DSU's Davis and VSU's Johnson Named GSC Commissioner's Trophy Winners

6/25/2012 9:30:00 PM

Birmingham, AL—The Gulf South Conference is proud to announce its male and female Commissioner’s Trophy winners for the 2011-12 academic year.

A pair of first time honorees took the podium on Monday, June 25 at the Hilton Birmingham Perimeter Park Hotel in Birmingham, AL when Delta State’s Micah Davis and Valdosta State’s Morgan Johnson were named the 2011-12 GSC Commissioner’s Trophy winners.

Davis (Football, Senior, Wesson, Miss.) joins a long line of former DSU football greats to be honored with the Commissioner Trophy. Since the introduction of the men’s award in 1974-75, Delta State has accounted for nine honorees, six of which represented the institution on the gridiron. Davis is DSU’s first winner since the Statesmen posted back-to-back honors in 2007 and 2008. Fellow quarterback Scott Eyster took home the trophy in 2007, while star linebacker Michael Eubanks followed in 2008. The Wesson, MS native is the 23^rd football student-athlete to garner the Commissioner’s Trophy, first since Eubanks in 2008.

Johnson (Softball, Junior, Macon, Ga.) is first VSU women’s Commissioner’s Trophy honoree since 1996-97 and is its fifth all-time winner. Former basketball star Kathy Kennedy was the last Lady Blazer to take center stage in 1995-96. Johnson is the first-ever VSU softball player to win the honor and is the first Commissioner’s Trophy softball winner since the sport claimed three straight from 2004-06. The Macon, GA native is also the fourth underclassmen in the past five years to hoist the trophy.

The Commissioner’s Trophy is the highest honor bestowed by the Conference and one of the most prestigious individual honors in Division II. The league initiated the men’s award in 1974-75 and added the women’s honor in 1982-83. The Commissioner’s Trophies were announced at the annual GSC Awards Banquet where the Conference also recognized its “Top Ten” recipients (released on June 17) and All-Sports Trophy Champions (men: West Florida; women: West Florida).

Thirteen student-athletes (seven females and six males) were nominated for the GSC's 16^th Annual “Top Ten” (was previously the “Top Eight” until 2005), which combines athletic achievements and academic excellence with extracurricular activities, leadership and community service. The male(s) and female(s) earning the most points receive the Commissioner's Trophy.

Micah Davis, Delta State University

Football/Quarterback

Senior/Wesson, Miss.

Chemistry/Biology/Pre-Med/4.00 Overall G.P.A.

Micah Davis capped off a splendid career at Delta State in 2011, leading the team to back-to-back

GSC titles and advancing to the Division II national semifinals.

The Wesson, Miss. native was the GSC and South Region Offensive Player of the Year, an All-American, and a national finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy, given to the top football player in Division II. He threw for 3,788 yards and 23 touchdowns as the Statesmen spent several weeks at No. 1 in the national rankings.

As good as Davis was on the gridiron, he was just as successful in the classroom. He had a 4.0 grade

point average and was a finalist for the Campbell Trophy, presented to the nation’s top football scholar-athlete. An Academic All-American, he was named a National Scholar Athlete by the National Football Foundation and was named to every academic honor society available for chemistry/pre-med majors at DSU.

Davis was very active in supporting the local community, serving as an organizer for Habitat for

Humanity, reading to students at a local elementary school, worked the Soles for Souls event at DSU as well as

organized the school’s Pink Out Parker Field event for cancer research.

Morgan Johnson, Valdosta State University

Softball/Outfielder

Junior/Macon, Ga.

Nursing/3.66 Overall G.P.A.

Morgan Johnson has one mention in her résumé that no other 2012 GSC Top Ten honoree has – national champion.

Johnson’s list of accomplishments is simply complimented by her being on the first GSC team to ever capture a national title in softball. This season, Johnson earned All-GSC, All-Region and All-America honors after hitting .427 with 11 home runs and 51 runs batted in. She was named to both the GSC and NCAA All-Tournament teams as the Blazers finished the season 58-5.

Academically, Johnson achieved a 3.66 overall grade point average in Nursing and earned Academic

All-Region and All-America honors while being chosen for several honors societies, including the International Dean’s List Society. She was also selected to the GSC Spring All-Academic Team.

