Miss Bulldog Hannah Dawson and Mr. Bulldog Zac Dunkle.
Samford Holds Fifth-Annual SAMSPY Awards
4.29.13 | SAAC
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SENIOR TRIBUTE VIDEO
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.— The Samford athletics department held its fifth-annual SAMSPY Awards Monday evening at The Wynfrey hotel in Hoover.
The SAMSPY Awards are held to honor Samford's student-athletes, teams, coaches and administrators for their accomplishments throughout the year.
A total of 22 awards were given out at the event. The first awards were the Team Academic Awards. These awards were given to the teams, one male and one female, that posted the highest grade-point average in the past year. The men's and women's tennis teams took home the Team Academic Awards.
The Female Rookie of the Year Award was given to Madison Dickey of the softball team. As a freshman in 2012, Dickey led the team in batting average (.354), at-bats (180), runs (28), hits (64) and doubles (12). She was named to the SoCon's All-Freshman team and second team All-Conference.
Tim Williams from the men's basketball team was named Male Rookie of the Year. In his first season in a Samford uniform, Williams was named the Southern Conference's Freshman of the Year by both the league's coaches and media. He led the Bulldogs in scoring, averaging 14.2 points per game, and in rebounding, grabbing 7.1 boards per contest.
The Comeback Athlete of the Year Award goes to the athlete who made the best or most significant comeback from an illness, injury or hardship. This year's award went to Kayla Shaffer of the softball team. Shaffer has returned as the team's starting center fielder after missing most of the 2012 season with an injury.
The Breakthrough Athlete of the Year went to Jaquiski Tartt, a free safety on the Bulldog football team. In his first year as a starter, Tartt was named All-American and first team All-Conference after sharing the team lead in tackles with 94. He also led Samford in interceptions with four and passes broken up with 10.
The Jim Griffin Award goes to the Supporting Player of the Year. This award was given to Anna Heim of the women's golf team.
The Support Staff of the Year Award went to Senior Associate Director of Athletics for Internal Affairs Wanda Lucas. The Assistant Coach of the Year Award went to Strength and Conditioning Coach Ryan Davis.
The Best Clutch Performance Award went to second baseman Zeth Stone of the baseball team. With two outs in the top of the 10th inning of the Southern Conference Tournament championship game, Stone hit a three-run triple to put the Bulldogs ahead of Georgia Southern for good on their way to the SoCon title.
The Best Finish Award went to safety Alvin Hines II of the football team. Hines recovered a fumble on the last play of the second overtime, sealing the football team's 24-17 upset of sixth-ranked Wofford.
The Best Upset Award went to the men's tennis team. The team defeated the University of Alabama for the first time, defeating the Crimson Tide, 4-3, on Feb. 6.
Brandon Miller of the baseball team won the Play of the Year Award for his nearly 500-foot home run in the SoCon Tournament that landed on top of an office building across the street from the stadium.
The Best Championship Performance was given to Charles Basford of the baseball team. In the Bulldogs' first-ever NCAA Tournament game, playing against SEC Tournament champion Mississippi State and playing in his hometown, Basford pitched 8.0 shutout innings to lead the team to a 5-0 win.
The Best Blooper Award went to Coordinator of Video Services Alan Harned after a football player ran him over while filming during spring practice.
For the first time, a SAMSPY was given to the Fan of the Year. The award went to Emily Hynds, an associate professor in the mathematics and computer science department.
The Most Outstanding Team Award went to the baseball team. The baseball team won a school-record 41 games in 2012. The Bulldogs won the program's first SoCon Tournament title and earned the team's first NCAA Tournament bid, reaching the finals of the NCAA Tallahassee Regional.
The Head Coach of the Year Award went to Casey Dunn of the baseball team. Dunn led his team to its first SoCon Tournament title and first NCAA Tournament appearance.
The Best Female Athlete Award went to Lauren D'Alessio of the cross country and track and field teams. D'Alessio won the 2012 SoCon Cross Country Championships and earned three event titles at the 2013 SoCon Indoor Track and Field Championships.
Brandon Miller of the baseball team was named the Best Male Athlete. Miller led the nation with a school-record 23 home runs in 2012. He also drove in a school-record 65 runs, and he ranked second on the team in doubles with 17.
The Miss Bulldog and Mr. Bulldog Awards were the final two awards of the evening. These awards are given based on all-around academics, athletics, team leadership and service.
The Miss Bulldog Award went to Hannah Dawson of the women's basketball team. As a senior in 2012-13, Dawson was a team captain and led the team in rebounding, averaging 7.3 per game and in assists, with a total of 74. She posted five double-doubles during her senior season.
