Boozer, Carter named top student-athletes

Boozer, Carter named top student-athletes

Senior linebacker, sophomore center earn Paul Goad Award

ABILENE -- ACU senior linebacker Ryan Boozer and sophomore center Melanie Carter from the women's basketball team have been named the winners of the Paul Goad Award, signifying the top male and female student-athletes at ACU for the 2001-02 school year.

Boozer and Carter were honored, along with the rest of the student-athletes in the ACU athletics program, Sunday night at the annual sports banquet.

The other top award of the night -- the A.B. Morris Coaching Scholarship -- went to seniors John Kemboi from the men's track team and Nora Oglesby from the volleyball team.

Here are biographies of the four major award winners from the night:

Paul Goad Award winners

Ryan Boozer (FB) -- He was named first team all-Lone Star Conference South Division after his senior season in 2001, the third straight year Boozer has earned all-conference honors. He was voted second team all-LSC in 1999 and first team all-LSC in 2000. For the third straight season he led the Wildcats in tackles with 104, including 13 in the Wildcats' season-ending 34-31 win over West Texas A&M. Boozer had four sacks for 25 yards in losses, two fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles, two interceptions and six passes defended. He had a fumble recovery in the end zone against Eastern New Mexico for a score in the Wildcats' 35-21 win over the Greyhounds. Boozer finished his ACU career with 388 tackles (185 solo) and 17 sacks. He was also named all-West region by Daktronics-CoSIDA and by d2football.com. As a junior, he was named first team all-Lone Star Conference South Division and second team Daktronics all-West region. He was named national Defensive Player of the Week by several organizations for the week of Oct. 28, 2000, after recording 16 tackles against Texas A&M-Commerce. As a sophomore, he recorded a team-leading 123 tackles (50 solo), including 15 for 57 yards in losses. Also had five sacks for 39 yards in losses. He blocked one kick, blocked one punt and returned another blocked punt 27 yards for a TD against Southwestern Oklahoma. He caused two fumbles, recovered four and recorded 17 QB pressures. He was amed second team all-LSC South Division and first team all-region. As a freshman, Boozer moved into the starting lineup after injuries decimated the Wildcats' linebacking corps. Boozer, though, played well, finishing fifh on the team in tackles with 52 (31 solo) and had five sacks.

Melanie Carter (WBB) -- Carter followed her fabulous freshman season in 2000-01 with a spectacular sophomore year. She led the LSC in scoring (20.5 points per game), field goal percentage (67.9 percent on 165 of 243 shooting from the field), and blocked shots (3.1 per game), and finished third in rebounding (9.9 rebounds per game). Despite missing two games during the season with a knee injury, she still collected 12 double-doubles in 24 games, giving her 24 double-doubles in 52 career games. Her 1,039 career points is the second-highest total ever by an ACU player in her freshman and sophomore seasons (Claudia Schleyer holds the record with 1,269 points in 1982-83 and 1983-84). She is on pace to score 2,078 career points, which would be third on ACU's all-time scoring list behind Schleyer (2,770 points) and Jennifer Clarkson-Frazier (2,463 points), who rank second and seventh, respectively, on the all-time NCAA Division II scoring list. Carter would be only the third ACU basketball player -- male or female -- to top the 2,000-point plateau. Following her sophomore season she was named honorable mention all-America by both Division II Bulletin and Kodak/WBCA. She was voted to the Daktronics-CoSIDA all-South Central region first team, as well as the Kodak/WBCA all-district first team. She was also a Verizon academic all-District VI first team selection. She was voted the Lone Star Conference South Division MVP and was academic all-LSC South Division. Following her freshman season, she was voted Daktronics-CoSIDA first team all-South Central region, first team all-LSC South Division and LSC South Division Freshman of the Year. She averaged 19.6 ppg, the second-best freshman scoring average in ACU women's basketball history behind the 21.2-ppg average posted by Claudia Schleyer in 1982-83. She scored 548 points to become only the second Wildcat in women's basketball history to score more than 500 points as a freshman, joining Claudia Schleyer (616 points in 1982-83) in that exclusive club. She set the ACU freshman rebounding record with , and she led the Lone Star Conference in field goal percentage and finished second in NCAA Division II at 68 percent.

