Due West, S.C. – In the midst of all other student athletes, friends and family members, seniors Krysta Schaus (Fredricton, New Brunswick, Canada) and Samuel Cothran (Williamston, SC) took home the top honors with the Jake Todd Award at last night's Fleetys held in Lesesne Auditorium on the campus of Erskine College.  The Fleety Awards, formerly known as the annual Athletic Banquet, recognizes the top performances by Erskine student-athletes and staff for the past academic year.
 
Schaus is the first Erskine women's golfer to receive the Golfer of the Year award and received 1^st team All-Conference honors.  Krysta posted a 76.18 stroke average this season as she led the Flying Fleet with two tournament wins.  She led the conference in wins, top five finishes, and scoring average.

Samuel has been a three time All-Conference selection for the Erskine baseball team, while also being named to the Academic All-Conference team as well as the Presidential Honor Roll.  In four year with the Fleet, Samuel has hit .356 with 42 doubles, 17 home runs and 107 RBI's and helped lead Erskine to the program's first conference championship this past spring.  Cothran led the conference in runs (59), and second in total bases (123), and triples (5).
 
Nominees for the Jake Todd Award included:
Tyler Lucas                               Golf
Mike Michelau                           Volleyball
Michael Schneck                      Volleyball
Miranda Guthrie                       Tennis
Kelly Sullivan                           Volleyball
Konstandena Brown                Lacrosse
Christine Long                         Softball

Erskine's other two top awards are the Sonny Rhem Award that recognizes student athletes for honesty, integrity and quality in all they do or say.  Also, the Karen G. Bell Memorial Award that recognizes student athletes for their commitment to team, school and community.  A junior from Mt. Pleasant, SC, Aaron Brown was honored with the Karen G. Bell Memorial Award and a junior from Tampa, FL, Destin Nichols, was honored with the Sonny Rhem Award.


Destin Nichols, was honored with the Sonny Rhem Award,
presented by Women's Tennis Coach, Calhoun Parr.

Ross McEwan		Men's Golf
Cameron Whitehurst		Men's Soccer
Neal Stanley		Volleyball
Miranda Guthrie		Women's Tennis

                  

Aaron Brown was presented the Karen G. Bell Memorial Award
from Rebecca McGee, Assistant Director of Athletics for Compliance,
for Outstanding Christian Commitment and Character.  

The "Senior Walk" opened this year's program.  Erskine's senior student-athletes were individually announced and presented their senior gifts and honor cords to be worn at graduation.
 
Randy Moore, Executive Director of Aramark,
and Buddy Ferguson, Director of Alumni Affairs
and Annual Fund, served as this year's emcees.  
The hosts for event was Hope and Jenkins Peeler.
 
Special recognition was given to Men's Basketball Associate Head Coach, Drew Wallace, and Baseball Assistant Coach, Thomas Holland for their willingness to step up and help in the area of Sports Information.  They have done an incredible job representing our athletic department from game management to managing the stories, website and social media so that our student athletes get proper recognition and fans are well informed. 
 
Tonight's other award winners include:
 
Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) Leadership Award:  Mike Byrd, Men's Basketball

Scholar Athlete of the Year Award (Female):  Sarah McDonald,  Women's Tennis
Nominees:  Marissa Mayfield, Volleyball; Krysta Schaus, Golf; Ashley Mull, Basketball; McKenzie Waldrop, Soccer; Amanda Peake, Lacrosse

 



Scholar Athlete of the Year Award (Male):  Neal Stanley, Men's Volleyball
 Nominees:  Landon Dickerson, Baseball; Aaron Brown, Basketball; Omar Al Quza, Soccer;  Vincent Harris, Cross Country

 Team Academic Award:    Women's Tennis
 Nominees:  Lacrosse, Women's Soccer, Men's Cross Country,  Women's Volleyball, Men's Basketball
   
Newcomer of the Year (Female):  Payton Duncan, Women's Volleyball
Nominees:  Reagan Davis, Softball; Myranda Parham, Basketball; Paola Gullino, Tennis

Newcomer of the Year (Male):  CJ Cluck, Men's Soccer
Nominees:  Alex Calvert, Baseball; Brannon Dark, Basketball; Ritwik Bhriguvanshi, Tennis

Performance of the Year (Female):  Raygon Hendrix, Women's Basketball
Nominees: Danica Newton, Softball (no-hitter  vs Emmanuel), Kelly Sullivan, Volleyball (1000 kills vs Carson-Newman in regionals), Mollie Polk, Tennis (victory in semis vs Limestone)

Performance of the Year (Male):  Joe Johnson, Baseball
       (5 innings of relief work vs NGU to win title)
Nominees:  Joby Glymph, Basketball (34 points in a win over Newberry);  Michael Schneck, Volleyball (Tournament Most Valuable Player 2016); Mike Michelau, Volleyball (28 kills vs Barton)

Play of the Year:  Reagan Davis, Homerun tie to Anderson
Nominees: Blake Maness, Men's Basketball (Game Buzzer Beater vs LMC); Henry Faunce, Baseball (Grand Slam vs NGU)

Game of the Year:  Women's Volleyball, Defeats #1 Seed, USC-Aiken, in Regional Championship Tournament
Nominees: Men's Basketball, beat Anderson 68-63; Men's Soccer, beat Anderson, 2-1; Women's Tennis, Beat Pfeiffer 5-4 in Conference Championship; Men's Volleyball, competed vs Long Beach St. in NCAA National Tournament

Athlete of the Year (Female):  Paola Gullino, Women's Tennis
Nominees:  Kelly Sullivan, Volleyball; Kristen Dodge, Volleyball; Paola Gullino, Tennis; Kristen Giles, Basketball; Krysta Schaus, Golf; Sydney Smith, Softball

Athlete of the Year (Male):    Mike Michelau,
                                                Men's Volleyball
Nominees:  Joby Glymph, Basketball; Michael Schneck,                                                                        Volleyball; Alex Calvert, Baseball; Vincent Harris, XC


  Team of the Year (Female):  Women's Volleyball

  Team of the Year (Male):    Baseball
 



Gid Alston Award (Athletic Dept. Staff Member of the Year):  Heather Vahjen, Head Men's and Women's Volleyball Coach, Assistant SID