VIDEO: Full Ceremony
VIDEO: Lauren Wade interview
VIDEO: Charles Clark Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman men's basketball guard Charles Clark (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) and women's soccer striker Lauren Wade (Coleraine, Northern Ireland) took home Frosty Awards for Male and Female Athlete of the Year at the Third Annual Frosty Awards Tuesday evening at Gentry Auditorium.
The winners, finalists and history of the awards is below.
Male Athlete of the Year – Charles Clark, Men's Basketball
Charles Clark earned All-America honors from the Division II Bulletin and Basketball times in a season where he became the third Eagle to earn South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year honors. The junior averaged 21.9 points per game and has scored 658 points this season. It's the seventh best scoring season in the history of the South Atlantic Conference and the best individual scoring effort for an Eagle since Carson-Newman moved to Division II. Clark became the seventh player in NCAA history and the first at the Division II level with back-to-back triple-doubles.
Other finalists: Ryan Addington (baseball), Jon Lancaster (swimming), Sawyer Williams (basketball)
Past winners:
2014: Ross Frame (Men's Soccer)
2015: Andy Hibbett (Football)
2016: Damian Baker (Football)
Female Athlete of the Year – Lauren Wade (women's soccer)
The South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year, Lauren Wade concluded her first year in Mossy Creek at the top of the national leaderboard in points per game. She was third in the country in goals and assists. Wade's 51 points are the third-most in a season in program history and her 20 goals tie her for fifth. She earned All-America honors for her efforts in helping Carson-Newman to a second straight SAC title and Southeast Region tournament appearance.
Other finalists: Lacie Rinus (softball), Lexy Raybon (swimming), Elizabeth England (golf)
Past winners:
2014: Kelli Hensley (Softball)
2015: Rachel Harper (Volleyball)
2016: Margaret Stansberry (Swimming)
Team of the Year – Women's soccer and Softball (first tie in Frosty Awards History)
Carson-Newman women's soccer posted a 17-4-1 record and captured the SAC regular season and tournament titles for the second consecutive year. The Eagles set a new program best by having ten players selected to the SAC all-conference teams. They qualified for the NCAA Tournament and earned their 12th tournament win in program history by shutting out Limestone 2-0. They finished the season with 78 goals, the fourth-highest total in Division II.
Carson-Newman softball laid claim to its 15th regular season SAC Championship. The Eagles stand poised to head to NCAA tournament play for a 13th time with a quality region ranking. The Eagles finished the year with tied for the most conference wins in school history. The Eagles finished the year with the second most conference victories in school history. Carson-Newman ranks as the top defensive team in the South Atlantic Conference and set a program record for runs allowed per game in league play.
Past winners:
2014: Men's Soccer
2015: Volleyball
2016: Volleyball
Comeback of the Year – Women's Tennis v. Newberry
Carson-Newman trailed Newberry 4-1 midway through its match and needed to win out to secure a victory over the Wolves. The Eagles started their comeback at No. 3 singles with a win from Jill Corsato. Klara Vuckovic and Sydney Ledington followed suit at four and six. Lindy Tatum completed the comeback, rallying from a set down to beat Rebeca Martinez and put the win on ice.
Other finalists: Baseball v. Saginaw Valley State, Men's Basketball at Tusculum, Women's Basketball v. USC Aiken
Past winners:
2014: Women's Basketball and Whitney Kyle at Newberry
2015: Women's Golf at the SAC Championships
2016: Men's Basketball at Newberry
Game of the Year – Carson-Newman Men's Basketball v. Lincoln Memorial
Other finalists: Women's Soccer v. Wingate, Volleyball v. Anderson, Football at Wingate
Past winners:
2014: No award given for category
2015: Carson-Newman Men's Basketball over #3 LMU in the SAC title game
2016: Carson-Newman baseball at Tusculum
Female Performance of the Year – Elizabeth England (women's golf)
In a three day tournament that saw England break the conference record for lowest round with a six-under 66 on day two, the junior captured her third victory of the season. After collecting four birdies and an eagle on the second day, she crafted a one-over 73 on the event's final afternoon to earn a one shot triumph over Lenoir-Rhyne's Abbey Hartsell, the athlete chosen over England as SAC Player of the Year.
Other finalists: Lauren Wade (women's soccer), Mika Wester (basketball), Lexy Raybon (swimming)
Past winners:
2014: Tiana Mills (track and field)
2015: Kristen Pickett (Volleyball)
2016: Alli Webster (Softball)
Upset of the Year – Women's Basketball v. #6 Columbus State
This past Sunday, Carson-Newman baseball collided with #15 Catawba in an elimination game at the SAC Baseball Championships. The Eagles scored in all but two innings to boat race the Indians out of the tournament 13-8. Carson-Newman scored its most runs against Catawba since a 19-6 triumph over the then 14th ranked Indians in 2004. Seven different Eagles had multi-hit days. Greg Jones and Cade Snapp hit dingers for C-N.
