SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference announced its February athletes of the month Friday, highlighting excellence among 19 student-athletes across 13 sports during the month.
BASEBALL
Player
Kennedy Jones, UNCG, Fr., OF, Norfolk, Va.
· Hit .375 (12-for-32) with a .424 on-base percentage and .625 slugging percentage against a schedule that included three games at South Carolina and one at Wake Forest before a three-game set with App State
· Led the team in runs (nine), hits, doubles (four), RBIs (11), and on-base plus slugging percentage (1.005)
· Hit safely in all seven February contests, with one three-hit game and three two-hit games
· Hit his first collegiate home run in the 5-0 win over App State on Feb. 26
· Had multiple RBIs in four straight contests, including four in a 16-7 win over App State on Feb. 25
Others nominated: Cole Simpson (The Citadel), Leo Jiminian (ETSU), Towns King (Samford), Zac Morris (VMI), Seth Graves (Western Carolina) and Zeb Roos (Wofford).
Pitcher
Tyler Bradt, VMI, R-So., RHP, Henrico, Va.
· Posted a record of 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA with wins against No. 23 Duke and Lafayette
· Threw six innings in VMI's 10-5 opening-day win over No. 23 Duke on Feb. 18, tallying eight strikeouts and allowing just one earned run, six hits and two walks
· Struck out six and allowed just four hits in the Keydets' 8-1 victory over the Leopards on Feb. 25
· Totaled 14 strikeouts and allowed only four walks, while opponents recorded just 10 hits against him
· Named SoCon Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 21 and Feb. 28
Others nominated: Hunter Loyd (ETSU), Austin Parsley (UNCG), Jalon Long (Samford), Zebby Matthews (Western Carolina) and Coulson Buchanan (Wofford).
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Jake Stephens, VMI, Sr., Bunker Hill, W.Va.
Averaged 21.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.5 blocked shots per game in leading VMI to a 4-2 record in games in which he played; was averaging 24.4 points and 11.0 rebounds per game in the month before leaving the win over Chattanooga with an injury after just 11 minutes
Notched four consecutive double-doubles, all with at least 20 points scored
Went for 20 points and 12 boards against Western Carolina, 27 and 10 against Mercer, 21 and 17 against The Citadel, and a career-high 39 and 10 against Samford
Shot .636 from the floor and .692 from 3-point range on the month, making 18 of his 26 attempts from long range
Had a 2.9 assist-to-turnover ratio, handing off 20 assists with just seven turnovers
Others nominated: Hayden Brown (The Citadel), Jordan King (ETSU), Mike Bothwell (Furman), Felipe Haase (Mercer), Base Leyte (UNCG), Ques Glover (Samford), Malachi Smith (Chattanooga) Nicholas Robinson (Western Carolina) and B.J. Mack (Wofford).
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Amoria Neal-Tysor, Mercer, Sr., G, Sanford, N.C.
· Helped Mercer to a 7-0 record in the month by averaging 20.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game and shooting 54.2 percent (13-for-24) from 3-point range
· Topped 20+ points in four of Mercer's seven contests, registering a season-high 31 points in the Bears' 74-57 win over Wofford on Feb. 17
· Scored 25 points in the Bears' 59-53 win over Chattanooga on Feb. 3, 29 points in an 82-48 victory over ETSU on Feb. 5, and 23 points in a 75-43 win over UNCG on Feb. 12
· Netted 16 points and added three assists and four rebounds in Mercer's 71-64 win over Furman on Feb. 19, helping the Bears clinch at least a share of the 2021-22 regular-season title
· Named SoCon Player of the Week presented by GEICO on Feb. 8 and Feb. 22
Others nominated: Courtney Moore (ETSU), Tierra Hodges (Furman), Andrea Cournoyer (Samford), Dena Jarrells (Chattanooga) and Jackie Carman (Wofford).
MEN'S GOLF
Nick Lyerly, UNCG, Sr., Salisbury, N.C.
