Carson-Newman Holds Year-End Awards Banquet

Carson-Newman Holds Year-End Awards Banquet

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman's Kyle Koeneman, Zoriah Williams, Nikki James, and Tiffany Delias were the 2011-2012 Eagle Club Award winners honored on Tuesday night as C-N recognized its student-athletes for their accomplishments during the past athletic year at its year-end awards banquet. 

Baseball's Kyle Koeneman took home the Eagle Club Male Athlete of the Year honors, while women's basketball's Zoriah Williams and volleyball's Nikki James shared Eagle Club Female Co-Athlete of the Year honors. Junior Tiffany Delias was named the 2011-2012 Eagle Club Academic Athlete of the Year to round out the top awards.

Koeneman carried the Eagles to a 28-26 record this season, leading the team with a .390 batting average and 20 home runs, which put him among the nation's leaders for much of the season. The 2012 South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year was at his best late in games, hitting game-tying or game-winning home runs in the ninth inning four times. He also had three saves and was among the nation's best in on-base percentage and walks.

Williams and James share the women's honors after wrapping up phenomenal careers.

Williams led the Lady Eagles to a 17-11 record and a berth in the SAC Tournament Semifinals. She averaged 15 points and nine rebounds as a senior. The senior forward had 12 double-doubles on the year and leaves C-N as the school's ninth all-time leading scorer (1,157 points) and fifth all-time leading rebounder (843). She was named first team All-SAC and second team All-Region.

James led the Lady Eagles to a 17-14 record as a senior and earned All-SAC and All-Region honors. She was second in the nation in blocks with 180 after amassing 190 as a junior, which led the country and is the most in a single season in the 25-point format. She leaves C-N with 688 career blocks, which puts among the most all-time in SAC and D-II history.

Delias, a junior on the tennis team, was named Eagle Club Academic Athlete of the Year after keeping a perfect 4.0 GPA as an English major. She was 8-6 this season for the Lady Eagles and 4-4 in SAC play.

Soccer's Matthew Craine and cross country's Lauren Henry and were named male and female Academic Athletes of the Year.

Craine has a 3.96 grade point average as a double major in accounting and finance.

Henry is a major in journalism and graphic design, and has maintained a 3.95 grade point average at Carson-Newman.                     

2011 AFCA Good Works Team member Byron Bell was named the John Abe Teague Award winner, while sophomore linebacker Jonathan Sites was given the Roy Harmon Award.

2011-12 Carson-Newman Athletic Awards   
Eagle Club Male Athlete of the Year Kyle Koeneman, Baseball
Eagle Club Female Co-Athlete of the Year Zoriah Williams, Basketball
Eagle Club Female Co-Athlete of the Year Nikki James, Volleyball
Eagle Club Academic Athlete of the Year Tiffany Delias, Tennis
Male Scholar Athlete of the Year Matthew Craine, Soccer
Female Scholar Athlete of the Year Lauren Henry, Cross Country
Roy Harmon Award Jonathan Sites
   
Football   
Eagle Spirit Award Blaine Ruttan
Most Improved Award Brandon Haywood
Captain Zeke Andrews
Captain Kevin Day
John Abe Teague Byron Bell
   
Baseball  
Bobby Wilson Scholar Athlete Award Mason Guyman
Frosty Holt – Most Dedicated Award Lance Rorex
Most Valuable Player Kyle Koeneman
Gold Glove Award Troy Zawadzki
Best Pitcher Robby Thigpen
Best Offense Kyle Koeneman
   
Softball  
100% Award Cassidy Skeen
Best Offense Brianna Shoemake
Most Dedicated Kim Whaley
Most Valuable Player Mary Shealy
   
Golf  
Lowest Stroke Average Liam Ashby
Most Improved Jonathon Kim-Moss
Eagle Grinder Michael Horenkamp
   
Women's Golf  
Most Improved Jennifer Oliver
Eagle Spirit Melanie Manis
Most Valuable Player Erica Ray
   
Volleyball  
Best Exemplified Theme "Carry the Fire" Angelle Hayes
Most Valuable Player Nikki James
Coaches Award Rachel Bowlin
   
Women's Basketball  
Most Valuable Player Zoriah  Williams
Best All Around Shannon Depew
Coaches Award Megan Hunter
   
Men's Cross Country  
Workhorse Luke Hall
100% Eagle Joey Nielsen
Frontrunner Angel Soriano
   
Women's Cross Country  
100% Eagle Sammy McConeghey
Workhorse Amanda Bowman
Frontrunner Hannah Reese
   
Men's Track  
Male Award Recipient
Most Dedicated Jason Brown
Outstanding Field Events Randall Freeman
Outstanding Field Events Cassadine Blassingame
Most Dedicated Anthony Goins
   
Women's Track Recipient
Most Dedicated Anna Bauder
Team Leadership McKenzie Wampler
Team Leadership Sammy McConeghey
Highest Point Totals Kristen Eubanks
   
Men's Soccer  
Freshman of the Year Whit Gray
Player of the Year      Taylor Jolley
Player's Player of the Year Taylor Jolley
   
Women's Soccer  
Freshman Player of the Year Jenna Bryan
Player's Player of the Year Sarah Thompkins
Coaches Player of the Year Sarah Thompkins
Eagle Award Katie McKinney
   
Men's Tennis  
Most Improved Player Austin MacKay
Most Wins                Derek Holdway
Most Wins Garret Duron
Most Valuable Player Paul Birdsong
   
Women's Tennis  
Most Improved Player Jennifer Ott
Most Wins Katie Brown
Most Valuable Player Stefy Stand
   
Athletic Training   
Wounded Warrior of the Year Daniel Zitt
Wounded Warrior of the Year Kylie Elliott
Athletic Training Student of the Year  Nathan Barger
   
Cheerleading   
Leadership Award Heather Goforth
Eagle Spirit Award Miriam Wilson
Cheerleader of the Year      Havilah Dozier                        
   
Dance Team   
Leadership Award Pamela Gray
Technique Award Shana Smith
Dancer of the Year Tori Gordon