AUSTIN, TX – The Huston-Tillotson University Department of Athletics held its annual athletic awards banquet on Sunday, May 1, 2022, to recognize and remember many of the highlights from our sports season. The event was held at the Sonesta Bee Cave in Bee Cave, Texas.
The following student-athletes are the award winners from the 2021-2022 sports season:
Volleyball
Most Valuable Player – Mya Aguirre (SO/Harlingen, TX)
Newcomer of the Year – Mckenzie Dimery (SR/College Station, TX)
Offensive Player of the Year – Kennedy White (FR/Duncanville, TX)
Defensive Player of the Year – Danelle McCullough (FR/San Antonio, TX)
Most Improved – Kasani Horace (JR/Fort Worth, TX)
Women's Soccer
Most Valuable Player – Bryanna Jasso (FR/Houston, TX)
Newcomer of the Year – Bryanna Jasso
Offensive Player of the Year – Melissa Navarro (SR/Kyle, TX)
Defensive Player of the Year – Phoenix Michaelis (JR/Topeka, KS)
Most Improved – Natalie Rodriguez (FR/Austin, TX)
Men's Soccer
Most Valuable Player – Jommar Reyes (JR/San Antonio, TX)
Newcomer of the Year – Nico Viader
Offensive Player of the Year – Juan Belman (FR/Austin, TX)
Defensive Player of the Year – Goitom Ghebrehiwot (SR/Houston, TX)
Most Improved – Benito Bustos (SR/Austin, TX)
Women's Basketball
Most Valuable Player – Traeli Calhoun (SR/Denton, TX)
Newcomer of the Year – Mycah McDonald (JR/Lufkin, TX)
Offensive Player of the Year – Traeli Calhoun
Defensive Player of the Year – Bre'Auna Smith (FR/Ft. Worth, TX)
Most Improved – Justiss Brooks (SO/Austin, TX)
Men's Basketball
Most Valuable Player – Jimmie Kelly (JR/Ft. Worth, TX)
Newcomer of the Year – Jimmie Kelly
Offensive Player of the Year – Braxton Lovings (JR/Pearland, TX)
Defensive Player of the Year – Waseem Ali (SR/San Antonio, TX)
Most Improved – Merdarius Roberts (SR/Houston, TX)
Women's Track & Field
Most Outstanding Field Performer – Kelise Christopher (SO/Houston, TX)
Most Outstanding Track Performer – Alyssa Nelson (SR/Austin, TX)
Newcomer of the Year – Kelise Christopher
Most Improved – Jaymee Yelton (FR/Chicago, IL)
Men's Track & Field
Most Outstanding Field Performer – Demontray Bell
Most Outstanding Track Performer – Keanon Dennis (SR/Arlington, TX)
Newcomer of the Year – John Shead (SO/Euless, TX)
Most Improved – Quinton Selders (JR/New Orleans, LA)
Softball
Most Valuable Player – Denisse Gracia (SR/Baytown, TX)
Newcomer of the Year – Angel Lozano (FR/Pharr, TX)
Offensive Player of the Year – Grace Ross (SO/Austin, TX)
Defensive Player of the Year – Briana Tristan (SR/Houston, TX)
Most Improved – Kayla Rogers (SO/Harlingen, TX)
Baseball
Most Valuable Player – Taylor Grimes (SR/Dallas, TX)
Newcomer of the Year – Julian Vascot (FR/Killeen, TX)
Offensive Player of the Year – Taylor Grimes
Defensive Player of the Year – Sergio Santiago (SR/St. Croix, VI)
Most Improved – Jordan Vega (FR/Austin, TX)
E-Sports
Most Outstanding Performer – Delton Woods (SR/Los Angeles, CA)
Cheerleading
Most Dedicated – Kailee Norman
Athletic Training
Most Dedicated – Savannah Garza
Academic Award – Highest GPA
Volleyball – Makayla Martin (SR/Combine, TX)
Women's Soccer – Lesly Davila & Maria P. Lopez (SO/Bogota, Colombia)
Men's Soccer – Ebento Akoi (SO/Bismarck, ND)
Women's Basketball – Justiss Brooks
Men's Basketball – Waseem Ali
Track & Field – Serenity Parker (SO/San Antonio, TX)
Softball – Brooklyn Balderas (JR/Houston, TX)
Baseball – Andrew Guzman (FR/Buda, TX)
Department Awards
President Award – Graduating Senior – Samantha Bodden (SR/Brownsville, TX) & Merdarius Roberts
Outstanding Achievement Award – Melissa Navarro & Sergio Santiago
Team Sportsmanship Award – Softball
Champions of Character – Leadership Award – Alexiana Williams (FR/San Antonio, TX) & Andy Gilleland (SO/Bastrop, TX)
Photos done by Kenneth Ancrum Photography.
