June 21, 2018
Seventy-five East Central Community College student-athletes have been honored by either the National Junior College Athletic Association or the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges, or both organizations, for their academic performance during the 2017-18 academic year.
In all, 45 ECCC student-athletes were recognized by the NJCAA and 75 were honored by the MACJC. East Central was third among all 15 community and junior colleges in Mississippi in the number of student-athletes honored by the NJCAA.
The NJCAA presents awards in three categories: First Team NJCAA All-Academic (for those achieving a perfect 4.0 grade-point average), Second Team NJCAA All-Academic (3.80 to 3.99 GPA), and Third Team NJCAA All-Academic (3.60 to 3.79 GPA).
Receiving First Team NJCAA All-Academic and their respective high schools were Kelsey Bayles (women’s soccer), Northwest Rankin; Macy Brabham (softball), Brookhaven; George Farid (baseball), St. Aloysius Gonzaga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada; Cory Furlow (men’s soccer), Clinton; Mackenzie Johnson (softball), Nanih Waiya; Annika Jones (softball), Leake Academy; Tom Langelaar (men’s tennis), Van Maerlant, Veldhoven, Netherlands; Ashley Langham, (women’s soccer), Florence; Cassie Obman (softball), Caledonia; Marlee Parkes (softball), Nanih Waiya; Tagen Remmel (softball), Clinton; Shelby Walters (softball), Northwest Rankin; and Bethany Wellerman (women’s tennis), Newton County Academy.
Receiving Second Team NJCAA All-Academic were Mario Asagunla (football), Hillcrest Christian, Jackson; Kayla Beckham (softball), Neshoba Central; Andrew Bernard (men’s soccer), Southeast Lauderdale; Nathan Davis (golf), Newton County; Ali Gartman (softball), Loyd Star; Gabriela Gomez (women’s tennis), Agustiniano Salitre School, Bogota, Colombia; Ryan Gunter (women’s soccer), George County; Jay Johnston (baseball), Lake; Emontie Lewis (men’s tennis), Terry; Madalyn McMahon (softball), Neshoba Central; Ethan McMullan (football), Newton County; Kenyatta Moore (softball), Philadelphia; Carolyn Nickles (women’s soccer), East Rankin Academy; Anna Norris (softball), Geraldine, Grove Oak, Ala.; Carrington Payne (women’s soccer), Richland; Kenneth Scott (baseball), Clarkdale; Jacob Thomas (men’s soccer), Northwest Rankin; Kelli Vaughn (women’s soccer), Stanhope Elmore, Millbrook, Ala.; Woody Vowell (baseball), Choctaw County; and Georgie Wilson (women’s soccer), Trinity College Senior, Adelaide, Australia.
Receiving Third Team NJCAA All-Academic were Jerome Adkins (men’s basketball), Clarkdale; Cain Cleveland (baseball), Newton County; Kolby Crowley (baseball), East Webster; Jacob Edwards (baseball), Newton County; Landon Gibson (men’s tennis), Clarkdale; Hunter Harper (baseball), Enterprise; Alex Hay (baseball), Lewisburg; Julia Johnston (women’s tennis), Florence; Wilton Ladner (men’s tennis), Stone County; Feria Mays (women’s basketball), Kosciusko; Alyssa Pendergrass (softball), Columbia; and Jacob School (golf), Madison Central.
The academic honors presented to student-athletes on the state level include MACJC Distinguished Academic All-State (those earning a 3.8 to 4.0 GPA) and MACJC Academic All-State (3.25 to 3.79 GPA).
ECCC student-athletes receiving MACJC Distinguished Academic All-State were Mario Asagunla, Kelsey Bayles, Kayla Beckham, Andrew Bernard, Macy Brabham, Nathan Davis, George Farid, Cory Furlow, Ali Gartman, Gabriela Gomez, Ryan Gunter, Jay Johnston, Mackenzie Johnson, Annika Jones, Tom Langelaar, Ashley Langham, Emontie Lewis, Madalyn McMahon, Ethan McMullan, Kenyatta Moore, Carolyn Nickles, Anna Norris, Cassie Obman, Marlee Parkes, Carrington Payne, Tagen Remmel, Kenneth Scott, Jacob Thomas, Kelli Vaughn, Woody Vowell, Shelby Walters, Bethany Wellerman, and Georgie Wilson.
Those receiving MACJC Academic All-State were Jerome Adkins; Austin Braswell (baseball), Presbyterian Christian, Hattiesburg; Connor Breland (football), Union; Cain Cleveland; Kolby Crowley; Ryan Cupit (baseball), West Monroe, La.; Jacob Edwards; Landon Gibson; Tanner Elders (baseball), Newton County; Sarah Gilliland (women’s soccer), Northwest Rankin; Dillon Green (men’s soccer), Warren Central; Hunter Harper; Chris Harris (baseball), D’Iberville; Alex Hay; Jordan Havens (women’s soccer), Horn Lake; Haley Hutcherson (women’s soccer), Clarkdale; Reagen Jacobs (softball), Denham Springs, La.; Julia Johnston; Haley Jones (women’s soccer), Pelahatchie; Wilton Ladner; Davis Lott (baseball), Lewisburg; Feria Mays; Sara Mazzella (women’s tennis), Newton County Academy; Noah Nance (men’s golf), East Central; Thurston McCarty (men’s basketball), Quitman; Melanie McMillan (softball), Lake; Kaitlyn Oswalt (softball), Heritage Academy, Columbus; Alyssa Pendergrass; Chris Perez (men’s soccer), Forest; Tre Pinkston (men’s basketball), Forest; Tatiana Quinonez (women’s tennis), Liceo San Rafael School, Bogota, Colombia; Cayman Ruffin (men’s basketball), Neshoba Central; Jacob School; Eva Scott (softball), Burleson Centennial, Burleson, Texas; Katherine Shell (softball), Brookhaven; Anderson Shelley (baseball), Washington School, Greenville; Dylan Shoemaker (men’s soccer), Forest; V.J. Swanier (football), Pass Christian; Nehemiah Thompson (football), Harrison Central; Alexis Tindall (women’s tennis), Newton County Academy; Philip Webster (men’s soccer), West Lauderdale; and Brandon Williams (men’s basketball), Leake County.
