PJC athletes honored at athletic awards ceremony

Published or Revised November 07, 2016

Paris Junior College athletes were honored Tuesday, May 5, at the PJC All-Sports Awards ceremony held in the Hunt Center. Coaches recognized their players and recapped seasons, then presented awards. The most valuable player for each team was recognized, as was the most valuable player in all sports and highest academic achievement among PJC athletes. “The Paris Junior College athletic department is blessed to have so many young men and women who have dedicated their time and abilities to our institution,” said PJC athletic director and baseball coach Deron Clark. “This commitment continues to produce success both on and off the field for the Dragon programs.” Baseball player Garrett Dodd of McKinney received the McLemore Cup, the award given to the top athlete from all PJC sports. He had 70 hits, 16 doubles, two triples, a .409 AVG, was 2014 All-Conference and Academic All-Conference, named to the 2014 Texas JUCO All Star Team and was named Region XIV East 2015 First Team All-Conference. Dodd was also co-winner of the Barney Bray Cup for baseball MVP with Logan Sepanek of Flower Mound. Sepanek had 74 hits, 11 doubles, 11 homeruns, and led the conference in hitting. He was named to the 2014 All-Conference Team and a 2014 JUCO All Star Team. This year he has been named the 2015 Conference Player of the Year. He signed in the fall to play with Dallas Baptist University. Co-winners of the Bobby Walters Cup, presented to the sophomore athlete with the highest grade point average, were softball player Alexandria Cruz of Humble, Texas and baseball player Austin McDaniel, who tied with 4.0 GPAs. McDaniel will play in the fall for the U.S. Air Force Academy. Cruz was First Team All-Conference, Second Team All-Region and Academic All-Conference. She will be attending the University of Texas. The Vernon Carter Cup for softball MVP went to freshman Courtney Meier from Bryan, who plays second base. Freshman Grayson Benavides of Fort Worth was presented the Mickey Flippen Cup for golf MVP. He was Region XIV Medalist, came in tenth in District II, and is advancing to the national tournament to play as an individual. Paris native Haley Hostetler received the Volleyball MVP award. In 2014 she was All-Conference Honorable Mention and in 2015, Second Team All Conference and All-Region Academic. Now in the PJC nursing program, the McLemore Cup nominee had 275 kills and 468 career kills, 94 blocks and 188 career blocks and a .250 hitting percentage that was the team high. Diego Martinez of Brenham was named Men’s Soccer MVP. The sophomore was named to the 2014 NJCAA Region XIV Academic All-Region and First Team All-Region. He has signed with Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, and was a McLemore Cup nominee with four goals, five assists and 13 points earned. The Women’s Soccer MVP was awarded to Priscilla Carrillo, sophomore from Greenville. She has signed with Texas Women’s University to play in the fall. A McLemore Cup nominee, the 2014 team captain had three goals, one assist and seven points earned. Damya Toney of Detroit, Michigan, won the Don Wilhelm Cup for women’s basketball MVP for the second year in a row. She was 2014 All Conference Honorable Mention and 2015 First Team All-Conference. Sophomore Jo’vone Haynes of Detroit, Michigan, received the Carroll Dawson Cup for men’s basketball MVP. In 2014 he was named Third Team All-Conference and to the Region XIV All-Tournament Team. This year he received All-Region Honorable Mention.