VSU's Johnson, UWF's Ducros Named GSC Commissioner's Trophy Winners
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Birmingham, AL—The Gulf South Conference is proud to announce its male and female Commissioner’s Trophy winners for the 2012-13 academic year.
Valdosta State’s Morgan Johnson and
West Florida’s Kevin Ducros were named the 2012-13 GSC Commissioner’s Trophy winners and took to the podium tonight at the GSC Annual Awards Banquet at the Hilton Birmingham Perimeter Park Hotel in Birmingham, AL.
Johnson (Softball, Senior, Macon, Ga.) became just the sixth student-athlete in GSC history win
back-to-back Commissioner’s Trophies after claiming the honor a year ago. She is the first student-athlete to win two in a row since North Alabama baseball star Douglas Hargett in 2000-01 and 2001-02. Johnson is also Valdosta State’s third back-to-back winner, following Chris Hatcher (1993-94, 1994-95) and Bridgett Moore (1985-86 and 1986-87). The Macon, Ga. native is VSU’s 10
th all-time Men’s/Women’s winner, which ties North Alabama for second-most in league history.
Ducros (Tennis, Senior, Aix-en-Provence, France) is the first tennis star to win the men’s Commissioner’s Trophy since Tennessee-Martin’s Vesa Ponkka in 1989-90, and just the second-ever UWF male honoree since golfing standout Kevin Warrick’s award in 2002-03. The Aix-en-Provence, France native increased West Florida’s number of Men’s/Women’s Commissioner’s Trophy honorees to six, which is fourth-most in league history.
The Commissioner’s Trophy is the highest honor bestowed by the Conference and one of the most prestigious individual honors in Division II. The league initiated the men’s award in 1974-75 and added the women’s honor in 1982-83. The Commissioner’s Trophies were announced at the annual GSC Awards Banquet where the Conference also recognized its “Top Ten” recipients (released on June 17) and All-Sports Trophy Champions (Men:
Valdosta State and
West Florida; Women:
West Florida).
Sixteen student-athletes (eight females and eight males) were nominated for the GSC's 17
th Annual “Top Ten” (was previously the “Top Eight” until 2005), which combines athletic achievements and academic excellence with extracurricular activities, leadership and community service. The male(s) and female(s) earning the most points receive the Commissioner's Trophy.
Morgan Johnson, Valdosta State University
Softball/Outfield
Senior/Macon, Ga.
Nursing
3.69 Overall G.P.A.
The repeat did not happen for
Morgan Johnson on the softball diamond as
Valdosta State University came up just short in its bid to win back-to-back national championships. Still, Johnson has an opportunity to pull off a repeat as a Commissioner’s Trophy winner after earning the title in 2012.
Johnson, a senior from Macon, Ga., helped Valdosta State to a second consecutive trip to the Division II Championships after the Blazers won the national title in 2012. She hit .374 with 12 home runs and 49 runs batted in as VSU’s No. 2 hitter. She was named an All-American by Daktronics (First Team) and the NFCA (Third Team), a two-time Player of the Week selection in 2013 and was picked for the All-GSC First Team. This season, she was among the top five in the league in home runs (second), slugging percentage (.693, 3rd), on-base percentage (.475, 4th), runs scored (55, 4th) and walks (33, 2nd).
Academically, Johnson achieved a 3.69 overall grade point average in Nursing and earned Academic
All-Region honors while being chosen for several honors societies, including the International Dean’s List and Alpha Chi Honor Society. She was also selected to the GSC All-Academic Team for the second consecutive year.
Johnson is just as serious about winning in the community as she does on the field and in the classroom. Despite her demanding athletic and academic schedules, she logged more than 70 hours of community service. She organized and conducted free softball clinics for young children and helped organize the VSU Softball Blood Drive that was the second-largest blood drive in South Georgia over the past 12 months. She assisted with pet adoptions at a local animal shelter and volunteered at the Heart Health Expo, monitoring blood pressure for attendees.
Kevin Ducros, University of West Florida
Men’s Tennis/No. 1 Singles and Doubles
Senior/Aix-en-Provence, France
Business Management, MBA
3.22 Overall G.P.A.
Kevin Ducros is one of the most highly decorated student-athletes to compete at the
University of West Florida in the past decade, but his accomplishments did not stop there, extending to the classroom and the local community.
While the Aix-en-Provence, France native made an immediate all-star impact on the tennis court when he came to Pensacola five years ago, Ducros had to overcome adversity to continue his success and earn his degree.
Ducros’ first two years at UWF were headlined by GSC Freshman of the Year laurels in 2009 and All-Region status in Singles and Doubles action in 2009 and 2010. He was also a two-time Singles All-American and a Doubles All-American in 2010. His championship spirit was tested during his junior year when he suffered a season-ending knee injury and the doctors were doubtful if he could return to the same competitive abilities going forward.
Ducros fought through a difficult 12 months before returning to action in the 2012 season where he returned to the top of his game, earning All-America Singles and Doubles honors in 2012 and 2013. This past year was extremely special when he was named the ITA South Region Senior Player of the Year and he also became just the 18th player in the Conference history to be named to the All-GSC four times in a career.
Ducros did not let his athletic challenges affect his academic focus, as he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in the fall of 2012 and maintained a 3.22 cumulative grade-point-average after one semester of graduate school in the West Florida Business Management program. He was a unanimous selection for the 2013 GSC All-Academic Team and was tabbed to the UWF Dean’s List in 2012.
