Congratulations to HU athletes, staff represented during the Bison Awards 2020
By The Sports Pulse Staff
WASHINGTON – The Howard University Department of Athletics announced its annual Bison Awards through the department’s social media platforms.
The two-week celebration gave student-athletes, coaches, parents, and fans an opportunity to recognize the outstanding achievements during the shorten 2019-20 season.
Before awards were announced, Director of Athletics Kery Davis presented the Bison Family with a 45-second informational video on social media, expressing everyone to use the hashtag #BISONAWARDS2020.
On May 4, Athletics began with departmental accolades and recognition, followed by team awards.
Below are the following winners (sorted by teams):
- Departmental Accolades & Recognition
- Men’s Highest Team GPA – Swimming & Diving
- Women’s Highest Team GPA – Tennis
- Male Highest Individual GPA – Noah Nicholas (Stone Mountain, Ga./Swimming & Diving/3.88 GPA)
- Female Highest Individual GPA – Kaylah Clark (Miami/Track & Field/4.00 GPA)
- Men’s Life Skill Award – Football
- Women’s Life Skill Award – Track & Field
- Male Iron Bison – Dedrick Parson (Philadelphia/Football)
- Female Iron Bison – Camille Navarro (Los Angeles/Softball)
- Athletic Director Award – Kyle Anthony (Miramar, Fla./Football)
- Newly Elected 2020-21 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee:
- President – Tiffany Hunt (Bridgewater, N.J./Women’s Lacrosse)
- Vice-President – Zachyre Lane (Durham, N.C./Women’s Track & Field)
- Secretary – Rebecca Akande (Somerset, N.J./Women’s Track & Field)
- Treasurer – Kaylah Clark (Miami/Women’s Track & Field)
- Men’s Basketball
- MVP – Charles Williams (Richmond, Va.)
- Rookie of the Year – Wayne Bristol, Jr. (Upper Marlboro, Md.)
- Most Improved – Nate Garvey (Nanuet, N.Y.)
- Spirit Award – Philip Jones (Atlanta)
- Highest GPA – Nate Garvey (Nanuet, N.Y./3.82 GPA)
- Women’s Basketball
- MVP – Ayonna Williams (Washington)
- Rookie of the Year – Iyanna Warren (Accokeek, Md.)
- Defensive Player of the Year – Imani Bryant (Berkeley, Calif.)
- Most Improved – Gia Thorpe (Pittsburgh)
- Highest GPA – Jayla Thornton (Newark, N.J./3.81 GPA)
- Bowling
- MVP – Carolyn Williams (Glen Burnie, Md.)
- Rookie of the Year – Vanessa Johnson (Chicago)
- Most Improved – Jahnia Phillips (Elmont, N.Y.)
- Above & Beyond Achievement Award – Janae Bradford (Chicago)
- Highest GPA – Jahnia Phillips (Elmont, N.Y./3.79 GPA)
- Men’s Cross Country
- MVP – Gavin Williams (Dover, Del.)
- Most Improved – Matthew Marchbanks (Chicago)
- Highest GPA – Steven Imes IV (Los Angeles/3.61 GPA)
- Women’s Cross Country
- MVP – Melanie White (Orlando, Fla.)
- Rookie of the Year – Breanna McDonald (Bethesda, Md.)
- Most Improved – Dasia Wilson (Philadelphia)
- Highest GPA – Ameenah Saalih (Willingboro, N.J./3.8 GPA)
- Football
- MVP – Dedrick Parson (Philadelphia)
- Rookie of the Year – Ray Williams (Detroit)
- Most Improved – Branden Johnson (Baltimore)
- Bison Standard – DaShawn Simon (Baltimore)
- Highest GPA – Faraji Woodson (Greensboro, N.C./3.87 GPA)
- Women’s Lacrosse
- Rookies of the Year – Josie Mallory (Charlottesville, Va.) & Quai Skeete-Ridley (New Carrollton, Md.)
- Highest GPA – Madison Joines (Winston-Salem, N.C./3.73 GPA)
- Men’s Soccer
- MVPs – Carlos Caro (Silver Spring, Md.) & Andres Gomez (Silver Spring, Md.)
- Rookie of the Year – Joseph Abusada (Houston)
- Most Improved – Emery Simon (Elkhart, Ind.)
- Highest GPA – Nicholas Turk (Las Vegas/3.76 GPA)
- Women’s Soccer
- MVPs – Alayah Hightower (Mitchellville, Md.) & Victoria Thornton (Plainfield, Ill.)
- Rookie of the Year – Arianna Morgan (Oklahoma City)
- Most Improved – Kenya Saunders (Ontario, Canada)
- Highest GPA – Makaelah Murray (Stockton, Calif./4.00 GPA)
- Softball
- MVP – Kalita Dennis (Elk Grove, Calif.)
- Rookie of the Year – Luz Aguilasocho (Grand Terrace, Calif.)
- Pitcher of the Year – Brooke Thomas (Detroit)
- Most Improved – Camille Navarro (Los Angeles)
- Highest GPA – Ayana Sallee (Chesapeake, Va./4.00 GPA)
- Men’s Swimming & Diving
- MVP – Jalen Watson (Miami)
- Rookie of the Year – Miles Simon (Atlanta)
- Most Improved – Josiah Scott (Cedar Park, Texas)
- Highest GPA – Noah Nicholas (Stone Mountain, Ga./3.90 GPA)
- Women’s Swimming & Diving
- MVP – Christian Nickolas (Brentwood, Calif.)
- Rookie of the Year – Asha Evans (Atlanta)
- Most Improved – Madison Freeland (Glenside, Pa.)
- Highest GPA – Tiffanee Moore (Tallahassee, Fla./4.00 GPA)
- Men’s Tennis
- Rookie of the Year – Romani Mayers (Bridgetown, Barbados)
- Most Improved – Kyle Martin (Kingston, Jamaica)
- Highest GPA – Roger Lyn, Jr. (Kingston, Jamaica/3.63 GPA)
- Women’s Tennis
- Rookie of the Year – Yemisi Ifederu (London, England)
- Most Improved – Alexandra Blackwell (Austin, Texas)
- Highest GPA – Aria Ragas (Johns Creek, Ga./3.93 GPA)
- Men’s Indoor Track & Field
- MVP – Kameron Davis (Miami)
- Rookie of the Year – Nnamdi Olebara (Bowie, Md.)
- Most Improved – Gavin Williams (Dover, Del.)
- Highest GPA – Steven Imes IV (Los Angeles/3.61 GPA)
- Women’s Indoor Track & Field
- MVP – Jessika Gbai (Philadelphia)
- Rookie of the Year – Dasia Wilson (Philadelphia)
- Most Improved – Ameenah Saalih (Willingboro, N.J.)
- Highest GPA – Kaylah Clark (Miami/4.00 GPA)
- Women’s Volleyball
- MVP – Kira Porter (Lake Tahoe, Nev.)
- Rookie of the Year – Tamar Wells (Apopka, Fla.)
- Most Improved – Marcelle Butler (Canton, Ga.) & Kailyn Williams (Arlington, Texas)
- Highest GPAs – Nina Askew (Fairfax, Va./4.00 GPA) & Asha Johnson (Oakland, Calif./4.00 GPA)
