FSCJ Athletics Names 2019-20 Award Winners
For Immediate Release: April 20, 2020
Contact: Jill Johnson, (904) 632-5016
FSCJ Athletics Names 2019-20 Award Winners
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida State College at Jacksonville’s (FSCJ) Department of Athletics recently announced the recipients of the 2019-20 awards. The list below includes the Team Award Winners, Female Athlete of the Year, Male Athlete of the Year, Faculty Member of the Year, Support Staff Person of the Year and our athletic all-conference and all-region recipients by sport.
2019-20 Team Award Winners
Baseball
Most Improved: Tyler Prell
Most Improved: Chris Ragosta
Baseball Scholar Athlete Award: Jordan Briones
Men's Basketball
Most Valuable Player: Johnny Brown
Best Defensive Player: Ja'Derryus Eatmon
Coaches Award: Eddie Davis
Women's Basketball
Most Valuable Player: Mataea Boyd
Most Improved: Rhy'Keria Rolland
Coaches Award: Jayde Johnson
Men's Cross Country
Most Valuable Runner: John Bear
Leadership Award: Aldren Biala
Most Improved: Brandon Russell
Women's Cross Country
Most Valuable Runner: Ally Newkirk
Leadership Award: Hanna Ziegler
Most Improved: Kellee Valaro
Softball
Coaches Award: Payton Mahon
General Patton Award: Joely Leguizamon
Leadership Award: Macy Mizell
Volleyball
Most Improved: Leah Mortensen
Most Inspirational: Elizabeth Sandoval
Best Teammate: Britt Klein-Lankhorst
Student Athletes of the Year
Female Student Athlete of the Year: Jhoanna “Elizabeth” Sandoval (Volleyball)
Elizabeth Sandoval helped lead the 2019 FSCJ Volleyball Team to the State Volleyball Tournament. She earned all-conference and all-region while also being named “Panhandle Volleyball Player of the Year.” Elizabeth served as both the captain and SAAC representative for the FSCJ Volleyball Team. She finished the season with 3.13 kills per set and the conference with over 4 kills per set and 10th in the state in kills per set. Elizabeth earned all three academic awards possible last year (all-conference, all-region and all-NJCAA) and is on track to do the same at the completion of this year. She holds over a 3.7 GPA and would like to continue her studies in the health sciences field. Elizabeth has signed a scholarship to play at Louisiana Tech University next season. She is from Uruapan, Mexico.
Male Student Athlete of the Year: Sam Jackson (Men’s Basketball)
Sam has played a significant role in his team’s success over the last two years having played in 55 career games for the BlueWave. He was a finalist for this year’s FCSAA Men’s Basketball Scholar Athlete of the Year as he currently holds a 3.87 GPA with a perfect 4.0 GPA this past fall. Last year, he earned Academic All-Conference, All-Region and 2nd Team NJCAA All-Academic team and is on track to repeat those awards at the conclusion of this year. Sam helped lead his team in community service endeavors such as Let’s Move Jacksonville and Hospice of Jacksonville. He is an exceptional hard worker on and off the court and exemplifies integrity and dedication. He is undecided on where he will be playing next year, but plans to complete his degree in sports management with a minor in communication. He is from Fernandina Beach.
Faculty Member of the Year for Athletics: Dr. Betsy Stoutmorrill
Congratulations to FSCJ Professor of Reading Dr. Betsy Stoutmorrill for being selected as the winner the Faculty Member of the Year for the Department of Athletics. Dr. Stoutmorrill has helped a lot of student athletes through remedial reading coursework. She takes additional time to ensure that they keep up with work that they may also have difficulty with from other courses. She can be found at home games supporting her student athletes outside of the classroom as well. Stoutmorrill is no stranger to awards as she was recognized in 2019 with the McGraw-Hill Scholarship for Developmental English and Reading Instructors award. Dr. Stoutmorrill earned her Ph.D. in Education from Walden University. When asked about Dr. Stoutmorrill, one of the student athletes replied, “Dr. Betsy is really cool and is always there to help me.”
Staff Person of the Year for Athletics: Ms. Christie Wilson
Congratulations to Christie Wilson for being named by the Athletic Department Support Staff Person of the Year. She started working at FSCJ in 2011 in the Academic Success Center first as an advisor and now as an academic success coach. She works closely with student athletes to manage their time, study skills and those in need of a more structured support system for success. She also has served on numerous search committees for new athletic department staff and can be seen at all of the home games cheering on the teams. A proud FSCJ alumni, Christie completed her A.A. degree at FSCJ, then moved on to Jacksonville University where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management and a master’s degree in Instructional Leadership and Organizational Development. When asked what she likes most about working with student athletes, she stated, “I like being able to make the connection between what they do in their sport and what they do in the classroom. And they are funny!”. One of the FSCJ staff members who was asked to describe Christie’s impact on the department said, “Christie is extremely level-headed and the student athletes are very receptive to her ability to assist them.”
Other Award Winners (All-Conference and All-Region)
Women's Basketball
All Mid-Florida Conference First Team: Matae Boyd
All Mid-Florida Conference Second Team: Joseline Ramos, Valicia Demeritte
Men's Basketball
All Mid-Florida Conference First Team: Johnny Brown
All Mid-Florida Conference Second Team: Eddie Davis, Evan Busby
Volleyball - Panhandle Conference
FCSAA All Region Team: Jana Cuk, Jhoana "Elizabeth" Sandovol
Panhandle Conference Player of the Year: Jhoana "Elizabeth" Sandoval
All Panhandle Conference First Team: Jhoana "Elizabeth" Sandoval, Marine Angely, Krystal Santiago, Jana Cuk
All Panhandle Conference Second Team: Leah Mortenson
“We are proud of the remarkable commitment and accomplishments of all of our student athletes. It’s our honor to be able to recognize those who have gone above and beyond to solidify their individual team’s success while also working toward their individual goals,” said FSCJ Director of Athletics Ginny Alexander. “In addition, we are incredibly grateful from the support we receive from our faculty and staff, most especially Dr. Stoutmorrill and Ms. Wilson, who help our athletes as they are required to prioritize the demands of studies, training, competition and life.”
About FSCJ
Known as “the community’s college,” Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) exists to provide valuable, high-quality learning opportunities to anyone with the desire to enhance themselves through the pursuit of higher education. Serving more than 45,000 students and awarding more than 6,000 degrees and certificates on an annual basis, the College plays a significant role in supplying the region’s employers with a highly skilled, educated workforce.
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