Athletics News @ FVSU

Wynn named to All-SIAC Team

clinem — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 09:32:13 -0500

The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference recently announced the 2008 All-SIAC team for volleyball, and Fort Valley State University had one representative on the team. Raven Wynn, a senior from Birmingham, Ala., made the unit as a second team selection.

During the 2008 season, Wynn led the Lady Wildcats in almost every major offensive and defensive category including kills (271), kills per game (2.88), kill percentage (.219) and serving aces per game (0.33).

FVSU Football coach resigns

clinem — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 10:17:16 -0500

Fort Valley State University head football coach Deondri Clark has asked to be relieved immediately of coaching duties and reassigned to teaching and staff responsibilities.

Clark stated: “As we have discussed, I believe that I have contributed substantially to rebuilding the Wildcat football program, but I also feel that the time has arrived for others to continue that rebuilding process.”

“I wish them every success,” Clark added.

Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Terrance D. Smith granted Clark’s request. “Coach Clark stepped in as the university’s athletic director and head football coach at a time of transition. His services to Wildcat athletes and the university have been heartfelt and lasting.” Smith continued, “We greatly appreciate what Coach Clark has accomplished at Fort Valley State, but we agree with him that the university’s football program can benefit from moving in a new direction.”

Plans call for Clark to assume instructional responsibilities in health and physical education; also play a key role in working directly with students in the Division of Student Affairs.

A national search will be undertaken to select Clark’s successor. Wilson E. Gossier Sr., FVSU’s interim compliance officer, will handle football operations until a new coach is named.

The Wildcats finished a winning season on Saturday, Nov. 8, with a victory over Stillman College.

Construction soon begins on a new football stadium and student amenities building to complement the football program. By next season, the team, alumni, students, and fans will enjoy a new home and welcome a new coach.

For more information call Vickie Oldham, Director, Office of Marketing and Communications, at 478-825-6319.

Fort Valley State to face ACC power North Carolina State in exhibition game

miltonc — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 11:09:49 -0500

The official start of the 2008-09 men’s basketball season is still some two weeks away, but the Fort Valley State University Wildcats will test the waters early in a big way. Fort Valley State’s Wildcats will face the Wolfpack of North Carolina State University in an exhibition game on Thursday (Nov. 6). Tip off time is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the RBC Center (19,722 seats) in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Leading the Wildcats into action will be junior guard Martrez Scott (6’3, 180). Last season, Scott led the Wildcats in scoring (14.1 ppg), steals (3.2 pg) and assists (3.6 pg). Scott, a pre-season All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) selection for the upcoming season, was fourth in Division II in steals last year. Desmond Williams (6’7, 210 Sr.) led the team in rebounding (7.0 rpg) and averaged in double figures scoring (12.3 ppg). Darrell Aiken (6’4, 190 Jr.) who can play either guard or forward, had a steady season last year as he averaged 8.4 points per game and 5.3 rebounds. Returning to the fold will be guard Milton Meadows (6’1, 165 Sr.) who sat out the 2007-08 year. During the 2006-07 season though, Meadows led the team in assists (2.9 pg) and free throw percentage (.836). Last season, under the guidance of interim head coach Emory Lightfoot, Jr., the Wildcats finished the season with a 15-14 record and led Division II in steals per game.

The Wildcats will be going up against Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) member North Carolina State. NCSU, coached by former player Sidney Lowe, finished the 2008 season with a record of 15-16 and was 4-12 in the ever-so-tough ACC. Courtney Fells (6’6, 210 Sr.) one of the top returnees from last year’s team, averaged 10.6 points and 2.8 rebounds. Brandon Costner (6’9, 231 Jr.) will also be counted on to help NCSU fortunes for the upcoming year. Costner averaged 8.5 points and 4.6 rebounds in 2008.

“I think this will be an exciting game,” stated Coach Lightfoot. “It presents a good opportunity for the guys to compete against Division I competition. This is also a good way of evaluating a team against a program from a higher division.”

