June 18, 2010
Golfer Marina Alex and point guard Jermaine Beal have been named Vanderbilt’s 2009-2010 Athletes of the Year by vote of the school’s athletic administration. They become Vanderbilt’s official nominees for the Southeastern Conference Male and Female Athletes of the Year thanks to two outstanding seasons.
Alex followed up an excellent freshman year with an even better sophomore campaign, becoming only the second Commodore golfer ever to win the individual SEC Championship. Alex finished on top of a stacked leaderboard, outdueling Tennessee’s Erica Popson to win on the second playoff hole at Tuscaloosa’s NorthRiver Yacht Club on April 18. Her second-round score of 65 that weekend tied for the lowest single-round score in SEC championship history. At season’s end, she was deservedly named the SEC Golfer of the Year. In addition, she was named a First Team All-American by the National Golf Coaches Association, making her only the third golfer in Vanderbilt history to receive such recognition.
Alex displayed impressive consistency through the fall and spring, finishing in the top-10 in 11 of the 12 tournaments Vanderbilt entered, including four runner-up finishes. She finished ranked sixth in the nation in stroke average at 71.59, second in par-5 scoring (4.75), third in par-4 scoring (4.03) eighth in par-3 scoring (3.04) and third in hitting greens in regulation (77.6 percent of the time). During the season, she shot six rounds in the 60’s.
Beal, the only senior in the starting line-up, was the catalyst behind a resurgent season for the men’s basketball team, leading Vanderbilt to its third NCAA Tournament bid in his four seasons. A workhorse who averaged a team-high 32.5 minutes, Beal led the Commodores with 14.6 points and 3.1 assists per game. He also was a dynamic threat from beyond the arc, at one point hitting multiple 3-pointers in 12 consecutive games. For his efforts, he was a unanimous selection to the All-SEC First Team.
Vanderbilt enjoyed its best conference run during Kevin Stallings’ tenure under Beal’s leadership, winning its first five SEC games and going 12-4 overall to finish second in the East division. Among Beal’s numerous season highlights were a 25-point performance in an 85-76 triumph over Tennessee on Jan. 30, Vanderbilt’s first win in Knoxville in five years. Also, he poured in a career high 28 points and added seven assists against zero turnovers in a come-from-behind 96-94 victory against Georgia on Feb. 25.
Beal’s great year was the product of four years of consistent hard work, with his scoring average improving dramatically every season he played for the Commodores. He finished with a remarkable 91-41 record, making him the all-time winningest player for Vanderbilt men’s basketball.
Beal graduated in May with a degree in Human and Organizational Development, and he now hopes to play basketball on the professional level.
