黑料福利社 (NPC) Nighthawk Athletics honored its student athletes at the
2022-23 Nighthawk Athletics Awards Banquet Tuesday in the Student Commons at National
Park College.
NPC Athletic Director Rich Thompson opened the evening with a message of inspiration
and gratitude toward NPC鈥檚 student-athletes.
鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to have you choose 黑料福利社,鈥� Thompson said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a true
honor to be part of your journey as young adults and college athletes. Each and every
one of you have made this a special place on a daily basis. We鈥檙e here to help you
in your journey here and beyond.鈥�
The first awards of the evening went to Nighthawk Cross Country. After a comedic introduction
from coaches Jason Armitage and Julie LaRue, freshman runner Miguel Mendez (Benton)
took home Runner of the Year honors for the Nighthawk men.
鈥淢iguel ran three minutes faster on his personal record from when he began the season
to the end of the season,鈥� Armitage said.
Sophomore runner Elizabeth Dearyan (Hot Springs) earned Runner of the Year honors
for the Nighthawk women.
鈥淓lizabeth was definitely our most improved and most dedicated runner this season,鈥�
LaRue said. 鈥淲ith a personal record time of 26:02 for a 5K, she鈥檒l attend the University
of Arkansas-Fort Smith.鈥�
Next up was women鈥檚 basketball where interim coaches Drake Henderson and Taylor Carbonel
applauded the efforts of the 9-15 Nighthawks this season.
Freshman forward Corneisha Griffin (Emerson) took home Academic MVP honors, while
sophomore Taylor Humphreys earned Teammate of the Year.
鈥淐orneisha worked really hard this year,鈥� Henderson said. 鈥淭aylor had an injury that
kept her out the whole year. She never failed to show up to anything. She was always
on time. She was helpful. She kept the book on the bench and did everything we asked
her to do. We鈥檙e proud of her for sticking with it and finishing with us.鈥�
For men鈥檚 basketball, coach Dillon Hargrove praised his 19-9 Nighthawks for their
ability to step up and make history, earning a share of the program鈥檚 first-ever NJCAA
Region II regular-season championship and reaching the Region II Championship game
for the first time, despite reloading the entire roster in the offseason.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really hard to bring a team together, get them on the same page and mesh,鈥� Hargrove
said. 鈥淭his team did that. I鈥檓 really proud of them. Multiple awards were won. Multiple
records were broken. They became brothers.鈥�
Freshman Brody Tucker (Kirby) was named the team鈥檚 Academic MVP, while redshirt freshman
Mondo Watkins (Hot Springs) was selected as Teammate of the Year.
鈥淏rody was with us for a semester last season and had a 4.0 GPA,鈥� Hargrove said. 鈥淚n
his first semester with us this year, he had a 3.8 GPA. He鈥檚 a pretty smart guy.鈥�
鈥淢ondo is a selfless guy that comes in and does the right thing,鈥� Hargrove added.
鈥淗e did whatever we asked him to do. He was on time, had a 3.0 GPA and has been really
good for us this year.鈥�
Men and women鈥檚 soccer coach Diego Figueroa stepped to the podium next and offered
excitement for the upcoming seasons for his teams. For the women鈥檚 soccer team, sophomore
forward Andreya Reyna (Mexia, Texas) earned Player of the Year.
鈥淎ndreya is brutal on the field,鈥� Figueroa said. 鈥淪he will take some heads off. She
constantly goes into every single tackle with 100-percent effort. I have been bruised
by her multiple times. She鈥檚 a spark of energy on the field.鈥�
Sophomore forward Yessenia Vargas (Fresno, Texas) took home Teammate of the Year.
鈥淭his award was voted upon by the team, and I couldn鈥檛 agree more with the result,鈥�
Figueroa said. 鈥淵essi has been extremely committed to her team, her studies, herself
and her community. Anytime the coaches need extra help, she鈥檚 always there to help.鈥�
Figueroa highlighted the Nighthawk men鈥檚 soccer team鈥檚 accomplishments this season.
