May 3, 2006
Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina sophomore golfer Matt Cook (Murphy, N.C.) and sophomore sprinter Tangelia Johnson (Charlotte, N.C.) both won Southern Conference individual championships to be named the Catamount Male and Female Student-Athletes of the Month for their performances during April.
Cook, who also won the honor in September, joins football's Mitchell Dukes (October) and Rico Reese (November); basketball's Corey Muirhead (December) and David Berghoefer (January); track's Zeb Johnson (February); and baseball's Blake Murphy (March) as male athletes honored this year. Johnson joins previous monthly female winners in women's soccer selections Emily Pierce (September) and Alesha Row (November); women's golfer Ashley Hovda (October); women's basketball's Lauren Powell (December) and Monique Dawson (January); dual winners of February in Raquel Ramseur from track & field and Mendy McKenzie from softball; and softball's Allyson McCubbins (March).
 Matt Cook won the SoCon Championship and was named SoCon Golfer of the Year.  |
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Cook played in two events in April. First, he placed second in the Wofford Invitational, turning in a three-round score of 217 to finish one stroke out of first place and be the top finisher among the SoCon competitors. The Murphy native led the 60-person field with 13 birdies over 54 holes, while his six-under on the par 5's was second-best in the field. Second, Cook won the 2006 Southern Conference Championship with a five-under par 211. He was also named SoCon Golfer of the Year, tabbed first team All-SoCon and selected to the SoCon All-Tournament team. Cook won the SoCon by three strokes and his 211 ties for Western's best 54-hole score at the Championships. Cook turned in a 69 for his final round, marking the sixth time he has accomplished the feat in his short career and fourth time this season. Also, it was just the third time a Catamount had fired a 69 at the SoCon Championships as Greg Lewis had back-to-back rounds of 69 en route to his 211.
 Tangelia Johnson won the 100-meter and 200-meter titles at the SoCon Outdoor Championships while running the anchor leg of the winning 4x400-meter relay, which set a SoCon record. |
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Johnson won the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes at the 2006 SoCon Outdoor Championship, while running the anchor leg of the winning 4x400-meter relay team. In addition, her time of 11.69 in the 100-meters was an NCAA Regional qualifying time, while her relay team's time of 3:43.15 set a SoCon record. She started the month by being named SoCon Women's Track & Field Athlete of the Week as she won the 100- and 200-meter events at the Western Invitational. Her 200-meter time was a WCU school record, 24.11. Johnson was also a member of the school and Catamount Athletic Complex record-setting 4x100-meter relay team, passing the baton in 45.72 with teammates Raquel Ramseur, Cassie Gentry and Asia Davis. Johnson followed that by running the 100-meters in school-record time of 11.63 at the SeaRay Relays. In her next meet, Johnson won both the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes at the Clemson Inviational. Prior to the SoCon Outdoors, she claimed a fifth title, winning the 100-meters at the Catamount Classic. In addition to earning All-SoCon honors for winning the 100, 200 and 4x400, Johnson also earned all-conference recognition as her 4x100-meter relay team placed second at the SoCon Outdoors.
Others receiving consideration for Western's monthly honor include Ashley Adams (softball), Jenny Jackson (softball), Kandy Carland (women's golf), Milton Bolton (men's track & field), Lawrence Briscoe (men's track & field) and Greg Holland (baseball). Adams led the Catamounts with a .343 batting average with 11 home runs, now with a SoCon-record 21 round-trippers on the season. Jackson was 7-2 as a pitcher with a 1.90 ERA. Carland won her first collegiate event, claiming medalist honors in a playoff at the High Point Spring Invitational. She went on to place fifth at the SoCon Championships to be named All-Tournament. Bolton was a two-time SoCon Athlete of the Week, being on the winning 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relay team at the SoCon Outdoors and earning All-SoCon in the 200-meter and 400-meter dashes. Briscoe ran an NCAA qualifying time of 14.30 in the 110-meter hurdles at Clemson and 14.26 at the SeaRay Relays. He additionally earned All-SoCon honors in the 110-meter hurdles, the 400-meter hurdles and the high jump. Holland pitched in nine of WCU's 19 games, compiling a 1-0 record with five saves, including one at #7 Clemson, while posting a 2.21 ERA.
