MARIETTA, Ga. -The Southern States Athletic Conference handed out their annual athletic awards at the 10th Annual SSAC Awards Luncheon on May 21. The luncheon was held in conjunction with the spring conference meetings and was hosted by conference-member Southern Polytechnic State University.
AUM senior tennis player Daniel Plasa was named the 2008 SSAC Male Athlete of the Year. Plasa completed his career with another national championship with the Senators. He was named NAIA First Team All America this season and was the SSAC Player of the Year. Plasa went 17-1 in singles play this season and had four different doubles partners and won 19 doubles matches during the season.
Lee senior soccer player Janaina Novaes was named the 2008 SSAC Female Athlete of the Year. Novaes won the same award during the 2006-07 season. She is also a four time SSAC Women's Soccer Player of the Year. Novaes leaves the
Lee program will a large number of team and individual honors. She
helped coach Matt Yelton's team post and amazing record of 82-14-2 over
the past four years. The Lady Flames claimed four straight conference
titles and three consecutive region crowns. Novaes played a key role in
leading Lee to runner-up and semi-final finishes in four trips to the
NAIA National Tournament.
AUM Women's Tennis coach Scott Kidd was honored as the SSAC Women's Sports Coach of the Year. Kidd led the Lady Senators to their fifth consecutive national title. The Lady Senators finished the season with a 34-0 record, which is a record at AUM for most wins in a season. Kidd was also named the SSAC, NAIA Region XIII and NAIA National Coach of the Year.
Lee's Baseball coach Mark Brew was selected as the SSAC Men's Sport Coach of the Year. Brew in just his second year as Lee's head coach lead his flames to 61-8 (23-4) record this past year and his team received the number one seed in this years NAIA World Series.
Lee University's Athletic Director Larry Carpenter was named the SSAC Athletic Director of the Year. This award is voted on by the Athletic Director's from each school.
Head Shorter College athletic trainer Adam Joseph has been named the SSAC Athletic Trainer of the Year. Joseph attended Minnesota State University at Mankato from 1998-2002 and graduated with a Bachelor of Athletic Training (BATR). He then went on to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga from 2002-2004 and graduated with a Master of Science in Health and Human Performance. He came on to Shorter's staff in September of 2004 as a Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC), as part of the Floyd Medical Center group.
Lee University claimed its third straight Commissioner Cup. Lee won regular season championships in Women's Soccer, Volleyball, Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Baseball, Women's Cross Country and Men's Golf. Click here to see full Commissioner's Cup results.