2021-22 cadet athlete awards

Athletics

VMI Names its 2021-22 Cadet-Athlete Awards

LEXINGTON, Va. – After a tremendous athletics season, VMI faculty and staff announced its 2021-22 Cadet-Athlete award winners Monday morning.
 
The Intercollegiate Athletic Award  –  Jake Stephens '22 (Basketball)
To the outstanding athlete among football, basketball, baseball, men's cross country/track & field teams
jake stephens
An NABC First Team All-District honoree, basketball senior center Jake Stephens was voted a First Team All-Southern Conference recipient by both the SoCon coaches and media. A 4x SoCon Player of the Week during the season and the Lou Henson National Player of the Week on Jan. 3, the Bunker Hill, West Virginia, native was also voted as the SoCon Player of the Month for the months of December and February. He ranked 2nd in the SoCon in scoring (19.6 ppg) and second in rebounding (9.0 rpg) while also ranking first in the league in FG percentage (.551) and 3FG percentage (.490). Stephens also ranked second in the league in blocks (2.0 bpg) and had 17 20+ point games this season, including 14 of the last 19 contests he played in. He became the 43rd Keydet in program history to join the 1,000 Career Points Club (1,370 career points). A member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, Stephens retained a 3.15 GPA as a computer science major.

 
The Intercollegiate Athletic Award – Trejan Cannon '22 (Lacrosse)
To the outstanding athlete among lacrosse, rifle, men's soccer, swimming/diving and wrestling teams
trejan cannon
TC Cannon led the team with 19 caused turnovers on the season, including a career-high five against St. Bonaventure on Feb. 26. He played in all 15 games during the season and helped the Keydets to their first ever Southern Conference Tournament appearance and first overall postseason since 2008. The Winston-Salem, North Carolina, native scored one goal at Cleveland State and took three shots during the year. He finished ranked fourth on the team with 29 groundballs this season. He had three groundballs and one caused turnover at Mount St. Mary's to help VMI to an 8-7 victory on March 4.
 
 
The Intercollegiate Athletic Award  – Gretal Shank '25 (Women's Cross Country/ Track and Field)
To the outstanding athlete among women's cross country/track & field, soccer & swimming/diving
gretal shank
Freshman Gretal Shank led the women's cross country team the entire season. Capable of running anything between 800 meters to 5000 meters, she broke into the Top 20 in the SoCon top times for each respective event during the indoor track season.  The Carlisle, Pennsylvania, native finished in 38th place at the SoCon Cross Country Championships, finishing the 5k race in 20:39.4. She came in 10th place in the 5k at the Winthrop XC Invitational and 8th place in the 800m at the SoCon Indoor T&F Championships. Shank logged a season-best 3000-meter steeplechase time of 12:03.24 at the JMU Invitational, and finished in ninth place in the steeple at the SoCon Outdoor Championships April 30-May 1 in Birmingham, Alabama.
 
 
The Frank Summers Team Leadership Award  –Ryan Cooper '22 (Swimming and Diving)
To the First Classman chosen as the outstanding team leader
cooper
A team captain, Ryan Cooper earned a season-best time of 4:11.84 in the 400 IM at the ECAC Meet to take 17th and also swam a personal best in the 800 freestyle relay in the opening leg the same day. Cooper won the 200 IM in a dual meet at Washington & Lee University in 2:20.36 and holds three school records. He registered second-place finishes in the 200 breast against Howard and the 200 IM against Mount St. Mary's.
 
 
The Almond Award – Jessica Hankin '22 (Mixed Rifle)
To the graduating cadet who has throughout his/her career, demonstrated outstanding contributions to intercollegiate athletics while distinguishing himself/herself through academic achievement and soldierly bearing and aptitude. 
jessica hankin
A mixed rifle team captain for the past two years, Jessica Hankin was the bronze medalist at the 2021 SoCon Championships smallbore rifle competition and won the 2021 Burris Marksmanship award winner as the top female shooter at VMI. Having earned academic stars since 3rd class year, Hankin also minored in exercise science and leadership studies. The Upton, Massachusetts, native has commissioned into the U.S. Army and will served in the active duty medical service corps – one of only three people to receive this branch at VMI. A public affairs officer for the Army ROTC department, she also served as a research assistant for four years to Major Gormick while at VMI and was a library assistant for three years. A Corps Marksmanship Program range safety officer for two years, Hankin also served as a member of the Psi Chi Society and was selected as a TA and tutor for the kinesiology and functional anatomy class. She holds a 3.91 cumulative GPA and 4.0 major GPA in psychology.
 
 

The Distinguished Coaching Award – William "Joe" Shafer (Boxing)
William "Joe" Shafer led the team to a national championship at the United States Intercollegiate Boxing Association (USIBA). Known affectionately as "The Regulators," the team trained and competed at the USIBA National Championships held in Atlanta, Georgia from March 17 to March 19. By the end of the championships, VMI destroyed the competition by going 20-8 overall.
 






 
Print Friendly Version