Outstanding student-athletes were honored recently at an annual awards banquet held by the Charlotte 49ers and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Team MVP and Coaches’ Awards, as well as department-wide academic honors, were presented.
The 49ers football program awarded its Offensive MVP to all-Conference USA rusher Kalif Phillips and its Defensive MVP to leading tackler Nick Cook. The Jon Richardson Football Scholarship was awarded to defensive lineman Brandon Banks.
Men’s basketball presented its Most Valuable Player award to Conference USA’s leading rebounder Joseph Uchebo, while senior all-Conference USA selection Alexis Alexander was named the women’s basketball MVP after leading the 49ers to the WNIT.
Men’s soccer awarded its MVP to all-Southeast Region first team midfielder Brandt Bronico, and four spring programs honored their 2015 award winners with the 2016 season still in action.
Phillips, women’s soccer sophomore all-Central Region star Martha Thomas, the men’s tennis program’s all-time singles and doubles career wins leader Jordi Massalle-Ferrer and softball’s all-time pitching victories leader Lexi Betancourt (2014, 2015) were all named MVP’s for the second straight year. Track and field star Taylor Carcella was named the 2016 women’s indoor track MVP after earning the 2014 outdoor track MVP honor last year.
In addition to the athletic awards, the 49ers presented the Hugh McEniry and Bonnie Cone Awards to the student-athletes with the highest GPA for the past two semesters. The McEniry Award recipient was football’s Lee McNeill. The Cone Award went to women’s track and field member Erin Crissman.
A complete listing of honorees is below.
MVP Sport Recipient
MVP (2015) Baseball Sean Geoghegan
MVP Men’s Basketball Joseph Uchebo
MVP Women’s Basketball Alexis Alexander
MVP Cheerleaders Natalia Barriga
MVP Men’s Cross Country Mike Tamayo
MVP Women’s Cross Country Carolina Casin-Silva
Offensive MVP Football Kalif Phillips
Defensive MVP Football Nick Cook
Scout Team MVP Football Juwan Foggie
MVP Gold Dusters Dance Team Jordan Justice
MVP Golf Seth Gandy
MVP Men’s Soccer Brandt Bronico
MVP Women’s Soccer Martha Thomas
MVP (2015) Softball Lexi Betancourt
MVP Men’s Tennis Jordi Massalle Ferrer
MVP Women’s Tennis Tai Martin
MVP Men’s Indoor Track and Field Stevan Veselinovic
MVP Women’s Indoor Track and Field Taylor Carcella
MVP (2015) Men’s Outdoor Track and Field K’Vonte Scott
MVP (2015) Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Alvonna Blakney
MVP Volleyball Sarah McDonald
Special Awards Sport Recipient
Jon Richardson Scholarship Football Brandon Banks
Hayward Grubstake Award Men’s Basketball Cam Pappas
Gold Nugget Award Women’s Basketball Ny Jamison-Myers
Vincent Vernitsky Award Men’s Cross Country/Track and Field Daniel Beamer
Vincent Vernitsky Award Women’s Cross Country/Track and Field Ashleigh Handchen
David Schlee Award Men’s Soccer Daniel Bruce
Wendi Cook Award Women’s Tennis Macy Vonderschmidt
Coaches Award Volleyball Morgan Barker
Academic Awards Sport Recipient
Hugh McEniry Award Academics (male) Lee McNeill, football
Bonnie Cone Award Academics (female) Erin Crissman, track and