Fort Valley State will tip-off the 2008-09 basketball season on Nov. 19 against Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Ga. Tip-off time is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Sports anchor named homecoming marshal

clinem — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 12:51:35 -0400

As the weather cools down, the biggest party in the Valley heats up. Fort Valley State University’s “Vegas in the Valley” Homecoming week will be a fun-filled, nonstop celebration. On Saturday, Oct. 18, the week will culminate with a parade down Fort Valley’s Main Street and flow down State University Drive. Afterward, FVSU’s Wildcats will take the field against the Benedict College Tigers at 1 p.m. This year’s parade marshal is FVSU alum and 13WMAZ sports anchor Chris Porter.

Porter, a native of Warner Robins, received a Bachelor of Arts in communications from FVSU in May 2004. He began at WMAZ as a news assistant, working up the ranks to become a videojournalist in April 2004. In August, his first on-air appearance was during “Football Friday Night.” Afterward, he became a regular on the weekday and weekend newscasts as a general assignment reporter and videojournalist.

Tickets for the Homecoming game are on sale now. Reserved admission costs $35; general admission, $25; non-FVSU student admission, $15; and children 6-12 are $10. Tickets are also available online at the FVSU Web site. Personal checks will not be accepted. Preferred payment methods are cashier checks, money orders, cash, Master Card and Visa credit cards. For more information about tickets, contact auxiliary services at (478) 825-6532.

Wildcats play the role of spoiler, knock off Kentucky State 59-21

clinem — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 08:52:59 -0400

Frankfort, KY-The Fort Valley football team was the homecoming opponent for Kentucky State on Saturday, but it was anything but cooperative. Behind a strong running game and a tough defensive performance, the Fort Valley State Wildcats defeated the Thorobreds of Kentucky State University 59-21 in front of 7,568 homecoming fans at Kentucky State’s Alumni Stadium. Fort Valley State, which won its second game in a row, improved to 3-4 on the season and 3-2 in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Kentucky State dropped to 3-4 overall and 1-3 in league action.

Skyler Thornton led a potent Fort Valley State rushing attack with 78 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown. Ten different Wildcat ball carriers combined for 173 yards, 3 touchdowns and averaged 4.8 yards per carry. Fort Valley State quarterback Garrett Williams completed 15 of 26 passes for 166 yards and 3 touchdowns with no interceptions. Anthon Harris, one of eight Wildcats who caught a pass against the Thorobreds, led the team in receptions with 4 for 45 yards and a score.

Fort Valley State wasted no time in gaining control of the contest. After Anthon Harris returned the opening kickoff 35-yards to the 50 yard line, the ‘Cats began to move the ball down the field. The Wildcats successfully capped the game’s opening drive with a six-yard touchdown pass from Williams to Thornton that used 12 plays and took 6:43 seconds off the clock. After Jake Grubbs’ successful extra point, the Wildcats had a 7-0 lead. The Wildcats got on the board again in the closing stages of the 1st quarter when KSU punter Aaron Chambers fumbled the ball in the end zone and FVSU’s Darnell Burks pounced on the loose ball for a touchdown. That put the ‘Cats up 14-0. Kentucky State looked as if it would gain some momentum when it recovered a Wildcat fumble at the FVSU 28. Five plays later, KSU halfback Kevin Warner scored on a 2-yard run, and after the PAT, the Thorobreds trailed by only seven points (14-7) with 12:02 left in the 2nd quarter. The Wildcats responded with two straight scores, one of them set up by a KSU fumble. That made the score 24-7 in favor of the Wildcats at the half.

Whatever plans the Thorobreds had of conducting a second half comeback came to an immediate halt in the opening stages of the 3rd quarter. Jamaree Gordon caught the kickoff on his own 12-yard line, but fumbled the football. The Wildcats’ Jerrell McCray then picked up the loose pigskin and ran it in for another FVSU touchdown, and after the PAT that made the score 31-7 FVSU. Later in the period, Williams connected with Diego Dixon on a 15-yard touchdown pass that finished a long drive, making the score 38-7 FVSU. Kentucky State got on the board again in the third quarter when Warner scored his second touchdown of the afternoon, this time on a 1-yard dive. Fort Valley responded with three touchdowns in the final period. Kentucky State scored one more time with :15 seconds left in the game, but by then the outcome was well out of reach.