· Helped UNCG to a pair of tournament wins
· Shot a 3-under-par 213 to place fourth at the Advance Golf Partners Collegiate, leading UNCG to a first-place finish in the 121-man, 21-team field
· Captured his third individual and seventh career tournament title at the Dorado Beach Collegiate (Feb. 27 to March 1), posting a 14-under-par 202 help UNCG finish first in the 13-team, 81-golfer field
· Sat tied for first at 10-under after the two rounds, which were played on the final two days February
· Averaged 69.4 strokes per round over his five rounds in February, with three of 68 or lower
Others nominated: Archie Davies (ETSU), Jack Crosby (Furman), Tobias Jonsson (Mercer), Presten Richardson (Western Carolina) and Walker Jones (Wofford).
WOMEN'S GOLF
Anna Morgan, Furman, Jr., Spartanburg, S.C.
Finished tied for fifth (+1) at the Show at Spanish Trail (Feb. 15-16)
Opened the tournament with a 1-under-par 71 and even-par 72 in round two
Tallied a team-high three birdies during the final round to card a 74
Led the opening round of the Darius Rucker Collegiate (Feb. 28) with a 2-under-par 69 in a field of 90 players, including 13 top-50 individuals
Averaged 70.65 strokes through four rounds on the month
Others nominated: Hollie Muse (ETSU), Sophie Bert (ETSU) and Becca Earl (Wofford).
MEN'S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
Track
Cameron Ponder, Furman, Sr., Winston-Salem, N.C.
Repeats as SoCon Indoor Track Athlete of the Month
Two-time SoCon Indoor Track Athlete of the Week in February
Placed seventh in the 3,000-meter run at the Camel City Invitational on Feb. 5 in 7:47.14, a personal record and the second-best time in program history and good for eighth in the NCAA at the time
Won the 3,000m at the JDL DMR Invitational on Feb. 19 by more than 40 seconds, qualifying for the NCAA Championships with a meet-record time of 7:50.97, which converts to 7:45.56
Won his third straight title in the mile at the SoCon Indoor Track and Field Championships, breaking the meet record with a time of 3:59.75 for his fourth career sub-4:00 mile; also part of the distance medley relay, which took second
Field
Justin Stuckey, Samford, Sr., Helena, Ala.
Competed three times in February, all in the high jump
Finished third in the event at the USA Invitational in Birmingham, Alabama, on Feb. 6, clearing 2.13 meters
Won the event with a personal-best and program-record height of 2.20 meters at the Indoor Music City Challenge the following weekend, a mark that was good for seventh in NCAA Division I at the time and would eventually qualify him for the NCAA Championships
Won his third straight high jump title at the SoCon Indoor Track and Field Championships on Feb. 26, clearing 2.10m
WOMEN'S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
Track
Megan Marvin, Furman, So., Chapel Hill, N.C.
Repeats as SoCon Indoor Track Athlete of the Month
Won two titles and set two meet records at the SoCon Indoor Track and Field Championships on Feb. 26-27, successfully defending her 2021 crown in the 800-meter run in 2:05.68 and running the first leg on the winning distance medley relay team, which turned in a time of 11:31.56
Led off the month on Feb. 5 with a sixth-place finish in the elite section of the 800m at the Camel City Invitational, clocking a converted time of 2:06.61
Named the SoCon Indoor Track Athlete of the Week on Feb. 16 after recording a fourth-place finish in the 800m at the Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational with a time of 2:07.03, a program record
Also finished third in the mile in a personal-best 4:39.40
Field
Brittany Bishop, Samford, Jr., Clinton, Tenn.
Repeats as SoCon Indoor Field Athlete of the Month
Competed just twice in the month, setting personal bests in the pole vault both times
Finished eighth at the Indoor Music City Challenge on the second weekend in February, clearing 3.93 meters, the second-best performance in school history
Earned SoCon Field Athlete of the Week honors for her efforts
Set meet and school records at the SoCon Indoor Track and Field Championships on Feb. 26, clearing 4.06 meters to win her third straight title in the event
MEN'S LACROSSE
Offense
Max Waldbaum, Jacksonville, Gr., A, Denver, Colo.
