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Guy, Foulan among winners at MHCC sports banquet
The Advocate
Sophomore Jessica Guy, one of the most decorated softball players to wear a Saints uniform, took home the MHCC Female Athlete of the Year award during Tuesday night’s annual sports banquet in the gymnasium.
Guy, the Jacksonville State-bound and All-American outfielder from Vancouver, Wash., took home every piece of hardware imaginable this season, and played a pivotal role in back-to-back NWAACC championships. She was also a member of the First Team All-NWAACC Tournament and First Team All-Southern Region, while also being named to the Louisville Slugger NFCA NWAACC All-American team. She also maintained a 3.67 GPA.
“Such a student of the game,” softball head coach Meadow McWhorter said of Guy earlier this year. “Very vocal when she’s on the field, but very much a leader by example.
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“No doubt in my mind that she will go down (to Jacksonville State) and make an impact. Jessica will always be a special one.”
Freshman Alex Foulan, a shortstop also from Vancouver, Wash., was honored as the MHCC Male Athlete of the Year. He was a member of the All-NWAACC First Team, First Team All-NWAACC Tournament and First Team All-Southern Region. He was also named the Southern Region Player of the Year, as well as a gold glove shortstop, for both the Southern Region and NWAACC. He maintained a 3.86 GPA this year.
Student-athletes and coaches from all seven sports were in attendance, along with family, friends and other Saints supporters.
With finals looming just around the corner and the kickoff of summer within arm’s length, it was only appropriate that the event’s food was BBQ style.
Athletic Director Kim Hyatt kicked off the festivities, saying, “This has been one heck of a year.” Hyatt wasn’t kidding. It was a year where three coaches won Southern Region Coach of the Year honors and three teams placed in the top three in NWAACCs, including the three-peat NWAACC championship softball team, and three student-athletes won Southern Region Player of the Year.
McWhorter, the ninth-year head coach, was named the Southern Region Coach of the Year in softball, while Chelsie Speer, in her second year as head coach of the volleyball team, and fourth-year head baseball coach Bryan Donohue also received the Southern Region Coach of the Year award.
Sophomore Kyra Speer won Player of the Year in the South for volleyball for the second year in a row, while freshman softball player Mai Galusha and Foulan in baseball were their league MVPs.
Each of the head coaches introduced their teams and reviewed their accomplishments, both as a team and as individuals. It was a lengthy ceremony due to all the feats this year’s sports program had achieved.
McWhorter was also given the first MHCC Coach of the Year award.
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“I have my team to thank,” McWhorter said. “I probably have the best coaching staff here at MHCC.”
Corey Nielson, assistant coach in both volleyball and men’s basketball, received the MHCC Assistant Coach of the Year award.
The softball team thanked former athletic director Fred Schnell for his devoted support and honored him with a championship game ball signed by the team. Schnell still serves as an active member with the NWAACC board and also as a physical education instructor at MHCC.
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— Volleyball: First place in the Southern Region, second place at NWAACCs (10-0, 38-9).
— Cross Country: Top finishers at NWAACCs: Freshman Tahir Chakiso placed 10th with a time of 26:36.94 in the 8K and Gabriela Diaz placed 12th with a time of 19:11.87 in the 5K.
— Men’s basketball: Second place in Southern Region, eighth place at NWAACCs (8-6, 15-12).
— Women’s basketball: Missed NWAACCs; finished fifth in the Southern Region (6-8, 10-16).
— Baseball: First place in Southern Region, third place at NWAACCs (22-8, 29-13).
— Softball: First place in Southern Region, first place at NWAACCs (16-4, 26-9)
— Track and Field: Men’s team placed second in the Southern Region and fourth place in NWAACCs, while the women’s team placed third in the Southern Region and fourth place at NWAACCs.
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