April 28, 2009
Aggies end year with celebration
LAWTON, Oklahoma (April 27 ) – Cameron University’s Athletic Department wrapped up the 2008-2009 athletic season in style with a cookout-themed celebration last night in the CU Fitness Center. All of the nearly 200 Aggie student-athletes, coaches, and athletic administrators were in attendance, as were a handful of boosters and athletic supporters, to honor and celebrate the Aggies of 2008-2009.
Craig Martin, Cameron’s Sports Information Director, served as the celebration’s host throughout the evening. The event was originally scheduled to be held outside at the Fine Arts Courtyard, but inclement weather forced the celebration indoors.
Two coaches were honored as the 2008-2009 Cameron University Co-Coaches of the Year, as Todd Holland (Baseball) and Wade Alexander (Men’s Basketball) shared the award. The honor, voted on by the 22 members of CU’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), went to tennis coach James Helvey last year.
“It’s a great honor to share this award with Todd, especially when you consider all that he has done this year,” Coach Alexander said. “This was completely unexpected because Coach Helvey set the bar so high last year. We didn’t do as much as the tennis team last year or the baseball team this year, but we still had a good season.”
Echoing Coach Alexander’s sentiments was Coach Holland, the other Co-Coach of the Year.
“This is the first time I’ve won the CU Coach of the Year Award and I’m pleased to be sharing it with a great coach like Wade,” Coach Holland said. “It has been an exciting season and hopefully we still have a lot of games left to play.”
All three of the aforementioned coaches were named the Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year in their respective sport this season.
Continuing her remarkable 2009 season, senior first baseman Jenna Boren was honored as the 2008-2009 Cameron University Female Athlete of the Year. Boren, a softball player, has already been honored as the 2009 Lone Star Conference Player of the Year and Academic Player of the Year.
On the men’s side, tennis player Daniel Pazos was named the 2008-2009 Cameron University Male Athlete of the Year. Pazos, the #14 ranked singles player in the nation, has also already been honored by the LSC as the conference Player of the Year.
Prior to the special awards portion of the event, each player on each of CU’s 11 intercollegiate athletic programs, in addition to the athletic training staff, was introduced and honored with a participation gift at the ceremony.
First year participants receive a certificate, second year participants receive a pen/pencil set, third year participants receive a commemorative watch, and fourth year participants receive an Aggie blanket.
Five Aggie student-athletes were also honored with a commemorative clock for the annual “Time to Go Award,” given to those players who have competed for the Black and Gold for all four collegiate seasons. This year’s recipients were Jarrett Bailey (baseball), Renee Breeze (women’s golf), Miranda Josey (cheerleading), Megan Young (softball), and Veronica Reeks (volleyball).
Last night’s celebration marks the official end of the 2008-2009 athletic regular season. Only two Aggie athletic teams are still in action in the postseason: men’s tennis and baseball.
The #11 men’s tennis team will next compete in the Regional rounds of the NCAA National tournament. The site of the first two regional rounds has yet to be determined, but CU has a chance to host the May 7-9 event.
Cameron’s #6 baseball team will kick off the 2009 Lone Star Conference Championship tournament (May 2-5) this Saturday (May 2) in Abilene, Texas. The Aggies, who achieved the event’s #1 seed, take on the #6-seed Tarleton State Texans at 11:00am on Saturday.
Fans unable to travel with the Aggie baseball team in the postseason can tune into the live broadcast of every CU playoff game for free on the Aggie Video Network on the Cameron Athletics website: goaggies.cameron.edu.