In the same season that NPC won its first-ever NJCAA Region II match, the Nighthawks
went on to become NJCAA Region II champions and became the first Nighthawk Athletic
team, regardless of sport, to represent 黑料福利社 in an NJCAA District
tournament.
Taking home Player of the Year was freshman Felix Rocca (Leipzig, Germany).
鈥淔elix had a great season last season,鈥� Figueroa said. 鈥淗e is someone who excels on
the field, gives 100-percent and scored a lot of goals for us鈥攖he most in any season
in Nighthawk history.鈥�
Freshman Daniel David (London, England) was named Teammate of the Year.
鈥淚鈥檝e enjoyed coaching Daniel,鈥� Figueroa said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 always putting the team first.
He鈥檚 the kind of player that does all the dirty work that every coach and every player
needs on the field.鈥�
For Nighthawk softball, head coach Autumn Wyatt applauded the hard work that her team
and her coaching staff put in this season.
鈥淚 challenged these girls right off the bat in the fall,鈥� Wyatt said. 鈥淚 knew big
things were ahead this year. We swept a Division I opponent and beat nationally-ranked
LSU-Eunice to start the season and finished runners-up in NJCAA Region II play. I鈥檓
super proud of our ladies.鈥�
Sophomore center fielder-turned-shortstop Emma Hayes (Munford, Alabama) led the softball
awards with Player of the Year.
鈥淵ou know you have a good season when this award is not an easy one to give out,鈥�
Wyatt said. 鈥淓mma led the team in hits, led the region in steals, had a .402 batting
average and broke a laundry list of records.鈥�
Freshman second baseman Regan White (Carrollton, Texas) was named the team鈥檚 Newcomer
of the Year.
鈥淩eagan led the team in on-base percentage, batting average, runs and was second in
steals and hits,鈥� Wyatt said. 鈥淪he made a huge transition from outfield to infield
before the season and has been instrumental in the box, on the field and in the dugout.鈥�
Sophomore pitcher Makenna Keeton (Morrilton) earned Teammate of the Year honors.
鈥淭his was an award voted on by the team,鈥� Wyatt said. 鈥淏ased on the number of votes
Makenna got, it鈥檚 evident that her impact has been huge. She led our team in innings
pitched, strikeouts, ERA, wins, complete games, had two huge pinch-hit home runs and
recently picked up her second NJCAA Region II Pitcher of the Week honor of the season.
Thompson stepped in next and recognized the baseball team for their hard work this
season.
鈥淣PC baseball has been an amazing ride this year,鈥� Thompson said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e played one
of the toughest schedules in the nation. Our guys鈥� resilience has been exceptional.
They鈥檝e given us the highest fall GPA we鈥檝e ever had and we鈥檙e playing the best baseball
we鈥檝e played all year.
Sophomore infielder Cam Tyson was named the team鈥檚 Player of the Year.
鈥淐am has risen to another level for us,鈥� Thompson said. 鈥淭his year, he tried to break
in, achieve more and take a lead. He worked extremely hard on his offensive game and
it shows. He led our team in numerous categories, sits at the heart of our lineup
and is a dangerous force when he gets going.鈥�
Thompson selected freshman shortstop Bryson Sellier as Newcomer of the Year.
鈥淏ryson had one of the best falls we鈥檝e ever seen,鈥� Thompson said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 grown as
a person and as a ballplayer from where he started to where he is now. His passion
for the game and will to win makes him the way he is.鈥�
For Teammate of the Year, Thompson described freshman pitcher Jacob Claborn (Muldrow,
Oklahoma) as the ultimate teammate.
鈥淛acob is the epitome of a team player,鈥� Thompson said. 鈥淗e only missed one practice
ever and it was to take his teammate on a visit to a four-year institution. He鈥檚 all-in.
