MVPs honored at 49ers annual student-athlete awards banquet

Outstanding student-athletes were honored recently at an annual awards banquet held by the Charlotte 49ers and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Team MVP and Coaches’ Awards, as well as department-wide academic honors, were presented.

The 49ers football program awarded its Offensive MVP to all-Conference USA rusher Kalif Phillips and its Defensive MVP to leading tackler Nick Cook. The Jon Richardson Football Scholarship was awarded to defensive lineman Brandon Banks.

Men’s basketball presented its Most Valuable Player award to Conference USA’s leading rebounder Joseph Uchebo, while senior all-Conference USA selection Alexis Alexander was named the women’s basketball MVP after leading the 49ers to the WNIT.

Men’s soccer awarded its MVP to all-Southeast Region first team midfielder Brandt Bronico, and four spring programs honored their 2015 award winners with the 2016 season still in action.

Phillips, women’s soccer sophomore all-Central Region star Martha Thomas, the men’s tennis program’s all-time singles and doubles career wins leader Jordi Massalle-Ferrer and softball’s all-time pitching victories leader Lexi Betancourt (2014, 2015) were all named MVP’s for the second straight year. Track and field star Taylor Carcella was named the 2016 women’s indoor track MVP after earning the 2014 outdoor track MVP honor last year.

In addition to the athletic awards, the 49ers presented the Hugh McEniry and Bonnie Cone Awards to the student-athletes with the highest GPA for the past two semesters. The McEniry Award recipient was football’s Lee McNeill. The Cone Award went to women’s track and field member Erin Crissman.

A complete listing of honorees is below.

MVP Sport Recipient

MVP (2015) Baseball Sean Geoghegan

MVP Men’s Basketball Joseph Uchebo

MVP Women’s Basketball Alexis Alexander

MVP Cheerleaders Natalia Barriga

MVP Men’s Cross Country Mike Tamayo

MVP Women’s Cross Country Carolina Casin-Silva

Offensive MVP Football Kalif Phillips

Defensive MVP Football Nick Cook

Scout Team MVP Football Juwan Foggie

MVP Gold Dusters Dance Team Jordan Justice

MVP Golf Seth Gandy

MVP Men’s Soccer Brandt Bronico

MVP Women’s Soccer Martha Thomas

MVP (2015) Softball Lexi Betancourt

MVP Men’s Tennis Jordi Massalle Ferrer

MVP Women’s Tennis Tai Martin

MVP Men’s Indoor Track and Field Stevan Veselinovic

MVP Women’s Indoor Track and Field Taylor Carcella

MVP (2015) Men’s Outdoor Track and Field K’Vonte Scott

MVP (2015) Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Alvonna Blakney

MVP Volleyball Sarah McDonald

Special Awards Sport Recipient

Jon Richardson Scholarship Football Brandon Banks

Hayward Grubstake Award Men’s Basketball Cam Pappas

Gold Nugget Award Women’s Basketball Ny Jamison-Myers

Vincent Vernitsky Award Men’s Cross Country/Track and Field Daniel Beamer

Vincent Vernitsky Award Women’s Cross Country/Track and Field Ashleigh Handchen

David Schlee Award Men’s Soccer Daniel Bruce

Wendi Cook Award Women’s Tennis Macy Vonderschmidt

Coaches Award Volleyball Morgan Barker

Academic Awards Sport Recipient

Hugh McEniry Award Academics (male) Lee McNeill, football

Bonnie Cone Award Academics (female) Erin Crissman, track and