FRANKFORT, Ky. (April 24, 2012) – On April 23, Kentucky State's Department of Athletics honored its student-athletes at the annual All-Sports Banquet, held in the Hill Student Center Ballroom.
Participation in intercollegiate athletics at Kentucky State University is a valuable opportunity for all student-athletes to supplement their education through sports. The purpose is to provide the highest potential for amateur athletic excellence within the University's educational framework.
The annual banquet celebrates the academic and athletic excellence of KSU's student-athletes, and also allows alumni, faculty, staff and other students to see that academic and athletic excellence can, and should be, mutually reinforcing.
This year, 72 student-athletes received academic honors, while approximately 60 student-athletes received superlative awards from their teams. In addition, 24 student-athletes received letterman jackets.
Rounding out this year's awards was the recognition of Talent Pushers, Inc. Football Offensive and Defensive Players of the Game during the 2011 season. This year's honorees were Raphael Amey, Deshon Best, Cory Spalding, Terry Horton, Jacquise Lockett, Keith Massey, Jerrell Noland, JacQuan Persley and Andrew Ramsey. Amey was also named the Talent Pushers, Inc. Thorobreds Player of the Year.
KSU also issued a few inaugural awards. Softball was recognized for having the highest team GPA. Amey was named the Male Athlete of the Year, while Tonisha DeLorch was tabbed Female Athlete of the Year. Ronnie Roberson and Audrey Sherles picked up the Male and Female Rookie of the Year Award, respectively. Teya Everett and Deshon Floyd were named the Male and Female Presidential Scholars and Taylor Claiborne received the Dr. Mary Evans Sias Excellence in Leadership Award.
KSU staff member Ron Banks and Faculty Athletics Representative, Dr. Beverly Downing, were honored for their service to KSU's Department of Athletics. KSU also recognized three of its coaches. Coach Von Smith (Cross Country/Track and Field) was the 2010 United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) South Region Men's Indoor Coach of the Year, serves as Chairman for the Division II National Team Rankings Committee, and has coached numerous individuals who have won SIAC event titles and been named to the South Region Teams for Cross Country and Track and Field (both indoor and outdoor).
Head Volleyball Coach Kyetta May was recognized for amassing over 100 wins at the beginning of the 2011 campaign, winning back-to-back SIAC Championships (2010, 2011), coaching back-to-back Tournament MVPs and being Coach of the Tournament consecutive years. May was also the 2008 SIAC Coach of the Year and has coached several All-Conference student-athletes.
Head Softball Coach, Oscar Downs, was the third coach recognized during last night's ceremony. Downs, affectionately known as “OD”, has 537 wins, 206 losses overall, including 192 SIAC wins and 37 SIAC Losses. He has won five SIAC Championships (1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2006), and was SIAC Runners-Up in the 2011 Conference Championship Tournament and third place in the 2012 Tournament. In 2008, Downs was inducted into the Kentucky State University Athletics Hall of Fame.
