The Southern Conference announced today the Athletes of the Month for April. One athlete is chosen from each in-season sport: baseball (pitcher and player), men’s and women’s golf, softball (pitcher and player), men’s and women’s outdoor track and field and men’s and women’s tennis.
Baseball
Player of the Month
Elon designated hitter Robert Rodebaugh and Furman’s A.J. Davidiuk were dubbed co-players of the months for their efforts in April. Rodebaugh garnered a hit for the Phoenix in all but two of its games in April, reaching base in all 18 games. The junior hit .464 (26-for-56) in the month and maintained a .634 on-base percentage. Rodebaugh mustered 11 extra-base hits (10 doubles) in April and tallied 21 RBIs and 17 runs, while also driving in a career-best five runs in a contest twice.
Furman’s Davidiuk was twice tabbed SoCon Player of the Week and TIAA-CREF SoCon Student-Athlete of the Week in April. In the month, Davidiuk hit a team-leading .449 (31-for-69) with six home runs and 27 RBIs. The Indian Trail, NC, native crossed the plate 18 times, helping to secure a .797 slugging percentage and a .513 on-base percentage. The senior was perfect in a 16-5 win over Georgia Southern, going 3-for-3 from the plate and driving in a career-high six runs.
Pitcher of the Month
Elon’s Steven Hensley obtained an unscathed 4-0 record in April, taking all four victories against conference opponents, including a 7.2 inning seven hit, eight strikeout performance in a win over the College of Charleston in Charleston, SC on April 2. In total, Hensley hurled 38.2 innings in the month, commandeering 42 strikeouts and a 2.79 ERA.
Men’s Golf
Western Carolina’s Matt Cook played in two events in April, placing second at the Wofford Invitational and winning the 2006 Southern Conference individual championship. Cook fired a three-round score of 217 to finish one stroke out of first place at the Wofford Invitational and was the top finisher among SoCon competitors. The Murphy, NC, product carded a three-round total of 211 at the SoCon championship at the par 72 The Links at Stono Ferry in Hollywood, SC, tying Greg Lewis for the best 54-hole performance at the SoCon championship in program history. His efforts at the championship earned him indiviudal medalist honors and SoCon Golfer of the Year plaudits by the league’s coaches.
Women’s Golf
College of Charleston’s Angie Hill led the College of Charleston women’s golf team to its first-ever Southern Conference championship at the par 72 Mill Creek Golf Club in Mebane, NC. Hill’s two-round tally of 138 at the championship acquired the senior her first individual medalist accolade at the championship. The SoCon Player of the Year’s second round 68 cemented her place in the league record books, as the score was a SoCon tournament and a College of Charleston record.
Softball
Player of the Month
Georgia Southern’s Shanita Black accumulated a .478 batting average in April, scoring 17 runs and tabulating eight RBIs. Black recorded a hit in 16 of the Eagles’ 20 games in April, including 10 multi-hit games. She owned a slugging percentage of .672 and posted five triples in the month to move to eight on the season, setting the new Georgia Southern standard in the category. Black was strong against league competition in the month, batting .538.
Pitcher of the Month
Appalachian State freshman Yancy Moose had a 0.80 ERA in April. Moose went 7-4 over the course of the month and saved one game against College of Charleston on April 9. The Hamptonville, NC, native procured 66 strikeouts on the month and gave up just two extra-base hits in 70.0 innings pitched.
Men’s Outdoor Track and Field
Over the course of the month of April, Western Carolina’s Zeb Johnson ran a 10.52 in the 100 meters, an NCAA qualifying mark of 20.88 in the 200 meters and ran the lead off on the 4x100 meter run winning team at the SoCon Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Johnson also claimed the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes at the SoCon championships and was named the league’s Track and Field student-athlete of the week for April 3.
Women’s Outdoor Track and Field
Chattanooga’s Shannon Wommack finished her conference championship career in tremendous fashion at the 2006 Southern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Wommack won both the 3,000-meter Steeplechase and the 1,500-meter run at the championship. Wommack claimed her third straight championship in the steeplechase, setting a new standard in the event at 10:34.87. In the 1,500 meters, Wommack finished the event with a time of 4:22.95. The mark was a new SoCon record and mustered Wommack her third SoCon championship, ending her championship career with 15 all-time SoCon championships.
Men’s Tennis
Damon Gooch of Elon commandeered a 7-0 record at No. 1 singles for the Phoenix in April. Gooch’s exploits helped earn him a league-best NCAA Division I ranking of #120 in the Fila Collegiate Tennis Rankings. The Gauteng, South Africa native was also named the SoCon’s Freshman of the Year and first-team All-SoCon in April.
Women’s Tennis
Davidson’s Lora Dushanova, who was named to the league’s second-team this season, acquired an 8-1 record at No. 6 singles over the course of the month of April. The freshman concluded the 2006 season with a 19-4 record and a 5-0 league mark in the month of April. Dushanova, with doubles partner Kate Levitt, went 4-1 at No. 3 doubles in SoCon matches in April, finishing the year 8-1 overall in league play.