SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference announced its October athletes of the month for football, men’s and women’s cross country, rifle, men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball Wednesday, highlighting excellence among student-athletes during the month.
FOOTBALL
OFFENSE
Devlin Hodges, Samford, So., QB
Samford quarterback Devlin Hodges guided the Bulldogs to a 4-1 record in October, including a 4-0 mark in conference play. Hodges completed 68.9 percent of his passes and amassed 2,004 yards through the air over five games with 18 touchdowns. The sophomore from Kimberly, Alabama, threw for at least 315 yards in every game and passed for 400 yards three times in October. Hodges recorded a career-high 468 yards through the air in Samford’s only loss in the month, at Mississippi State. He added 75 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground in October. Hodges earned three offensive player of the week awards from the SoCon in the month.
Others nominated: Cam Jackson (The Citadel), Marquise Irvin (Mercer), Richardre Bagley (Chattanooga), Detrez Newsome (Western Carolina) and Lorenzo Long (Wofford).
DEFENSE
Shaheed Salmon, Samford, Jr., LB
Junior linebacker Shaheed Salmon paced the Samford defense in October, recording 47 tackles, including 22 solo stops. He was credited with seven tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in the month. The Tampa, Florida, native recorded double-digit tackles in consecutive wins over Wofford and Furman, with 13 and 14, respectively. Salmon added two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and three pass break-ups during the month. He also blocked a kick in a win over VMI.
Others nominated: Kailik Williams (The Citadel), Dylan Weigel (ETSU), Tyler Ward (Mercer), Nakevion Leslie (Chattanooga), Tyson Dickson (Western Carolina) and Datavious Wilson (Wofford).
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
Frank Lara, Furman, Jr.
Furman junior Frank Lara won the individual title at the 2016 SoCon Men’s Cross Country Championship to lead the Paladins to their fourth consecutive team title. Lara posted a time of 23:16.33, a season-best, on the men’s 8K course at Camp Jordan Park in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The 2016 SoCon Men’s Runner of the Year also had success two weeks prior to the championship race, placing 20th at the Pre-NCAA Invitational among some of the best runners in the country. Lara paced the Paladins on the 8K course in Terre Haute, Indiana, finishing in 24:24.1 on Oct. 15 en route to league runner of the week honors.
Others nominated: Jordan Ross (The Citadel), Simeon Roberts (ETSU), Ahmed Jama (Mercer), Luke Sumerford (UNCG), Arsène Guillorel (Samford), Brennan Huber (Chattanooga), James Broom (VMI), Liam Brooks (Western Carolina) and Cisco Ferre (Wofford).
WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
Karisa Nelson, Samford, Jr.
Samford junior Karisa Nelson won the individual title at the 2016 SoCon Women’s Cross Country Championship, guiding the Bulldogs to second-place team finish. Nelson posted a personal-best time on the women’s 5K course at Camp Jordan Park in Chattanooga, Tennessee, finishing in 16:22.62 to edge Furman freshman standout Savannah Carnahan by two seconds. Her time is the best by any SoCon runner on a 5K course this season. The 2016 SoCon Women’s Runner of the Year was also the first Bulldog to win the women’s individual title since 2012. Nelson also had an impressive showing in the first half of October. The Brewton, Alabama, native led the Bulldogs at Alabama’s Crimson Classic race, placing seventh in the 6K on Oct. 14, with a time of 20:55.9. On Oct. 1, Nelson was the first Bulldog to complete the 5K course at the Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival, posting a time of 16:38.99 to claim sixth place overall.
Others nominated: Caillian Colquitt (The Citadel), Katie Hirko (ETSU), Savannah Carnahan (Furman), Anna Grzeszczak (Mercer), Katy Link (UNCG), Maddison Melchionna (Chattanooga), Logan Luckett (VMI), Shawnda Martin (Western Carolina) and Taryn Schoen (Wofford).
RIFLE
SMALLBORE
Ruthanne Conner, North Georgia, Jr.
North Georgia’s Rutheanne Conner earned the inaugural smallbore shooter of the month award after posting an average score of 566 in four events for the nationally ranked Nighthawks. She opened her season with a 568 at the Ole Miss Open before posting a 570 against No. 4 Kentucky as UNG set team smallbore and aggregate records on the day. The junior from Colville, Washington, placed first out of 28 competitors in smallbore as the Nighthawks hosted SoCon foes UAB, The Citadel and Georgia Southern, also finishing second in aggregate as North Georgia finished first as a team. She wrapped up her month with a 557 score against No. 18 Morehead State on Saturday.
Others nominated: Selina Curren (UAB), Allison Auten (The Citadel) and Courtney Weekley (Georgia Southern).
AIR RIFLE
Dakota Spivey, North Georgia, So.
