CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Returning to an in-person event for the first time since 2019, Austin Peay State University's Department of Athletics honored its top performers Wednesday night at the fifth annual ESPEAY's inside the Winfield Dunn Center.
Master of Ceremonies Colby Wilson did an outstanding job in his first year as host of the event as the night was filled with outstanding nominees and moments celebrating an exceptional year in APSU Athletics.
On the team side, women's golf was named Team of the Year, fresh off winning its first-ever Ohio Valley Conference Women's Golf Championship. Staying with women's golf, senior Taylor Dedmen won Moment of the Year for her chip-in eagle on the 18th hole at the Diane Daugherty Invite. Rounding out the team-centered awards was men's basketball, which won Game of the Year for its 87-81 victory at Dayton.
The top individual prizes belonged to Jonathan Edwards, Kenisha Phillips, Kordell Jackson and Brooke Moore as the Legends Award winners and Most Outstanding Male and Female Athlete.
Edwards, the Most Outstanding Male Athlete for 2022, had to make plenty of space on his awards mantel during the 2021 football season, being named an All-American by four media outlets. Edwards was named 2021 Associated Press First Team All-America while the senior defensive back was named Third Team All-American by STATS Perform, HERO Sports and Phil Steele.
The Philadelphia, Mississippi, native was named First Team All-OVC after finishing the season with seven interceptions, the second-most in school history. Edwards opened the season with two interceptions at Chattanooga and followed that performance with a three-interception, two pass-breakup, and four-tackle outing against Eastern Illinois. Edwards alone was responsible for nine of the Govs' FCS-best 26 takeaways in 2021.
It is not what Kenisha Phillips has done on the track but rather what hasn't she done this season en route to Most Outstanding Female Athlete of 2022. Phillips has been dominant for the APSU Track and Field team, culminating in the OVC Indoor Championships meet where she won three event titles (200m, 400m, 4x400m relay), breaking the school record in each event. For her performance, the Georgetown, Guyana native was named the OVC Female Track Athlete of the Year and the Female Athlete of the Championships for the second year in a row.
During the indoor season, Phillips claimed 13 top-five finishes and six event titles. Phillips has continued her dominance into the outdoor season, having yet to lose in the 200-meter dash in three meets. As the OVC Outdoor Championships near, Phillips is the reigning OVC 200m and 400m dash champion.
When it comes to legendary careers, it doesn't get much better than the career Kordell Jackson had on the gridiron. Jackson, the men's Legends Award winner for most outstanding senior athlete, became the first two-time consensus All-American in program history (named All-American by multiple publications) and was a three-time First Team All-OVC selection. Away from the field, Jackson was named to the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll twice and was a four-time member of the Athletic Director's Honor Roll.
In 2019, Jackson enjoyed one of the best seasons ever put forth by an Austin Peay defensive back. He was APSU's first consensus All-American since 2002 and finished sixth in voting for the 2019 National Defensive Player of the Year. The Birmingham, Alabama, native has an FCS ADA All-America Team selection, which recognizes the top player at each position.
Jackson's success on the field resulted in the Govs having one of its most successful seasons in school history. As a leader of the secondary, Jackson guided APSU to the 2019 OVC Championship and its first-ever NCAA Playoffs appearance, advancing to the quarterfinals of that postseason run. Jackson ends his career with 11 interceptions, 33 pass breakups, 10.5 sacks, and 217 tackles.
Ever since her freshman year, Brooke Moore's career at Austin Peay has been nothing short of legendary. Moore, the women's Legends Award winner, helped lead the Governors to the 2017 Ohio Valley Conference regular-season title in her rookie campaign and became the first freshman in league history to be named the OVC Tournament's Most Valuable Player after leading APSU to a thrilling, five-set victory over Murray State. As a sophomore, Moore helped lead Austin Peay to its second-straight regular-season title with a 14-2 conference record.