Dawson has worked with Community Kitchen of Birmingham, Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, Samaritans' Feet, United Way, Boo at the Zoo, Serve our City, March of Dimes and as a volunteer for the Sunshine Room for children staying at Children's Hospital while awaiting surgery. She was recently named a Brand Ambassador for the Nursing School.
The Mr. Bulldog Award was presented to Zac Dunkle of the men's tennis team. Dunkle has been named first-team All-SoCon for the last two seasons. This season, he led Samford in the No. 1 spot, posting a record of 12-8 overall, but 7-2 against SoCon competition, helping lead the Bulldogs to the SoCon title.
In the community, Dunkle has worked with Habitat for Humanity through Samford's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. He has also helped with Samford Gives Back, and he helped raise funds to give Christmas presents to kids at Charles Brown Elementary School in Birmingham.
Below is a list of all of Monday night's SAMSPY Awards winners.
2013 SAMSPYs WINNERS
Female Academic: Tennis
Male Academic: Tennis
FEMALE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Madison Dickey, Softball
MALE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Tim Williams, Men's Basketball
COMEBACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Kayla Shaffer, Softball
BREAKTHROUGH ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Jaquiski Tartt, Football
JIM GRIFFIN AWARD: Anna Heim, Women's Golf
SUPPORT STAFF OF THE YEAR: Wanda Lucas, Sr. Associate AD For Internal Affairs
ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR: Ryan Davis, Strength and Conditioning Coach
BEST CLUTCH PERFORMANCE: Zeth Stone, Baseball
BEST FINISH: Alvin Hines II, Football
BEST UPSET: Men's Tennis
PLAY OF THE YEAR: Brandon Miller, Baseball
BEST CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCE: Charles Basford, Baseball
BEST BLOOPER: Alan Harned
FAN of the Year: Emily Hynds
MOST OUTSTANDING TEAM: Baseball
HEAD COACH OF THE YEAR: Casey Dunn, Baseball
BEST FEMALE ATHLETE: Lauren D'Alessio, Women's Cross Country/Track
BEST MALE ATHLETE: Brandon Miller, Baseball
MISS BULLDOG: Hannah Dawson, Women's Basketball
MR. BULLDOG: Zac Dunkle, Men's Tennis
SENIOR TRIBUTE VIDEO
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.— The Samford athletics department held its fifth-annual SAMSPY Awards Monday evening at The Wynfrey hotel in Hoover.
The SAMSPY Awards are held to honor Samford's student-athletes, teams, coaches and administrators for their accomplishments throughout the year.
A total of 22 awards were given out at the event. The first awards were the Team Academic Awards. These awards were given to the teams, one male and one female, that posted the highest grade-point average in the past year. The men's and women's tennis teams took home the Team Academic Awards.
The Female Rookie of the Year Award was given to Madison Dickey of the softball team. As a freshman in 2012, Dickey led the team in batting average (.354), at-bats (180), runs (28), hits (64) and doubles (12). She was named to the SoCon's All-Freshman team and second team All-Conference.
Tim Williams from the men's basketball team was named Male Rookie of the Year. In his first season in a Samford uniform, Williams was named the Southern Conference's Freshman of the Year by both the league's coaches and media. He led the Bulldogs in scoring, averaging 14.2 points per game, and in rebounding, grabbing 7.1 boards per contest.
The Comeback Athlete of the Year Award goes to the athlete who made the best or most significant comeback from an illness, injury or hardship. This year's award went to Kayla Shaffer of the softball team. Shaffer has returned as the team's starting center fielder after missing most of the 2012 season with an injury.
The Breakthrough Athlete of the Year went to Jaquiski Tartt, a free safety on the Bulldog football team. In his first year as a starter, Tartt was named All-American and first team All-Conference after sharing the team lead in tackles with 94. He also led Samford in interceptions with four and passes broken up with 10.
The Jim Griffin Award goes to the Supporting Player of the Year. This award was given to Anna Heim of the women's golf team.
The Support Staff of the Year Award went to Senior Associate Director of Athletics for Internal Affairs Wanda Lucas. The Assistant Coach of the Year Award went to Strength and Conditioning Coach Ryan Davis.
The Best Clutch Performance Award went to second baseman Zeth Stone of the baseball team. With two outs in the top of the 10th inning of the Southern Conference Tournament championship game, Stone hit a three-run triple to put the Bulldogs ahead of Georgia Southern for good on their way to the SoCon title.