Off the court, Ducros volunteered at numerous charity events, including the past four annual Pensacola Autism Association community fundraisers. He also participated in the annual Pensacola Pink Ribbon Tennis Tournament, which is held to promote breast cancer awareness, and the Pensacola Sports Association’s Racquet Roundup clinic for children ages 6-12. Ducros moved over to the soccer pitch as well, volunteering as a coach for local children’s soccer teams by scheduling matches, coordinating referees and field use and organizing training and practices.
COMMISSIONER'S TROPHY WINNERS (1975-2013)
One of the most prestigious awards in Division II, and the most significant individual honor in the Gulf South Conference, the Commissioner's Trophy is awarded annually to the student-athlete who best combines outstanding performance on the field or court and high academic achievement in the classroom with significant community service and extracurricular activities. The Trophy was first awarded in 1975, honoring the outstanding male student-athlete in the conference. In 1983, when the Conference officially began conducting women’s championships, the GSC began honoring its outstanding female student-athlete as well.
YEAR
|
MEN (Sport) |
WOMEN (Sport) |
|
1975 |
Mark King, TSU (Football) |
|
|
1976 |
Billy Hood, DSU (Football) |
|
|
|
Anthony Saway, MC (Football) |
|
|
1977 |
Bryan Rodgers, DSU (Baseball) |
|
|
1978 |
Andy Whitener, TSU (Track/Cross Country) |
|
|
1979 |
Larry Myricks, MC (Track & Field) |
|
|
1980 |
Stevie Johnson, MC (Football) |
|
|
1981 |
Jimmy Price, MC (Football) |
|
|
1982 |
Jimmy Clarke, MC (Football/Track & Field) |
|
|
1983 |
Chris Burgess, DSU (Baseball) |
Joy Hubbard, UNA (Volleyball) |
|
1984 |
Wayne Frazier, MC (Football) |
Molley Baker, TSU (Volleyball) |
|
1985 |
Scott Butler, DSU (Football) |
Lisa McGhee, UWG (Basketball) |
|
1986 |
Earl Conway, MC (Football) |
Bridgette Moore, VSU (Basketball) |
|
1987 |
Van H. Savell, MC (Track/Cross Country) |
Bridgette Moore, VSU (Basketball) |
|
1988 |
Scott Nagy, DSU (Basketball) |
Mary Kate Long, UTM (Basketball) |
|
1989 |
Billy Klein, JSU (Baseball) |
Mary Kate Long, UTM (Basketball) |
|
1990 |
Vesa Ponnka, UTM (Tennis) |
Crystal Hardy, DSU (Basketball) |
|
1991 |
James Davis, UNA (Football) |
Dana Bright, JSU (Basketball) |
|
1992 |
Brad Teague, DSU (Baseball) |
Amy Carroll, DSU (Basketball) |
|
1993 |
Lance Reinhardt, UWG (Basketball) |
Kristy Holdbrooks, UNA (Volleyball/Softball) |
|
1994 |
Chris Hatcher, VSU (Football) |
Lisa Fernandes, MC (Basketball/Softball) |
|
1995 |
Chris Hatcher, VSU (Football) |
Masa Oreskovic, VSU (Tennis) |
|
1996 |
Cody Gross, UNA (Football) |
Gretchen Koppersmith, UM (Volleyball) |
|
1997 |
Lance Funderburk, VSU (Football) |
Kathy Kennedy, VSU (Basketball) |
|
1998 |
David Ciesla, ATU (Baseball) |
Ronda Price, UNA (Volleyball) |
|
|
Lonnie Edwards, UWG (Basketball) |
|
|
1999 |
Lee Daily, HSU (Football) |
Rachel Price, UNA (Volleyball) |
|
2000 |
Tony Cappola, UM (Baseball) |
Rachel Price, UNA (Volleyball) |
|
2001 |
Douglas Hargett, UNA (Baseball) |
Bridget Pyles, ATU (Volleyball) |
|
|
Paul Peletz, ATU (Football) |
|
|
2002 |
Douglas Hargett, UNA (Baseball) |
Kristina Styrna, UWF (Softball) |
|
|
Eddie Key, SAU (Football) |
|
|
2003 |
Kevin Warrick, UWF (Golf) |
Margaret Saurin, CBU (Soccer) |
|
2004 |
Bobby Beeson, SAU (Baseball) |
Krystal Poulin, SAU (Softball) |
|
2005 |
Jonathan Hayes, ATU (Football) |
Stephanie Pinto, UAH (Softball) |
|
2006 |
Cory Cangelosi, UCA (Football) |
Alyse Hasty, DSU (Softball) |
|
2007 |
Scott Eyster, DSU (Football) |
Lindsay Nemanich, UWF (Soccer) |
|
2008 |
Michael Eubanks, DSU (Football) |
Suzana Cavalcante, UWF (Tennis) |
|
2009 |
Stephen Hill, CBU (Cross Country) |
Britney Wright, HSU (Volleyball) |
|
2010 |
Jon Koenigsfeld, VSU (Baseball) |
Courtney Jones, UWF (Soccer) |
|
2011 |
Trey Mitchell, UNA (Baseball) |
Maggie Glover, SAU (Volleyball) |
|
2012 |
Micah Davis, DSU (Football) |
Morgan Johnson, VSU (Softball) |
|
2013 |
Kevin Ducros, UWF (Tennis) |
Morgan Johnson, VSU (Softball) |
#GSC#