The full list of awardees is as follows:
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Volleyball
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Offensive Player of the Year
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Emily Grieshaber and Ayanna Parker
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Defensive Player of the Year
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Markeshia Williams
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Most Improved Player
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Jordan Foyer
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Thorobrette Award
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Sabrena Rose
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Leadership Award
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Brittany Stewart
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Brave Heart Award
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Erica Coleman and Brittany Stewart
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Most Valuable Player
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Ayanna Parker and Audrey Sherles
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Academic Award
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Erica Coleman
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Women's Cross Country
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Ms. 5K
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Krisja Curlin
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Thorobrette
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Kristina Record
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Newcomer of the Year Award
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DeJanee White
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Most Improved
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DeJanee White
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Academic Award
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Krisja Curlin
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Men's Cross Country
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Mr. 8K
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Jacob Jean-Pierre
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Thorobred Award
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Ronnie Roberson
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Newcomer of the Year Award
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Quintin Mems
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Most Improved
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Quintin Mems
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Academic Award
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James Swanson
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Football
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Most Valuable Player
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Raphael Amey
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Offensive Most Valuable Player
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Jerrel Noland
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Deffensive Most Valuable Player
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Bernard Crawford
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Most Improved Player Award
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JacQuan Persley
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Newcomer of the Year Award
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Cade Berryman
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Thorobred Award
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Deshon Floyd
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Academic Award
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Deshon Floyd
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Women's Basketball
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Rebounder Award
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Tiffany Merritt
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Playmaker Award
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Raven Ward
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Most Valuable Player Award
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Jasmine Davis
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Most Improved Player Award
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Shayla Moore
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Academic Award
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Raven Ward
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Men's Basketball
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Most Improved Player Award
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Markus Montague
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Best Defensive Player Award
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Brandon Darrett
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Thorobred Award
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William Marsh
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Most Valuable Player Award
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Brandon Darrett
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Academic Award
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Brandon Darrett
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Women Indoor/Outdoor Track
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Best Sprinter Award
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Tiffany Jones
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Best Thrower Award
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Brittany Stewart
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Best Jumper Award
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Tonisha Delorch
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Most Versatile Player Award
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Kristina Record
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Thorobrette Award
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Kristina Record
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Newcomer of the Year Award
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Jade Palm
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Most Improved Award
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Dejanee White
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Academic Award
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Tiffany Jones
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Men Indoor/Outdoor Track
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Best Sprinter Award
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Ronnie Roberson
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Best Thrower Award
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Deven Boxx
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Co-Best Jumper Award
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Chris Spalding
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Co-Best Jumper Award
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John Jackson
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Most Versatile Player Award
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Cory Spalding
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Thorobred Award
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Deshon Best
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Newcomer of the Year Award
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Ronnie Roberson
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Most Improved Award
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Adam Crews
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Academic Award
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James Swanson
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Softball
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Most Valuable Player Award
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Shenaaz Burrell
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Golden Glove Award
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Angelica Galindo
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Best Batting Average Award
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Lorena villamar
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Pitching Award
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Danielle Garay
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Co-Most Improved Player Award
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Danielle Garay
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Co-Most Improved Player Award
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Jasmine Anderson
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Academic Award
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Teya Everett
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Thorobrette Award
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JacQualyn Paysinger
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Golf
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Most Improved Player Award
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Carlton Foreman
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Co-Thorobred Award
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Daniel Neely
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Co-Thorobred Award
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Josh Jackson
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Medalist Award
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George Dundon
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Academic Award
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Josh Jackson
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Baseball
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Hank Aaron Award
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Andrew Bennett
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Rickey Henderson Award
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Raphael Amey
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Cy Young Award
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Arefes Everett
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Golden Glove Award
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Benjamin Schroeder
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Most Valuable Player
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Raphael Amey
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newcomer of the Year Award
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Kyle Clark
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Most Improved Player
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Andrew Ramsey
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Thorobred Award
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Jamaal Duncan
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Ichiro Suzuiki Award
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Brian Berry
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Academic Award
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Jalen Romell-Parks
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2011-2012 Male Athlete of the Year
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Raphael Amey
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2011-2012 Female Athlete of the Year
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Tonisha Delorch
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2011-2012 Male Rookie of the Year
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Ronnie Roberson
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2011-2012 Female Rookie of the Year
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Audrey Sherles
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Team Highest GPA Award
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Softball
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2011 Male Presidential Scholar Award
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Deshon Floyd
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2011 Female Presidential Scholar Award
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Teya Everett
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2011-2012 Dr. Mary Evans Sias Excellence in Leadership Award
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Taylor Claiborne
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2011-2012 Academic Awards
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Matthew
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Adel
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Baseball
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Nicholas
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Beard
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Baseball
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Justin
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Cain
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Baseball
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Kyle
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Clark
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Baseball
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Alexander
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Davie
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Baseball
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Reginald
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Grimes Jr.
