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Awards Handed Out at Women’s Basketball Banquet 4-13-04 4/13/2004 Benningfield, Hager Share MVP Award Seniors Jenni Benningfield and Hillary Hager were named recipients of the Commodore Award, presented to the Most Valuable Player of the women’s basketball team, at the team’s annual awards banquet Tuesday night. Benningfield and Hager led the Commodores to a 26-8 record, a championship at the SEC Tournament and a berth in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. Benningfield, from Louisville, Ky., was the team’s leading scorer averaging 13.1 points per game despite battling a stress fracture in her foot for more than half the season. She earned second team all-SEC honors. Hager, from Franklin, Pa., averaged nearly 12 points per game and was near the top of many team statistical categories. She was also named the Southeastern Conference’s Academic Player of the Year for women’s basketball. Others honored at the banquet included Carla Thomas, who won the Most Improved and Best Defender Awards. Thomas, a freshman from Mechanicsburg, Pa., was an SEC all-freshman selection after coming on strong the second half of the season. She was the MVP of the SEC Tournament, just the second freshman in history to win the honor. Senior Vanessa Ferragamo of Orange, Calif., was presented with the Chloe Stroop Spirit Award, and Hager was given the Bedford Hunter Loyalty Award. Both awards were named in honor of dedicated, long-time Commodore fans. |
