LC Athletic Department Hands Out End-of-Year Awards

[May 09, 2019] 

The Lincoln College Athletics Department held their first annual end-of-the-year awards ceremony on Monday evening at the Jack D. Nutt Gymnasium. Awards were handed out for individual accomplishments and two teams were recognized for their outstanding work this season.

Lincoln College Athletic Director Mark Perdue, who is about to complete his first year as AD, says he instituted the ceremony as a way to honor student-athletes for their accomplishments during the department’s first season as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

Perdue says he was pleased with the event and with the success of LC’s athletics teams this season.

“I am very proud of how well our team’s competed in their first season in the NAIA,” said Perdue. “I felt the time was right to start some new traditions as we move into four-year athletics, and having an awards ceremony is a good way to celebrate that transition.”

The first awards presented were for Male and Female Athletes of the Year. The Male Athlete of the Year recipient was Trayvon Tyler, a member of the Lynx basketball team. Tyler, a junior guard from Rockford, Illinois, led his team in scoring, assists and was 8th in the nation in total steals.

The Female Athlete of the Year honor went to sophomore swimmer Colleen Ferguson. Ferguson, a native of the Marshal Islands, was a consistent event champion who broke four school records during the course of the season (200 Backstroke, 50 Backstroke, 100 Freestyle, and 100 IM).

The awards for Male and Female Champions of Character each went to members of the men’s and women’s volleyball teams. Junior Kaylyn Hoffert (Lincoln) and senior Deantrius Coleman (North Chicago) both played for Coach Mark Tippett who is at the helm of the men’s and women’s programs.

Tippett agreed that Hoffert and Coleman were worthy of the honor. “Kaylyn and Deantrius were both selected by their teammates to be team captains,” said Tippett. “They each did an outstanding job in that role as team leaders and positive role models. I am proud of them and glad to see them recognized for their efforts.”

Senior Men’s Basketball player Julian Powell (Baytown, TX) was named Newcomer of the Year. Powell transferred to LC from St. Peter University (NCAA DI) in New Jersey in the fall of 2018 for his final season of eligibility. The 6’9” forward made an immediate impact on the court as he led the Lynx in field goal percentage, rebounds, and blocked shots. Powell was also ranked 20th in the nation in number of double-doubles recorded this season.

The ceremony concluded with two team awards which were presented by LC Athletic Director Mark Perdue. The Champions of Character Team of the Year Award went to the LC Women’s Basketball team coached by DeRonte Polite, and the Athletic Team of the Year Award went to Coach Pat Lepper’s Men’s Basketball team.

The Lady Lynx basketball team stood out as Champions of Character this season for their commitment to community outreach. Team members made regular visits to Castle Manor Assisted Living facility during the year to interact with residents and took time to highlight the success of the West Lincoln Broadwell 7A Girl’s State Championship season at one of their home games.

The LC Men’s Basketball team was recognized as the Athletic Team of the Year for their outstanding success on the court. The Lynx went 22-8 on the year earning wins over three nationally ranked NAIA opponents and two NCAA DII teams. Lincoln led the NAIA in Total Rebound Defense and was in the top five for Steals Per Game and Turnover Margin.

The ceremony concluded with final thoughts from Athletic Director Perdue who praised the student-athletes present for their hard work and dedication this year. He also called on them to return in the fall with the determination to lead their teams to post-season success as the 2019-2020 season will be the first in which Lincoln teams will be post-season eligible.

AD Perdue was pleased with the way the first awards ceremony came together and says he sees the potential for the event to grow as the years go on. “In the future, I’d like to see this evolve into a true banquet-type event where we celebrate each year’s accomplishments and honor our graduating seniors.”

[Mark Tippett
Lincoln College
Sports Information]