June 20, 2007
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Vanderbilt pitcher David Price has been named the 2006-2007 Roy F. Kramer SEC Male Athlete of the Year by a vote of the league’s athletics directors, Commissioner Mike Slive announced today.
Price is only the second Vanderbilt athlete to win the award since it began in 1976. Men’s basketball star Will Perdue was the first Commodore to receive the honor in 1988.
Price is also the first baseball player to receive the award since South Carolina’s Kip Bouknight won it in 2000.
“This is a very special award for me and the university,” said Price. “I am very thankful to the baseball coaching staff for helping me develop during my time at Vanderbilt and this year has definitely been a special one for me and my teammates.”
A finalist for the Roger Clemens and the Golden Spikes Awards, Price was the No. 1 pick by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the recent Major League Draft. He went 11-1 with a 2.71 ERA during the 2007 season with 194 strikeouts, just missing the SEC record. He walked only 29 batters and lead the SEC in five pitching categories including innings pitched, strikeouts, and wins.
The junior from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, was named Collegiate Baseball’s Co-Player of the Year, the winner of the Dick Howser and became the first two-time finalist for the Golden Spikes Award since 1997 and 1998. A two-time USA Baseball National Team pitcher, Price was also named the 2007 SEC Pitcher of the Year and first-team All-America.
The other male nominees were: Emeel Salem, Alabama (baseball); Darren McFadden, Arkansas (football); : Steven Segerlin, Auburn (swimming & diving); Chris Leak, Florida (football); John Isner, Georgia (tennis); Andre’ Woodson, Kentucky (football); JaMarcus Russell, LSU (football); Barnabas Kirui, Ole Miss (track & field); Edward Easley, Mississippi State (baseball); Chris Lofton, Tennessee (basketball).
The other female nominees were: Terin Humphrey, Alabama (gymnastics); Stacy Lewis, Arkansas (golf); Kerron Stewart, Auburn (track & field); Angie McGinnis, Florida (volleyball); Courtney Kupets, Georgia (gymnastics); Brooke Marnitz, Kentucky (softball); Megan Falcon, LSU (tennis); Armintie Price, Ole Miss (basketball); Chelsea Bramlett, Mississippi State (softball); Natasha Hastings, South Carolina (track & field); Jacqui Concolino, Vanderbilt (golf).
The SEC Athletes of the Year Awards were first presented in 1976 for men and 1984 for women. The honor was renamed the Roy F. Kramer Athletes of the Year in 2004 to honor the former commissioner who served the conference from 1990-2002.
Past recipients of the SEC Athlete of the Year Award include: 2006 – Xavier Carter, LSU (track & field) and Seimone Augustus, LSU (basketball); 2005 – Ryan Lochte, Florida (swimming) and Kirsty Coventry, Auburn (swimming); 2004 – Alistair Cragg, Arkansas (cross country/track) and Jeana Rice, Alabama (gymnastics); 2003 – Alistair Cragg, Arkansas (cross country/track) and LaToya Thomas, Mississippi State (basketball); 2002 – Walter Lewis, LSU (track & field) and Andree’ Pickens, Alabama (gymnastics); 2001 – Matias Boeker, Georgia (tennis) and Amy Yoder Begley, Arkansas (cross country/track); 2000 – Kip Bouknight , South Carolina (baseball) and Kristy Kowal, Georgia (swimming); 1999 – Tim Couch, Kentucky (football) and Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee (basketball); 1998 – Peyton Manning, Tennessee (football) and Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee (basketball); 1997 – Danny Wuerffel, Florida (football) and Trinity Johnson, South Carolina (softball); 1996 – Danny Wuerffel, Florida (football) and Saudia Roundtree, Georgia (basketball); 1995 – Todd Helton, Tennessee (baseball) and Jenny Hansen, Kentucky (gymnastics); 1994 – Corliss Williamson, Arkansas (basketball) and Nicole Haislett, Florida (swimming); 1993 – Jamal Mashburn, Kentucky (basketball) and Nicole Haislett, Florida (swimming); 1992 – Shaquille O’Neal, LSU (basketball) and Vicki Goetze, Georgia (golf); 1991 – Shaquille O’Neal, LSU (basketball) and Daedra Charles, Tennessee (basketball); 1990 – Alec Kessler, Georgia (basketball) and Dee Foster, Alabama (gymnastics); 1989 – Derrick Thomas, Alabama (football) and Bridgette Gordon, Tennessee (basketball); 1988 – Will Perdue, Vanderbilt (basketball) and Dara Torres, Florida (swimming); 1987 – Cornelius Bennett, Alabama (football) and Lillie Leatherwood-King, Alabama (track and field); 1986 – Bo Jackson, Auburn (football) and Jennifer Gillom, Ole Miss (basketball); 1985 – Will Clark, Mississippi State (baseball) and Penney Hauschild, Alabama (gymnastics); 1984 – Terry Hoage, Georgia (football) and Tracy Caulkins, Florida (swimming); 1983 – Herschel Walker, Georgia (football/track and field); 1982 – Buck Belue, Georgia (football/baseball); 1981 – Rowdy Gaines, Auburn (swimming); 1980 – Kyle Macy, Kentucky (basketball); 1979 – Reggie King, Alabama (basketball); 1978 – Jack Givens, Kentucky (basketball); 1977 – Larry Seivers, Tennessee (football); and 1976 – Harvey Glance, Auburn (track and field).
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