Due West, S.C. – Seniors
Corin Hallman (Mt. Pleasant, SC, Wando High School) and
Roberto De La Vina (Oviedo, Spain, San Ignacio) were voted this year's Jake Todd Award winners at the 1
st Annual FLEETY Awards Show tonight in Lesesne Auditorium.
The Jake Todd Award, named in honor of former Erskine Coach Jake Todd who coached football, basketball and baseball from 1928-1941, is presented annually to an Erskine senior athlete who best demonstrated outstanding athletic ability, academic achievement, leadership, character, and sportsmanship.
Hallman departs Erskine as arguably the best women's tennis player in school history. During her career, the Flying Fleet never lost a conference match, going a perfect 39-0, winning four conference and tournament titles, and four trips to the NCAA Southeast Regional Tournament.
Individually, the four-time 1
st Team All-Conference honoree last lost a conference singles match back in her sophomore year, going 35-3 in her career in conference play and 63-20 overall. In doubles competition, Hallman lost only one conference match in her entire career, back in her junior season, establishing a career conference mark of 36-1. Overall Hallman was 63-24 in doubles play.
Hallman won both Conference Carolinas Conference Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year Awards in her career and is a four-time Intercollegiate Tennis Association Scholar-Athlete.
De La Vina has started the last four seasons at goalkeeper for the Flying Fleet, leading his team to their first-ever Conference Carolinas Regular Season Conference Title this past season. Not since Flying Fleet Hall of Famer Crispin St. Louis (1989-1993) has an Erskine goalkeeper recorded as many saves in a season or career as De La Vina. For the second straight year, De La Vina finished second in the nation in total saves and won the Conference Carolinas Defensive Player of the Year Award. He also was voted 2
nd Team All-Region, one of only two Erskine student-athletes this year to receive All-Region honors.
In addition to his on-field performance, De La Vina was voted to the Capital One All-District Academic Team, the first Erskine student-athlete to achieve the honor as well as the Conference Carolinas Men's Soccer Scholar Athlete of the Year, the only Erskine student-athlete to win the award for their respective sport this year.
Other annual athletic department award winners include:
Murphy Osborne Award Nominee:
Rachel Whitmire (Pendleton, SC, T.L. Hanna High School), Women's Cross Country
Karen G. Bell Award (Christian Commitment):
Ronnie Funk (Spartanburg, SC, Spartanburg High School), Men's Golf
Sonny Rhem Award (Community Service): Rachel Whitmire, Women's Cross Country
Dr. Gid Alston Award (Athletic Staff): Vardon Cox, Men's Tennis
Instead of the annual banquet, this year the Erskine Athletic Department held their end-of-the-year celebration in the fashion of other well-known awards shows, including the walking of the red carpet. Head Men's Volleyball Coach Derek Schmitt served as both the director and emcee of the event.
FLEETY Awards were presented for the first time this year. Coaches nominated student-athletes for the respective awards and were voted on by both athletic department members and entire Erskine community. The awards were given in the categories below:
Team Academic Award: Women's Cross Country
Outstanding Performance (Female): Samantha Burns, Women's Lacrosse
Outstanding Performance (Male): Mike Michelau, Men's Volleyball
Best Newcomer (Female): Raygon Hendrix, Women's Basketball
Best Newcomer (Male): Brandon Overstreet, Baseball
Scholar-Athlete (Female): Rachel Moore, Women's Golf
Scholar-Athlete (Male): Ford Blanchard, Men's Golf
Best Team (Female): Women's Tennis
Best Team (Male): Men's Volleyball
Student-Athlete of the Year (Female): Marlee Rhodes, Women's Cross Country
Student-Athlete of the Year (Male): Chase Corn, Baseball
Fan of the Year: Pete Savarese
Game of the Year: Men's Soccer vs. Limestone
Play of the Year: Men's Soccer (Andrew Settlemire's goal-scoring bicycle kick)
