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2024 Aggie ESPYs

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The North Carolina A&T Department of Athletics held its annual ESPYs Athletics Awards Banquet Monday at the Alumni-Foundation Event Center on campus to celebrate the accomplishments of its student-athletes, coaches, administrators, donors and the A&T community. Women’s basketball, which reached the Super 16 of the postseason WNIT in March, had an enormous evening.

Women’s basketball point guard Jordyn Dorsey took home the biggest prize on the ladies’ side, claiming the Kayla White Female Athlete of the Year. She also received the Catherine Bonner Award for demonstrating determination and persistence while overcoming daily challenges. Teammate D’Mya Tucker took home the Aggie Athletic Foundation (AAF) Award for leadership and growth over four years.

Tucker led the Aggies to the NCAA tournament as a freshman and helped the team smoothly transition from the Big South Conference to the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) before aiding the Aggies in their run through the 2024 WNIT. She is scheduled to return for her COVID season in 2024-25.

Athletics also celebrated and acknowledged the tremendous accomplishments the department experienced under Chancellor Harold L. Martin, who will retire at the end of the 2023-24 school year after serving as chancellor at A&T for 15 years. They celebrated Martin with a 15-minute video presentation.

During Martin’s 15-year tenure at A&T, the Aggies won 61 conference and regular-season championships, 15 national championships and three Olympic Gold medals. A&T won 4.06 championships per year under Martin, and nine different coaches earned conference coach of the year.

Dr. Martin’s reach even went nationwide. Former director of track and field, Duane Ross, earned national coach of the year. His choice for athletics director in 2010, Earl M. Hilton III, won national Athletics Director of the Year. Kayla White became the first Aggie to win NCAA national player of the year when the NCAA named her National Indoor Women’s Track Athlete of the Year.

The top male superlative award went to men’s track and field hurdler Jason Holmes, who earned second-team All-American honors during the indoor season. The senior superlative awards went to bowler Lauren Tomaszewski as Senior Female Athlete of the Year and tennis standout Esteban Lopez as Senior Male Athlete of the Year.

Football’s Joshua Iseah claimed Male Rookie of the Year, and volleyball’s Kaili Doctor was named Female Rookie of the Year. Meanwhile, football’s Taymon Cooke won the A&T Sports Hall of Fame Award.


Below is the list of the award winners.

TARIK COHEN MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Jason Holmes, Men’s Track and Field

KAYLA WHITE FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Jordyn Dorsey, Women’s Basketball

Women’s Athletics Director’s Academic Team Award

Women’s Golf

Men’s Athletics Director’s Academic Team Award

Men’s Golf

Academic Athletes of the Year (Men)

Men’s Academic Athletes of the Year 4.0:

1. Connor Blantz, Baseball

2. Barry Turner, Football

3. Ayush Bodhale, Men’s Golf

4. Martin Gutierrez, Men’s Golf

5. Owen Walsh, Men’s Golf

6. Ethan Baly, Men’s Tennis

7. Esteban Lopez Jimenez, Men’s Tennis

Women’s Academic Athletes of the Year 4.0:

