The conclusion of the 2011-12 academic year means the end of another year of intercollegiate athletics at Georgia Southwestern State University. The Hurricanes received a lot of attention this season in a variety of sports as a member of the Peach Belt Conference and the NCAA’s Division II.
It was particularly a banner year for GSW’s Women’s Basketball program, which had their best season in the NCAA Division II era. Their 18-9 record was an overall team success, and several of the Lady Hurricanes received individual awards. Junior forward Adrian Randall became the first ever Lady ‘Cane to receive Peach Belt Player of the Week honors. She and Terra Branch would also receive the program’s first-ever PBC All-Conference accolades (Branch, Second Team – Randall, Third Team). Branch, the senior guard, would also join the exclusive 1,000 career point club.
The men’s basketball team also made their fair share of history. Coach Leeder and company again spent portions of their season ranked in the NABC Top 25 ranking. This season, the Blue & Gold would be ranked as high as twelfth in the country, which is the highest ranking in program history.
The women’s tennis team, led by Head Coach Brennon Sewell, had their best spring season as a PBC member and set the program record with the most conference wins.
Furthermore, GSW Golf saw another year of success. The Hurricanes recorded a team victory in the fall season in the RTJ Grand National Challenge and in the spring at the AFLAC / Cougar Invitational. Craig Gibson would win the individual title at the AFLAC / Cougar Invitational. The Blue & Gold were ablso able to qualify for their first-ever NCAA Tournament. The post season awards were bountiful for the Hurricanes as Craig Gibson (First Team All-PBC), J.P. Griffin (Second Team All-PBC) and Head Coach Andrew Danna (PBC Coach of the Year) were all honored at the conference level.
GSW Athletics, as a whole, earned four Peach Belt weekly honors, seven All-Conference selections and 15 PBC All-Academic selections.
Below is a complete list of this year's award winners:
Male Scholar Athlete of the Year: Ethan Vick (Men's Soccer)
Female Scholar Athlete of the Year: Mollie McGowan (Women's Cross Country & Tennis)
President's Cup - awarded to the team with the highest yearly GPA: Men's Tennis (men's sports), Women's Tennis (women's sports)
Roy Lee Smith Award - awarded to the male senior athlete(s) who is(are) the best all-around representative of GSW athletics: Evan Mobley (Men's Basketball)
Susan Kay Smith Award - awarded to the female senior athlete who is the best all-around representative of GSW athletics: Jessica Bivins (Women's Basketball) and Gabby Buck (Softball)
WC Husmann Hustle Award - awarded to a faculty, staff or community member for invaluable contributions to GSW Athletics: Paul Battle and Thurston Clary
Senior Awards:
Katy York (Women's Cross Country)
Leady Cuellar (Women's Cross Country)
Craig Gibson (Men's Golf)
Christopher Hall (Men's Golf)
Casey Hicks (Men's Golf)
Scholar Athlete Awards - awarded to a sophomore, junior or senior who has been at GSW at least two FT semesters with the highest GPA:
Baseball: Jarrod Taylor
Men's Basketball: Ian Andre
Women's Basketball: Jessica Bivins
Women's Cross Country: Mollie McGowan
Men's Golf: Christopher Hall
Softball: Gabby Buck
Men's Soccer: Ethan Vick
Women's Soccer: Katie Mueller
Women's Tennis: Mollie McGowan
Chi Alpha Sigma (National College Athlete Honor Society) Inductees - awarded to junior or senior letterwinners with a 3.40 GPA or better:
*Tyler Daniel (Baseball)
Eric Haygood (Men's Soccer)
*Kevin Huet (Men's Soccer)
*Ethan Vick (Men's Soccer)
*Gabby Buck (Softball)
Brittny Dennison (Softball)
*Jessica Bivins (Women's Basketball)
Ally Canganelli (Women's Soccer)
*Brittney Hill (Women's soccer)
Mollie McGowan (Women's Tennis)
*Second-year members of Chi Alpha Sigma
Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (S.A.A.C.) "Dub" Awards:
Super S.A.A.C. - Softball
Crazy ‘Canes - Men's Soccer
Peach Belt Conference and Regional Award Recipients in 2011-12:
| Mollie McGowan | - | All-Academic | - | Women's Cross Country |
| Women's Tennis | ||||
| Lauren Brown |
- | All-Academic | - | Women's Cross Country |
| Jennifer Starvetsky |
- | All-Academic | - | Women's Soccer |
| Ally Canganelli |
- |
All-Academic | - | Women's Soccer |
| Gracie Preston |
- | All-Academic | - | Women's Soccer |
| Brittney Hill | - |
All-Academic | - |
Women's Soccer |
| Shane McKay |
- | All-Conference | - | Men's Soccer |
| James Romaniw |
- | All-Academic | - | Men's Soccer |
| Kevin Huet |
- |
All-Academic |
- | Men's Soccer |
| Cade Jones |
- | All-Academic | - | Men's Soccer |
| Ethan Vick |
- |
All-Academic | - |
Men's Soccer |
| - | Academic All-American |
- | Men's Soccer | |
| Phillip Brown |
- | Division II Pre-Season All-American |
- | Men's Basketball |
| - | Player of the Week |
- | Men's Basketball | |
| Evan Mobley |
- | All-Conference | - | Men's Basketball |
| Adrian Randall | - |
Player of the Week | - |
Women's Basketball |
| - |
All-Conference | - |
Women's Basketball |
|
| Terra Branch |
- |
All-Conference |
- |
Women's Basketball |
| Jessica Bivins | - |
All-Academic | - |
Women's Basketball |
| - |
NCAA Ethnic Minority & Women Enhancement Scholar |
- |
Women's Basketball | |
| J.P. Griffin |
- |
Golfer of the Week |
- |
Men's Golf |
| - | All-Conference | - | Men's Golf | |
| Craig Gibson |
- |
Golfer of the Week |
- |
Men's Golf |
| - | All-Conference | - | Men's Golf | |
| Andrew Danna |
- | Coach of the Year | - | Men's Golf |
| Mason Moreland | - | All-Conference | - | Softball |
| Gabby Buck |
- | All-Academic | - | Softball |
| Erin Vick |
- |
All-Academic | - |
Softball |
| Jarrod Taylor |
- | All-Academic | - | Baseball |
| Tyler Daniel | - |
All-Academic | - |
Baseball |
| Ryan Bartz |
- | All-Academic | - | Men's Tennis |
| Chris Eastwood |
- | All-Academic | - | Men's Tennis |
| Stephen Moore |
- | All-Academic | - | Men's Tennis |
| Matt Vansant |
- | All-Academic |
- | Men's Tennis |