The Mississippi University for Women W Athletics Department recognized the contributions of its student-athletes, coaches, and staff Tuesday with the inaugural Owls Awards Ceremony.
The most coveted awards of the night, Male Athlete of the Year and Female Athlete of the Year, were given to Will Peters, a freshman baseball player, and Katlyn Duke, a junior softball player.
Peters, a utility player, appeared in 31 games for a .940 fielding percentage and a .349 batting average. Defensively, Peters holds the highest number of innings pitched at 49. Offensively, he has 46 total bases.
Duke leads the team with 32 RBIs and has a team-high of 52 total bases. She holds a fielding percentage of .932 and a batting average of .321.
The Owls Heart and Soul Award, an honor given to the student-athlete who stands out and goes beyond the game while exemplifying school spirit and sportsmanship on and off the field, was awarded to John McGee, a member of the baseball and men’s soccer teams. McGee was key in his team’s success and portrayed a great attitude and can-do approach. He upheld the Owls four core values of academics, athletics, community, and life.
The women’s cross country team excelled in the classroom to earn a 3.34 grade-point average, the highest of all competing teams. For its accomplishment, the squad received the Team Academic Award.
The Coaching Staff of Year Award is given to the coaching staff that demonstrated honesty, integrity, concern for the student-athletes, and excellence in performance. With a 19-13 regular season record and the third-highest team GPA, the Coaching Staff of the Year Award was awarded to the baseball team’s Matt Wolfenbarger and Ben Russell. This season, the team had a nine-game winning streak and is ranked seventh in the USCAA Coaches Poll, peaking at fourth in week two.
Each coach awarded a team’s Coach’s Award and a team’s Most Valuable Player Award. The Coach’s Award is given to the student-athlete on each team who is pleasant to be around, enthusiastic, always willing to learn, and does everything they can to be a help to their team on and off the field. Most Valuable Player recognition is given to the person who is a proven leader and has shown commitment to their team and the competition.
The Coach’s Award recipients are Carol-Ann Gibbs, cross country; Sam Harvey, men’s soccer; Megan Parks, volleyball; Prince Tolbert, baseball; and Mateline Newman, softball.
The MVP Awards were given to Karigan Bonner, cross country; John McGee, men’s soccer; Tori Weir, volleyball; Damain Benefield, baseball; and Heidi Matthews, softball.
A final award, The Owls Service Award was presented to a member of The W community who has gone above and beyond the call of duty and mad a visible impact on the lives of the student-athletes. The 2017-18 Owls Service Award recipient is James Traywick with GCA Facilities. James has been an asset to the athletic department and the student-athletes. He not only assisted with preparing offices for the staff, but he also helped make the athletic facility visions become a reality.
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