Fort Valley’s defense, which recovered six fumbles, was led in tackles by Michael Hauser who had seven stops (six solos).

The Wildcats will be in action again on Saturday (Oct. 18) when they host the Tigers of Benedict College for Homecoming. Kick off time is slated for 1 p.m. in Wildcat Stadium.

Wildcats defeat Dragons on the road in Tennessee

miltonc — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 09:33:32 -0400

Skyler Thornton rushed for a season high 113 yards and two touchdowns while the Fort Valley defense picked off three passes to lead the Fort Valley State University Wildcats to a 33-30 win over the Dragons of Lane College on Oct. 4. The Wildcats improve to 2-4 on the season and 2-2 in Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play while the Dragons fall to 1-5 overall and 1-3 in the conference.

Thornton scored on runs of 44 and 4 yards and also caught three passes for an additional 18 yards. Wildcat quarterback Garrett Williams eclipsed the 200-yard mark for the second consecutive week by completing 17 of 27 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown with an interception. Fort Valley’s defense came up with the big plays when it had to, including a blocked extra point in the fourth quarter that gave the Wildcats some much needed breathing room in the fourth quarter. Trenton Newton led the Wildcats with nine tackles (three solos), a tackle for loss and an interception. Defensive back Steven Jackson picked off a pass for the second consecutive week to bring his total to four in the past two games.

Lane College was led by quarterback Ellis Sherard who threw for one touchdown and rushed for three others. Ellis completed 18 of 31 passes for 150 yards and gained an additional 70 yards on the ground.

Fort Valley never trailed in the contest, but Lane managed to keep the game close by taking advantage of some Wildcat miscues and a roughing the kicker call. That penalty kept a drive alive for Lane that allowed the Dragons to tie the score at 14-14 in the second quarter. The game was tied 17-17 at halftime.

The Wildcats will be on the road again next week (Oct. 11) when they travel to Frankfort, Ky., to play the Throrobreds of Kentucky State University. Kickoff time for the game is slated for 1:30 p.m.

New interim compliance officer joins FVSU

clinem — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 08:56:40 -0400

Fort Valley State University has a new interim compliance officer for athletics, Wilson E. Gosier Sr. The former assistant executive director of the Georgia Professional Practices Commission was handed the baton after the retirement of Gwendolyn Reeves. Reeves held the post at FVSU for 2 years. Gosier will report to Sean Stanley, FVSU’s new interim director of athletics and ensure that all teams comply with the rules and regulations of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC).

“We are delighted that Mr. Gosier will serve our institution as the compliance officer for the athletics department,” said Dr. Terrance Smith, FVSU’s vice president of student affairs and enrollment management. “His wealth of knowledge and experience will assist in the effort to advance our Athletics Department, while serving as an advocate for student athletes. A nationwide search for a permanent compliance officer and athletics director has begun.”

The proud FVSU graduate earned a bachelor’s degree in education with a concentration in mathematics and athletics in 1963 and a master’s in counseling and guidance in 1972.

Gosier’s dossier includes an impressive list of positions in athletics, administration and academics. He has held several posts with education agencies in the peach state: the Georgia Department of Education, the Teacher Education Council, and the Association of Educators. He trained student leaders and personnel at HBCUs at the Student Services Institute from 1974 - 1977. After the stint at SSI, Gossier was a doctoral candidate at Georgia State University. He was awarded an honorary Juris Doctorate in 1978 from Faith College in Birmingham, Ala.

“I believe as a trained administrator, the vast amount of experience I have will easily transfer to athletics,” Gosier said.

Lady Wildcats undefeated in league action

clinem — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 09:54:29 -0400

Raven Wynn had a match high 14 kills to lead the Fort Valley State University Lady Wildcats to a 3-1 victory over the Lady Panthers of Clark Atlanta University Tuesday night at the Health and Physical Education Complex. With the victory, the Lady Wildcats take sole possession of first place in the SIAC’s Eastern Region with a 4-0 mark and improved to 7-7 on the season. Clark Atlanta falls to 3-1 in the SIAC and 4-9 overall.

