The Kentucky Wesleyan College athletic department held their first all-sports banquet Friday night at Jones Gymnasium in the Woodward Health and Recreation Center. Over 300 student-athletes in 13 varsity sports were honored.
Jordan White and
Amanda Harnist received top honors as the Male and Female Athletes of the Year.
White, a junior outfielder from Leitchfield, Ky. (Grayson County HS), leads the Panthers in seven hitting categories this season with four games remaining in regular season play. The 2010 All-Great Lakes Valley Conference selection tops in batting average (.386), hits (51), at bats (132), doubles (8), home runs (5), RBIs (33) and slugging percentage (.561) in starting all 35 games.
Harnist, a senior center from Cincinnati (Oak Hills HS), helped the Panthers to their first NCAA basketball tournament appearance in history. The four-year starter led KWC in rebounding (5.4 rpg), blocks (30), steals (47) and field goal shooting (55.0%) and finished second in scoring (10.5 ppg) as an All-Great Lakes Valley Conference honoree in 2011. She produced 22 points and nine rebounds in her final game at KWC in the NCAA Midwest Regional.
Patrick Hibbs and
Jordan Rickert received Freshman Male and Female Athletes of the Year Awards.
Hibbs, a golfer from Madisonville, Ky. (Madisonville North Hopkins HS), participated in nine tournaments including 17 rebounds where he averaged a team-low 76.7 stroke average. He won the Brescia Invitational, placed third at the Oakland City Invitational and was sixth at the Midwest Regional.
Rickert, a volleyball setter from Louisville (Holy Cross HS), led the Panthers in assists with 713, the fourth-best in KWC season history. She also collected 62 kills, 20 aces, 16 blocks and 120 digs in 95 sets including 25 starts in 27 matches played.
Sean Maguire, a senior punter from Louisville (DeSales HS), received the Stan Gallup Champion of Character Award from Gary Gallup and his wife Sharon.
The award is given in memory of Gary's father, who was a volunteer in the athletic department for two seasons where he led by example of unselfishness, teamwork and character with all the student-athletes.
Maguire averaged 36.7 yards per punt as a All-Great Lakes Football Conference member in 2011.
The women's cross country team captured the All-American/All-Sports Club Award, the official booster club, for achieving the highest grade point average of any Panther squad.
Director of Athletics Gary Gallup honored Russell and Betty Adams with the Most Valuable Volunteer Award for donating their time and efforts to operate the All-American/All-Sports Club concession and souvenir stands at baseball, basketball, football soccer and softball games.
All student-athletes were given class distinctive awards. Freshmen received KW letters; sophomores — shadow box KW letters; juniors — watches; and seniors — poster size action photos of themselves.
The banquet was sponsored by the All-American/All-Sports Club.
