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Pacers Earn End-of-Year Recognition
Raleigh, NC -- The Peace College department of athletics held the Fourteenth Annual Athletic Banquet Sunday evening in a dressed up Hermann Student Center gymnasium. Director of Athletics Kelly Johnson closed the event paying special tribute to President Laura Carpenter Bingham and first man Warren. "She had the vision to know and understand the importance of athletics in the development of women at the college level," commented Johnson. President Bingham announced in September her plans to retire June 30 after a 12-year tenure at Peace.
The Pacer staff presented three student-athletes with one of three elite honors -- The Frazier Cup, the Jeannie Grey Bierce Outstanding Athlete Award, and the Scholar Athlete Award.
Senior Randal McLean earned The Frazier Cup named in honor of the college's seventh president Dr. David S. Frazier who began in earnest the intercollegiate athletics program during his tenure. Senior soccer player Randal McLean was presented the 2010 award as the individual who best exemplified the characteristics of the term student-athlete. McLean will graduate in May with one of the first bachelor of science degrees awarded to a Peace College student. She majored in biology with a minor in chemistry. McLean's impressive collegiate resume' includes three years on the USA South academic all-conference team, president of the Omicron Delta Kappa leadership honor society, officer of the Alpha Chi national honor society and Beta Beta Beta, the national biological honor society, in addition to her four seasons with the Pacer soccer team.
Senior basketball player LeAnne Horne was presented this year's Bierce award named in memory of notable Peace athlete Jeannie Grey Bierce, who lost her battle with cancer in 2001. This honor is presented annually to the student-athlete deemed to have had the greatest impact on the college's athletic program during the current academic year. Horne will graduate in May with a bachelor of arts in child development with a minor in psychology. She earned this year's basketball most valuable player award and received league all-conference honorable mention recognition in February. Horne ended her career as the Peace College all-time leader in career steals with 209. She also became a member of the 1000-point club this season with 1022 career points.
Senior Kimberly Zullo received this year's Scholar Athlete Award, given to the student-athlete with the highest grade-point-average. Through the fall semester, Zullo has earned a perfect 4.0 and will graduate next month with a bachelor of science degree in biology. Zullo became the first Peace cross country runner to earn USA South first team all-conference honors this fall. She was the fastest Pacer at all meets during the fall season.
In addition to these top honors, Johnson recognized each of the eight Pacer athletes who earned league honors for her respective sport, as well as the six recipients of the USA South all-sportsmanship award. Twenty-two student-athletes earned academic all-conference honors last June for earning at least a 3.0 grade point average in both the fall and spring semesters of the 2008-2009 year. As these individuals are announced annually during the summer, Johnson gives special recognition to the class the following April at the annual athletic banquet.
Head Coaches for each of Peace's six sports presented participation awards to each athlete and recognized a few team members who went above and beyond. Please see below for a complete list of these honors.
BASKETBALL
Most Valuable Player, LeAnne Horne
Pacer Award, Brenna Mickey
CROSS COUNTRY
Most Valuable Runner, Kimberly Zullo
Most Improved Runner, Allison Gilmore
SOCCER
Most Valuable Player, Haley
Bright
Most Valuable Player, Melissa
Moran
Defensive Player of the Year, Karissa
Herring
Pacer Award, Randal McLean
SOFTBALL
Most Valuable Player, Morgan
Weathington
Best Defensive Player, Kendra
Yearick
Most Improved Player, Melissa
Williams
TENNIS
Most Valuable Player, Haley Bright
Ruth Hopkins Award, Brittany
Lynn
VOLLEYBALL
Most Valuable Player, Elizabeth Evanoff
Coaches Award, Bree Crook
