MOREHEAD, Ky. -- Morehead State held its annual student-athlete awards banquet Monday night, with honors being bestowed for athletic, academic and community service excellence.
Student-athletes honored include:
Mr. Eagle - Ryan Upp, Football
Upp led the PFL and ranked among the nation leaders in catches, yards per catch and yards and finished his career ranked in the top three all-time at Morehead State with more than 2,000 receiving yards. He was a First-Team All-PFL pick.
Miss Eagle - M.E. Hargan, Volleyball/Beach Volleyball
Hargan earned OVC indoor Offensive Player of the Year and ended her career with nearly 1,500 career kills. She helped the Eagles earn a co-championship for the OVC regular season.
Laughlin-Miller Award - Hayden Bell, Rifle
Bell won the OVC individual Air Rifle championship and set a school record in Air Rifle. He had numerous volunteer hours as well on campus and in the community and earned one of the six OVC Scholar-Athlete awards.
Penny Wars (raising money for Hoops for Heroes) - Rifle
Community Service Award (per student-athlete) - Volleyball
Community Service Award (total hours) - Cheerleading
Male Scholar Athlete of the Year - Hayden Bell, Rifle
Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year - Maddy Christopher, Softball; Jazz Cruz, Cheerleading; Laura Toffali, Basketball; Marie Sepp, Basketball
All had department-best 4.0 grade-point averages.
Team Academic Award - Volleyball
Male Freshman of the Year - Sam Afari, Track and Field
Afari set the 300 meter school record this season. On all-time MSU performance lists, he now is 5th in the 60 meter, 2nd in the 200 meter, 3rd in the 400 meter, 2nd in the 4x100 meter relay and 2nd in the 4x400 meter relays.
Female Freshman of the Year - Kalynn Pease, Track and Field
Pease has already set 4 school records (100 meter, 200 meter, long jump and 4x100 meter relay). She has earned seven weekly awards from the OVC, including being the only athlete in history of the league to earn three awards in same week. Pease ranks in the top 10 nationally in the long jump.
Best Victories - Baseball upsets No. 18 Kentucky, Cheer wins first-ever UCA Gameday championship, Football Homecoming comeback win over Marist, Dance wins DTU College Classic virtual championship
Eagle Elite Awards - Abby Taylor Davis, Cross Country, Track and Field; Josh Furtado, Baseball; Jordan Donato, Softball; Logan Liles, Golf; Izzy Gaines, Cheer; Mateo Reyes, Football; Sydney Sennett, Volleyball/Beach Volleyball; Marshall Roy, Cheer
The awards program also honored Dr. Donell Murray for winning the Ohio Valley Conference Outstanding Faculty Commitment to Student Success Award and Rowan County coroner John Northcutt for representing MSU at the OVC basketball tournament as our Hoops for Heroes individual.