July 9, 2021

2021 President's Awards honor 13 Golden Eagle student-athletes

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Thirteen student-athletes have been chosen as the outstanding representative of their teams at Tennessee Tech University and are the winners of the 28th annual President's Awards, presented by the TTU Athletics Department. Eight of the 13 are first-time winners while the remaining five are all winners for a second time in their respective careers.

By TTU Sports Information

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Thirteen student-athletes have been chosen as the outstanding representative of their teams at Tennessee Tech University and are the winners of the 28th annual President's Awards, presented by the TTU Athletics Department. Nine of the 13 are first-time winners while the remaining five are all winners for a second time or more in their respective careers.

Repeating as President's Award winners for a second straight year were women's golf's Hannah Bratton, volleyball's Ali Verzani, and tennis' Carlos Vicente. Taking home the honor for the second year in a row and the third time in his career for the men's cross country team was Ababu Mohamed, just the second member of the program to do so. Stephen Gordon won the honor four straight years from 2000-03. He also became just the 22nd Golden Eagle student-athlete ever to win the President's Award three times.

One member from each of Tech's intercollegiate athletic programs was selected based on a combination of their career academic performance and athletic accomplishments. The indoor and outdoor women's track teams are combined for one award.

"The efforts of our student-athletes do not go unnoticed," Tech Director of Athletics Mark Wilson said. "Each one of them puts so much time and effort into their work in the classroom, in the community, and on their respective playing areas. The 13 winners of this year's President's Awards are the model we want each of our student-athletes to strive for and I am continually grateful and thankful for their incredible leadership. These student-athletes have been challenged in ways never seen before in the past year-and-a-half, and they have represented our University with incredible class and a work ethic that is contagious beyond just their fellow student-athletes. Our staff appreciates everything they do and the way they go about doing it. I am excited to see where their futures take them."

The 2021 recipients include seven seniors, two juniors, one sophomore, and three freshmen. The recipients also demonstrate the diversity of Tech's student-athletes, hailing from seven different states and two other countries, including Tennessee (five), Alabama (one), Georgia (one), Iowa (one), Kentucky (one), Ohio (one), Texas (one), Slovenia (one), and Spain (one).

The President's Award was established in 1994.

In alphabetical order, the 2021 President's Award winners are:

Samaria Allen | Track & Field | Freshman | Lithonia, Ga.
Samaria Allen provided instant leadership in her first season in the purple and gold, despite losing her first indoor season to cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The rookie competed in five different events during the outdoor campaign, including the long jump, triple jump, 100m, 4x100m, and 4x400m. She represented Tech at the OVC Championships with a third-place showing in the long jump and a fifth-place finish in the 4x100m relay. She put forth a 3.69 GPA while working towards a degree in interdisciplinary studies.

Isabelle Austin | Soccer | Senior | Sylvania, Ohio
Isabelle Austin was elite between the pipes for the Golden Eagles, capturing the OVC's inaugural Goalkeeper of the Year Award while setting the program and league record for save percentage with a mark of 89.1 percent. She allowed just seven goals in 10 matches, posting a 0.67 goals-against average while accumulating a 4-5-1 mark in goal. Named to the All-OVC First Team, Austin earned her bachelor's degree in finance and accounting with a minor in business management in May, boasting a 3.66 GPA.

Hannah Bratton | Women's Golf | Senior | Jackson, Tenn.
Hannah Bratton collected her second straight President's Award representing the women's golf team after leading the team by example on the links and in the classroom. The senior paced the Golden Eagles in scoring average on the year, playing in 14 of the team's 17 rounds of action in a season limited to spring competition only. Already with her bachelor's degree in marketing with a minor in social science already in hand after earning it in May 2020, Bratton began pursuing a second bachelor's degree in human ecology, sporting a perfect 4.0 GPA.

Jordan Brock | Women's Basketball | Senior | Harlan, Ky.
Jordan Brock established herself as one of the best 3-point shooters in program history, eclipsing the Tech career record for triples during the season originally held by assistant coach Allison Clark. The senior led Tech in scoring with 11.8 points per game, finishing the year shooting 34.7 percent from downtown with 54 assists and an 84.9 free-throw percentage. In the classroom, Brock maintained a 3.55 GPA while earning her bachelor's degree in exercise science and physical wellness with a concentration in pre-occupational therapy in May.