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Baseball
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Jalen-Romell
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Parks
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Baseball
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Benjamin
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Schroeder
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Baseball
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Austin
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Thomas Jr.
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Baseball
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James
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Hamilton
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Baseball
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Theodore
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Woodard III
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Baseball
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Isaiah
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Adams
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Football
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Raphael
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Amey
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Football
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Cade
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Berryman
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Football
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Tajh
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Chappelle
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Football
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Troy
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Churchill
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Football
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Robert
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Click
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Football
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Louis
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Courtney
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Football
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Bernard
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Crawford Jr.
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Football
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Brandon
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Curry
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Football
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Blake
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Davis
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Football
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Xavier
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Dillard
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Football
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Deshon
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Floyd
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Football
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Jarred
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Garret
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Football
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Alfred
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Gilbert Jr.
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Football
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Terry
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Gober
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Football
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James
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Happy III
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Football
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Danny
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Horn
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Football
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Josh
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Jackson
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Football
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Martez
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James
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Football
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David
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Keown
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Football
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James A.
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Lewis
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Football
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Vance
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Locke
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Football
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Keith
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Massey
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Football
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Obinna
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Nwokike
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Football
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Joe
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Pierce III
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Football
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Ducan
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Pope
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Football
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Stephen
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Ramsey
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Football
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Stephen
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Scarborough
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Football
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Cory
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Spalding
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Football
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James
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Swanson
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Football
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RhoShawn
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Johnson
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Golf
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Daniel
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Neeley
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Golf
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Brandon
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Darrett
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Men's Basketball
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John
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Gaston
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Men's Basketball
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Teya
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Everett
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Softball
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Brittney
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Flores
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Softball
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Stephanie
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Hamilton
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Softball
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Briana
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Harper
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Softball
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Rikki
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Martinez
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Softball
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Cassandra
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Nelson
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Softball
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Palaura
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Parker
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Softball
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Caitlan
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Pierotti
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Softball
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Lorena
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Villamar
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Softball
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Denita
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Brown
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Track
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Krisja
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Curlin
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Track
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Brandon
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Higgins
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Track
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Tonisha
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Delorch
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Track
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Tiffany
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Jones
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Track
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Nicole
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Washington
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Track
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Taylor
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Claiborne
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Volleyball
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Erica
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Coleman
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Volleyball
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Emily
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Grieshaber
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Volleyball
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Jasmine
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McQueen
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Volleyball
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Sabrena
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Rose
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Volleyball
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Brittany
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Stewart
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Volleyball
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Asia
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Dubose
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Women's Basketball
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Megan
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LaRue
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Women's Basketball
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Cortney
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Matthewis
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Women's Basketball
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Shayla
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Moore
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Women's Basketball
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Raven
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Ward
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Women's Basketball
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Joanna
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Powell
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Women's Basketball
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Letterman Jacket Recipients
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Michael Swayne
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Baseball
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Troy Churchill
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Football
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William Leach Jr.
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Football
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JacQuan Persley
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Football
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Josh Jackson
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Football
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Ky'Ayre Hubert
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Football
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Chadwick Rives
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Football
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Danny Horn
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Football
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Zach LaGrange
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Football
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Alfred Gilbert, Jr.
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Football
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Kenny Townsend
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Football
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Darren Harris
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Football
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Daniel Neeley
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Golf
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George Dundon III
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Golf
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Quintin Mems
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Men's Track and Field
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Caitlyn Pierotti
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Softball
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Stephanie Hamilton
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Softball
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Catrina Willis
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Volleyball
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Raven Ward
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Women's Basketball
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Danielle Garay
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Softball
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Megan LaRue
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Women's Basketball
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Kevin Smith
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Men's Basketball
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John Gaston
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Men's Basketball
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Carlos Carter
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Men's Basketball
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