A.B. Morris Coaching Scholarship winners

John Kemboi (MTrack) -- Could join elite company this spring if he wins the 800 meters and the 1500 meters at next month's NCAA Division II outdoor national championship meet. Wins in both of those events would give him 10 individual national championships, which would tie him with the great Bobby Morrow for the most individual national championships won by an ACU track and field athlete during a career. Last month in Boston he won the NCAA Division II indoor national championship in both the 800 meters and mile, giving him his seventh and eighth national championships. He won all four national championships as a junior, setting a new indoor meet record in the mile (4:00.34) en route to winning the national title. Continued his success last fall (2001) when he led the ACU cross country team to its 11th straight Lone Star Conference championship, second straight South Central region title and second straight runner-up finish at the national cross country championships. He won both the conference and regional individual titles. In fall 2000, Kemboi was the only man in the United States to beat teammate Alfred Rugema in a cross country meet. Won the ACU Classic on Sept. 1, 2000, with a time 20:34.45, and then finished second to Rugema at the Lone Star Conference, South Central region and NCAA Division II championships. Ran a 30:58.3 at the national cross country championship to finish second and earn his third all-America honor. Dual national champion outdoors as a sophomore, winning the 800 meters (1:48.78) and 1500 meters (3:42.36). Won Lone Star Conference championships in the 800 meters (1:52.19) and 1500 meters (3:52.81). Set the school and LSC record in the mile by running a 4:01.02 at the Texas Relays (April 8, 2000), and finished second in the event (4:04.15) to teammate Alfred Rugema at the Division II indoor national championship. Also finished second in the 5000 meters indoors (1:50.91). During the outdoor season, he ran on the Wildcats' distance medley relay that set the school record of 9:36.10 in a fifth-place finish at the Penn Relays on April 29, 2000. Kemboi ran the 1200-meter first leg in 2:55.10. He also ran the 800 on ACU's sprint medley team that ran a 3:14.62 in a fifth-place finish at the Penn Relays on April 29, 2000. The time -- which included a 1:46.61 800 meter anchor leg from Kemboi -- is the sixth-fastest in school history. His time of 1:48.25 in the 800 meters at the ACU Classic on 11 May is the eighth-fastest in school history. His time of 3:42.36 in the 1500 meters at the outdoor national championship is the second-fastest in school and LSC history, just .33 off the record of 3:42.03 set by ACU's Musa Gwanzura on 02 May 1998 in New Orleans.

Nora Oglesby (VB) -- One of the Wildcats' most improved players over the last two seasons. She started at right-side hitter in both her junior and senior seasons. As a senior she played in all 33 Wildcat matches, finishing in the top three in every major category, including first in digs with 339. She was second in both assists (78) and service aces (32), and was third in kills (267) and total blocks (62). As a junior in 2000, she played in a career-high 121 games and recorded career highs in kills (303), attacks (852), service aces (30), digs (341) and total blocks (63). Named honorable mention all-Lone Star Conference South Division for her efforts. In 1999, she had 26 aces, 242 digs, 11 solo blocks, 54 assisted blocks, 294 kills and 60 assists. She earned a letter as a freshman, playing in 30 matches while collecting 91 kills, 17 assists, 54 digs and 35 blocks.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Pyramid Award -- Melanie Carter

Most Improved -- Shara Helmbeck

Defensive Player of the Year -- Leah Wilson

Team MVP -- Brenda Jacoby

 

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Highest Free Throw Percentage -- Rodney Lee

Leading Rebounder -- Tucker Pierson

 

FOOTBALL

Chuck Sitton Award (Defensive Player of the Year) -- Ryan Boozer

Kelly Kent Award (Offensive Player of the Year) -- Eric Polk

Purple and White Award (attitude, competitiveness, performance) -- Brad Raphelt

 

TENNIS

Michelle King (Women's MVP) -- Lacy Johnson

Leah Ticer Award -- Rachel Taylor

Men's MVP -- Julien Curatella

Larry Fatheree Award -- Theron Cole

 

TRACK AND FIELD

Women's Top Field Event Performer -- Maresa Cadienhead

Women's Top Runner -- Angie Waters

Men's Top Field Event Performer -- Terrancewoods

Men's Top Runner -- John Kemboi

 

CROSS COUNTRY

Men's Top Runner -- John Kemboi

Women's Top Runner -- Cassie Chaffin

 

VOLLEYBALL

Defensive Player of the Year -- Grae Grimes

Joyce Curtis Award (Fighting Heart) -- Nora Oglesby

Offensive Player of the Year -- Lindsay DeHoff

MVP -- Randi Kinzer