Other finalists: Men's soccer v. #7 Tusculum, Women's soccer v. #12 Limestone, Women's basketball at #23 Newberry, Kristofer Potts Howard at the Tennessee Rust Buster
Past winners:
2014: Men's Basketball v. #7 LMU
2015: Men's Basketball v. #1 LMU
2016: Women's Basketball v. #6 Columbus State
Male Newcomer of the Year – Shaun Jones (Men's Basketball)
Shaun Jones set a Carson-Newman single-season school record with a whopping 13 double-doubles on the year. Jones led the South Atlantic Conference in rebounding and had the fifth most rebounds in a single-season in league history. Jones also matched a Carson-Newman and SAC record by making 12 shots without missing in a road matchup against Newberry.
Other finalists: Malik Abraham (Men's Basketball), Jonathan King (Football), Brett Langhorne (Baseball)
Past winners:
2014: Ross Frame (men's soccer)
2015: Tanner Stepp (Track and Field)
2016: Kevin Snead (Track and Field)
Male Performance of the Year – Charles Clark (Men's Basketball)
Charles Clark did something that no other player in the history of basketball, either NCAA or NBA, had done against Coker. Clark scored 54 points and produced a triple double with 11 rebounds and 12 assists. At the time, it was the highest scoring triple double in the history of basketball. The 54 points broke both the SAC and Carson-Newman single game scoring records. Clark also smashed Chris Jones' 56-year-old record for points in a half with a 36-point second stanza. He earned national player of the week honors following the effort.
Other finalists: Jake Headrick (golf), Ryan Addington (baseball), Jon Lancaster (swimming)
Past winners:
2014: De'Andre Thomas (football)
2015: Charles Clark (Men's Basketball)
2016: Andrew Hall (Men's Golf)
Play of the Year – Jake Headrick (Men's Golf)
Headrick made a 64-foot putt to clinch the Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate
Other finalists: Thibault Mathorez OT game winner v. Tusculum (Men's Soccer), Noah Suber's bruising run v. Humboldt State (football), Malik Abraham's game-winner v. LMU (men's basketball)
Past winners:
2014: Rachel Harper (volleyball)
2015: Rurik Pereira (Men's Soccer)
2016: Zack Pangallo (Men's Basketball)
Female Newcomer of the Year – Lauren Wade (women's soccer)
Lauren Wade is the seventh individual in Carson-Newman women's soccer history to earn All-America honors. The Colerain, Northern Ireland native brought home second team honors from the NSCAA and first team accolades from the D2CCA. Wade ranked top 20 in the country in every offensive statistical category. She produced hat tricks in games against USC Aiken, Tusculum and Coker.
Other finalists: Magda Mosengo (soccer), Haris Price (basketball), Mika Wester (basketball)
2014: Combined male and female newcomer of the year was presented to men's soccer's Ross Frame
2015: Elizabeth England (Women's Golf)
2016: Jules Herrity (women's soccer)
Coach of the Year – Vickee Kazee-Hollifield (Softball)
Vickee Kazee-Hollifield took a team laden with five freshmen in the starting lineup and saw it become a juggernaut. The Eagles won 17 consecutive games at one point. Carson-Newman also started 10-0 in SAC play for the first time since 1995. C-N beat #16 Lenoir-Rhyne to cement its claim to its 15th regular season SAC title.
Other finalists: Randy Wylie (Men's Golf), Jordan Taylor (Swimming), Suzanne Strudwick (Women's Golf)
Past winners:
2014: Richard Moodie (men's soccer)
2015: Vickee Kazee-Hollifield (Softball)
2016: Richard Moodie (women's soccer)
Male Freshman of the Year – Tom Forster (Golf)
The 2017 SAC Freshman Men's Golfer of the Year. Tom Forster started his career in Mossy Creek by crafting the best stroke average on coach Randy Wylie's squad at 72.32, That mark that has him fifth in the South Atlantic Conference. He's placed in the top 10 three times and had his best finish at the Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate when he placed second at nine-under. The freshman owns four of C-N's top 10 best single round scores this season.
Past winners:
2014: No award given
2015: No award given
2016: Carson Wise (football)
Female Freshman of the Year – Lacie Rinus (softball)
Lacie Rinus is just the second player in South Atlantic Conference history to earn freshman of the year and pitcher of the year honors in the same season. Rinus powered Carson-Newman in the circle with an ERA just over one and more than 190 strikeouts on the year. She hasn't been too shabby at the plate either. Rinus is hitting better than .350. She has crossed the half century mark for hits on the year and has driven in more than 35 runs.
Other finalists: Abby Fiessinger (softball), Jackie Burns (soccer), Mary Northcutt (swimming)
Past winners:
2014: No award given
2015: No award given
2016: Varin Ness (women's soccer)
Team Performance of the Year – Men's Golf at the BNI
In a remarkable showing, the Eagles ran away from the field in the Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate to capture the tournament title by a whopping 25 strokes. They also secured their first tourney victory of the season as C-N's Jake Headrick netted his first career individual title. The Eagles were in a field that included seven Division I schools, as well as the No. 18 squad in Division II, Lincoln Memorial, but none of the competitors could post a lower score than C-N on any of the three days in Sevierville.
Other finalists: Men's basketball v. Newberry, women's basketball v. King, women's soccer v. FMU and USC Aiken
Past Award Winners
2014: No award given
2015: No award given
2016: No award given