University of Houston Athletics
University of Houston Honors Student-Athletes At Annual All-Sports Awards Banquet
May 5, 2004
Houston, Texas - The University of Houston recognized several outstanding student-athletes at its annual Sports Awards Dinner. Seniors Brandon Middleton and Chandi Jones headlined the list of award winners as they were named the male and female Cougar Athletes-of-the-Year.
Middleton was a First Team, All-Conference USA selection and honorable mention All-American after leading the Cougars and setting Conference USA records with 1,250 yards receiving and eight 100-yard games this season. He also caught 14 touchdowns on 55 receptions and ended his career with 2,873 yards receiving and trails only Elmo Wright in the UH record books.
Jones completed her collegiate career as one of the best basketball players, male or female, ever to play at the University of Houston. She became the first Conference USA player to earn First-Team, Kodak All-American honors after finishing third in the nation with 22.7 points per game. Jones ended her career setting six different school records and was among the top five players in four other categories.
Jones, who is in training camp with the WNBA defending champion, Detroit Shock, also was named the women's basketball team's MVP after leading the Lady Cougars to their first Conference USA regular season and tournament championships, first round win in the NCAA Tournament and a Number 16 national ranking.
Another UH football player, Jaron Barganier, received the Robert L. Grainger Outstanding Leadership Award. Barganier has devoted the last two years to improving the lives of children through his outreach efforts in the Greater Houston community. He has brought busloads of children to UH football games, assisted in day camps and clinics, and increased the amount of community service performed by our student-athletes exponentially. He also has developed relationships with schools and community centers around the city. He spends at least 20 hours per week in the Academic Center for Excellence getting student-athletes involved in outreach programs while also completing coursework for his bachelor's degree in consumer sciences and merchandising. As a member of the UH football team, he maintained a fall grade point average of 3.33. He has been accepted to the School of Law at Texas Southern University, but will continue his work at UH as the Outreach Coordinator for Student-Athletes.
Jaci Gonzalez, a two-sport star for the women's softball and volleyball teams, and Matt Schirmer, a three-year letterman for the Cougar football team, was given the Outstanding Student Athlete Scholarship Awards by the UH Alumni Organization.
In addition to Jones in women's basketball, the other team MVPs were: baseball's Kevin Roberts, Nicki Hawkins-of the women's soccer team, men's basketball player Anwar Ferguson, cross country runners Shawna Florida and Sesar Figueroa. The other MVPs included Cinthia Piva of the women's volleyball team and men's golfer Zach Mowbray. Krystal Ward was the women's indoor track MVP, while Conference USA Indoor Track Athlete-of-the-Year Stanford Routt was named the men's indoor track MVP. The list is rounded off with Szintia Szanto from women's swimming, women's diver Azul Almazan, along with women's tennis co-MVPs Miranda Foley and Kami Miller.
Three sports, which are still in competition, announced MVP candidates. The candidates for softball MVP are Kim Nesloney, Jenny Johnson and Kristen Glowacz. The candidates for men's outdoor track and field are Stanford Routt, Andrew Carruthers, Ron Veillon and Sesar Figueroa. The candidates for women's track are Krystal Ward and Alicia Cave.
In addition to the team MVPs, the 2003-04 Academic Champions were also selected. These Academic champions for 2003-04 were student-athletes who not only had strong academic performances plus progression toward graduation and had been involved in our community service and outreach program. The Academic champions are: baseball's Brett Cooley, Anwar Ferguson from men's basketball, women's basketball's Amanda Barksdale, football's Lance Everson, from golf, Denton Walker, soccer's Sarah Fisher, from softball Lindsay Durham, swimming's Lucille Turpin and diving's, Azul Almazon, women's tennis player Kamie Miller, Nichole Brundage from women's track, Ron Veillon from men's track and field, and Jacqueline Gonzalez from women's volleyball.
The women's tennis team was named the UH overall academic team champion for 2003-04 after setting a new school record for the highest combined cumulative grade point average following the fall semester.
Another group recognized was the 38 senior student-athletes, who are scheduled to graduate later this month, next summer, or fall. They are: men's basketball players Marcus Oliver and Anwar Ferguson; Amanda Barksdale, Chandi Jones, Nicole Oliver from the Women's Basketball team, Volleyball's Monica Prince; Brett Cooley. Cole Bruce, Matt Varner, Patrick Breen, Thanos Papavasiliou, Nick Bott and Brandon Roznovsky from the baseball team; Soccer's Emily Allwardt and Nicole Aubuchon; Denton Walker from the golf team; women's swimming and diving team members Kristina DeWitt, Brittney Dye, Laura Starr and Lucile Turpin; Karine Urbin from women's tennis; softball's Jenny Baker, Lindsay Durham, Jamie Falco, Arelis Ferreris, Jenny Johnson and Melissa Lynch; along with Farouk Adelekan, Harrison Arceneaux, Jaron Barganier, Al James, Jimmy McClary, Brandon Middleton, Corbin Mozisek, Jonathan Pritchett, Damien West, Jermain Woodard, Bart Zavaletta, Gus Zavaletta and Rex Hadnot from the football team along with track and field's Julie Perez, Jessie Oakes, Crystal Freeman, Tim Whitaker, Brandon Womack, Ronnie Martinez and Alex Cantu.