Sports Nuggets
By Joey Warren, athletics media relations director, contributing writer
Jaguars making their (academic) mark
Augusta State student-athletes keep raising the bar, as a school-record 106 student-athletes were recently named to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll for their efforts during the 2012 spring semester.
To be eligible for the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll, a student-athlete must register a term GPA of 3.0 or better.
Among the highlights:
- A school-record 24 student-athletes recorded a perfect 4.0 grade point average.
- The baseball and softball teams each had five student-athletes with a 4.0 GPA.
- The women’s tennis team posted the top average GPA (3.60).
- The average GPA of all student-athletes was a 2.91.
- Nearly 60 percent (58.9) of all student-athletes (106 of 180) had at least a 3.0 GPA.
- Six of ASU’s 11 varsity sports had team GPA’s over 3.0–women’s tennis (3.60), women’s cross country (3.58), softball (3.49), men’s cross country (3.45), women’s golf (3.31), and men’s tennis (3.19).
In addition, for the seventh consecutive year, Augusta State has equaled or increased its representation on the Peach Belt Conference’s Presidential Honor Roll, PBC Commissioner Dave Brunk announced recently. In all, 1,137 student-athletes from the league’s 13 member institutions were cited for their academic excellence.
ASU had 97 student-athletes named to the 2012 PBC Presidential Honor Roll, up from 78 in 2011 and 2010, 72 in 2009, 69 in 2008, 56 in 2007, and 49 in 2006. The Presidential Honor Roll recognizes all student-athletes at PBC institutions who had a GPA of 3.0 or higher for the academic year.
For the fourth straight year, the honor roll is divided into four groups: Presidential Scholars, Bronze Scholars, Silver Scholars, and Gold Scholars. All student-athletes with a GPA of 3.00 to 3.24 are Presidential Scholars while Bronze Scholars are 3.25 to 3.49; Silver 3.50 to 3.74, and the Gold Scholars are those with a 3.75 to 4.00 GPA.
“It’s certainly rewarding to see this many student-athletes not only meet their athletic goals, but their academic goals as well,” said ASU Director of Athletics Clint Bryant. “We’re constantly striving to increase our academic achievement and to find new ways to prepare and motivate our student-athletes to perform at their very best in the classroom as well as in athletic competition.”
The 1,137 student-athletes honored–up from 1,057 in 2011–gives the league more than 1,000 honorees for the third consecutive year. In 2011, the PBC honored over 1,000 student-athletes for the first time in its history. Each student-athlete will receive a certificate from the conference office.
Volleyball finalizes schedule
Augusta State head volleyball coach Sharon Bonaventure announced Wednesday the completion of the Jaguars’ schedule for the 2012 season.
Entering its fourth season under Bonaventure, ASU will open the 2012 campaign on Friday, Aug. 31 in Savannah, Ga., at the Armstrong Atlantic State Tournament. The Jags will take on Catawba in AASU’s Alumni Arena, followed by a pair of matches on Saturday, Sept. 1, vs. Lenoir-Rhyne and Tusculum.
The following weekend, the Jags will compete in the USC Aiken Tournament on Sept. 7-8 at the Convocation Center. ASU will face Palm Beach Atlantic and North Greenville on Friday before meeting Wingate and Nova Southeastern on Saturday.
The Jags, who return five starters and 10 letterwinners from the 2011 squad, make their home debut on Tuesday, Sept. 11, vs. Erskine in a non-conference match at 7 p.m., in Christenberry Field House.
ASU hosts Newberry on Tuesday, Sept. 18, before opening Peach Belt Conference play on the road at Montevallo on Saturday, Sept. 22. The matchup kicks off a stretch in which the Jags play six times in an 11-day span, all on the road. In fact, 15 of their first 17 matches are on the road.
For its PBC home opener, ASU takes on Lander on Saturday, Oct. 6, at 3 p.m., before playing host to the Jaguar Invitational on Friday, Oct. 19, and Saturday, Oct. 20.
In all, the Jags play a 12-match home schedule highlighted by a showdown with USC Aiken in Christenberry Field House on Wednesday, Oct. 17. ASU will celebrate Senior Day on Friday, Nov. 9, against UNC Pembroke.
The 2012 Peach Belt Conference Volleyball Championships are slated for Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 15-17, in St. Augustine, Fla., and will be hosted by Flagler.
More signees for basketball, cross country
Augusta State head men’s basketball coach Dip Metress announced Tuesday the signing of Joshua Samuels to a national letter-of-intent. Samuels, the fifth addition to the Jaguar Basketball program, will enroll at ASU for the fall (2012) semester.
A 5-8, 168-pound point guard from Russell County High School in Seale, Ala., Samuels averaged 24.8 points, 3.2 assists, and 2.1 steals per game for the Warriors as a senior in 2011-12.
Samuels will join Florida junior-college transfer Ryan Weems, North Carolina prep guard Keshun Sherrill, Flagler transfer Chad July, and Maryland prep forward Michael Graham as newcomers to the program.
Also, Augusta State head cross country coach Adam Ward announced Monday the addition of three runners to the men’s cross country program.
Jordan Herbert of Norcross, Ga., Preston Jones of Columbus, Ga., and Josh Stockton of Woodstock, Ga., have signed national letters-of-intent with ASU and will join the Jaguars for the Fall 2012 semester.
Herbert prepped at Norcross High School, where he registered personal best times of 16:59 (5K), 10:09.12 (3,200 meters), 6:40 (2K Steeplechase), and 4:41.40 (1,600 meters).
Stockton was the Coaches Award winner in 2010 and 2011 at Woodstock High School. He turned in personal best times of 16:27 (5K), 4:29.55 (1,600 meters), and 9:38.68 (3,200 meters).
Jones finished runner-up in the Class AAA State Championship meet for Columbus High in the 3,200 meters (9:30) and also took second in the region cross country championships and 10th in the state meet. His personal bests include 4:28.29 (1,600 meters), 9:30.89 (3,200 meters), 15:44.84 (5K), and 2:04.97 (800 meters).
