Lynchburg's Milks, Randolph's Hunt Win Top Scholar-Athlete Awards
FOREST, Va. --- A pair of Lynchburg, Va.,
based schools saw one of their student-athletes earn the
conference's top honors in a vote of the ODAC Board of Directors at
the recently completed annual league meetings. Lynchburg
College field hockey standout Shelly Milks was recognized as the
Marjorie Berkley Award winner, while Randolph College men's
basketball star Colton Hunt was tabbed the winner of the Harry G.
"Doc" Jopson Award.
Inaugurated in 1984 and 1981, respectively, the Marjorie Berkley
and Harry G. "Doc" Jopson Scholar-Athlete Awards are given each
spring to member college seniors and conference sport participants
who exhibit the highest athletic, academic, and extracurricular
achievements. Ms. Berkley began her collegiate teaching
career at Lynchburg College. Several years later, Ms. Berkley
moved to Hollins University where she coached tennis, field hockey
and soccer, and served as the athletic director for 30 years.
The Jopson Award is named in honor of the Bridgewater College
professor and coach who retired in 1981 following 45 years at BC.
Dr. Jopson, who initiated and directed the Eagles' cross country
and track programs, led his teams to ODAC indoor track titles in
1979, 1980 and 1981, and outdoor crowns in 1978 through 1981.
Milks, a senior from Gloucester, Va., shined bright in all arenas
over her four years in the Hill City. In the classroom, Milks
boasted a 3.97 grade point average and graduated Summa Cum Laude as
an exercise physiology major with a minor in Spanish. She was
a recipient of a 2013 NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship. Milks
was a member of several honor societies including Phi Kappa Phi,
Omicron Delta Kappa, Phi Sigma Iota, and Phi Eta Sigma. The
two-time ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year for
field hockey earned Lynchubrg Dean's List honors all eight
semesters and was a four-time member of the NFHCA National Academic
Squad. She was also named a Scholar of Distinction by the
NFHCA. She will be entering the Lynchburg College Doctoral of
Physical Therapy program this coming fall.
On the field, Milks was a three-time NFHCA All-American, earning
first team honors each of the past two years. The two-way
midfielder was a four-time All-ODAC honoree, earning All-ODAC First
Team honors for three straight seasons, which coincided with her
being named the ODAC Player of the Year three consecutive times
(2010-12). She also earned the distinction as the Lynchburg
College Female Athlete of the Year three times (2011-13), and was
named the All-South Region Player of the Year in 2011.
Milks finished her career notching 105 total points,
including 33 this season on 11 goals and 11 assists as a standout
offensive, defensive and transition player for the
Hornets.
A team captain in 2012, Milks' leadership extended beyond the
playing field, evidenced by her recognition as a Leadership Award
Recipient by the Lynchburg Student Ambassadors. She served as
a student ambassador and admissions tour guide for two years.
She participated in several service projects including the
Salvation Army and Toys for Tots, as well as serving as a clothes
closet fundraiser and organizer for two years at the Newington
Baptist Church. Milks is also a musician as a violinist on
the LC Wind Symphony and Orchestra for four years each.
Hunt, a senior from Whittier, N.C., was named as the 2013
Capital One Academic All-American of the Year for NCAA Division III
men's basketball (as selected by CoSIDA), as he posted a 3.94 grade
point average in economics with minors in physics and finance. Hunt
was named the ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the
Year for men's basketball for the third consecutive season this
year and also was recognized as the Randolph College
Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He is a member of three Honor
Societies including the Omicron Delta Epsilon, Sigma Pi Sigma, and
Chi Alpha Sigma. He has been a Dean's List honoree all eight
semesters at Randolph.
Hunt has seen a plethora of awards come his way in 2012-13, none
more impressive that being named the 2013 Jostens Trophy recipient
as the top men's basketball student-athlete in the country.
He was also named to the NABC and
D3hoops.com All-America First Teams, was named the
South Region Player of the Year by both entities and earned VaSID
College Division Player of the Year accolades in addition to the
Kurt Axe ODAC Player of the Year award. Hunt was a three-time
All-ODAC First Team honoree, and holds the Randolph College record
for points in a career with 1,878. Hunt became the first-ever
player in the ODAC to score over 1,800 points, grab 600 rebounds,
dish out 200 assists and snatch 200 steals. He finished his
senior campaign third in the country in scoring at 24.2 points per
game.
The Randolph College Male Athlete of the Year also shined in the
community, as he served as a peer tutor in economics, business,
math and calculus as well as physics at Randolph. He has
volunteered at basketball camps in his hometown of Whittier, N.C.,
and also read to local elementary students and contributed to
Randolph's Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). He has
performed volunteer audits for several small businesses in the
western North Carolina area, and lent his time to the Virginia
10-miler race.
2013 Harry G.
“Doc” Jopson Award Nominees
Tim Wisniewski, Bridgewater
Ryan Eshleman, Eastern Mennonite
Ross Ellis, Emory & Henry
Colton Hunt, Randolph
Brayden Gerrie, Roanoke
Joe LaSala, Washington and Lee
2013 Marjorie Berkley Award Nominees
Shelly Milks, Lynchburg
Alea Bier, Roanoke
Jessica Edelman, Virginia Wesleyan
Lauren Schultz, Washington and Lee
Sport by Sport History of Winners
2003-04 Individual Sport Scholar Athlete Award Winners
2004-05 Individual Sport Scholar Athlete Award Winners
2005-06 Individual Sport Scholar Athlete Award Winners
2006-07 Individual Sport Scholar-Athlete Award Winners
2007-08 Individual Sport Scholar-Athlete Award Winners
2008-09 Individual Sport Scholar-Athlete Award Winners
2009-10 Individual Sport Scholar-Athlete Award Winners