Fort Valley won the first game of the match 25-20, but Clark Atlanta rebounded to win the second game 25-20. The Lady Wildcats then closed out the match by winning the next game 25-17, and then proceeded to rally from behind to close out the match with a 25-22 decision.

Collette Petties added nine more kills to the Fort Valley totals and Sherriann Norris led the Lady’Cats in assists with 15. Krysta McGowan led Clark Atlanta with 12 kills and Brittany Black had 23 assists for the Lady Panthers.

Fort Valley State’s next home match will be on Oct. 6 when they host the Lady Blazers of Valdosta State University. Tip off time is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the HPE Complex.

Stanley steps in as interim Athletics Director

clinem — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 10:00:16 -0400

Fort Valley State University has named Sean Stanley as its new interim director of athletics. Stanley,56who joined FVSU in July as special assistant to the vice president of student affairs replaces Head Football coach Deondri Clark. Clark will concentrate exclusively on leading the Wildcats to a successful season. A national search is under way for a new director.
“I would like to express my appreciation to Head Coach Deondri Clark for his service as the interim athletics director. The transition will afford Coach Clark the opportunity to focus strictly on coaching,” said Dr. Terrance Smith, vice president of student affairs and enrollment management. “The athletics department will continue to reorganize to provide optimal effectiveness and efficiency. I feel confident that Mr. Stanley possesses the management and fiscal skills needed to assist our athletics department on an interim basis.”
In addition to athletics, Stanley oversees the housing, residential life, judicial affairs departments. “This transition will be pretty smooth and I look forward to leading the department’s effort in shaping the lives of young athletes, winning games and recruiting prospective students until an athletic director joins our organization,” said Stanley.

Fort Valley State loses to Virginia Union in gridiron action

lewiss — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 08:34:58 -0400

Taria Donaldson ran for a touchdown and Lamar Little threw for two more scores in the first quarter to lead the Virginia Union Panthers to a 27-2 win over the Fort Valley State University Wildcats in football action on Saturday, Sept. 13. With the win, Virginia Union improves to 2-1 on the season while the Wildcats fall to 1-3.

Little completed 9 of 15 passes for 131 yards despite being sacked numerous times by the Wildcats’ defense. Donaldson finished the day with 86 yards on 14 carries.

Fort Valley’s lone score came on a safety by Michael Houser with 6:29 left in the first half when he sacked Little in the end zone. The ‘Cats found the going tough all day as they could gain only 106 yards in total offense. Trenton Newton led the Wildcats’ defense with a game high 13 tackles.

After Virginia Union’s first quarter outburst, the game turned out to be a battle for field position. The Wildcats did manage to drive the ball deep into the Panthers’ territory twice, but came up short each time.

Fort Valley State will have next week off before hosting Tuskegee University on Sept. 27.

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Fort Valley loses tough SIAC match-up to Morehouse: 38-35

lewiss — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 09:08:44 -0400

Morehouse scored first when Strieff connected on a 33-yard field goal with 6:46 left in the first quarter, but Fort Valley answered back when Garrett Williams connected with Ricard Lockette on a 40-yard touchdown strike to make the score 7-3 FVSU. Morehouse immediately took the lead back when Christopher Sterling threw a 61-yard touchdown pass to Achille Hendje, after the point after attempt, the count was 10-7 Morehouse.

Fort Valley outscored Morehouse 21-7 in the second quarter to take a 31-14 lead into the locker room at the half. Fort Valley scored first in the third quarter when linebacker Bernard Goodrum picked off a pass and ran it 46-yards for a touchdown, and after the extra point Fort Valley led 38-14. Morehouse came back by scoring seven points in the third quarter and 14 more in the final period for the win.

Garrett Williams led the Fort Valley offensive attack by completing 17 of 30 passes for 207 yards and four touchdowns. Sterling led the way for the Maroon Tigers by completing 22 of 33 passes for 368 yards and four touchdowns despite being picked off three times by Wildcat defenders.

