FCSAA announces finalists for athletic, academic awards

Posted: May 16, 2020

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (May 16, 2020) – The Florida College System Activities Association (FCSAA) has announced the finalists for its 2019-20 Athlete and Scholar-Athlete of the Year Awards.

Winners will be announced during the Council for Athletic Affairs' (CAA) Spring Meeting, which takes place May 18 and 19. 

Nominees for Male and Female Athletes of the Year are comprised of each FCSAA-sanctioned sport's Player of the Year recipient, as well as any nominees submitted from non-FCSAA sanctioned sports such as swimming and diving.

Likewise, all sanctioned sports have a Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award, and the recipients automatically qualify for the state award, however, student-athletes from non-sanctioned sports may be nominated. Nominees must be a second-season participant and have completed at least three full-time terms, including at least one at a FCSAA instituion, with a minimum 3.30 GPA. Citizenship and athletic prowess are taken into consideration. 

Male Athlete of the Year Nominees 

  • Yassin Raffay, Seminole State College, cross country  – Men's Runner of the Year, 2019 FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 Men's Individual Champion, two-time FCSAA All-State, placed 64th at 2019 NJCAA Championships
  • Abdel Kuku, Eastern Florida State College, soccer – First-team NJCAA All-America, USCA All-East Region, Region 8 Player of the Year, First-team All-Region 8; 2019 stats: 2 goals, 4 assists, 8 points; led team to Region 8 Championship, District Runners-up, National Runners-up
  • Walyn Napper, College of Central Florida, basketball – First-team NJCAA All-America, FCSAA Player of the Year, FCSAA All-State, Mid-Florida Conference Player of the Year, First-team All-Mid Florida Conference, FCSAA All-Tournament Team; 2019-20 stats: 16.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 5.4 apg, .494 FG%, led team to Mid-Florida Conference Championship, FCSAA Semifinals
  • Jarryd Baxter, Indian River State College, swimming – 2020 NJCAA Male Swimmer of the Year, 4-time NJCAA All-American, 4-time NJCAA Champion, led team to NJCAA Championship; for career, 11-time NJCAA All-American, 11-time NJCAA Champion (7 individual, 4 relays), 11-time College Swim Coaches' Association of America All-American; NJCAA Record Holder in 500 Free, 1000 Free, 200 Back, 200 IM; led team to consecutive national championships

Female Athlete of the Year Nominees

  • Olivia D'Angelo, Pasco-Hernando State College, cross country – two-time Women's Runner of the Year, two-time FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 Women's Individual Champion, two-time FCSAA All-State, placed 89th at 2019 NJCAA Championships; finished 17th in NJCAA Half Marathon
  • Isabel Martin, Hillsborough Community College, volleyball – First-team NJCAA All-America, First-team AVCA All-America, FCSAA Division I Player of the Year, FCSAA All-State, FCSAA All-Tournament, First-team All-Suncoast; 2019 stats: 4.6 kills/set, 2.9 digs/set, .308 hitting percentage; led team to FCSAA Runners-up, sixth-place finish in NJCAA Tournament
  • Emma Richards, Gulf Coast State College, volleyball – Second-team NJCAA All-America, FCSAA Division II/Sun-Lakes Conference Player of the Year, First-team All-Sun-Lakes; 2019 stats: 3.1 kills/set, .411 hitting percentage; led team to Sun-Lakes Conference regular season and tournament championships, 10th place finish at NJCAA Tournament
  • Morgan Miller, Eastern Florida State College, soccer – First-team NJCAA All-America, Region 8 Player of the Year, First-team All-Region 8, United Soccer Association First-team All-America; 2019 stats: 17 goals, 4 assists, 38 points; led team to Region 8/FCSAA Championship, District Championship, NJCAA Semifinals
  • Ahlana Smith, Gulf Coast State College, basketball – NJCAA Player of the Year, First-team NJCAA All-America, WBCA All-America, FCSAA Player of the Year, FCSAA All-State, Panhandle Conference Player of the Year, First-team All-Panhandle; 2019-20 stats: 20.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.0 apg, .439 FG%; led team to FCSAA Runners-up and berth in NJCAA Tournament
  • Savanna Best, Indian River State College, swimming – 2020 NJCAA Female Swimmer of the Year; 7-time NJCAA All-American, 7-time NJCAA Champion, led team to NJCAA Championship; for career, 13-time NJCAA All-American, 13-time NJCAA Champion (7 individual, 4 relays), 13-time College Swim Coaches' Association of America All-American; led team to consecutive national championships

Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year Nominees

  • Jordan Briones, Florida State College at Jacksonville, baseball – Bill Tuten Scholar-Athlete Award winner, 4.0 GPA; as a freshman, was named All-Academic by Mid-Florida Conference and FCSAA, First-team NJCAA All-Academic
  • Remy Robert, II, State College of Florida, men's basketball – Hal Chasey Scholar-Athlete Award winner, 3.88 GPA; as a freshman, was named All-Academic by Suncoast Conference and FCSAA; Second-team NJCAA All-Academic

Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year Nominees

  • Bruna Avila, Daytona State College, volleyball – Roberta Stokes Scholar-Athlete Award winner, 4.0 GPA; as a freshman, was named All-Academic by the Mid-Florida Conference and FCSAA, First-team NJCAA All-Academic; First-team All-Mid-Florida, FCSAA All-State, Honorable Mention NJCAA All-America
  • Maria Benetiz-Zayas, Palm Beach State College, basketball – Sandi Miller Scholar-Athlete Award winner, 3.88 GPA; as a freshman, was named All-Academic by Southern Conference and FCSAA, Second-team NJCAA All-Academic; two-time All-Southern
  • Sara Ramirez, State College of Florida, tennis – Vicki Schnurr Scholar-Athlete Award winner, 3.95 GPA; as a freshman, was named All-Academic by Suncoast Conference and FCSAA, First-team NJCAA All-Academic; as a freshman, advanced to #3 flight semifinals at FCSAA Tournament
  • Mikayla Lewin, Chipola College, softball – Jean Williams Scholar-Athlete Award winner, 4.0 GPA; as a freshman, was named All-Academic by Panhandle Conference and FCSAA, First-team NJCAA All-Academic; led team to 2019 NJCAA Championship, NJCAA All-Tournament Team, FCSAA All-Tournament Team, First-team All-Panhandle
  • Genevieve Printiss, Tallahassee Community College, cross country – Larry Monts Scholar-Athlete Award winner, 4.0 GPA; as a freshman, was named All-Academic by Panhandle Conference and FCSAA, First-team NJCAA All-Academic; two-time NJCAA Cross Country Coaches Association Scholar All-America; as a sophomore, finished 3rd and FCSAA Championships, named FCSAA All-State, placed 67th at NJCAA Championships; also ran track and qualified for 2019 NJCAA Championships as a freshman
  • Gabriella Tolento, Indian River State College, diving – 4.0 GPA; as a freshman, was named All-Academic by the Southern Conference and FCSAA, First-team NJCAA All-Academic; two-time College Swim Coaches' Association Academic All-America, two-time NJCAA Diver of the Year, 4-time NJCAA All-American, member of PTK, 2020 class of distinguished scholars