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Samford Athletics Holds Inaugural SAMSPYS Monday Evening
SAMSPYS Photo Gallery
April 27, 2009 BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford University Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) held its inaugural SAMSPYS Awards Show and Dinner in conjunction with the school's athletics department Monday evening at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel. A spin-off of the popular ESPY's held by ESPN every summer, the SAMSPYS honored the academic and athletic achievements of Samford's student-athletes from all 17 varsity sports. Local radio/TV personalities Jim Dunaway (from CBS 42 and 690 The Sports Animal) and Ryan Brown (690 The Sports Animal) served as emcees for the event. At the event, 23 awards were given out. The following awards were presented at the SAMSPYS: Athletes for Athletes female winner, Athletes for Athletes male winner, Athletes for Athletes team winner, Female Academic Team of the Year, Male Academic Team of the Year, Female Rookie of the Year, Male Rookie of the Year, Comeback Athlete of the Year, Breakthrough Athlete of the Year, Supporting Player of the Year, Best Blooper, Best Championship Performance, Best Finish, Best Upset, Play of the Year, Most Outstanding Team, Support Staff of the Year, Assistant Coach of the Year, Coach of the Year, Best Female Athlete, Best Male Athlete, Miss Bulldog and Mr. Bulldog. The Athletes for Athletes female, male and team winners went to the individuals and teams who attended the most athletic events this season. The female winner was Megan Wilderotter from women's basketball. Bryan Friday from men's basketball was the male winner and the women's tennis team was the team winner. The Academic Teams of the Year (one male, one female) went to the team with the highest cumulative grade-point average prior to the spring of 2009. The women's golf team, with a 3.47 GPA, was the female team winner and men's golf, which posted a 3.20 GPA, was the male team winner. The Rookie of the Year (one female, one male) went to the freshman or redshirt freshman who came in and made an immediate impact. Taylor Morgan (women's tennis) and Hillary Neal (outdoor track and field) shared the female award. Dustin Taliaferro was the male winner in the category. Morgan, as a freshman in the spring of 2008, posted an impressive 28-7 record, competing in the top three spots in the lineup. She was named the Ohio Valley Conference's Freshman of the Year. Neal set multiple personal bests and school records on her way to a tremendous freshman season, also in the spring of 2008. Neal was named the OVC's Outdoor Freshman of the Year. Taliaferro served as the football team's starting quarterback as a true freshman this season and was named the Southern Conference's Freshman of the Year. Taliaferro passes for 1,745 yards and 13 touchdowns on the season. The Comeback Athlete of the Year was given to the athlete who made the best or most significant comeback from illness, injury or hardship. Megan Wilderotter from the women's basketball team was named Comeback Athlete of the Year. Wilderotter missed the majority of the 2007-08 season after tearing her ACL in the eighth game of the season. This season, she was the team's starting point guard throughout the season, leading the team in both assists and steals. The Breakthrough Athlete of the Year, given to the athlete who made the most impact or a significant breakthrough during the season, was awarded to Patrick Wells of the track and field team. Wells won three of four pole vaults in the indoor season, including the SoCon Championship with a height of 15 feet, seven inches. Courtney Gay from the volleyball team was named the Supporting Player of the Year, which goes to the player who is an unsung hero and a high-impact player who does not always get credit, but is needed for the team to be successful. Gay led the volleyball team in digs with 416, in helping lead the team to the best season in the history of the program. The Best Blooper Award went to Curt Smith of the football team for tackling teammate Richie Fordham during the Bulldogs' 62-0 win over Faulkner. The Best Championship Performance was presented to Hank Grant of the tennis team for his performance in last season's OVC Championships. After falling behind early in the championship match, Grant came back to defeat Joey Unkenholz of Jacksonville State to secure the win for the Bulldogs. The Best Finish Award went to the soccer team for its shootout win over College of Charleston in the SoCon Tournament. After playing to a 0-0 draw in regulation, Samford won the penalty-kick shootout, 4-1, to advance to the semifinals of the tournament. The men's basketball team was awarded the Best Upset for its win over The Citadel in the quarterfinals of the SoCon Tournament. After losing to The Citadel by 25 points in the regular season, Samford upset the higher-seeded Bulldogs, 76-67 to advance to the tournament semifinals. Jonathan Lowery, a junior wide receiver on the football team, won the Play of the Year Award. With Samford trailing, 28-21, with less than two minutes to play in the fourth quarter, Lowery caught a pass from Taliaferro and streaked 74 yards for a touchdown to pull Samford to within one point. The volleyball team was named the school's Most Outstanding Team. Volleyball posted the best season in the program's history this season. The Bulldogs won a school-record 28 matches and won the SoCon's North Division title in their first season in the league. The Support Staff of the Year Award was given to James Carlson, who serves as the equipment coordinator and facilities coordinator for the football program. In his duties, Carlson handles the equipment needs for nearly 100 football players and he manages all of the football facilities. Katherine Katz of the women's basketball staff was named the Assistant Coach of the Year. In addition to her coaching duties, Katz keeps the women's basketball office organized, coordinating all road trips, including travel arrangements, hotels, meals and practice times. David Vest of the women's tennis team was named the Coach of the Year. Last season, Vest led the Bulldogs to the OVC title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Best Female Athlete Award was earned by Ashley Adams from the volleyball team. Adams was named the SoCon's Player of the Year after leading the conference in kills and finishing third in the league in hitting percentage. Adams led the team to the best season in program history, winning 28 matches and the SoCon's North Division title. Chris Evans, a junior running back on the football team, was named the Best Male Athlete. Evans posted the best season of any running back in Samford history. He was named first-team All-Conference after leading the SoCon in rushing. He became the first player in Samford history to rush for at least 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons. The Miss Bulldog and Mr. Bulldog Awards were the final awards given on the night. These awards are all-around awards based on academics (at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA), athletics, team leadership and service. Valerie Kikkert from the soccer team was named Miss Bulldogs. Kikkert has served as the co-chair of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), and she serves as the sports editor of both the student newspaper, the Crimson and the Samford yearbook. Kikkert also works with North Star Youth Ministries and she devotes time to building relationships with girls at the juvenile detention center. She has served as a camp counselor for the past two summers for the FCA, and she helped initiate student-athlete visits to Children's Hospital. Kikkert has been to Jamaica four times in the last three years on mission trips. She has a 3.73 GPA in journalism and mass communications with a minor in business. Kyle Nichols, a pitcher on the baseball team, was named Mr. Bulldogs. Nichols is a left-handed closer on the baseball team with a 4.53 career ERA. He has worked on multiple service projects, including Habitat for Humanity and Thanksgiving Canned Food Drives. He has helped to provide Christmas gifts to inner city families and volunteered with the Brenda Ladun Fun Run. Nichols has served as the co-chair of the SAAC for the past two years. He has helped to implement and contributed to the success of the SAAC's three major charitable fund-raisers. Nichols has a 3.38 GPA in secondary education with a concentration in history and social science.
SAMSPYS AWARD WINNERS |
