2008 Athletic Awards Ceremony
2008 Awards Ceremony Photo Gallery
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WINGATE UNIVERSITY HOLDS 2008 ATHLETIC AWARDS CEREMONY Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University athletic department held its athletic awards banquet Monday night (April 28) at the Union County Agricultural Center in Monroe, N.C. For the second year in a row, men’s basketball guard/forward Sean Barnette (Rock Hill, S.C.) was the winner of the J. Howard Williams Award for Male Athlete of the Year. The award honors the memory of J. Howard Williams, a Wingate graduate and local businessman. Mr. Williams was an ardent supporter of Wingate athletics. Barnette was a first team Daktronics NCAA Division II All-American in 2008. A third team Daktronics A-A honoree in 2007, he was also a first team NCAA Division II All-American as named by the Basketball Times magazine in 2008. In April, Barnette was the MVP of the Collegiate Basketball Invitational All-Star game. In March, he played in the third annual NABC/NCAA Division II All-Star Game. The South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, Barnette concludes his career as the all-time leading scorer in SAC and Wingate history with 2,324 points. He is the only male player in SAC history to score 2,000+ points. Barnette and his teammates compiled a 24-7 overall record in 2007-08, sharing the SAC regular season title with Lenoir-Rhyne College. During his senior campaign, Barnette led the Bulldogs and the SAC with 21.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. On the NCAA charts, he was seventh in points per game and 17th in rebounds per game. The 2007 South Atlantic Conference Male Athlete of the Year, Barnette averaged a double-double (21.2 points and 10.5 rebounds per game) in conference games this year. In March, Barnette was selected the 2008 South Atlantic Region Co-Player of the Year by Daktronics. He shared this honor with junior guard Anthony Hilliard from Elizabeth City State University. Barnette is a two-time All-South Atlantic Region pick as named by Daktronics. Also, the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) picked Barnette for their All-South Atlantic Region first team. Barnette helped Wingate make three consecutive appearances in the NCAA play-offs his sophomore through senior seasons. During his junior season, the Bulldogs took the 2007 South Atlantic Regional title on their way to becoming the first SAC men’s basketball team to participate in an NCAA Division II Elite Eight event. Barnette shared the 2008 Wingate team MVP award with senior forward/center Bryan Grier (Charlotte, N.C.). Wingate senior women’s swimming national champion Maria Vlashchenko (Habarovsk, Russia) was the winner of the Joyce Gragg Pipes Award for Female Athlete of the Year. This award honors the memory of long-time Wingate faculty member Joyce G. Pipes. In addition, Vlashchenko was the team MVP for women’s swimming. Maria Vlashchenko joined an exclusive club this year, as the Bulldog All-American won a national championship in the 100 Breaststroke at the 2008 NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving Championships Friday, March 14.
In the 100 Breaststroke finals, she touched first with a career-best time
of 1:02.71. She was undefeated in the 100 Breaststroke the entire 2007-08 season. Maria Vlashchenko was a five-time first team All-American in 2008. In addition, she was a five-time BGMC champion and a seven-time All-BGMC honoree. The Wingate University Freshman Male Athlete of the Year Award was presented to men’s soccer midfielder Luke Mulholland (Preston, England). A National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-Appalachian Region first team pick, Mulholland was also named first team All-South Atlantic Conference in 2007. In 2007, Mulholland was second on the Bulldog scoring charts with 10 goals and six assists. In 12 of his 19 matches, Mulholland registered either a goal or an assist. Mulholland scored two goals (this season) against national runner-up Lincoln Memorial. He registered one goal in a 3-0 Bulldog win over Oct. 27. Mulholland had Wingate’s lone marker in a 2-1 NCAA Division II Appalachian Regional tournament game on Nov. 9. The Wingate University Freshman Female Athlete of the Year Award was shared by two first-year standouts. Women’s golfer Ashley Denton (Wendell, N.C.) was named the SAC Freshman of the Year in 2008. The medalist for the 2008 Food Lion SAC tournament, she helped Wingate win the 2008 SAC team championship. She earned All-tournament honors six teams throughout the season, leading Wingate in scoring average (78.0 strokes per round). Denton was also the women’s golf team MVP. Wingate middle blocker Stormi Gale (Richmond, Texas) was the second recipient of the Wingate University Freshman Female Athlete of the Year Award. Gale led the 2007 Bulldogs with 3.47 kills per game, while ranking third with a .310 hitting percentage. She also led the team with 0.53 aces per game and 1.26 blocks per game. Gale led Wingate (33-2 overall this season) with 4.22 kills per game in the SAC tournament, while hitting .363 and piling up 19 total blocks. Gale was named to the Food Lion SAC all-tournament team as well, helping regular season champion Bulldogs to the tourney crown and an NCAA berth. The Wingate University athletic department presented 20 special awards during the course of the evening. Three student-athletes shared the C.B. and Beadie Haskins Scholarship Award, presented to the senior male or female student-athlete with the highest grade point average. The 2008 winners include men’s golfer Justin Logan (Newmarket, Ontario, Canada), women’s swimmer Rebekah Moody (Martinez, Ga.) and volleyball defensive specialist Amanda Siegrist (Wexford, Pa.). Each student-athlete possesses a perfect 4.00 GPA. A Biology major, Logan is a