CARROLLTON, Ga. - More than 300 student-athletes from the University of West Georgia gathered in the Campus Center Ballroom on Tuesday evening to celebrate the 2021-22 athletic year at the first in-person WESTPY Awards ceremony since 2019. This year's Awards Ceremony was graciously sponsored by Advantage Office Solutions.
Senior shot put phenom Brandi Boddy and junior All-American first baseman Brody Wortham took home top honors at this year's ceremony, earning the titles of Mr. and Miss Wolf. Those are the highest honors that are bestowed by UWG athletics at the annual event, encompassing performance on the field, in the classroom, and in the community.
One of the most prestigious awards through the years has been the Strength of the Pack award, and this year that award took on a new direction to award those athletes who support other athletes. The UWG Student-Athlete Advisory Committee nominated a series of male and female athletes who attended games and helped create a great environment at events throughout the year. Those names were then put to a vote by the entire student-athlete population. The winner of the Women's Strength of the Pack was Sarah Harrell from soccer, and the Men's Strength of the Pack was Joshua Still from cross-country.
Female Athlete of the Year went to Ainsley Cowart, continuing a week where she was named Gulf South Conference Player of the Year honors for the second consecutive season. The Carrollton native also received an invitation to the NCAA South Regional coming up on March 2 in Davie, Florida. Male Athlete of the Year also went to a golfer, as Austin Fulton earned that distinction Tuesday evening. Fulton has been in the NCAA Top-10 among Division II golfers for the bulk of the year and led the men's team to a berth in the NCAA Regionals, announced over the weekend.
The Career Achievement Award has also been a highly sought-after honor, going to an outgoing senior who has contributed in a big way to the progression of their team and the department. This year's Men's Career Achievement Award went to Kadeim Jones, who spent three seasons with UWG basketball, becoming a 1,000-point scorer this past season. The Women's Career Achievement Award comes full circle for Alley Taylor, who earned the title of Women's Freshman of the Year in her first season at UWG.
Full List of Awards and Nominees (Bold indicates the winner)
| Male Newcomer of the Year |
Harrison Frost |
Austin Fulton |
Mechane Slade |
Anthony Calabro |
| Female Newcomer of the Year |
Lauren O'Niell |
Janet Hartman |
Kelli Kaiser |
Coley Branum |
| Women's Community Service Team of the Year |
Cheerleading |
Women's Basketball |
Softball |
|
| Men's Community Service Team of the Year |
Men's Basketball |
Football |
Baseball |
|
| Women's Academic Team of the Year |
Women's Golf - 3.73 |
Volleyball - 3.63 |
Soccer - 3.60 |
|
| Men's Academic Team of the Year |
Men's Golf - 3.58 |
Cross-Country - 3.27 |
Baseball - 3.22 |
|
| Men's Clutch Performance of the Year |
Football |
Harrison Frost |
Seth Brown-Carter |
Jonathan Logsdon |
| Women's Clutch Performance of the Year |
Chanceley Book |
Brandi Boddy |
Jaylin Austin |
Jazmine Santiago |
| Female Athlete of the Year |
Ainsley Cowart |
Brandi Boddy |
Cece Carter |
Sydney Blackmon |
| Male Athlete of the Year |
Austin Fulton |
Harrison Frost |
Brody Wortham |
Kadeim Jones |
| Men's Strength of the Pack Award |
Joshua Still |
Ronny Piepmeier |
Michael Zabetakis |
Fuzzy Furr |
| Women's Strength of the Pack Award |
Sarah Harrell |
Kelli Kaiser |
Melita-Marie Roachford |
|
| Women's Career Achievement Award |
Alley Taylor |
Jazmine Santiago |
Brandi Boddy |
Camille Portalier |
| Men's Career Achievement Award |
Kadeim Jones |
Ben Walters |
Solomon Komen |
|
| Miss Wolf |
Brandi Boddy |
Ainsley Cowart |
Emilee Harris |
Janasia Smith |
| Mr. Wolf |
Brody Wortham |
Ben Walters |
Michael Zabetakis |
|
Athletic Director's Award Winners
The Athletic Director's Award is a Fraternity/Sorority style pin that signifies that a UWG Student-Athlete began their career at UWG and finished their career at UWG. For the 2022 WESTPY Awards, 27 student-athletes earned this distinction.
Women's Golf
Ari Samuel
Michelle Bagsic
Volleyball
Kaylyn Buchanan
Eldonna Steffen
Jesse Echols
Women's Track & Field
Meghan Daniels
Men's Cross-Country
David Walker
Baseball
Joseph Hill
Softball
Maddie Gorsuch
Alley Taylor
Kris Nix
Chandler Mevis
Kya Draper
Cheerleading
Melissa Blackmore-Wigley
Megan Cargle
Katilyn Groft
Allison Denney
Danielle Szadjek
Men's Golf
Ethan Jones
Football
Ben Walters
Chris Blackston
Matthew Parker
Brooks Norton
Landon Mathis
Dylan Jordan
Griffin Collier
Tanner McCrary
2020 WESTPY Awards