Averaged 3.67 goals, 1.33 assists and 5.0 points per game over the first six games of the season, leading Jacksonville to a 5-1 record and its first-ever appearance in the national polls
Opened his JU career with four goals and an assist in an 11-8 loss to No. 16 Johns Hopkins
Scored four goals and had two assists in a win over No. 2 Duke on Feb. 13, earning SoCon Offensive Player of the Week, Inside Lacrosse Prime Time Lacrosse DI Player of the Week, and USILA Division I Team of the Week honors
Had six points on five goals and an assist twice in the month, in wins over Mercer and Air Force
Had a goal and two assists in JU's 11-9 win at No. 14 Denver
Others nominated: Sean Goldsmith (Mercer) and Ryan Lanchbury (Richmond).
Defense
Luke Millican, Jacksonville, Gr., GK, Southlake, Texas
Went 5-1 in goal with a 10.13 goals against average, 11.5 saves per game and a .566 save percentage
Made a career-best 17 stops and allowed just 11 goals against 45 shots faced at No. 16 Johns Hopkins in his first start for JU, earning SoCon Defensive Player of the Week honors
Had 10 stops against 44 shots faced in JU's 14-12 win at No. 2 Duke on Feb. 13
Earned SoCon defensive honors again after going 2-0 on the Dolphins' Colorado road trip, making 11 saves and allowing just nine goals against No. 14 Denver and notching 13 stops and allowing just seven goals in a win at Air Force
Also scored what is believed to the be the first goal by a goalkeeper in program history in the win over the Falcons
Others nominated: Ashton Wood (Mercer) and Devin Craven (Richmond).
RIFLE
Smallbore
Erin Ballard, Georgia Southern, So., Reedsville, W.Va.
· Led the Eagles in smallbore for the month, averaging 578 over three events
· Matched her career-best effort of 581 at the NCAA Qualifier against UAB in Statesboro, Georgia, on Feb. 19, helping her team finish with a 2,285 in the discipline, just four off the school record
· Posted a career-best 1,169 aggregate score at the NCAA Qualifiers, helping the Eagles record a school-record 4,643 aggregate, breaking the mark by 18 set against No. 17 North Georgia and Wofford on Feb. 13
· Shot 578 to finish second in smallbore against North Georgia and Wofford on Feb. 13 and 575 to take first against the Terriers the day prior
· Earns her second consecutive SoCon Smallbore Shooter of the Month honor
Others nominated: Dawson Kissik (North Georgia) and Christopher Hicks (VMI).
Air rifle
Christopher Hicks, VMI, So., Culpeper, Va.
· Broke the school record in air rifle at No. 4 West Virginia for the NCAA Qualifier with a 589
· Placed 10th in the event ahead of North Georgia's Jayne Fraley and Jaden Fraser and West Virginia's Molly McGhin
· Also led the mixed team in the smallbore event at the qualifiers, placing 15th overall with 563 points
· Claims his first air rifle shooter of the month award and the first monthly honor for VMI
Others nominated: Amy Visconti (Georgia Southern) and Jayne Fraley (North Georgia).
SOFTBALL
Player
Maycin Brown, UNCG, Jr., 3B, Summerville, S.C.
Hit .415 with seven RBIs, nine runs scored, five doubles, two home runs and a .683 slugging percentage to lead UNCG to a 9-4 mark in the opening month of the season, including wins over Maryland and Virginia
Hit safely in 11 of 13 games, reaching base in all but one
Opened the season with a hit and a walk against No. 16 Tennessee
Had three hits twice in the month, first in a win over Maryland on Feb. 12 and again in a win over George Washington on Feb. 20
Drove in multiple runs in three contests, hitting a three-run homer against the Hoyas, a two-run homer in a win over Loyola Chicago (Feb. 25), and a two-run single in a win over Bucknell (Feb. 26)
Others nominated: Emily Bartlett (Furman), Tori Hedgecock (Mercer), Timberlyn Shurbutt (Samford), Olivia Lipari (Chattanooga) and Myra Twitty (Western Carolina).