Tina Cesnik | Women's Cross Country | Junior | Prevalje, Slovenia
Tina Cesnik became an all-around leader immediately after transferring to Tech from North Florida, helping the Golden Eagles transition to a slightly shortened campaign in the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The junior paced the purple and gold in two of the team's four events, including the OVC Championships, and was Tech's runner-up in the third meet in which she participated. In the classroom, Cesnik worked her way to a 3.66 GPA while working on her degree in interdisciplinary studies.

Mackenzie Fitzgerald | Softball | Freshman | Portland, Tenn.
Mackenzie Fitzgerald collected the President's Award honor in her first season in the purple and gold after demonstrating great production at the plate and in the classroom. The freshman led the Golden Eagles with 10 doubles, 22 runs, and a whopping 20 stolen bases on 20 attempts. The only Tech player to play and start in all 49 games, she hit .263 with 20 RBI. Fitzgerald also boasted an elite level of success while working towards her degree in interdisciplinary studies, turning in a 3.92 GPA.

Cody Littlejohn | Baseball | Senior | Decatur, Ala.
Cody Littlejohn ended his Golden Eagle career in style, earning All-OVC First Team honors backed by an incredible final week on the diamond that garnered him OVC Player of the Week and two national Player of the Week accolades. On the year, the senior hit .324 with a team-high three triples, 14 home runs, and a .635 slugging percentage. He scored 40 runs and drove in 37 while starting all 47 games for Tech. Earning his bachelor's degree in marketing last May, he began work on his master's in business administration with a GPA of 3.63.

Mark McDearman | Men's Golf | Freshman | Lebanon, Tenn.
Mark McDearman made program history in his rookie season, becoming the first freshman to earn the team's Gilbert Darcy MVP honors after leading the Golden Eagles in scoring average with a mark of 72.42. It marked the lowest average by a Tech golfer since PGA Tour pro Scott Stallings in 2006-07 and the lowest by a freshman in program history. McDearman was named to the All-OVC and OVC Newcomer Teams for his efforts. In the classroom, he shined while compiling a 3.85 GPA while beginning work on a degree in finance.

Ababu Mohamed | Men's Cross Country | Senior | Houston, Texas
Ababu Mohamed was named the President's Award winner for the men's cross country team for the third time in his career and second straight season. Becoming just the second member of the program to claim the honor at least three times, he paced Tech in two of its four meets during the shortened campaign moved to the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the OVC Championships. In May, he completed his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering with a final GPA of 3.64.

Maverick Smith | Men's Basketball | Senior | Oakdale, Tenn.
Maverick Smith earned his first President's Award while continuing to lead by example for the Tech men's basketball program. His incredible work ethic not only led to his second straight season serving as a team captain but also a scholarship for his final season in the purple and gold after spending three years as a walk-on. Smith made seven starts while appearing in 17 games during the year, providing constant guidance for a relatively young squad. He matched the effort in the classroom, posting a 3.37 GPA while working on a degree in engineering technology.

Jamaal Thompson | Football | Junior | Hendersonville, Tenn.
Jamaal Thompson was a pillar for the Tech athletic program during arguably the most challenging year in college athletics since World War II, going on to earn the OVC's Steve Hamilton Sportsmanship Award, one of the highest honors presented by the league. Playing for both the football and men's basketball team, Thompson helped found the University's Center of Diversity Education organization (C.O.D.E.) to help promote unity through diversity for all Tech students. He earned his degree in communications in May with a GPA of 3.96.

Ali Verzani | Volleyball | Senior | Sioux City, Iowa
Ali Verzani collected the President's Award for the volleyball team for the second straight year, once again displaying invaluable leadership across every facet of being a Tech student-athlete. The department's Woman of the Year led the Golden Eagles with 172 kills, 26 service aces, and 215.5 total points while ranking second with 144 digs and third with six solo blocks. After earning her bachelor's degree with a 4.0 GPA in interdisciplinary studies in December 2019, she completed her master's in business administration this May with another perfect 4.0 GPA.

Carlos Vicente | Tennis | Sophomore | Valencia, Spain
Carlos Vicente claimed the tennis team's President's Award for the second time in his career, having won in 2019 as well, after turning in another stellar year on the court and in the classroom. Tech's Co-Male Athlete of the Year posted a 9-7 overall singles mark and finished 7-1 overall between singles and doubles play in OVC action. Named to the All-OVC First Team, Vicente led the Golden Eagles to the league's regular-season title while maintaining a 3.59 GPA while working towards his degree in mechanical engineering.