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ALBANY, GA. – It was a festive evening with some new twists on Thursday night. Rolling out the blue carpet, Albany State's athletic department hosted its annual Golden Ram Awards Banquet Night, styled as a "Sneaker Ball."
Junior soccer player, Reilley Bain enjoyed the event. "The sneaker ball was awesome. I enjoyed a different theme and the dessert table was great."
Held in the ASU West Campus Arena, Director of Athletics Dr. Kristene Kelly and her staff welcomed all the Golden Ram student-athletes and campus supporters to the sneaker-themed event.
"Congratulations to all the winners at this year's Athletics Awards Banquet, which was uniquely celebrated as a sneaker ball," remarked Dr. Kelly. "At Albany State, we're not just winning games; we're #CreatingLegacies. It's always inspiring to see our athletes shine both on and off the the various playing surfaces. A special thanks to Mrs. Shaquana Miller and all our dedicated volunteers for their relentless efforts in making this event a truly memorable one."
All in attendance honored our most distinguished guests of the night with a standing ovation: outgoing President Dr. Marion Ross Fedrick and long-time Women's Basketball Coach and holder of various key titles in the ASU department, Coach Robert Skinner. President Fedrick has served as ASU's President since August of 2018 and has been part of the Ram Family since the year prior. Skinner has compiled over 1,400 career coaching wins over four decades of leadership.
"This year's banquet was especially memorable as we had the honor to recognize our outgoing president, Dr. Marion Ross Fedrick, and the legendary coach, Robert Skinner. Their leadership and dedication have left an indelible mark on our community, truly embodying the spirit of Albany State, said Kelly."
Voted for their honors, Women's Track and Field thrower Sydney Blackburn and baseball infielder Jonathan Logsdon received the Female Athlete of the Year and Male Athlete of the Year awards, respectively. Blackburn, a senior, is an All-American and All-SIAC thrower in the discus, hammer throw, and shot put events. Logsdon, also a senior, leads the SIAC-leading Rams with a .459 batting average, accumulating 61 hits in 133 at-bats, 17 doubles, six homers, and 47 RBIs.
One of the top players on her team, Lady Ram women's volleyball outside hitter Sydney Melton was selected for the SAAC Ram for Life Award. Last fall, Melton achieved 271 kills, 370 digs, and 30 aces.
Earning the title of ASU Co-Coach of the Year are baseball's Scott Hemmings and Quinn Gray, Sr. of football. Hemmings has led his Golden Ram team to dominate the SIAC standings with a 25-2 league record and 28-9 overall. Gray, in his first year as head coach, guided ASU on the gridiron to a SIAC Runner-up finish and a SIAC Championship game appearance, with the team finishing the season 6-5.
In the classroom, the Women's Tennis and Baseball teams recorded the Highest Team GPAs, 3.53 and 3.33 respectively.
Full Listing of all Golden Ram Award Winners by Team:
Women's Basketball
Hustle Award Joanna Bell
Offensive Player Keyra Peterson
Defensive Player Chelsea Hill
MVP Elisa Saffold
Women's Soccer
Offensive Player Gabby Toney
Defensive Player Raylin Watts
Player's Player Award Barbara Ribeiro
Coach's Player Award Hannah Oliver
Women's Tennis
Outstanding Player Natalya Ogunwale
Team Player Award Allyah Williams
Softball
RBI Award Romona McLeod
Stolen Base Award Madison Hurt
Outstanding Defense Award Keyatte Ayers
RAM Award Raven Dunham
Women's Volleyball
Offensive Player Award Jarianis Perez
Defensive MVP Sydney Melton
Coaches Award Natalie Onozie
MVP Jarianis Perez
Cheerleaders
Best All-Around Taylor Chunn
Best Jumps Liberty Cobb
Most Spirited Raquel Daggett
Rookie of the Year Titiana Carr
Men's Basketball
All-Conference Shakur Poteat
HBCU All-Star Jordan Simpson
Freshman of the Year Blaise Wallace
Football
Offensive Player of the Year Fredderick Gaines
Defensive Player of the Year Randy Fillingame
Special Teams Player of the Year Devonte James
Coach Hamp Smith Golden Ram Award Nitterian Walker
Baseball
Team Captain Award Jonathan Logsdon
Best Teammate Zane Ross
Charles Stamper Award Quintard Wright
Most Improved Emory Stephens
Women's Cross Country
Most Valuable Athlete Zenay Rhaney
Most Improved Athlete Nathalia Rowe
Women's Track & Field
Newcomer of the Year Cadence Cray
Most Valuable Athlete Nathalia Rowe
Most Improved Athlete Jeniya Lawrence
Men's Track & Field
Newcomer of the Year Jonathan Kelly
Most Valuable Athlete Micah Forsythe
Most Improved Athlete Isaac Moody
Highest Team GPA (Female) Tennis (3.53)
Highest Team GPA (Male) Baseball (3.33)
Female Athlete of the Year Sydney Blackburn - Track & Field
Male Athlete of the Year Jonathan Logsdon - Baseball
SAAC Ram for Life Award Sydney Melton – Volleyball
Golden Ram Distinguished Award Madame President Marion Ross Fedrick
Coach Robert Skinner
Coach of the Year Scott Hemmings – Baseball & Quinn Gray, Sr. – Football
