has who has exhausted their eligibility, maintained an outstanding GPA and achieved significant athletic accomplishment, was presented to Christin Crocker (Pelham, Ala.), while Haley Hopkins (Gulf Shores, Ala.) earned the Denny-Gottfried Athletic Scholarship Award, which goes to a student-athlete who holds a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA, has completed their NCAA eligibility, and with the assistance of the fund will graduate from the University of South Alabama within two consecutive semesters. And a softball player has claimed the Auralia Crowell Freshman Scholar-Athlete Award — which is presented to the most outstanding freshman based on excellence in academics and athletics — for the second year in a row after Blair Johnson (Kimberly, Ala.) claimed the honor.
Johnson is batting .327 with team-high totals of 50 base hits and 12 doubles to go along with 25 runs scored and 23 RBI, and she also has a 3.53 GPA while majoring in health science. Hopkins — who is a psychology major with a 3.18 grade-point average — has a .288 batting average and a .523 slugging percentage this spring, as 16 of her 32 hits have gone for extra bases. Crocker has posted a .265 average in her final season, standing second on the squad with six home runs and 14 stolen bases while scoring 27 runs and driving in 23 more.
Other honorees at the ceremony included women’s basketball player Mansa El, who returned from a knee injury that required micro fracture surgery and forced her to miss the final 21 contests of the 2010-11 season to be named third-team all-league — she was voted the Female Perseverance Award winner — Brad Hook, who picked up the Forrest W. and Beverly B. Crowder Endowed Scholarship for Baseball and volleyball’s Jenna Hassell, who earned the Female Jaguar Athletic Fund Award. USA Director of Compliance & Student Services Daniel McCarthy was selected the Matt Smith Award winner, which is presented to a member of the athletic staff who consistently goes the extra mile, has the spirit of commitment, strong work ethic, and a deep sense of pride in their job and is named in memory of former USA Sports Information Director Matt Smith, who passed away December of 2004.
Each program also presented awards as part of the program. The winners of those honors were: Eddie Stanky Award (baseball), Brent Mitchell; Goldie Ungar Heart of Gold Award (men’s basketball), Augustine Rubit; Lady Jag Basketball TEDs Award (women’s basketball), El; Female Distance Award (women’s cross country), Tori Lawson; Male Distance Award (men’s cross country), Alex Shields; Heath Slocum Award (men’s golf), Blake Kelley; Follow Through Award (women’s golf), Kristen Golightly; Lindsay Rogers Award (soccer), Shelby Owen; Extra Mile Award (softball), Brittany Fowler; Lubel Family Award (men’s tennis), Daniel Leitner; Marilyn Lubel Award (women’s tennis), Emily Newton; Female Field Events Award (women’s track and field), Latifah Johnson; Male Field Events Award (men’s track and field), Joey Torres; Female Track Events Award (women’s track and field), Schwartz; Male Track Events Award (men’s track and field), Anton Graphenreed; and, Making A Difference Award (volleyball), Katariina Kananen.
Twenty-eight student-athletes who are set to receive their degree in two weeks were given Sun Belt Conference Graduation Medallions as well.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
—USA—