member of Wingate University Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. In addition, he is a member of the prestigious Wingate Honors’ Advisory Council. His top career round was a 77 in the J. Ralph Hargett Memorial Intercollegiate men’s golf tournament at Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation March 28, 2006. Both Moody and Siegrist earned two special awards each at the year-end ceremony. An Elementary Education major with a perfect 4.00 GPA, Moody shared the Arthur Joseph “Pepper” Geddings, Jr. Athletic Leadership Award with senior lacrosse student-athlete Michael Watson (Wilmington, N.C.). This award is in memory of former Wingate baseball player Pepper Geddings. The award stands for everything that is right about college athletics: athletic ability, scholarship, leadership, citizenship and service. In the pool, Moody was a first team NCAA Division II All-American in 2007 and 2008. Moody is a 12-time All-Blue Grass Mountain Conference performer (over four years). She has won three BGMC individual titles during her career. In the spring of 2007, Moody was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® women’s at-large first team (college division), selected by CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America). Moody’s Wingate teammates selected her as a co-captain for her junior and senior seasons. During Moody’s freshman season, Wingate won the 2005 BGMC team title. The Bulldogs earned second place at the 2006, 2007 and 2008 BGMC championships. Rebekah Moody’s accomplishments are not limited to the athletic and academic realms. Moody was coordinator (one year) and co-coordinator (two years) for the Union County Special Olympics swimming program. The Union County Special Olympics presented the Wingate University women’s swimming team with its Civic Group of the Year Award in the spring of 2005. In addition, Moody won the women’s swimming team scholar-athlete award for the second year in a row. She also won a $7,500 NCAA postgraduate scholarship earlier this week. Siegrist holds a spotless 4.00 GPA in her Sport Management major. In addition to earning the Haskins Award, Siegrist won the Bulldog Club Spirit Award. Each year, the Bulldog Club Spirit Award will honor loyal student-athletes who love Wingate. A consistent goodwill ambassador for the University, the Bulldog Club Spirit Award winner should be someone who has represented the athletic department with class on the field of competition, in the classroom and around the community. The Bulldog Club Spirit Award winner is proud to wear the blue-and-gold. Athletic excellence is not a requirement, but rather sacrifice, dedication and teamwork are the main criteria for this award. The Bulldog Club Spirit Award should be a graduating senior who has contributed to a Wingate athletic team for at least three years. This person truly puts team above self. A blue-ribbon committee selected Siegrist for this honor. The four-year letter winner has helped the Bulldogs qualify for the NCAA play-offs three of her four seasons. Siegrist is a tireless volunteer on campus and in the community. Michael Watson shared the Arthur Joseph “Pepper” Geddings, Jr. Athletic Leadership Award with Rebekah Moody. Watson helped anchor a defense that allowed a Deep South Conference-low 8.20 goals per game during the 2008 season. A three-year first team All-DSC performer, Watson has served as the Wingate Student Government Association (SGA) president for the 2007-08 school year. A History major, Watson was named to the 2007 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III at-large second team (college division), as selected by CoSIDA. Watson was the recipient of the 2005 Diabetes Exercise Sports Association’s (DESA) Harper Memorial Youth Award, a $5000 international prize give to Type One Diabetics for accomplishments on and off the sports field. He has also lobbied state legislators on behalf of diabetic school children. Wingate junior men’s swimming student-athlete Matthew Dugan (Wilson, N.C.) won the Pickette Williams Memorial Athletic Award. This scholarship is awarded to a male student-athlete selected by the athletic staff to have demonstrated exemplary sportsmanship. In 2007, Dugan was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III at-large second team (college division), as selected by CoSIDA. Matthew Dugan was a two-time BGMC champion in 2007. He was twice named an All-BGMC performer. He won the 2007 BGMC titles in the 1000 Freestyle and the 1650 Freestyle events. In 2008, Dugan touched first in the 1000 Free with a time of 9:43.45. He helped Wingate to the 2008 BGMC team title, the first conference crown in Bulldog history. A team captain for the Bulldogs, Dugan is also an active member of the local community. Dugan has volunteered at CMC Union hospital in both the Rehabilitation Department and the Emergency Room. He is also a Red Cross Bloodmobile volunteer and a Relay for Life volunteer. Dugan has been very active in Wingate’s Union County Special Olympics Swimming program. Bulldog junior basketball point guard Anna Atkinson (Marion, N.C.) won the Ann Hancock Scholarship Award for the second year in a row. The Hancock Scholarship Award honors current UNC Wilmington head women’s basketball coach Ann Hancock, who earned many athletic and academic honors during a distinguished career at Wingate University. The Hancock Scholarship Award is given annually to a female student-athlete who has completed at least her sophomore year and has best demonstrated excellence in academics, athletics and campus leadership. Atkinson and the Bulldogs advanced to the 2008 NCAA Division II Elite Eight in Nebraska. For her efforts on the hardwood, Atkinson was named to the 2007-08 Daktronics NCAA Division II women’s basketball All-American third team. The Daktronics All-American teams are selected by CoSIDA.