Moore led the Govs with 378 kills in her junior season, receiving her second-career All-OVC nod. On October 28, 2021, Moore recorded an impressive 20-kill, 20-dig outing against Southeast Missouri, but in it, became the first player in program history, and sixth in OVC history, to collect 1,500 kills and 1,500 digs in a career. Just over two weeks later, Moore became the all-time kills leader in Austin Peay history with 1,531 kills.
Later in the season, she went on to become the third player in program history to be named an All-OVC selection three times in a career after receiving her long-awaited, first-ever First Team All-OVC honor. The Louisville, Kentucky native finished as the Govs all-time leader in kills, sets played and matches played. In addition to her legendary career on the court, Moore has been a standout in the classroom as well, as she received an OVC Academic Medal of Honor in 2021, has been on the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll four times and the Dean's List Six times.
On the academic side, Jacob Caughell (football) and Kelsey Mead (Volleyball/Beach Volleyball) were honored as Male and Female Scholar-Athlete, while Bayleigh Robinson (cheerleading) earned the Courtney Turner Memorial Scholarship.
A complete list of nominees can be found below (winners in BOLD)
Male Rookie of the Year: Maddux Trujillo (Football), Elijah Hutchins-Everett (Men's Basketball), Drae McCray (Football)
Female Rookie of the Year: Alec Baumgardt (Soccer), Denise Torrealba (Women's Tennis), Erica Scutt (Women's Golf)
Male Newcomer of the Year: Michael Robinson (Baseball), Joe Ware (Football), Caleb Stone-Carrawell (Men's Basketball)
Female Newcomer of the Year: Karle Pace (Women's Basketball), Mikayla Powell (Women's Basketball), Yamia Johnson (Women's Basketball)
Male Breakout of the Year: Jack Alexander (Baseball), Elton Walker (Men's Basketball), Adam Van Raden (Men's Golf)
Female Breakout of the Year: Jackie Verseman (Track and Field), Camaryn McClelland (Track and Field), Mea Clark (Softball)
Courtney Turner Memorial Scholarship: Bayleigh Robinson (Cheerleading)
Donor of the Year: The Jenkins Family
Moment of the Year: Taylor Dedmen eagles 18th hole to win Diane Daugherty Invite (Women's Golf), Karle Pace's game winning shot against Murray State in overtime (Women's Basketball), Tariq Silver's buzzer beater against Tennessee State.
Academic Team Awards: Gino Avros (Baseball), Ella Sawyer (Women's Basketball), Carlos Paez (Men's Basketball), Cristina Vazquez (Cheerleading), Mikaela Smith (Women's Cross Country), Ryan Martin (Men's Cross Country), Grace Henderson (Dance), Jacob Caughell (Football), Payton Elkins (Women's Golf), Micah Knisley (Men's Golf), Jackie Verseman (Track and Field), Rachel Bradberry (Women's Soccer), Kendyl Weinzapfel (Softball), Jana Leder (Women's Tennis), Anton Damberg (Men's Tennis), Kelsey Mead (Volleyball/Beach Volleyball)
Male Scholar Athlete of the Year: Jacob Caughell (Football)
Female Scholar Athlete of the Year: Kelsey Mead (Volleyball/Beach Volleyball)
Game of the Year: Women's Basketball defeating Belmont, Men's Basketball defeating Dayton, Football defeating Chattanooga
Team of the Year: Women's Basketball, Women's Tennis, Women's Golf
Support Staff of the Year: Tara Patterson
Graduate Assistant of the Year: Jacob Hite
Male Athlete of the Year: Elijah Hutchins-Everett (Men's Basketball), Johnathon Edwards (Football), Jack Alexander (Baseball)
Female Athlete of the Year: Lexi Osowski (Softball), Kenisha Phillips (Track and Field), Karle Pace (Women's Basketball)
Coach of the Year: Jessica Combs (Women's Golf), Brittany Young (Women's Basketball), Valerie Brown (Track and Field)
Best-Dressed Male: CJ Evans Jr. (Football)
Best-Dressed Female: Raylon Roach (Softball)
Male Legend Award: Kordell Jackson (Football)
Female Legend Award: Brooke Moore (Volleyball/Beach Volleyball)
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