North Georgia’s Dakota Spivey turned in a dominant month for the 20th-ranked Nighthawks, twice breaking the school record in air rifle. After opening the season with a 586 at the Ole Miss Open, Spivey set a school record with a 592 against No. 4 Kentucky, finishing first out of 13 competitors. The Dahlonega, Georgia, native also finished second in smallbore at the event to claim first in aggregate with a school-record 1164. Spivey followed that up with another record-breaking day when UNG hosted SoCon foes UAB, The Citadel and Georgia Southern, resetting his school record with a 594 in air rifle and taking first out of 28 shooters in both air rifle and aggregate. He finished his October with a 588 against No. 18 Morehead State, good for a second-place finish in the 22-shooter field, and finished first in smallbore (578) to erase his own aggregate school record with an 1166 to take first place.
Others nominated: Lilly Vonderau (UAB), Morgan Long (The Citadel) and Rosemary Kramer (Georgia Southern).
MEN’S SOCCER
Fletcher Ekern, ETSU, Jr., F
ETSU forward Fletcher Ekern paced the SoCon with 16 points and eight goals in October, leading the Bucs to a 7-1-1 record and their first league regular-season title. The junior from Knoxville, Tennessee, scored in four straight matches at one point in the month, starting with the program’s first-ever hat trick in a 4-3, double-overtime win at UNCG on Oct. 8 in which he scored the golden goal. He scored single goals in wins over VMI and Wofford before victimizing the Keydets again for two in the next meeting, including the game-winner. He closed his month with a score in a 3-2 win over Mercer on the final day of the regular season that clinched the Bucs’ first SoCon title. He was named the league’s player of the week on Oct. 18.
Other nominees: Will Bagrou (Mercer) and Matthew Aurednik (Wofford).
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Jermaine Seoposenwe, Samford, Sr., F
Samford forward Jermaine Seoposenwe repeated as athlete of the month after leading the league with 19 points and nine goals in October as the Bulldogs went 7-0-0 and wrapped up their third straight regular-season SoCon title. The senior from Cape Town, South Africa, who on Tuesday was named the SoCon Player of the Year, scored at least one goal in six of her seven matches, scoring twice each in wins over The Citadel, Western Carolina and VMI. She scored a goal and added an assist in a 4-0 win at Chattanooga for one of her four matches with at least three points. Five of Seoposenwe’s goals were game-winners, including an overtime strike in a 1-0 win at UNCG, and she was also 5-for-5 from the penalty spot in the month. With 38 points and a school-record 16 goals on the season, both league bests, Seoposenwe is attempting to become the first Bulldog to lead the SoCon in either category for a season.
Other nominees: Emilie Valenciano (The Citadel), Eleonora Goldoni (ETSU), Maddie Clark (Mercer), Katie Emig (Chattanooga) and Sayres McKenna (Western Carolina).
VOLLEYBALL
OFFENSE
Briana Allmon, ETSU, Sr., OH
ETSU’s Brianna Allmon averaged a team-high 4.61 kills per set while hitting .257 in nine matches played during the month of October. The Flower Mound, Texas, native recorded double-digit kills in eight of her nine matches and added a career-high 28 kills against Western Carolina on Oct. 7. Allmon registered a hitting percentage of .385, her highest in a match during October, on 11 kills in a sweep at Wofford on Oct. 14. The senior outside hitter concluded her month in a four-set win at UNCG on Oct. 29., recording her third 20-kill match this season and her sixth double-double after totaling 21 kills and 14 digs. Allmon led an offense that tallied six sweeps over SoCon opponents out of the Bucs’ eight October victories. Allmon, who earned two offensive player of the week awards in the month, currently ranks second in the SoCon in kills per set (3.98) on the season.
Others nominated: Moriah Smith (The Citadel), Morgan MacGilvary (Mercer), Ashley Muench (UNCG), Erin Bognar (Samford), Kristy Wieser (Chattanooga) and Catie Cronister (Wofford).
DEFENSE
Christina Gregory, UNCG, So., L/DS
UNCG libero Christina Gregory earned her second straight monthly honor after leading the conference in October in total digs (156) and digs per set (5.38) and leading the Spartans to a 7-1 conference record and 8-1 overall record. Gregory claimed double-digit digs in every match in October, reaching 20 against The Citadel (24), Samford (28), Chattanooga (23) and Western Carolina (20). The Louisville, Kentucky, native also added 31 assists, four service aces and just one service reception error to earn a .988 reception percentage. The three-time SoCon defensive player of the week in October leads the league in total digs (466) and digs per set (5.24) this season.
Others nominated: Samantha Epsy (The Citadel), Kristen Favre (ETSU), Tori Penrod (Mercer), Grace Tiesman (Samford), Dani Szczepanski (Chattanooga), Katie O’Connor (Western Carolina) and Colleen Reilly (Wofford).
Southern Conference October Athletes of the Month
Football – offense Devlin Hodges, Samford
Football – defense Shaheed Salmon, Samford
Men’s cross country Frank Lara, Furman
Women’s cross country Karisa Nelson, Samford
Rifle – smallbore Ruthanne Conner, North Georgia
Rifle – air rifle Dakota Spivey, North Georgia
Men’s soccer Fletcher Ekern, ETSU
Women’s soccer Jermaine Seoposenwe, Samford
Volleyball – offense Briana Allmon, ETSU
Volleyball – defense Christina Gregory, UNCG
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