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All Gulf South Conference 1st Team |
OBU ATHLETIC BANQUET NEWS
ARKADELPHIA – More accolades were handed out Tuesday at the Ouachita Baptist annual athletic banquet as several student-athletes received top recognition.
Women’s swimming Lauren Vickroy and volleyball’s Meredith Henry grabbed the honors for the Outstanding Female Scholar-Athletes Award. Tabbed to the Frank Reed Male Scholar-Athlete Award were men’s swimming James Riddle, football’s Zach Wright, Blake Lockwood of baseball, Daniel Munday of men’s basketball and Jakub Smid of men’s tennis. Those awards go to the scholar-athletes whose achievements both academically and athletically have been deemed to be truly exemplary.
The major awards were also handed out as Sarah Watson (women’s swimming) and Breanne Garrett (volleyball) took home honors for Outstanding Female Athlete. The award is present to the outstanding female athlete who best demonstrates the traits of the Christian character, desire to win, sportsmanship and athletic ability.
Watson is a two-time national champion in the 200 Back and was second at nationals in the 100 Back and the 200 IM. She is an All-American and an Academic All-American.
Garrett had another outstanding season for the Purple and Gold. She was a member of the All-Gulf South Conference First Team, as well as a selection on the All-Region Team. She finished this past season with 524 kills, averaging 4.68 per game. She is the single-season holder in kills and kills per game. She also added 101 total blocks.
Radu Badalac (men’s swimming), Nelson Silva (men’s swimming), Ondrej Vana (men’s tennis), Jim Streicher (baseball), Willie Hopson (football), Memo Rodriguez (men’s basketball) and Ed Keyes (men’s basketball) were up for Bob Lambert Memorial Outstanding Male Athlete Award.
Vana and Streicher earned top honors as they were selected by the coaches for the award.
Vana was tabbed Gulf South Conference Player of the Year and is ranked No. 9 in singles play and 10th in doubles. This season, he has helped guide the Tigers to the seventh straight GSC West Division crown and a runner-up finish at the GSC Tournament. He has compiled a 17-2 record in singles play and 17-3 mark in doubles.
Streicher was a member of the first-ever Rawlings Collegiate Gold Glove. This season he was recognized twice by the conference in being named player of the week. He has hit a career-high seven home runs and is tied for the team lead in doubles with 17. He leads all Ouachita Baptist batters with a .420 average.
The Bob Lambert Memorial Outstanding Male Athlete Award is presented to the outstanding male athlete who best demonstrates the traits of the Christian character, desire to win, sportsmanship and athletic ability.
VANA AND PLEWINSKI GRAB TOP HONORS
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Ouachita Baptist men’s tennis team racked up Gulf South Conference honors Friday as the Tigers led the way with four players selected to the All-GSC West Division, including Ondrej Vana, who was tabbed player of the year, and Jan Plewinski, who earned freshman of the year honors.
Ouachita Baptist (12-3), which opens Gulf South Conference Tournament action 11:00 a.m., Saturday, April 19 in quarterfinal play against West Alabama, had four players on the squad, while Harding and Delta State each had two.
Jakub Smid, who was named to the 2006 All-GSC First Team, Till Heilshorn, Plewinski and Vana, who is a three-time recipient of the honor, were tabbed with the conference honors. Pascal LaPlace and Rafael Weigard were named to the team from Delta State, while earning honors from Harding were Olzhas Taniyev and Marco Ruiz.
In the East Division, Valdosta State and North Alabama had three players selected, while West Florida had two. Nicolas Barrientos of West Florida garnered GSC East Division Player of the Year honors, while teammate Patrick Bateman was named freshman of the year.
The Gulf South Conference Coach of the year award will be given to the coach that leads the team to the championship. Because of the shortage of teams, there wasn’t a second team selected.
The GSC Tournament begins Saturday, April 19 at O’Conner Tennis Center and will conclude 12:00 p.m., Sunday, April 20.
4/18/2008
