AU athletics celebrates achievements of 2021-22 with awards banquet

By Katron Hugee | Sports writer

Augusta University’s athletic teams gathered together for the William Sherrill Athletics Awards Banquet on May 3 at Christenberry Fieldhouse. 

This banquet was to honor and celebrate AU’s student-athletes and the athletics department as a whole.

The banquet was hosted by Charles McNeil, who is the play-by-play announcer for AU. After food was served for the guests, the coaches and staff were welcomed on stage to announce awards for cheerleading, volleyball, cross-country, track and field, basketball, tennis, softball, baseball, and golf.

Some of the notable award winners included Chloe Allen, who won most valuable player for volleyball. The volleyball team this season won the Peach Belt Conference tournament championship and regional championship and secured a spot in the Elite Eight in Tampa, Fla. They would lose in an Elite Eight matchup against Tampa University, which went on to win the national title. 

The MVP for men’s cross-country was awarded to Kai Brickey, who had two first-place finishes on the season, including a first-place finish in the PBC championship. Priscilla Ajala won the MVP for the women’s track and field team. She excelled in the outdoor season, winning the PBC 100-meter dash crown.

Tyshaun Crawford was named MVP for men’s basketball.  The men’s basketball team won the PBC regular season championship, PBC tourney and the Southeast Regional in route to the Elite Eight in Evansville, Indiana. Crawford had a record-breaking performance in the semifinal game against Indiana University of Pennsylvania, going 12 for 12 with 25 points and 14 rebounds. The Jaguars reached the NCAA Division II national championship game before falling to Northwest Missouri State. 

The MVP for women’s tennis was awarded to freshman Claudia Borbon Roca and for men’s tennis Ricard Rubio won MVP.

For men’s golf, Gareth Steyn was awarded MVP in Coach Jack O’Keefe’s final season at AU.

Freshman Chloe Holder won MVP for women’s golf. In her first tournament as a Jaguar, Holder won Mercedes Benz Women’s Collegiate. The women’s golf season still continues as they go down to the Franklin, Tenn., NCAA Division I regional tournament.

Lastly, nine departmental awards went out across all of the sports programs. 

Mechella Davis from women’s basketball and Jared Talman from men’s track and field won the Gerald Daise Leadership Award. The Dick Wallace Coach of the Year award went to Dip Metress.

The Co-Female Roscoe Williams Freshman of the Year award winners were Chloe Holder and Claudia Borbon Roca. The Male Freshman of the Year was cross-country runner Patrick Motes.

Emma Seagrave and Mason Robertson won the male and female Tommy Werrick Scholar Athletes award.

The Fred Barnabei female athlete of the year was awarded to Allen. The male athlete of the year was awarded to Tyshaun Crawford.

The ceremony closed out with a speech from Director of Athletics Clint Bryant.

Note: At the top of the page, Chloe Allen gets a kill for the Elite Eight Jaguar volleyball team. Allen completed a stellar career that earned her jersey a place on the Christenberry rafters.

Contact Katron Hugee at khugee@augusta.edu.