University of Memphis Athletics
Photo by: Joe Murphy
Tigers Athletics Celebrates 2015-16 Season With PAWScars Tuesday
Apr 26, 2016 | General
Track and field earns five honors; football, women's basketball takes home four awards.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – It's was a night of celebration for the 2015-16 athletics season with the holding of the University of Memphis' second-annual PAWScars awards ceremony Tuesday. The University's Fogelman Executive Conference Center-Holiday Inn hosted the event.
The Tigers track and field/cross country program was the big winner at Tuesday's PAWScars, taking home five total awards. The football and women's basketball teams both were honored with four awards.
Track and field senior Carolina Carmichael, who holds the school's indoor and outdoor pole vault records, was an individual double-winner, receiving the Best Individual Performance and Peers' Choice Student-Athlete of the Year awards. Fellow track and field teammate Antaun Andrews, a member of the Tigers' record-setting indoor 4x400 meter relay, also was selected the Peers' Choice Student-Athlete of the Year.
Senior Stephen Tankersley was honored with the Citizenship Award for his community involvement, and the men's track and field indoor 4x400 meter relay won the Best Record-Breaking Performance. The Tigers 4x400 meter relay team of Christopher Walker, Alex Klatt, LaForrest Church and Andrews ran a 3:13.55 and placed second at the American Athletic Conference Indoor Championships Feb. 29, besting the previous school record of 3:15.50 set in 1983.
The Tigers football team won a Best Win award for its 37-24 upset victory over No. 13/12 Ole Miss in mid-October. The victory propelled Memphis to the program's first 6-0 start since 1961. Quarterback Paxton Lynch, whose name will be called during this weekend's 2016 NFL Draft, won the Top Offensive Student-Athlete Award. Lynch had a tremendous 2015 campaign, completing nearly 67 percent of his passes and throwing for 3,776 yards and 28 touchdowns.
Alan Cross, a former walk-on long snapper turned scholarship tight end, took home the Motivational and Zach Curlin awards.
Volleyball's senior setter Veronica Zimmerman received the Elma Roane Award.
The women's basketball squad also won four awards. Senior teammates Ariel Hearn and Asianna Fuqua-Bey received the Top-Offensive and Top-Defensive Student-Athlete honors, respectively. Hearn averaged 14.5 points and handed out 122 assists in 2015-16. She also finished her career as the only player – male or female – in school history with 1,900 points, 500 rebounds and 400 assists. Fuqua-Bey led Tigers with a 7.0 rebound average and added 36 steals and 17 blocked shots. She finished her career as one of seven players in the program's history with over 800 rebounds and 900 points.
The other two Tigers women's basketball awards – Best Win and Best Record-Breaking Performance – were courtesy of the team's thrilling five-overtime victory over Temple in mid-February. Memphis defeated Temple 100-97 in a game that tied the NCAA record for most overtime sessions for a single game.
In addition to Carmichael and Cross, men's tennis' Ryan Peniston was a double-winner on the night. Peniston, who played No. 1 and No. 2 singles most of 2015-16 after playing at No. 4 a year ago, won the Best Break-Through Student-Athlete and Best Individual Performance awards. Early in the 2016 spring season, Peniston upset Georgia's Wayne Montgomery, the nation's No. 20 player and the world's No. 7 junior player.
The following is a complete listing of Tuesday's award winners:
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Best Break-Through Student-Athlete
Camryn Palmer, Pom Squad
Ryan Peniston, Men's Tennis
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Best True Freshman
Marie Levasseur, Women's Soccer
Dedric Lawson, Men's Basketball
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Citizenship Award
Michelle Johnson, Pom Squad
Stephen Tankersley, Men's Cross Country
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Motivational Award
Lauren Sobral and Sessen Stevens, Women's Soccer
Alan Cross, Football
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Pom and Cheer
Sierra Peterson, Pom Squad
Brooke Dickerson, Cheer
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Best Record-Breaking Performance
Tigers Women's Basketball, Five-Overtime Thriller Versus Temple
Men's Track and Field, 4x400m Relay Team Indoor School Record
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Best Individual Performance
Carolina Carmichael, Women's Track and Field
Ryan Peniston, Men's Tennis
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Top Offensive Student-Athlete
Ariel Hearn, Women's Basketball
Paxton Lynch, Football
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Top Defensive Student-Athlete
Asianna Fuqua-Bey, Women's Basketball
Quincy Thomas, Men's Soccer
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Best Win
Tigers Women's Basketball, Five-Overtime Win over Temple
Football, 37-24 Win Over No. 13/12 Ole Miss
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Peers' Choice Student-Athlete of the Year
Carolina Carmichael, Women's Track and Field
Antaun Andrews, Men's Track and Field
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Elma Roane Award
Veronica Zimmerman, Volleyball
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Zach Curlin Award
Alan Cross, Football
The Tigers track and field/cross country program was the big winner at Tuesday's PAWScars, taking home five total awards. The football and women's basketball teams both were honored with four awards.