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FVSU to face Morehouse in home debut; game to televised live on ESPNU

lewiss — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 08:28:40 -0400

Fort Valley State (1-1, 1-0) to face Morehouse College (0-1, 0-1) in home debut; game to televised live on ESPNU

Wildcat Stadium (7,500; natural grass) will finally host its first college football game of the season this coming Sunday (Sept. 7) when the Fort Valley State University Wildcats host the Maroon Tigers of Morehouse College. Kickoff time for the game, which will be broadcast live to a national television audience on ESPNU, is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Richard Freeman (Tennessee State, ’97) is in his second season coaching the Maroon Tigers. His record is 7-4 (.636) all at Morehouse.

THE SERIES:
Fort Valley State and Morehouse have both have long standing relationships with the conference. Morehouse is an original member of the SIAC and Fort Valley State joined the conference in 1941, but the two schools did not face each other on the gridiron until 1974. Fort Valley won that first game 41-25 and Morehouse’s first victory over the Wildcats came in 1979 (14-3). The two teams made history in 1994 when they played the first regular season overtime game in the SIAC at Ypsilanti, Mich. (won by the Wildcats 28-21). The Maroon Tigers’ last win over the Wildcats occurred in 1997 (27-16). Presently, the count stands at 29-5-0 in favor of the Wildcats which includes last season’s 16-15 win in Atlanta.

THE TEAMS:
Fort Valley quickly rebounded from last week’s tussle against the Defending Division II Champions (Valdosta State) with a hard-fought 24-19 win over the Panthers of Clark Atlanta University. Ricardo Lockette provided most of the spark for the Wildcats in the early going. The receiver caught a four-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Garrett Williams, then broke loose for a 78-yard kickoff return for a score to start the third quarter. Lockette finished the day with 191 all-purpose yards. For the second straight week, Skyler Thornton led the Wildcats in rushing (60 yards) and averaged 4.0 yards per carry. Denzel Wesley, a freshman from nearby Macon, carried the ball only four times, but averaged 11 yards per attempt. Quarterback Garrett Williams had a very efficient evening behind the center, completing 12 of 21 passes for 200 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. Defensively, linebacker Trenton Newton had a great outing, notching up 13 tackles.

Morehouse was upended in their season opener by the Tigers of Benedict College 7-3. The going was tough all day for the Maroon Tigers as they could muster only 157 yards of total offense, three of it on the ground. Quarterback Jerald Cook provided most of the offensive spark for Morehouse by throwing for 144 yards. On defense, the Maroon Tigers gave up only 7 points and 285 yards. Leading the way defensively for Morehouse were Troy Shine (DB) and Derrin Nettles (DL) who both had 10 tackles.

RADIO BROADCAST:
WFVS-LP (104.3 FM) will broadcast the game live from Wildcat Stadium. The game can also be heard via the internet on the Fort Valley State University Web site at www.fvsu.edu.

MORE ABOUT TELEVISION:
Fort Valley State will host Morehouse College in Wildcat Stadium on Sunday in a game that will be nationally televised on ESPNU. The last time a game was broadcast out of Wildcat Stadium; Fort Valley State defeated Fisk University 13-7 on ABC. To get ESPNU, call your cable or satellite provider for availability.

TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE:
Tickets are still available for the game. Call the Fort Valley State ticket office at (478) 825-6532.

NEXT WEEK:
Fort Valley State will host Virginia Union in a key game matching up conference front runners from the SIAC and the CIAA. Kickoff time is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Wildcat Stadium.

Morehouse will host Lane College at B.T. Harvey Stadium. Kickoff time is 7 p.m.

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For More Information Contact: Russell Boone, Jr.-SID, (478) 825-6437

Wildcat Volleyball sets up

clinem — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 09:32:46 -0400

The Fort Valley State University Lady Wildcats volleyball team will open the 2008 season this weekend in Gaffney, SC at the Limestone College Invitational Tournament. Fort Valley State will open tournament play on Friday (August 29).

Leading the Lady Wildcats into action is outside hitter LaToya Reeves (5’9, Sr.) who was an All-SIAC Selection last season. Reeves led the team in kills with 442 (4.29) Reeves will be joined by fellow outside hitter Raven Wynn (5’10 SR), who was second on the team in kills with 295 (2.98 kills per game). Sherriann Norris (5’5, SR), who was one of the top setters in the SIAC last season, will once again try to fill that role this year. Last season, Norris had 937 assists.