The 2008 South Atlantic Conference Player of
the Year and Scholar-Athlete Award winner, Atkinson led the Bulldogs with
14.8 points per game and 8.3 assists per game this season. On the national
scene, Atkinson was second in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.19), third in
assists and fifth in steals (3.7 steals per game). She was named the MVP
of both the Food Lion SAC tournament and the NCAA Division II South
Atlantic Regional tournament this year. Wingate junior cross country standout Amber Hines (Little Mountain, S.C.) was presented the Herschel “Red” and Mary B. Edwards Scholarship Award. The Edwards Award is presented to a rising junior or senior student-athlete who has at least a 3.00 GPA. The student-athlete should be a solid contributor to his or her team, possess a go-the-extra-mile work ethic and exhibit qualities of a team player. A multiple All-SAC and All-Region performer, Hines helped the Bulldogs qualify for the 2007 NCAA Division II national championship meet. The 2006 South Atlantic Conference Runner of the Year, Hines finished second in the 2006 NCAA Division II Southeast Regional meet at Wingate, earning a spot in the NCAA Division II National Championship meet as an individual qualifier. She set the school’s 6K record in the biggest race of her career, placing 94th in the 2006 NCAA Division II Nationals in Pensacola, Florida with a time of 22:24. In the classroom, she holds a perfect 4.00 GPA. The 2007 SAC Scholar-Athlete for women’s cross country, Hines was elected to the 2007 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® women’s cross country/track & field third team. The Wingate University Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Leadership Award was shared by two of Wingate’s brightest leaders: junior cross country student-athlete Lindsey Roycraft (Tamarac, Fla.) and junior lacrosse attack Greg Williams (Woodbridge, Va.). Each year, the Wingate University SAAC Leadership Award will honor student-athletes who have made significant contributions to the efforts of Wingate’s SAAC. Wingate junior Chet DeLong (Madison, Ohio) won the Ralph Hargett Men’s Golf Leadership Award. DeLong is a three-year letter winner for the Bulldogs. The Ralph Hargett Athletic Department Service Award was presented to long-time Bulldog golf booster David Rushing. In 2008, Chet DeLong posted a 76.5 scoring average. He had a career-best 68 in the Tusculum Fall Classic. DeLong shot an even-par 72 in the third and final round of the Food Lion SAC tournament. (Wingate University assistant sports information director Hugh Patton contributed information to this article. Patton is a 2006 Wingate graduate with a B.A. degree in Communication Studies.) 2007-08 Wingate University Athletic Award Winners SPECIAL AWARDS►The Arthur Joseph “Pepper” Geddings, Jr. Athletic Leadership Award
Rebekah Moody, Women's
Swimming ►Pickette Williams Memorial Athletic Award ►C.B. and Beadie Haskins Scholarship Award
Justin Logan, Men's Golf ►Ann Hancock Scholarship Award Anna Atkinson, Women's Basketball ►The Herschel “Red” and Mary B. Edwards Scholarship Award Amber Hines, Women's Cross Country ►Wingate University SAAC Leadership Award
Lindsey Roycraft, Women's
Cross Country ►Bulldog Club Spirit Award ►The Ralph Hargett Men’s Golf Leadership Award ►The Ralph Hargett Athletic Department Service Award
ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARDS►The Freshman Female Athlete of the Year Award
Ashley Denton,
Women's Golf ►The Freshman Male Athlete of the Year Award ►The Joyce Gragg Pipes Award for Female Athlete of the Year Maria Vlashchenko, Women's Swimming ►The J. Howard Williams Award for Male Athlete of the Year Sean Barnette, Men's Basketball
2007-08 Wingate University Athletic Award Winners Most Valuable Player Awards
2007-08 Wingate University Athletic Award Winners Coaches Awards
Click here to see 2006 Athletic Awards Ceremony |