MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama Department of Athletics celebrated the accomplishments of Jaguar student-athletes from the 2019-20 academic year by conducting the virtual Pete Tolbert Night of Champions — the 11th edition of the annual event — on Wednesday.
Briana Morris (Hoover, Ala.) and
Josh Ajayi (El Monte, Calif.) were selected the Jaguar Female and Male Student-Athletes of the Year, respectively, with Morris also earning designation as one of the department's nominees for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award.
Kelley Hartman (Woodstock, Ga.) will also be nominated for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award, with the Auralia Crowell Freshman Scholar-Athlete Award going to
Gracie Wilson (Conyers, Ga.).
Esherika Hawkins (Munford, Ala.) and
Rocel McWilliams (Pensacola, Fla.) received the Female and Male Perseverance Awards, respectively, while the Female and Male Jaguar Athletic Fund Awards were presented to
MC Nichols (Hoover, Ala.) and
Loïc Cloes (Oreye, Belgium), and
Pat Greenwood was recognized as the Matt Smith Award winner.
In her final season as a Jag, Morris was named first-team all-region, the Sun Belt Conference Player and Offensive Player of the Year, first-team all-league and the Most Outstanding Player at the SBC Tournament after helping South go 16-4-2 following an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. She led the conference with 16 goals and 34 points — ranking among the top 20 in the country in goals and top 45 in points — concluding her four-year career just outside the top 10 in the program's record book with 21 goals. An accounting major with a 3.62 cumulative grade-point average, Morris is slated to graduate from South in May after serving as President of the school's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee as a senior while receiving an invitation to the Sun Belt's Diversity and Inclusion Summit a year ago.
Ajayi earned first-team all-district honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches and was voted first-team all-Sun Belt, twice winning the league's Player-of-the-Week Award, after leading the Jaguars with 14.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, a 56.2 field-goal percentage and eight double-doubles. The forward ranked in the top 10 in each of those categories in the SBC as his efforts helped the program to its first 20-win season since 2008-09 and the second seed at the conference tournament after closing the regular season with eight consecutive victories. Ajayi is majoring in leisure studies and expected to graduate next month.
Hartman earned all-Sun Belt honors each of her last three years with the volleyball team, garnering first-team accolades both as a sophomore and senior while receiving second-team recognition following the 2018 campaign. The middle blocker ended her career ranked second in school history in hitting percentage (.309), third in total blocks (381) and seventh in kills (1,058), while her .369 attack percentage last fall was best in the league; she averaged better than three kills per set to help the Jags go 20-11 overall and 11-5 in the SBC. A first-team CoSIDA academic all-district selection her final year, Hartman is carrying a 3.95 cumulative GPA and expected to earn her communication degree from the university in May.
The Sun Belt Freshman of the Year and a first-team all-league honoree in the fall, Wilson posted four goals, a team-high nine assists and 17 points her first season as a member of the Jaguar soccer team. In addition to finishing second in the conference and among the top 25 nationally in assists, she is carrying a 4.00 cumulative grade-point average while majoring in psychology.
Hawkins, a member of the track and field program, recorded marks that were among the top 10 all-time at USA in the indoor weight throw and shot put, and outdoor shot put and discus in 2018 but suffered a lower back injury in December. Rather than undergo surgery, she instead did rehabilitative exercises to be able to compete during indoor season and ended up posting a season-best 16.48m mark in the weight throw at the SBC Championship to place seventh in event and score points for the team.
Prior to the start of what was supposed to be his final year as a member of the Jag football team, McWilliams tore his left Achilles in August and after undergoing surgery missed both the 2018 season and following spring practice. The defensive lineman returned to play in all 12 games this fall, finishing with 39 total tackles including eight behind the line of scrimmage as he would end the campaign among the top 15 in the Sun Belt with 4½ sacks.
Nichols and Cloes — both seniors — from the softball and men's tennis programs, respectively, were honored for their overall support of Jaguar Athletics. Greenwood was given the award named in memory of former USA Sports Information Director Matt Smith, who passed away in December 2004, which goes 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.
Head coaches of 12 Jaguar teams presented program awards at the ceremony also. The winners of those honors included: Jaguar Women's Basketball NCAA Award (women's basketball),
Antoinette Lewis (Memphis, Tenn.); Goldie Ungar Heart of Gold Award (men's basketball),
Chad Lott (Shreveport, La.); Female Outstanding Performer Award (cross country),
Andonet Cheruiyot (Eldoret, Kenya); Male Outstanding Performer Award (cross country),
Onesmus Kemboi (Benoni, Eldoret, Kenya); Jim Yance Heart of a Jaguar Award (football),
Jeffery Whatley (Midland City, Ala.); Lindsay Rogers Award (soccer),
Ana Helmert (Mountain Home, Ark.); Extra Mile Award (softball),
Katelyn Gruich (Biloxi, Miss.) and
Holly Stewart (Conway, Ark.); Most Outstanding Indoor Student-Athlete Award (women's indoor track & field),
Autavia Fluker (Bessemer, Ala.) and
Carolien Millenaar (Sørvad, Denmark); Most Outstanding Indoor Student-Athlete Award (men's indoor track & field),
Rickssen Opont (Port-au-Prince, Haiti); Kari Frazier Spirit Award (volleyball),
Meaghan Jones (Sachse, Texas); Spirit of South Award (cheer),
Cameron Cooper (Camden, Ala.); and Stand Out Prowler Award (dance),
Jordan McKervey (Prattville, Ala.).
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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