Action on Friday will have Fort Valley State matched up with fellow Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference member Kentucky State at 5:00 p.m. At 7:00, FVSU will take on Southern Wesleyan. Saturday’s match ups will have the Lady Wildcats face Adelphi at 8:30 a.m. followed by a match with Elizabeth City State at 1:00 p.m.

Last season, the Lady Wildcats finished 16-13 and won their first ever SIAC East Region title under head coach Emory Lightfoot, Jr.

Fort Valley’s first home match will be against Tuskegee University on Sept. 2. Tip off time is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. at the Health and Physical Education Complex located on the Fort Valley State University campus.

DATE OPPONENT PLACE TIME

8/29-30 Limestone College Tournament Away TBA

9/2 Tuskegee Fort Valley 6:00

9/5-6 Montevallo Classic Montevallo, AL TBA

9/11 Claflin* Orangeburg, SC 6:00

9/13 Paine* Fort Valley 10:00 a.m.

9/15 Albany State* Fort Valley 6:00

9/16 Augusta State Augusta, GA 5:00

9/20 Armstrong Atlantic Savannah, GA 2:00

9/23 Clark Atlanta* Fort Valley 7:00

9/25-27 SIAC Crossover Albany, GA TBA

9/30 Miles Fairfield, AL 6:00+

10/6 Valdosta State Fort Valley 7:00

10/14 Clark Atlanta* Atlanta, GA 6:30

10/18 Benedict* Fort Valley 9:00 a.m.

10/21 Paine* Augusta 6:00

10/22 Benedict* Columbia, SC 6:00

10/25 Claflin* Fort Valley 10:00 a.m.

10/27 Tuskegee Tuskegee, AL 6:00

10/29 Brewton Parker Mt. Vernon 6:00

10/31 Albany State* Albany, GA 6:00

11/10 Valdosta State Valdosta, GA 7:00

11/12-14 SIAC Tournament Frankfort, KY TBA

Wildcats hold off Clark Atlanta 24-19 to win SIAC gridiron opener

admin — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 11:15:58 -0400

Atlanta, GA-Ricardo Lockette scored two touchdowns, one on a 76 yard kickoff return, to help lead the Fort Valley State University Wildcats to a 24-19 win over the Panthers of Clark Atlanta University Saturday night. With the win, the Wildcats are now 1-1 overall, 1-0 in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Clark Atlanta’s record now sits a 0-1 overall, 1-0 in the SIAC.

Lockette, a junior from Albany, Ga., also led the Wildcats in receiving. He finished the game catching 6 passes for 83 yards, one of which was a four yard scoring toss from quarterback Garret Williams with 7:10 remaining in the third period of play. He finished the night with a total of 191 all purpose yards.

After closing the gap to 24-19, the Panthers got the ball back with 2:55 left in the game and drove the ball to the FVSU 26, but CAU quarterback Cedric Johnson was sacked by FVSU’s Steven R. Jackson to end the threat.

Fort Valley State will be in action next week (Sept. 7) at home against Morehouse College. Kickoff time for the game, which will broadcast live on ESPNU, is slated for 2:00 p.m.

SIAC Announces All Academic Team, Fort Valley State athletes earn kudos from league

clinem — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 08:41:22 -0400

The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) recently released the Commissioner’s All Academic Team. The list is comprised of athletes from all member institutions who have gained or maintained a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better for the 2007-08 academic school year. A total of 458 student athletes from all member institutions were honored by the league, and 26 of them hailed from Fort Valley State University.

Leading the way for the Fort Valley State awardees were softball players Tawanna Barker and Jazmine McDaniel, both of whom finished the year with a perfect 4.0 GPA. Barker, a native of Fort Valley (who also played basketball), majors in animal science while McDaniel, who comes from Jonesboro, majors in middle grades education.

This is the second year for the Commissioner’ All Academic Team. It was created to recognize all student athletes in the conference who acquired or maintained at least a GPA of 3.0 during their collegiate years.