June 2, 2005
HILTON HEAD, SC -
The Southern Conference on Wednesday named its Athletes of the Year for the 2004-05 season. Furman tennis player Mary Neill Hagood received the Female Athlete of the Year Award while Appalachian State football player DaVon Fowlkes received the Bob Waters Male Athlete of the Year Award.
Hagood, a senior from Charleston, SC (Porter-Gaud HS), was named the Female Athlete of the Year. A two-time SoCon Player of the Year in women's tennis, Hagood led the Lady Paladins to the 2005 tennis regular season and tournament titles. She holds the Furman record for combined singles and doubles wins in a career (138) and is first on the all-time doubles victories list with a career record of 75-19.
Hagood, who finished second in the voting for Female Athlete of the Year in 2004, was an Academic All-District selection, a member of Phi Beta Kappa, a recipient of the Furman Bisher Scholarship and the Life Scholarship, a member of Freshman National Honor Society and a Southern Conference All-Academic team and Academic Honor Roll selection. She also volunteers each week for Meals on Wheels and works with Special Olympics while also volunteering at the Salvation Army Soup Kitchen.
Shannon Wommack, an NCAA qualifier in both track and cross country for Chattanooga, was the runner-up for the award. Appalachian State's Stefanie Panzer, the SoCon Volleyball Player of the Year last fall, finished third.
Fowlkes, a senior from Fort Wayne, Indiana (Snider HS) was a standout football player for Appalachian State the last four years. As a wide receiver and kick returner, he finished third in the voting for the Walter Payton Award which is given annually to the top offensive player in NCAA Division I-AA. He was a consensus All-America selection, earning first team honors from Associated Press, The Sports Network, Walter Camp, College Sports Report, and the Football Gazette while earning Offensive Player of the Year honors from I-AA.Org and Receiver of the Year from College Sports Report.
Fowlkes led Division I-AA with 103 receptions, 1,618 yards and 2,313 all-purpose yards. He set Southern Conference records for receptions in a season, receiving yards in a season, receiving yards in a game (280), most 100-yard receiving games in a season (7), most consecutive 100-yard receiving games (3), most 200-yard receiving games in a season (3), most all-purpose yards in a game (342), most all-purpose yards in a season and most punt return yards in a career (1,276).
Fowlkes is currently a member of the Indianapolis Colts, having signed with the NFL club as a free agent. He earned his degree in information systems from Appalachian State in December.
Davidson basketball swingman Brendan Winters, who led the Wildcats to a 16-0 conference record, the SoCon South Division title and a spot in the NIT, was the runner-up for the award. Randi Patterson of UNC Greensboro, who was the SoCon's men's soccer Player of the Year and an All-America, finished third.
Both athlete of the year awards were handed out on Wednesday, June 1 at the annual Southern Conference Honors Dinner held at the Westin Resort on Hilton Head Island.
The Southern Conference male athlete-of-the-year is selected annually by Southern Conference athletic directors and a media member representing each conference school. Prior to 1990-91, the award was selected solely by members of the Southern Conference Sports Media Association. Beginning in 1991-92, the award was named after the late Bob Waters, who was Western Carolina's head football coach from 1969-88. The Southern Conference Female Athlete-of-the-Year Award was inaugurated in 1990. The Southern Conference Sports Media Association selected the winner in 1989-90. Since 1990-91, each school's athletic director and a designated media representative have participated in the voting.
