CSU honors athletes at annual awards banquet

Ed O'Neil was named top senior male athlete of the year

CHARLESTON, SC – Men’s basketball player Ed O’Neil and softball player Jennifer Foster received top billing as Charleston Southern University’s Male and Female Senior Athlete of the Year at the school’s annual athletic awards banquet, held Monday night.

The athletic department also handed out awards in each sport for most valuable player and sportsmanship, as well as three Christian Athlete leadership awards.

O’Neil, who started 81 games and played in 110 games over his four-year career, became CSU’s all-time leader in assists and steals during the 2003-04 season. He finished his career with 757 points, 471 assists and 227 steals and is one of only five players in Big South history to post such numbers. O’Neil was a three-time second-team selection to the Big South all-conference team, as well as an All-Rookie selection as a freshman.

Foster, a three-year starter in softball, enters the final stages of her senior season with a .295 career batting average, 13 career homeruns and 67 career RBIs. Her 33 career doubles is a CSU career record and Foster has twice been selected a second-team all-conference selection. Foster hit eight homeruns as a sophomore, setting a school single-season mark.

Melissa Mantho of the women’s soccer team and Amanda Ekberg of the women’s basketball team received the R.L. Wynn Christian Leadership Awards, while Billy Dalton of the baseball team received the Michael Frost Christian Athlete Award.

CSU Athletic Awards (sport-by-sport)
Athletic training: Student Trainer of the Year – Andrew Simmons; Most Improved – Josh Brant; Rookie of the Year – Hillary Fleig; Men’s basketball: MVP – Ed O’Neil; Sportsmanship – Ferdinand Cain; Women’s basketball: MVP – Lisa Crandall; Sportsmanship – Amanda Ekberg; Men’s Cross Country: MVP – Jonathan Horton; Sportsmanship – Allen Batiste; Women’s Cross Country: MVP – Jennifer Gratton; Sportsmanship – Cheryl Ewing; Football: MVP – Aaron Dunklin; Sportsmanship – Darren Swiggett; Women’s Soccer: MVP – Miki Wilson; Sportsmanship – Lisa Cooper; Volleyball: MVP – Rebecca Miller; Sportsmanship – Rachel DeAngelo; Women’s Indoor track: MVP – Roena Ricks; Sportsmanship – LaCoya Jones; Women’s Outdoor track: MVP – Audrey Jackson; Sportsmanship – Ashley Sellers; Men’s Track: MVP – Nathan Breland; Sportsmanship – Maurice Heriot; Men’s Tennis: MVP – Quentin Guichard; Sportsmanship – Lebo Jacobs; Women’s Tennis: MVP – Meryam Tazi; Sportsmanship – Kim Kennedy; Softball: MVP – Kelly Backert; Sportsmanship – Jen Foster.