Pitcher
Brooke Parrott, Chattanooga, Jr., RHP, Hamilton, Texas
Went 5-1 with two saves and a 0.70 ERA in 40 innings of work in February, allowing just four earned runs over 11 appearances
Struck out 28 and walked just 13 in the month; allowed only seven extra-base hits and just 18 overall
Threw just the fifth perfect game in program history and first in 20 years against Radford on just 78 pitches on Feb. 18, also nabbing a win over SUIE and saves against SIUE and Purdue Fort Wayne that weekend en route to earning SoCon Pitcher of the Week honors
Tossed a complete-game shutout against Southern Illinois on Feb. 25, allowing just four hits in the 4-0 win
Totaled 24 consecutive scoreless innings spanning five appearances
Others nominated: Sierra Tufts (Furman), Hannah Pitts (Mercer), Morgan Scott (UNCG), McKenzie Newcomb (Samford) and Jayme Eilers (Western Carolina).
MEN'S TENNIS
Juan Sebastian Zabala, ETSU, Fr., Guayaquil, Ecuador
Helped ETSU to a 6-1 overall record and 1-0 SoCon mark on the month
Went 6-0 in singles play at Nos. 5 and 6 and was 4-2 in doubles action at Nos. 1 and 3
Won all six singles matches in straight sets
Clinched a win at Indiana with his 7-5, 6-1 win at No. 6; also won 6-2 at No. 1 doubles against the Hoosiers
Won both his singles (No. 5) and doubles (No. 1) matches in ETSU's 4-3 setback to No. 41 Louisiana
Others nominated: Jamie Connel (Furman) and Ashe Ray (Wofford).
WOMEN'S TENNIS
Fernanda Carvajal, ETSU, Jr., Queretaro, Mexico
Helped ETSU to a 4-2 overall record and a 1-0 SoCon mark in the month
Went 5-0 at No. 3 singles in February, with all five wins in straight sets
Went 2-2 at No. 3 doubles, dropping a 7-6 (7-0) match at Vanderbilt in a tiebreaker
Opened SoCon play with a 7-5, 6-2 singles win and a 7-6 (7-4) doubles win over Western Carolina
Beat Vanderbilt's Yufei Long 6-3, 6-2 to open the month
Others nominated: Madison Dillon (Furman), Coco Bosman (Chattanooga) and Brianna Wilbur (Wofford).
WRESTLING
Jonathan Millner, App State, R-Sr., 149, Greensboro, N.C.
· Went 4-0 with all four wins against league opponents in February, completing an unbeaten run through league competition
· Started the month with a 4-1 decision over Chattanooga's Noah Castillo on Feb. 6 before earning a 3-2 decision over Campbell's fourth-ranked Josh Heil in a matchup of two top-10 wrestlers on Feb. 13
· Posted a 13-1 major decision over Gavin Damasco of Davidson on Feb. 18 and secured a first-period fall (1:46) over Reid Stewart of Presbyterian on Feb. 20
· Clinched his fifth victory this season against wrestlers with a top-33 ranking from the latest NCAA Coaches Panel rankings following the win over Heil
· Claims his second consecutive SoCon Wrestler of the Month honor
Others nominated: Caleb Hopkins (Campbell) and Matthew Waddell (Chattanooga).
Southern Conference February Athletes of the Month
Baseball – player Kennedy Jones, UNCG
Baseball – pitcher Tyler Bradt, VMI
Men's basketball Jake Stephens, VMI
Women's basketball Amoria Neal-Tysor, Mercer
Men's golf Nick Lyerly, UNCG
Women's golf Anna Morgan, Furman
Men's indoor track and field – track Cameron Ponder, Furman
Men's indoor track and field – field Justin Stuckey, Samford
Women's indoor track and field – track Megan Marvin, Furman
Women's indoor track and field – field Brittany Bishop, Samford
Men's lacrosse – offense Max Waldbaum, Jacksonville
Men's lacrosse – defense Luke Millican, Jacksonville
Rifle – smallbore Erin Ballard, Georgia Southern
Rifle – air rifle Christopher Hicks, VMI
Softball – player Maycin Brown, UNCG
Softball – pitcher Brooke Parrott, Chattanooga
Men's tennis Juan Sebastian Zabala, ETSU
Women's tennis Fernanda Carvajal, ETSU
Wrestling Jonathan Millner, App State
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