History of the LSU Track & Field Banquet

History of the

More than 100 LSU Track & Field alumni representing six decades of excellence were on hand for the inaugural LSU Track & Field Team Awards and Alumni Recognition Banquet held April 16, 2010.

LSU TRACK & FIELD BANQUET

LSU Track & Field has set aside one weekend to serve as a true celebration of the rich history and tradition of the NCAA’s most storied track and field program as the Tigers and Lady Tigers have welcomed alumni back to Baton Rouge as part of the LSU Track & Field Team Awards and Alumni Recognition Banquet. The event has been held in each of the past nine years.

The program enjoyed a historic evening on the night of April 16, 2010, when it hosted the inaugural LSU Track & Field Team Awards and Alumni Recognition Banquet with a crowd of more than 500 athletes, coaches, family and alumni in attendance at the Crowne Plaza Baton Rouge. In attendance at the inaugural banquet were more than 100 LSU Track & Field alums representing six decades of the most recognized combined program in all of collegiate track and field.

The event was established to recognize the current members of the LSU Track & Field program for their outstanding performance in competition, in the classroom and in the community, as well as honor the alumni who have laid the foundation of success enjoyed by the program today.

The second-annual team banquet was held on Easter weekend in 2011 as the event again saw a strong alumni representation on a glorious Good Friday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. ESPN’s Emmy award-winning track and field commentator Larry Rawson was on hand to serve as the Master of Ceremonies of the event that year. The event returned to the PMAC for two more years in 2012 and 2013 before moving over to the Carl Maddox Field House in 2014 and 2015. The event is now held at the Renaissance Hotel.

MEN’S AWARDS NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR AWARD 2010 – Caleb Williams 2011 – Horatio Williams 2012 – Riker Hylton 2013 – Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake 2014 – Vernon Norwood 2015 – Jordan Moore 2016 – Michael Cherry 2017 – Rayvon Grey 2018 – Damion Thomas

CROSS COUNTRY RUNNER OF THE YEAR AWARD 2010 – Cullen Doody 2011 – Richard Chautin 2012 – Cullen Doody 2013 – Roger Cooke 2014 – Philip Primeaux 2015 – Travis Pope 2016 – Dajour Braxton 2017 – Eric Coston 2018 – Harrison Martingayle

THE KENNER DAY AWARD 2010 – Barrett Nugent 2011 – Barrett Nugent 2012 – Michael Lauro 2013 – Damar Forbes 2014 – Joseph Caraway 2015 – Quincy Downing 2016 – Blair Henderon 2017 – LaMar Bruton 2018 – Jake Norris

MOST IMPROVED ATHLETE AWARD 2010 – Zedric Thomas 2011 – Michael Lauro 2012 – Damar Forbes/Caleb Williams 2013 – Rodney Brown 2014 – Quincy Downing 2015 – Tremayne Acy 2016 – Fitzroy Dunkley 2017 – Blair Henderson 2018 – Rayvon Grey

THE KIRT BENNETT AWARD 2010 – Kyle Rose 2011 – Brandon Gordon 2012 – Brandon Gordon 2013 – Joseph Caraway 2014 – David Collins 2015 – Philip Dempsey 2016 – Morgan Wells 2017 – LaMar Bruton 2018 – Dajour Braxton

MOST OUTSTANDING FIELD ATHLETE AWARD 2010 – Walter Henning 2011 – Walter Henning 2012 – Damar Forbes 2013 – Damar Forbes 2014 – Rodney Brown 2015 – Rodney Brown 2016 – David Collins 2017 – Johnnie Jackson 2018 – Jake Norris

MOST OUTSTANDING TRACK ATHLETE AWARD 2010 – Trindon Holliday 2011 – Barrett Nugent 2012 – Barrett Nugent 2013 – Aaron Ernest 2014 – Vernon Norwood 2015 – Vernon Norwood 2016 – Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake 2017 – Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake 2018 – Jaron Flournoy

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 2010 – Rabun Fox 2011 – Kyle Rose 2012 – Cullen Doody 2013 – Philip Dempsey 2014 – Philip Dempsey 2015 – Philip Dempsey 2016 – Christian Johnson 2017 – Jace Attuso 2018 – Harrison Martingayle EYE OF THE TIGER AWARD 2010 – Richard Jones 2011 – Walter Henning 2012 – Barrett Nugent 2013 – Rodney Brown 2014 – Quincy Downing 2015 – Joshua Thompson 2016 – Cyril Grayson 2017 – Michael Cherry 2018 – Jaron Flournoy

LEJUAN SIMON PERSEVERANCE AWARD 2015 – Aaron Ernest 2016 – Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake 2017 – Johnnie Jackson 2018 – JuVaughn Harrison

