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Aggies host annual athletic banquet
LAWTON, Oklahoma (April 28) – On Monday night in the CU Fitness Center, the Cameron University Athletic Department hosted the annual Athletics Awards Banquet to celebrate the accomplishments of each Aggie student-athlete, coach, trainer, and administrator. Nearly 200 Aggies and Aggie fans attended the banquet where barbeque was served and fun was had by all.
Each coach was given the opportunity to present every one of their student-athletes with awards based on how long they have played for the Cameron Aggies. First year athletic participants received a commemorative certificate, second year participants were awarded a Cameron Athletics pen and pencil set, third-year participants were given a Cameron watch, and fourth-year participants were handed a Cameron Aggie throw blanket.
Those student-athletes who had competed for the Cameron Aggies for all four years of their collegiate careers were awarded the “Time to Go” award, which was a Cameron Athletics clock. Men’s tennis player Jordi Mullor, men’s basketball player Maurice Cubit, and women’s basketball players Tiffany Williams and Merrisa “Uzzi” Martinuzzi were the “Time to Go” recipients.
All eleven of Cameron’s intercollegiate athletic programs were given the chance to speak, as was the Aggie athletic training staff. Awards were also given for the Cameron University Coach, Male Athlete, and Female Athlete of the Year.
Head men’s and women’s tennis coach James Helvey was named the CU Coach of the Year for 2008, adding to the already incredible year Coach Helvey has put together. Just last week the Aggie men’s tennis team won the first Lone Star Conference Championship in school history, and brought home both the LSC Regular Season Championship trophy as well as the LSC Championship tournament trophy. He was also named the LSC Coach of the Year by his fellow men’s tennis coaches.
This year Coach Helvey also eclipsed the 500 career victories milestone, ranking him among the elite coaches in the entire nation. Additionally, the men’s tennis team achieved a #1 regional ranking and a #7 national ranking, the highest in school history.
Junior men’s golfer Peter Svajlen was named the CU Male Athlete of the Year after an impressive 2007-2008 campaign for head men’s golf coach Jerry Hrnciar. Svajlen was the top golfer on the nationally ranked Aggie men’s golf team who last week also won the Lone Star Conference Championship, the seventh in school history. He finished the regular season with a number of top-five finishes, including a second-place finish at this year’s LSC Championship.
Svajlen’s finish garnered him LSC All-Tournament and LSC All-Conference First Team honors. He also excelled this season in the classroom. Just last week he was named to the LSC All-Academic Team as the LSC’s Academic Player of the Year. Svajlen has also been nominated for the Academic All-America teams.
Senior volleyball player Fernanda Queiroz was named the CU Female Athlete of the Year after leading the Aggie volleyball team to the postseason for the second straight year. Prior to the 2007 season Queiroz was named the LSC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year.
During the season she was also named the LSC Player of the Week and to two All-Tournament teams. At season’s end Queiroz was named to the LSC All-Conference First Team and the LSC All-Academic Team.
Although the 2007-2008 regular seasons have all concluded, five of Cameron’s athletic teams are still in action in the postseason.
The Aggie men’s golf team takes part in the NCAA Super Regional tournament beginning Monday (May 5) at the Circle C Golf Club in Austin Texas. Later next week (May 9-10) the Cameron’s men’s tennis team hosts the NCAA Regional Tournament while the Cameron women’s tennis team travels to Abilene, Texas, also for the NCAA Regional Tournament.
The CU softball team departs on Thursday afternoon to take part in the LSC Championship tournament in Durant, Oklahoma, which runs from May 1-3. The baseball team leaves on Friday to participate in their LSC Championship tournament which will be held from May 3-6 in Abilene, Texas.
Aggie fans can tune into both the Cameron baseball and softball team’s postseason action by visiting the Cameron Athletics website (goaggies.cameron.edu) and tuning into the Aggie Video Network. Live audio and video of each postseason game will be available on the website, free of charge. The play-by-play commentary for each game will be provided by Cameron’s Director of Sports Information, Craig Martin.
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