Track and field senior Carolina Carmichael, who holds the school's indoor and outdoor pole vault records, was an individual double-winner, receiving the Best Individual Performance and Peers' Choice Student-Athlete of the Year awards. Fellow track and field teammate Antaun Andrews, a member of the Tigers' record-setting indoor 4x400 meter relay, also was selected the Peers' Choice Student-Athlete of the Year.
Senior Stephen Tankersley was honored with the Citizenship Award for his community involvement, and the men's track and field indoor 4x400 meter relay won the Best Record-Breaking Performance. The Tigers 4x400 meter relay team of Christopher Walker, Alex Klatt, LaForrest Church and Andrews ran a 3:13.55 and placed second at the American Athletic Conference Indoor Championships Feb. 29, besting the previous school record of 3:15.50 set in 1983.
The Tigers football team won a Best Win award for its 37-24 upset victory over No. 13/12 Ole Miss in mid-October. The victory propelled Memphis to the program's first 6-0 start since 1961. Quarterback Paxton Lynch, whose name will be called during this weekend's 2016 NFL Draft, won the Top Offensive Student-Athlete Award. Lynch had a tremendous 2015 campaign, completing nearly 67 percent of his passes and throwing for 3,776 yards and 28 touchdowns.
Alan Cross, a former walk-on long snapper turned scholarship tight end, took home the Motivational and Zach Curlin awards.
Volleyball's senior setter Veronica Zimmerman received the Elma Roane Award.
The women's basketball squad also won four awards. Senior teammates Ariel Hearn and Asianna Fuqua-Bey received the Top-Offensive and Top-Defensive Student-Athlete honors, respectively. Hearn averaged 14.5 points and handed out 122 assists in 2015-16. She also finished her career as the only player – male or female – in school history with 1,900 points, 500 rebounds and 400 assists. Fuqua-Bey led Tigers with a 7.0 rebound average and added 36 steals and 17 blocked shots. She finished her career as one of seven players in the program's history with over 800 rebounds and 900 points.
The other two Tigers women's basketball awards – Best Win and Best Record-Breaking Performance – were courtesy of the team's thrilling five-overtime victory over Temple in mid-February. Memphis defeated Temple 100-97 in a game that tied the NCAA record for most overtime sessions for a single game.
In addition to Carmichael and Cross, men's tennis' Ryan Peniston was a double-winner on the night. Peniston, who played No. 1 and No. 2 singles most of 2015-16 after playing at No. 4 a year ago, won the Best Break-Through Student-Athlete and Best Individual Performance awards. Early in the 2016 spring season, Peniston upset Georgia's Wayne Montgomery, the nation's No. 20 player and the world's No. 7 junior player.
The following is a complete listing of Tuesday's award winners:
Â
Best Break-Through Student-Athlete
Camryn Palmer, Pom Squad
Ryan Peniston, Men's Tennis
Â
Best True Freshman
Marie Levasseur, Women's Soccer
Dedric Lawson, Men's Basketball
Â
Citizenship Award
Michelle Johnson, Pom Squad
Stephen Tankersley, Men's Cross Country
Â
Motivational Award
Lauren Sobral and Sessen Stevens, Women's Soccer
Alan Cross, Football
Â
Pom and Cheer
Sierra Peterson, Pom Squad
Brooke Dickerson, Cheer
Â
Best Record-Breaking Performance
Tigers Women's Basketball, Five-Overtime Thriller Versus Temple
Men's Track and Field, 4x400m Relay Team Indoor School Record
Â
Best Individual Performance
Carolina Carmichael, Women's Track and Field
Ryan Peniston, Men's Tennis
Â
Top Offensive Student-Athlete
Ariel Hearn, Women's Basketball
Paxton Lynch, Football
Â
Top Defensive Student-Athlete
Asianna Fuqua-Bey, Women's Basketball
Quincy Thomas, Men's Soccer
Â
Best Win
Tigers Women's Basketball, Five-Overtime Win over Temple
Football, 37-24 Win Over No. 13/12 Ole Miss
Â
Peers' Choice Student-Athlete of the Year
Carolina Carmichael, Women's Track and Field
Antaun Andrews, Men's Track and Field
Â
Elma Roane Award
Veronica Zimmerman, Volleyball
Â
Zach Curlin Award
Alan Cross, Football
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