L CLUB CAPTAIN AWARD 2010 – Jeremy Hicks 2011 – Walter Henning 2012 – Michael Lauro 2013 – Barrett Nugent 2014 – Jaora Johnson 2015 – Rodney Brown/Quincy Downing/Vernon Norwood 2016 – Fitzroy Dunkley Cyril Grayson 2017 – Blair Henderson 2018 – Jack Wilkes

THE GLENN “SLATS” HARDIN AWARD 2010 – Walter Henning 2011 – Walter Henning 2012 – Barrett Nugent 2013 – Damar Forbes 2014 – Vernon Norwood 2015 – Vernon Norwood 2016 – Fitzroy Dunkley 2017 – Johnnie Jackson 2018 – Damion Thomas

WOMEN’S AWARDS NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR AWARD 2010 – Takeia Pinckney 2011 – Jasmin Stowers 2012 – Semoy Hackett 2013 – Natoya Goule 2014 – Nataliyah Friar 2015 – Daeshon Gordon 2016 – Kortnei Johnson 2017 – Cassondra Hall 2018 – Abby O’Donoghue

CROSS COUNTRY RUNNER OF THE YEAR AWARD 2010 – Jenna Henssler 2011 – Laura Carleton 2012 – Leigh-Ann Naccari 2013 – Laura Carleton 2014 – Morgan Schuetz 2015 – Morgan Schuetz 2016 – Ashley Welborn 2017 – Ersula Farrow 2018 – Julia Palin

ACADEMIC/ATHLETIC ACCOMPLISHMENT 2010 – Samantha Henry 2011 – Melissa Ogbourne 2012 – Laura Carleton 2013 – Laura Carleton 2014 – Denise Hinton/Jasmin Stowers 2015 – Mikiah Brisco 2016 – Morgan Scheutz 2017 – Morgan Scheutz 2018 – Mikiah Brisco

MOST IMPROVED ATHLETE AWARD 2010 – Brittany Hall 2011 – Kimberlyn Duncan 2012 – Denise Hinton 2013 – Laura Carleton 2014 – Tori Bliss/Chanice Chase 2015 – Morgan Schuetz 2016 – Ka’Lynn Jupiter 2017 – Kymber Payne 2018 – Kaitlyn Walker COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD 2010 – Lauren Saucier 2011 – Lauren Saucier 2012 – Katie Carroll 2013 – Laura Carleton 2014 – Tori Bliss 2015 – Tori Bliss 2016 – Shanice Holmes 2017 – Nataliyah Friar 2018 – Mikiah Brisco

MOST OUTSTANDING FIELD ATHLETE AWARD 2010 – Brittani Carter 2011 – Brittani Carter 2012 – Brittani Carter 2013 – Denise Hinton 2014 – Denise Hinton 2015 – Nataliyah Friar 2016 – Rebekah Wales 2017 – Rebekah Wales 2018 – Abby O’Donoghue

MOST OUTSTANDING TRACK ATHLETE AWARD 2010 – LaTavia Thomas 2011 – Kimberlyn Duncan 2012 – Kimberlyn Duncan 2013 – Kimberlyn Duncan/Natoya Goule 2014 – Jasmin Stowers 2015 – Aleia Hobbs 2016 – Mikiah Brisco 2017 – Aleia Hobbs 2018 – Women’s 4x1 (Mikiah Brisco, Kortnei Johnson, Rachel Misher, Aleia Hobbs)

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 2010 – Anna Lyons 2011 – Laura Carleton 2012 – Laura Carleton 2013 – Andria Aguilar 2014 – Therese Jernbeck/Chaiss Matthews 2015 – Andria Aguilar/Chaiss Matthews 2016 – Monica Guillot 2017 – Erika Lewis 2018 – Ashley Welborn

EYE OF THE TIGER AWARD 2010 – LaTavia Thomas 2011 – LaTavia Thomas 2012 – Charlene Lipsey 2013 – Natoya Goule 2014 – Nikita Tracey 2015 – Rebekah Wales 2016 – Morgan Schuetz 2017 – Travia Jones 2018 – Kymber Payne

LEJUAN SIMON PERSEVERANCE AWARD 2014 – Denise Hinton 2015 – Annie Simoneaux 2017 – Aleia Hobbs

L CLUB CAPTAIN AWARD 2010 – Katelyn Rodrigue 2011 – LaTavia Thomas 2012 – Melissa Ogbourne 2013 – Rebecca Alexander 2014 – Lynnika Pitts/Jasmin Stowers 2015 – Tori Bliss 2016 – Chanice Chase, Shanice Hall 2017 – Morgan Schuetz, Rebekah Wales 2018 – Mikiah Brisco, Aleia Hobbs

MOST OUTSTANDING FEMALE PERFORMER 2010 – LaTavia Thomas 2011 – Kimberlyn Duncan 2012 – Kimberlyn Duncan 2013 – Kimberlyn Duncan 2014 – Jasmin Stowers 2015 – Tori Bliss 2016 – Mikiah Brisco 2017 – Mikiah Brisco 2018 – Aleia Hobbs