BOONE, N.C. – App State celebrated the 2021-22 year of student-athlete and athletic achievements with the annual APPSPYs awards show last week.
The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) organized the event, with football player
Camerun Peoples and women's basketball player
Janay Sanders serving as the primary co-hosts. SAAC members voted on the various awards.
Jonathan Millner (wrestling) was named Male Athlete of the Year after he repeated as an All-American, and
Peighton Simmons (women's track and field) was named Female Athlete of the Year. Earlier this year, she was a repeat winner of the Sun Belt indoor triple jump title after also winning a Sun Belt outdoor triple jump title in the spring of 2021.
Coach of the Year honors went to
JohnMark Bentley, who led App State Wrestling on an unbeaten run to a SoCon regular season championship and a 28th-place finish at the NCAA Championships.
Tyler Bird (football) received the prestigious Brakefield Award. Established by legendary App State football coach Jim Brakefield and his wife, Eloise, this award is given to a graduating student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average among all student-athletes.
Cole Krehnbrink (men's track and field) received the Goodyear Family Athletic Scholarship. George and Anne Goodyear founded the scholarship in 1994 for a rising junior who has a minimum GPA of 2.0 and demonstrates strength of character in all that he or she does.
The Rick Edmundson Memorial Scholarship was presented to
McKenzie McCullen (softball). This scholarship is awarded annually to a rising junior or senior who has exhibited loyalty and dedication to App State. Candidates give evidence of leadership potential and intelligence, exhibit sound and purposeful ambition, are vigorous and diligent in pursuit of duty and show compassion for others.
The Team Academic Excellence Awards went to women's golf (2021 spring) and volleyball (2021 fall),
Kaitlyn Little (women's soccer) again won the Laps for Apps Award and Gabby Rodrigues (cheerleading) won the Julia Adams Scholarship. Baseball won the Mountaineer Moves Community Service Award, Lauren Morris was the winner of the Ron "Doc" Kanoy Award and
Sarah Strickland received the Jack Branch Award.
All for App Awards:
Baseball –
Cameron Kepley
Cheerleading – Ashlyn Wooten
Field Hockey –
Anna Smarrelli
Football –
D'Marco Jackson
Men's Cross Country –
Oliver Wilson-Cook
Men's Basketball –
James Lewis Jr.
Men's Golf –
Jake Lane
Men's Track & Field –
Cole Krehnbrink (track),
Taylor Fox (field)
Soccer –
Emma McGibany
Softball –
Emma Jones
Tennis –
Peri Tippins
Women's Basketball –
Michaela Porter
Women's Cross Country –
Karsyn Kane
Women's Golf –
Sarah Hardin
Women's Track & Field –
Alexis Svoboda (track),
Megan Plummer (field)
Wrestling –
Will Formato
Volleyball –
Daryn Armstrong
Mountaineer Power Club:
Baseball –
Phillip Cole/
Cameron Kepley
Cheerleading – Ashlyn Wooten/Hector Sanchez
Field Hockey –
Anna Smarrelli/
Addie Clark
Football –
Cooper Hodges
Men's Basketball –
Adrian Delph/
James Lewis Jr.
Men's Golf –
Justin Morgan
Men's Track & Field –
Eric Haddock Jr.
Softball –
Addie Wray
Soccer –
Jazz Salters
Tennis –
Ellie Murphy
Women's Basketball –
Janay Sanders
Women's Track & Field –
Jada Branch
Wrestling –
Caleb Smith
Volleyball –
Madison Baldridge
