By Joshua J. Darling, Sports Information Director
LAGRANGE, Ga. – With a strong 2022-23 campaign still chalking up milestones and impressive honors, LaGrange Athletics recognized the student-athletes that have made it possible during the Second Annual Pouncies Awards held at Callaway Auditorium on Wednesday, April 12.
The evening included remarks from LaGrange President Dr. Susanna Baxter and Vice President for Athletics and Recreation Terlynn Olds as well as the presentation of 11 awards.
In addition to the traditional awards one would expect, the Panthers presented a number of specialty honors. Among those were the Above and Beyond Award, representing an individual that has gone beyond their duties and responsibilities and is dependable, reliable and trustworthy. This year that individual was Assistant Director of Athletics and head men’s golf coach Shannon Lipham.
Typically the Athletic Director’s Valor Award is the highest honor given to a graduating LaGrange College student-athlete who has overcome personal challenges, represented the athletics program with the highest level of excellence and has grown tremendously in their years being part of the Panther Family.
Following a season in which they made program history with a trip to the College World Series while suffering from the unimaginable loss of two teammates, this year’s honoree was the entire LaGrange baseball program.
One of the more special awards presented is The Spirit of Panther Pride because it is an honor voted on by one’s fellow student-athletes. It is an award that is given to an individual who possesses and displays enthusiasm for all Panthers Athletics.
This individual can be found at numerous athletic events, displays their pride in being part of Panthers Nation and understands representing LaGrange Athletics is an honor and privilege. This year those individuals were De’Queze Fryer of football and Jada Brown of women’s basketball.
In addition to these honors, the Panthers also recognized the top performers in the arena and in the classroom, beginning with the Freshman/Newcomer of the Year. This year that would be Kaia King of women’s soccer, who played in all 16 games, starting 15 and registering seven goals and six assists for 20 points.
The program would also recognize the Team of the Year and would see a major award winner from that squad. That would be men’s soccer with head coach Ryan Dickson earning Coach of the Year honors following a year that saw them go undefeated in league play to claim the inaugural Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) Regular Season Championship as well as Coach and Player of the Year recognitions.
Not far behind them was women’s basketball with a historic campaign, due in large part to the play of Female Athlete of the Year sophomore Zyhia Johnson (Homerville, Ga.). The Panthers went 20-7 to tie the program’s NCAA Division III era wins mark and 13-3 in league play to claim the No. 2 seed in the CCS Tournament.
Johnson played in 26 games, starting 24, and averaged 15.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.1 assists per game while earning All-CCS First-Team honors. She would be joined as Male Athlete of the Year by senior third baseman Joe Ruth (Chiefland, Fla.) of baseball, who’s accomplishments came from the 2022 campaign. The latter allows for spring sports to be fully recognized along with their peers.
Ruth delivered a record-setting season that saw him earn All-American and multiple All-Region honors. He would play in 53 games, hitting .441, slugging .668 and producing 109 hits, 22 doubles, 10 homeruns and 83 RBIs in a season that saw the Panthers go 44-9, win their fifth straight USA South Championship and advance to the first College World Series in program history.
Perhaps the most important honors, however, stemmed from individuals who fully embraced the student part of student-athlete – the Male and Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year. Presented to graduating seniors with the highest cumulative Grade Point Average, these award recipients represent the best and brightest that LaGrange Athletics has to offer.
This year that was women’s basketball senior guard Jada Brown (Macon, Ga.) and men’s soccer senior forward Jaydon Parrish (Rincon, Ga.), who finished with GPAs of 3.78 and 3.82, respectively.
With LaGrange’s student-athletes, coaches and staff enjoying the evening, the event was well attended at the Callaway Auditorium and highlighted a very successful year on the fields, courts and courses for Panthers Athletics.
2023 LaGrange Athletics Pouncies Award Recipients
Panther Pride
De’Queze Fryer (Football)
Jada Brown (Women’s Basketball)
Athletic Directors’ Valor Award
Baseball
Above and Beyond Award
Shannon Lipham (Assistant AD/Head Men’s Golf Coach)
Team of the Year
Men’s Soccer
Coach of the Year
Ryan Dickson (Men’s Soccer)
Freshman/Newcomer of the Year
Kaia King (Women’s Soccer)
Female Athlete of the Year
Zyhia Johnson (Women’s Basketball)
Male Athlete of the Year
Joe Ruth (Baseball)
Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Jada Brown (Women’s Basketball)
Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Jaydon Parris (Men’s Soccer)
