MOBILE, Ala. – After recording All-America performances this spring, Autavia Fluker (Bessemer, Ala.) and the doubles duo of Loïc Cloes (Oreye, Belgium) and Clément Marzol (Toulouse, France) were named the Jaguar Female and Male Student-Athletes of the Year on Wednesday as the University of South Alabama Department of Athletics honored student-athletes for the 2020-21 academic year with the 12th annual Pete Tolbert Night of Champions conducted virtually throughout the afternoon.

Fluker was recognized after qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship in the hammer throw, while Cloes and Marzol capped their careers by advancing to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Doubles Championship last month.

Among the other winners announced via the event were softball's Olivia Lackie (Walker, La.), who was presented the Auralia Crowell Freshman Scholar-Athlete Award, Female and Male Perseverance Awards recipients Caroline Berge (Stavanger, Norway) and Riley Cole (Oneonta, Ala.).  Soccer student-athlete Deanna Green (Madison, Miss.) and Tyler Perez (Miami, Fla.), a member of the Jag baseball team, were the Female and Male Jaguar Athletic Fund Award winners as well.

Fluker was selected the Most Outstanding Field Performer at the Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Championship in May after setting a league record and qualifying for U.S. Olympic Trials with a 68.17-meter mark in the hammer throw, which she bettered two weeks later after recording a toss of 70.02 meters to win the event at the NCAA East Region Preliminary Round.  After being named the Most Outstanding Field Performer at the conference's outdoor championship on two occasions, earning all-Sun Belt honors five times and qualifying for the region meet three different years, she was also chosen to be the school's nominee for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award.

Cloes and Marzol concluded their careers by winning the tandem's first two matches at the NCAA Doubles Championship to become the first Jaguar doubles team to achieve All-American status since the 1998 campaign.  They posted a 12-3 record during the spring season and were named first-team all-league after helping South to its third consecutive conference championship and NCAA Regional appearance, ending the year No. 24 in the final Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings.

Lackie picked up the honor presented to the school's most outstanding freshman based on excellence in academics and athletics.  In addition to carrying a 4.00 cumulative grade-point average while majoring in biology, the right-hander recorded a 19-12 mark with four saves, a 2.34 earned-run average and 250 strikeouts in 194.2 innings this spring; not only did she earn third-team all-region and first-team all-Sun Belt honors as well, Lackie is a candidate for the National Freshman-of-the-Year award.

Berge and Cole received awards given to a student-athlete for succeeding in the classroom or in competition while overcoming adversity.  After Berge's mother passed away due to cancer in December, she returned to South's women's golf squad in the spring to compete in all five events as she carded scores of 75 or better on five occasions to help the Jags record four top-5 finishes in the team standings highlighted by a victory at the Bama Beach Bash in March.  Cole had both his first and third seasons with the Jaguar football program cut short after suffering season-ending knee injuries in the third game of the fall, but the linebacker managed to return and earn all-Sun Belt honors each of his last two years — including receiving first-team recognition this season — after ending his career ninth all-time at USA with 218 tackles.  Green and Perez were selected as the male and female student-athletes who best exemplify enthusiasm and support for the total athletic program.

The event also featured the announcement of individual program awards, with winners including: Eddie Stanky Award (baseball), Michael Sandle (Navarre, Fla.); Jaguar Women's Basketball NCAA Award (women's basketball), Mahogany Vaught (Olive Branch, Miss.); Goldie Ungar Heart of Gold Award (men's basketball), Michael Flowers (Southfield, Mich.); Female Outstanding Performer Award (cross country), Carolien Millenaar (Sørvad, Denmark); Male Outstanding Performer Award (cross country), Kirami Yego (Kapenguria, Kenya); Jim Yance Heart of a Jaguar Award (football), Cole; Heath Slocumb Award (men's golf), Yannick Schütz (Friolzheim, Germany); Beth Barry Award (women's golf), Julie Hovland (Bergen, Norway); Lindsay Rogers Award (soccer), Morgan Cross (Dunfermline, Scotland); Extra Mile Award (softball), Abby Allen (Monroe, La.); Marilyn Lubel Award (women's tennis), Otoha Aoki (Komaki, Japan); The Lubel Family Award (men's tennis), Julien Evrard (Lille, France); Most Outstanding Indoor Student-Athlete Award (women's indoor track & field), Millenaar; Most Outstanding Indoor Student-Athlete Award (men's indoor track & field), Graham Collins (Mobile, Ala.) and Kyle Rademeyer (Paarl, South Africa); Most Outstanding Outdoor Student-Athlete Award (women's outdoor track & field), Millenaar; Most Outstanding Outdoor Student-Athlete Award (men's outdoor track & field), Francois Prinsloo (Worcester, South Africa); Kari Frazier Spirit Award (volleyball), Hannah Johnson (Fox Lake, Ill.); Spirit of South Award (cheer), Evan McCants (Huntsville, Ala.); and Stand Out Prowler Award (dance), Morgan Belitz (South Brunswick, N.J.).

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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