PJC honors athletes with awards
Published or Revised May 05, 2014
The Paris Junior College All-Sports Awards ceremony was held in the Ray Karrer Theater on Sunday, April 27, honoring each team’s most valuable player, the overall most valuable player, and academic achievement among PJC athletes. Front row, from left, Brad McDonald of Wills Point, co-winner of the Barney Bray Cup for Baseball MVP; Jeremy Salas of Arlington, winner of the Bobby Walters Cup for sophomore athlete with the highest grade point average; Zac Oliver of Checotah, Oklahoma, winner of the Mickey Flippen Cup for golf MVP; Callaway Kirkpatrick of Willow Park, co-winner of the Barney Bray Cup; and Morgan Monzingo of Cedar Hill, winner of the Women’s Soccer MVP Cup. Middle row, from left: Jose Romero of Athens, co-winner of Men’s Soccer MVP; Katlin Alexander, winner of the Vernon Carter Cup for softball MVP; Jordan Strickland of Lexington, Kentucky, co-winner of Volleyball MVP as was T’Asia Black of Longview, who also won the McLemore Cup for the top athlete in all PJC sports. Back row, from left, are co-winners of the Carroll Dawson Cup for basketball MVP: Delvin Dickerson of Houston, Treyvon Seymore of Waterbury, Connecticut, Nouhoum Bocoum of Harlem, New York, Jovan Austin of Grand Prairie, and Ronnie White of Chicago, Illinois. Not pictured are Damya Toney of Detroit, Michigan, winner of the Don Wilhelm Cup for women’s basketball MVP, and Ilmi Mehmeti of Paris, co-winner of the Men’s Soccer MVP award.
Paris Junior College athletes were honored Sunday, April 27, at the PJC All-Sports Awards ceremony held in the Ray Karrer Theater. Each team’s most valuable player was recognized, as was the most valuable player in all sports, and highest academic achievement among PJC athletes. Coaches recognized their players and recapped seasons, then presented awards.
“This ceremony provided our community and institution a great opportunity to see the impressive accomplishments generated from the young people in our athletic department,” said PJC athletic director and baseball coach Deron Clark. “Athletes, parents, faculty, administrators and coaches all deserve praise for the time and energy applied to the success of our athletic programs.”
The McLemore Cup, the award given to the top athlete from all PJC sports, went to volleyball standout T’Asia Black, of Longview. She was also named co-winner of the Volleyball MVP Cup, along with Jordan Strickland, of Lexington, Kentucky. In addition to All Conference and All American honors, Black was nationally ranked 31st in hits and 15th in blocking. She will attend and play for North Carolina State University in the fall. Strickland earned All Conference and All Region honors, was Region XIV 2013 Setter of the Year and nationally ranked 13th in assists. She will attend St. Catharine’s University.
The Bobby Walters Cup, presented to the sophomore athlete with highest grade point average, went to golfer Jeremy Salas, of Arlington, Texas. A member of the All Region XIV Team, he will attend Texas A&M University in College Station.
Director of Student Life Kenneth Webb recognized the cheerleading squad and presented them with certificates of recognition.
The Women’s Soccer MVP Cup went to freshman Morgan Monzingo of Cedar Hill. She was named a 2013 All American and to the 2013 All-Academic and All-Region XIV teams. She had 36 goals and 12 assists; 84 points earned, and will transfer to the University of Texas at Tyler. She was a McLemore Cup nominee.
Damya Toney of Detroit, Michigan, won the Don Wilhelm Cup for women’s basketball MVP. The freshman guard earned All Conference Honorable Mention.
Jovan Austin of Grand Prairie, Nouhoum Bocoum of Harlem, New York, Treyvon Seymore of Waterbury, Connecticut, Ronnie White of Chicago, Illinois, and Delvin Dickerson of Houston were named co-winners of the Carroll Dawson Cup for men’s basketball MVP. Austin and Bocoum were both 2nd Team All-Conference and 3rd Team All-Region. Seymore was Region XIV Tournament MVP. White has signed to attend Arkansas State University. Dickerson was First Team All-Conference and All-Region and Region XIV All-Tournament Team, as well as 2012-13 All-League Third Team. The team leader in scoring, he was a McLemore Cup nominee.
Bradley McDonald of Wills Point and Callaway Kirkpatrick of Willow Park were co-winners of the Barney Bray Cup for baseball MVP. Both were on the 2013 All-Conference Team and JUCO All Star Team. McDonald will be attending the University of Central Oklahoma. Kirkpatrick was named to the 2013 All Conference Team and will attend Marshall University. Both were McLemore Cup nominees.
The Mickey Flippen Cup for golf MVP went to Zac Oliver of Checotah, Oklahoma. Oliver had a 72.87 stroke average, was ranked first in NJCAA Region XIV and 20th nationally. He was Region XIV medalist and runner-up in the District 2 Championship, and on the 2013 All-Region XIV Team. He will attend Oklahoma Baptist University. He was a McLemore Cup nominee.
The Vernon Carter Cup for softball MVP went to Katlin Alexander of Paris. Named First Team All Conference and First Team All Region, she hit 15 home runs this season, the most in Region XIV and 20th in the nation. She averaged .429 for the season and .522 in conference, with 70 hits, 11 doubles, two triples, 54 RBIs, .997 fielding percentage, .492 OB percentage, and .798 SLG percentage.
Ilmi Mehmeti of Paris and Jose Romero of Athens were co-winners of the Men’s Soccer MVP Cup. Mehmeti was named to the 2012 and 2013 All-Region Teams. He will attend Western Michigan University. Romero made the 2013 All-Region XIV Team and NSCAA All-Region Team. He was nationally ranked 37th in goals, 27th in assists, 26th in total points, and 11th in total shots, and will attend the University of Texas at Tyler. He was a McLemore Cup nominee.