1. Taylor Allen, Cheerleading

2. Sharla Kirkpatrick, Softball

3. Melanie Katen,

Women’s Bowling

4. Tori Mouton, Women’s Golf

5. Kennedy Brown, Women’s Track and Field

6. Candace McGowan, Women’s Track and Field

7. Sady Moody, Women’s Track and Field

8. Valeria Estrada Figueroa, Women’s Volleyball

9. Hannah Howell, Women’s Volleyball

10. Liselotte Spoormakers, Women’s Volleyball

11. Arie Walker, Women’s Volleyball

Senior Male Athlete of the Year

Esteban Lopez,

Men’s Tennis SAAC Leadership Award

Arie Walker, Volleyball

Community Service Team of the Year

Football

AAF Award

D’Mya Tucker, Women’s Basketball

Michael and Catherine Simmons Leadership Award

Ralph Brown

Senior Female Athlete of the Year

Lauren Tomaszewski, Bowling

Catherine Bonner Award

Jordyn Dorsey, Women’s Basketball

Rookie Male Athlete of the Year

Joshua Iseah, Football

A&T Sports Hall of Fame Award

Taymon Cooker, Football

TEAM AWARDS

Bowling 2023-2024

Bowling Game Changer Award: Lauren Tomaszewski

Bowling Stallings Award: Grace Stull

Bowling Rising Star Award: Savannah Burgin

Women’s Track and Field 2023-2024

Women’s Track and Field Coach’s Award: Pebbles Scott

Women’s Field Most Valuable Performer: Julieth Nwosu

Women’s Track Most Valuable Performer: Lucheyona Weaver

Women’s Golf 2023-2024

Coach’s Award: Tori Mouton

Golfer of the year: Paris Fieldings

Rookie of the year: Paris Fieldings

Volleyball 2023

Volleyball Aggie Pride Award: Valeria Estrada

Volleyball Co-Defensive Players of the Year Award: Morgan Allen and Maya Johnson

Volleyball Most Valuable Player: Naiya Sawtelle

Volleyball Offensive Player of the Year: Naiya Sawtelle

Women’s Basketball 2023-24

Lady Aggies Defensive Player of the Year: Maleia Bracone

Lady Aggie Impact Player of the Year: Jordyn Dorsey

Lady Aggie Most Improved Player: Chaniya Clark

Lady Aggie Newcomer of the Year: Paris Locke

Lady Aggie Commit to Grit: D’Mya Tucker

Cheerleading 2023-2024

Cheer Coach’s Award: Kennedi Stevens

Cheer Most Valuable Performer: Tanasia Lemon

Cheer Most Improved Performer: Sydney Cooke

Cheer Rookie of the Year: Taylor Allen

Cheer Leadership Award: Isaiah Herbin

Cheer Most Spirited: Santana Baker

Softball 2023

Softball Aggie Academic Award: Sharla Kirkpatrick

Softball Aggie Pride Award: Kayla Taylor

Softball Defensive Player of the Year: Makayla Layton

Softball Player of the Year: N/A

Softball Pitcher of the Year: Sharla Kirkpatrick

Softball Offensive Player of the Year: Alyxx Estrada

Women’s Tennis 2023-2024

Women’s Tennis Most Valuable Player AGGIES 2.0 -Isabela Romanichen

Women’s Tennis Leadership Award AGGIES 2.0 - Tabeth Tadoum

Women’s Aggie Tennis Award AGGIES 2.0 - Nour Gueblaoui

Men’s Tennis 2023-2024

Men’s Tennis Most Valuable Player AGGIES 2.0- Esteban Lopez

Men’s Tennis Leadership Award AGGIES 2.0 - Mathieu Dussaubat

Rookie of the Year AGGIES 2.0 - Said Bash Akbarov

Men’s Basketball 2023-2024

Men’s Basketball Aggie Award: Ahmad Hamilton

Men’s Basketball Coach’s Award: Camian Shell

Men’s Basketball Most Improved Player: Jalal McKie

Men’s Basketball Most Valuable Player: Landon Glasper

Football 2023

Football Aggie Award: Cesar Minarro

Football Defensive Back of the Year: Karon Prunty

Football Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year: Barry Turner, Jr

Football Defensive Lineman of the Year: Joshua Iseah

Football Most Valuable Player: Kenji Christian

Football Most Improved Player: Kade Moledor

Football Most Outstanding Offensive Player of the Year: Kevin White

Football Offensive Lineman of the Year: Tairiq Stewart

Football Special Teams Player of the Year: Taymon Cooke

Rod Broadway Award: Lawrence Lagrone

Men’s Track and Field

Men’s Track and Field Coach’s Award: Brayden Hodgest

Men’s Field Most Valuable Performer: Carlos Alexander

Men’s Track Most Valuable Performer: Jason Holmes

Men’s Golf 2023-2024

Coach’s Award: Owen Walsh

Golfer of the year: Drew Walker

Rookie of the year: Camilo Marin

NO BASEBALL AWARDS