Johnson’s community effort was also exemplary. She was named the Valdosta State Community Service Student-Athlete Award winner as she volunteered for the Storehouse Ministry, which helps feed the homeless as well as packing food boxes for shut-ins. She organized and conducted free softball clinics for young children and helped organize the VSU Softball Blood Drive that was the second-largest blood drive in South Georgia over the past 12 months.

COMMISSIONER'S TROPHY WINNERS (1975-2012)

One of the most prestigious awards in Division II, and the most significant individual honor in the Gulf South Conference, the Commissioner's Trophy is awarded annually to the student-athlete who best combines outstanding performance on the field or court and high academic achievement in the classroom with significant community service and extracurricular activities. The Trophy was first awarded in 1975, honoring the outstanding male student-athlete in the conference. In 1983, when the Conference officially began conducting women’s championships, the GSC began honoring its outstanding female student-athlete as well.

*YEAR*	MEN (Sport)	*WOMEN* *(Sport)*
1975	Mark King, TSU (Football)
1976	Billy Hood, DSU (Football)
	Anthony Saway, MC (Football)
1977	Bryan Rodgers, DSU (Baseball)
1978	Andy Whitener, TSU (Track/Cross Country)
1979	Larry Myricks, MC (Track & Field)
1980	Stevie Johnson, MC (Football)
1981	Jimmy Price, MC (Football)
1982	Jimmy Clarke, MC (Football/Track & Field)
1983	Chris Burgess, DSU (Baseball)	Joy Hubbard, UNA (Volleyball)
1984	Wayne Frazier, MC (Football)	Molley Baker, TSU (Volleyball)
1985	Scott Butler, DSU (Football)	Lisa McGhee, UWG (Basketball)
1986	Earl Conway, MC (Football)	Bridgette Moore, VSU (Basketball)
1987	Van H. Savell, MC (Track/Cross Country)	Bridgette Moore, VSU (Basketball)
1988	Scott Nagy, DSU (Basketball)	Mary Kate Long, UTM (Basketball)
1989	Billy Klein, JSU (Baseball)	Mary Kate Long, UTM (Basketball)
1990	Vesa Ponnka, UTM (Tennis)	Crystal Hardy, DSU (Basketball)
1991	James Davis, UNA (Football)	Dana Bright, JSU (Basketball)
1992	Brad Teague, DSU (Baseball)	Amy Carroll, DSU (Basketball)
1993	Lance Reinhardt, UWG (Basketball)	Kristy Holdbrooks, UNA (Volleyball/Softball)
1994	Chris Hatcher, VSU (Football)	Lisa Fernandes, MC (Basketball/Softball)
1995	Chris Hatcher, VSU (Football)	Masa Oreskovic, VSU (Tennis)
1996	Cody Gross, UNA (Football)	Gretchen Koppersmith, UM (Volleyball)
1997	Lance Funderburk, VSU (Football)	Kathy Kennedy, VSU (Basketball)
1998	David Ciesla, ATU (Baseball)	Ronda Price, UNA (Volleyball)
	Lonnie Edwards, UWG (Basketball)
1999	Lee Daily, HSU (Football)	Rachel Price, UNA (Volleyball)
2000	Tony Cappola, UM (Baseball)	Rachel Price, UNA (Volleyball)
2001	Douglas Hargett, UNA (Baseball)	Bridget Pyles, ATU (Volleyball)
	Paul Peletz, ATU (Football)
2002	Douglas Hargett, UNA (Baseball)	Kristina Styrna, UWF (Softball)
	Eddie Key, SAU (Football)
2003	Kevin Warrick, UWF (Golf)	Margaret Saurin, CBU (Soccer)
2004	Bobby Beeson, SAU (Baseball)	Krystal Poulin, SAU (Softball)
2005	Jonathan Hayes, ATU (Football)	Stephanie Pinto, UAH (Softball)
2006	Cory Cangelosi, UCA (Football)	Alyse Hasty, DSU (Softball)
2007	Scott Eyster, DSU (Football)	Lindsay Nemanich, UWF (Soccer)
2008	Michael Eubanks, DSU (Football)	Suzana Cavalcante, UWF (Tennis)
2009	Stephen Hill, HSU (Cross Country)	Britney Wright, HSU (Volleyball)
2010	Jon Koenigsfeld, VSU (Baseball)	Courtney Jones, UWF (Soccer)
2011	Trey Mitchell, UNA (Baseball)	Maggie Glover, SAU (Volleyball)
2012	Micah Davis, DSU (Football)	Morgan Johnson, VSU (Softball)

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