The Best Finish Award went to safety Alvin Hines II of the football team. Hines recovered a fumble on the last play of the second overtime, sealing the football team's 24-17 upset of sixth-ranked Wofford.
The Best Upset Award went to the men's tennis team. The team defeated the University of Alabama for the first time, defeating the Crimson Tide, 4-3, on Feb. 6.
Brandon Miller of the baseball team won the Play of the Year Award for his nearly 500-foot home run in the SoCon Tournament that landed on top of an office building across the street from the stadium.
The Best Championship Performance was given to Charles Basford of the baseball team. In the Bulldogs' first-ever NCAA Tournament game, playing against SEC Tournament champion Mississippi State and playing in his hometown, Basford pitched 8.0 shutout innings to lead the team to a 5-0 win.
The Best Blooper Award went to Coordinator of Video Services Alan Harned after a football player ran him over while filming during spring practice.
For the first time, a SAMSPY was given to the Fan of the Year. The award went to Emily Hynds, an associate professor in the mathematics and computer science department.
The Most Outstanding Team Award went to the baseball team. The baseball team won a school-record 41 games in 2012. The Bulldogs won the program's first SoCon Tournament title and earned the team's first NCAA Tournament bid, reaching the finals of the NCAA Tallahassee Regional.
The Head Coach of the Year Award went to Casey Dunn of the baseball team. Dunn led his team to its first SoCon Tournament title and first NCAA Tournament appearance.
The Best Female Athlete Award went to Lauren D'Alessio of the cross country and track and field teams. D'Alessio won the 2012 SoCon Cross Country Championships and earned three event titles at the 2013 SoCon Indoor Track and Field Championships.
Brandon Miller of the baseball team was named the Best Male Athlete. Miller led the nation with a school-record 23 home runs in 2012. He also drove in a school-record 65 runs, and he ranked second on the team in doubles with 17.
The Miss Bulldog and Mr. Bulldog Awards were the final two awards of the evening. These awards are given based on all-around academics, athletics, team leadership and service.
The Miss Bulldog Award went to Hannah Dawson of the women's basketball team. As a senior in 2012-13, Dawson was a team captain and led the team in rebounding, averaging 7.3 per game and in assists, with a total of 74. She posted five double-doubles during her senior season.
Dawson has worked with Community Kitchen of Birmingham, Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, Samaritans' Feet, United Way, Boo at the Zoo, Serve our City, March of Dimes and as a volunteer for the Sunshine Room for children staying at Children's Hospital while awaiting surgery. She was recently named a Brand Ambassador for the Nursing School.
The Mr. Bulldog Award was presented to Zac Dunkle of the men's tennis team. Dunkle has been named first-team All-SoCon for the last two seasons. This season, he led Samford in the No. 1 spot, posting a record of 12-8 overall, but 7-2 against SoCon competition, helping lead the Bulldogs to the SoCon title.
In the community, Dunkle has worked with Habitat for Humanity through Samford's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. He has also helped with Samford Gives Back, and he helped raise funds to give Christmas presents to kids at Charles Brown Elementary School in Birmingham.
Below is a list of all of Monday night's SAMSPY Awards winners.
2013 SAMSPYs WINNERS
Female Academic: Tennis
Male Academic: Tennis
FEMALE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Madison Dickey, Softball
MALE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Tim Williams, Men's Basketball
COMEBACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Kayla Shaffer, Softball
BREAKTHROUGH ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Jaquiski Tartt, Football
JIM GRIFFIN AWARD: Anna Heim, Women's Golf
SUPPORT STAFF OF THE YEAR: Wanda Lucas, Sr. Associate AD For Internal Affairs
ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR: Ryan Davis, Strength and Conditioning Coach
BEST CLUTCH PERFORMANCE: Zeth Stone, Baseball
BEST FINISH: Alvin Hines II, Football
BEST UPSET: Men's Tennis
PLAY OF THE YEAR: Brandon Miller, Baseball
BEST CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCE: Charles Basford, Baseball
BEST BLOOPER: Alan Harned
FAN of the Year: Emily Hynds
MOST OUTSTANDING TEAM: Baseball
HEAD COACH OF THE YEAR: Casey Dunn, Baseball
BEST FEMALE ATHLETE: Lauren D'Alessio, Women's Cross Country/Track
BEST MALE ATHLETE: Brandon Miller, Baseball
MISS BULLDOG: Hannah Dawson, Women's Basketball
MR. BULLDOG: Zac Dunkle, Men's Tennis
Monday, September 14
Sunday, September 13
Monday, September 07
Friday, September 04
