Complete GSC Top Ten Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Gulf South Conference is proud to announce its 14th annual GSC “Top Ten” Award winners. These awards, based on athletic, academic and extracurricular achievement during the 2009-10 academic year, recognize the top five male and top five female student-athletes as the cream of the GSC crop. The top male and female receive the Commissioner's Trophy, the Conference's most prestigious honor.
The presentations will be made at the GSC's Annual Awards Banquet, Thursday, June 24, at the Embassy Suites in Hoover, Alabama at 6:00 p.m. At that time, the Conference will reveal the winners of the Commissioner's Trophies, recognize its All-Sports Trophy Champions (men: Valdosta State; women: West Florida) and bid farewell to departing administrator, Henderson State University Athletic Director Sam Goodwin.
The “Top Ten” are selected with the assistance of an advisory committee representing the ADs, SWAs, SIDs, FARs and Presidents from randomly selected GSC schools, which makes a recommendation to the Commissioner, who has the final decision. Ties are not broken, so more than ten student-athletes can be honored.
The “Top Ten” women's field is led by two returning members: Courtney Jones (West Florida, Soccer, Panama City, Fla.) and Bethany Wright (Henderson State, Volleyball, Georgetown, Tex.). Completing the list are three more seniors: Katy Grant (Harding, Cross Country, Mustang, Okla.), Natali Gumbrecht (Valdosta State, Tennis, Sachsen bei Ansbach, Germany), Becca Tipton (Arkansas-Monticello, Softball, Dermott, Ark.).
Jones and Wright upped the number of all-time back-to-back female “Top Ten/Top Eight” honorees to six, following the last back-to-back designation since 2003-04 (Duana Meseyton, Delta State). Jones marks UWF's fourth women's winner in five years, while Wright is the third straight HSU volleyball star in the Top Ten. Grant gives HU its third honoree in as many years, while Tipton is the fourth consecutive UAM softball standout to make the Top Ten. Gumbrecht becomes VSU's first female winner since 2006-07 and its second women's tennis honoree (2004-05).
Three seniors headline the list of male athletes: Brandon Friedel (Arkansas Tech, Basketball, Victoria, Tex.), Jon Koenigsfeld (Valdosta State, Baseball, New Port Richey, Fla.) and Brett Munson (North Alabama, Golf, Louisville, Kent.). Completing the men's “Top Ten” are juniors Josh Moshier (Alabama-Huntsville, Cross Country, Port Byron, Ill.) and Hayden Simpson (Southern Arkansas, Baseball, Magnolia, Ark.).
Koenigsfeld returns from last year, upping the number of back-to-back men's Top Ten student-athletes to nine. Simpson is SAU's third Top Ten baseball star in four years. Friedel marks ATU's ninth overall men's winner (first since 2003-04) and its first-ever men's basketball honoree. Munson is UNA's third straight men's Top Ten athlete, and its first-ever men's golfer. Moshier marks UAH's third overall men's winner, and second cross country honoree in three years.
Grant's Bio
Katy Grant, Harding University
Women's Cross Country
Senior/Mustang, Oklahoma
Social Work/4.00 Overall G.P.A.
Harding's cross country program is one of the best in Division II, not just for the results produced in competition, but the efforts of the student-athletes away from the field. After having one of its women's tennis players make the GSC “Top Ten” list last year, the Bisons now have another worthy candidate in Katy Grant, who is looking to become the first student-athlete from the school - and first women's cross country runner in conference history - to take home the coveted Commissioner's Trophy.
For Grant, the student in student-athlete has been equally as impressive as the athlete. She is a three-time member of the All-GSC Academic Team and a two-time selection for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team. In 2008, the Social Work major with the 4.0 grade point average was a third team choice for the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America team. In 2009, she was a First Team selection for the same honor.
The Mustang, Okla. native has been nearly unstoppable since she arrived at Harding. Grant was GSC Freshman of the Year in 2006, the same year when she started her run of four consecutive appearances on the All-GSC First Team. The last three years, she was a First Team All-South Region selection. The 2009 campaign got off to a slow start, but after beginning the season as Harding's sixth-best runner, Grant was the Bisons' top finisher in their final three races. She won the Gulf South Conference individual title by winning the conference meet, she placed third at the South Region meet, then finished 59th at the National Championships.
Grant's public service slate is just as impressive as her academic and athletic accolades. She has worked at a homeless shelter during her summer vacations; taken mission trips to Nicaragua; volunteered at His House, a food and clothing bank for the less fortunate, every Wednesday night; organized the cross country team's service projects to St. Jude and LeBonheur Hospitals in Memphis, Tenn.; was the school's representative on the Student-Athlete Activities Committee; and also was active every year on Harding's Day of Service.