He鈥檚 the last guy to leave the dugout, he always cleans the bus and he has never questioned
anything we鈥檝e needed from him.鈥�
NPC Health and Safety Program Manager Jessica Ellis was selected by the coaches and
student athletes to receive the Student Athlete Faculty Award.
鈥淲e received multiple nominations for Jessie from our students and our staff,鈥� Thompson
said. 鈥淚f there was ever a student struggling in a class, she鈥檇 reach out to a coach
and give them a second chance to get it right.鈥�
For the 2022-23 Faculty Choice Awards, Thompson shared heartfelt nomination letters
from NPC faculty Aprile Garner and Carol Gray for recipients Will Beckham (Mountain
Home) and Vargas, respectively, and championed their leadership in the classroom and
campus community.
For Overall Newcomer of the Year, Keeton nabbed her second award of the evening for
Nighthawk softball, while freshman guard Nakavieon White (Odessa, Texas) took home
the award for Nighthawk men鈥檚 basketball.
Men鈥檚 soccer freshman Tobias Minkus (Leipzig, Germany) and softball sophomore outfielder
Shelbee LeJeune (Maurice, Louisiana) were recognized as Scholar Athletes of the Year.
鈥淚 love these choices,鈥� Thompson said. 鈥淭obias is a career 4.0 GPA student at NPC鈥攊t鈥檚
exceptional. Shelbee鈥檚 not just tough on the softball field, she鈥檚 tough in the classroom,
too. She has a 3.91 GPA, is a biology major, is an NJCAA Academic All-American and
an NFCA All-American Scholar Athlete.鈥�
After distributing cords to each graduating student-athlete, Thompson closed the banquet
with the final two awards of the evening鈥攖he Nighthawk Spirit Awards鈥攚hich were awarded
to sophomore pitcher Zach Murphy (Sydney, Australia) and Vargas.
鈥淭his is my favorite award to give,鈥� Thompson said. 鈥淭hese individuals exemplify what
a Nighthawk is meant to be. They鈥檙e great in the classroom, they鈥檙e great on the sporting
field, they鈥檙e supportive of every single student-athlete, faculty, staff and program
we have here at 黑料福利社. These two individuals have set the bar for
the next generation of Nighthawks.鈥�
Award Recipients:
Men鈥檚 Cross Country MVP: Miguel Mendez
Women鈥檚 Cross Country MVP: Elizabeth Dearyan
Women鈥檚 Basketball Academic MVP: Corneisha Griffin
Women鈥檚 Basketball Teammate of the Year: Taylor Humphreys
Men鈥檚 Basketball Academic MVP: Brody Tucker
Men鈥檚 Basketball Teammate of the Year: Mondo Watkins
Women鈥檚 Soccer Player of the Year: Andreya Reyna
Women鈥檚 Soccer Teammate of the Year: Yessenia Vargas
Men鈥檚 Soccer Player of the Year: Felix Rocca
Men鈥檚 Soccer Teammate of the Year: Daniel David
Softball Player of the Year: Emma Hayes
Softball Newcomer of the Year: Reagan White
Softball Teammate of the Year: Makenna Keeton
Baseball Player of the Year: Cam Tyson
Baseball Newcomer of the Year: Bryson Sellier
Baseball Teammate of the Year: Jacob Claborn
Student Athlete Faculty Award: Jessica Ellis
Faculty Choice Male: Will Beckham
Faculty Choice Female: Yessenia Vargas
Overall Newcomer of the Year (Male): Nakavieon White
Overall Newcomer of the Year (Female): Makenna Keaton
Scholar Athlete of the Year (Male): Tobias Minkus
Scholar Athlete of the Year (Female): Shelbee LeJeune
Nighthawk Spirit Award (Male): Zach Murphy
Nighthawk Spirit Award (Female): Yessenia Vargas
For more information on schedules, rosters and more, visit Nighthawk Athletics online. Fans can also follow the Nighthawks all season on social media.
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