Post by Bornthrilla on Apr 28, 2009 12:21:50 GMT -5
BTJ, SPRUIEL EARN TOP HONORS AT ANNUAL BANQUET
Beatty wins second straight Male Athlete of the Year Award
GREENSBORO, April 27, 2009 -- For senior women’s basketball player Brittanie Taylor-James it was like an easy layup. It was more of a long sprint for senior track and field athlete Alexandria Spruiel. For each lady, however, it was a night where they spent a lot of time in front of the room.
Taylor-James and Spruiel took home numerous trophies at the annual North Carolina A&T Awards Banquet Monday night at the Alumni-Foundation Event Center. Taylor-James gave the invocation Monday night, which gave her a seat at the head table.
Therefore, during the four instances when her name was called, she had shortest walk of any recipient. Spruiel was closer to the back of the room, so her three walks to the podium were a little longer. Both athletes were just as deserving to make those appearances no matter the distance.
Taylor-James was honored as her team’s Most Improved Player and she shared the team’s Most Valuable Player award with fellow senior Amber Bland. Taylor-James added to her collection when she received the prestigious 2009 N.C. A&T Sports Hall of Fame Award. The special night for the Illinois native was completed when she was awarded the athletics department’s top female honor of the night – Female Athlete of the Year.
Those deserving honors for Taylor-James came as a result of her putting together one of the best seasons of any women’s basketball player in the program’s history. She broke the single-season scoring record by scoring 623 points. She led the conference in scoring, and she was named MEAC Player of the Year. Taylor-James was a part of back-to-back MEAC regular-season titles, and she helped the Aggies reach the NCAA tournament for the first time in 15 years by leading them to the MEAC Tournament Championship.
Spruiel’s night included being named team MVP for the indoor track season. She was also awarded the prestigious Aggie Club Award, the top honor presented to a deserving athlete from N.C. A&T’s athletics booster club. Spruiel’s night was capped off by receiving the department’s Senior Female Athlete of the Year honor.
There are plenty of reasons why Spruiel had such a great night. During her career, she has put a lot eraser marks in the N.C. A&T track and field record books. But nothing tops being the first. Spruiel finished seventh at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships to become the first female track and field athlete (indoor or outdoor) to earn All-American honors. She is just the third indoor All-American in the program’s history and the ninth overall (indoor and outdoor). During the indoor season, she ranked as high as fourth in the nation in the 400 meters with a time of 52.56.
It was not all about the ladies on Monday night. C.J. Beatty earned the top award on the men’s side for a second straight year as he was named Male Athlete of the Year. Beatty leads the team in hitting at .394. The two-time MEAC home run champion also has seven homers and 29 RBIs. His teammate, Xavier Macklin was named Male Rookie of the Year. Macklin leads the conference in home runs (9) and RBIs (39).
The final male award went to track and field’s Lonnie Phifer. The two-time MEAC champion in the shot put won the shot put event at the Wake Forest Open early in the season, and has qualified for NCAA East regionals in each of his four years at N.C. A&T.
Softball’s Ashley Carter captured the other female award when she was named Female Rookie of the Year. Carter is fifth on the team batting, she leads the team in sacrifice bunts and she is 8-for-8 in stolen base attempts.
N.C. A&T Athletics Director Wheeler Brown gave his AD’s award to football’s Michael Ferguson. Ferguson finished his career as the Aggies fifth all-time leading rusher. “I like to give this award to the athlete who exhibits Aggie Pride to its fullest. No matter what is going on around them good or bad, they don’t complain, they don’t whine, they just go out there and get the job done.”
On the academic side, it was another good night for baseball’s James Howard. For the second straight year, the Graphics Communications major earned the top academic honor on the male side by posting a 4.0 GPA. The female winner was track and field’s Christina Gray.
The Athletics Director’s Academic Team Award went to the softball team. Head coach Mamie Jones’ squad posted a team GPA of 3.09.
Beatty wins second straight Male Athlete of the Year Award
GREENSBORO, April 27, 2009 -- For senior women’s basketball player Brittanie Taylor-James it was like an easy layup. It was more of a long sprint for senior track and field athlete Alexandria Spruiel. For each lady, however, it was a night where they spent a lot of time in front of the room.
Taylor-James and Spruiel took home numerous trophies at the annual North Carolina A&T Awards Banquet Monday night at the Alumni-Foundation Event Center. Taylor-James gave the invocation Monday night, which gave her a seat at the head table.
Therefore, during the four instances when her name was called, she had shortest walk of any recipient. Spruiel was closer to the back of the room, so her three walks to the podium were a little longer. Both athletes were just as deserving to make those appearances no matter the distance.
Taylor-James was honored as her team’s Most Improved Player and she shared the team’s Most Valuable Player award with fellow senior Amber Bland. Taylor-James added to her collection when she received the prestigious 2009 N.C. A&T Sports Hall of Fame Award. The special night for the Illinois native was completed when she was awarded the athletics department’s top female honor of the night – Female Athlete of the Year.
Those deserving honors for Taylor-James came as a result of her putting together one of the best seasons of any women’s basketball player in the program’s history. She broke the single-season scoring record by scoring 623 points. She led the conference in scoring, and she was named MEAC Player of the Year. Taylor-James was a part of back-to-back MEAC regular-season titles, and she helped the Aggies reach the NCAA tournament for the first time in 15 years by leading them to the MEAC Tournament Championship.
Spruiel’s night included being named team MVP for the indoor track season. She was also awarded the prestigious Aggie Club Award, the top honor presented to a deserving athlete from N.C. A&T’s athletics booster club. Spruiel’s night was capped off by receiving the department’s Senior Female Athlete of the Year honor.
There are plenty of reasons why Spruiel had such a great night. During her career, she has put a lot eraser marks in the N.C. A&T track and field record books. But nothing tops being the first. Spruiel finished seventh at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships to become the first female track and field athlete (indoor or outdoor) to earn All-American honors. She is just the third indoor All-American in the program’s history and the ninth overall (indoor and outdoor). During the indoor season, she ranked as high as fourth in the nation in the 400 meters with a time of 52.56.
It was not all about the ladies on Monday night. C.J. Beatty earned the top award on the men’s side for a second straight year as he was named Male Athlete of the Year. Beatty leads the team in hitting at .394. The two-time MEAC home run champion also has seven homers and 29 RBIs. His teammate, Xavier Macklin was named Male Rookie of the Year. Macklin leads the conference in home runs (9) and RBIs (39).
The final male award went to track and field’s Lonnie Phifer. The two-time MEAC champion in the shot put won the shot put event at the Wake Forest Open early in the season, and has qualified for NCAA East regionals in each of his four years at N.C. A&T.
Softball’s Ashley Carter captured the other female award when she was named Female Rookie of the Year. Carter is fifth on the team batting, she leads the team in sacrifice bunts and she is 8-for-8 in stolen base attempts.
N.C. A&T Athletics Director Wheeler Brown gave his AD’s award to football’s Michael Ferguson. Ferguson finished his career as the Aggies fifth all-time leading rusher. “I like to give this award to the athlete who exhibits Aggie Pride to its fullest. No matter what is going on around them good or bad, they don’t complain, they don’t whine, they just go out there and get the job done.”
On the academic side, it was another good night for baseball’s James Howard. For the second straight year, the Graphics Communications major earned the top academic honor on the male side by posting a 4.0 GPA. The female winner was track and field’s Christina Gray.
The Athletics Director’s Academic Team Award went to the softball team. Head coach Mamie Jones’ squad posted a team GPA of 3.09.
