BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- Moravian College is continuing its look back at the 2016-17 year with the second of two Top 10 lists beginning today with the Top 10 Stories of the Year. No. 10 on the list is Moravian honoring its seniors at the annual Senior Athletics Awards Banquet in Johnston Hall on May 10 where the major awards of the year are presented. Below is the original story on the award winners.
Women's basketball standout Camille McPherson was named the Outstanding Senior Female Athlete while football player Chris Negron was honored with the Outstanding Senior Male Athlete award. The Blue & Grey Scholar Athlete awards were presented to women's cross country student-athlete Sarah Hughes and football player Jalen Snyder-Scipio. The H.T.D. Gillespie Award for outstanding service to Moravian's athletics program was presented to Dr. William Falla.
McPherson, who has been a Greyhound for the last two years, was honored as the LVAIAW Outstanding Athlete for women's basketball and Moravian's Co-Outstanding Athlete after being named to the D3hoops.com All-Mid-Atlantic Region Second Team and the Women's DIII News Honorable Mention All-American. McPherson was also honored on the Landmark All-Conference First Team and the ECAC Division III Metro All-Star First Team as she led the Greyhounds in scoring at 22.9 points per game with her 642 points ranking as the second most in school history in a single season. McPherson also led the Hounds on the boards at 8.6 rebounds per game to go with a team high 59 three-pointers and eight double-doubles. She contributed 80 assists, 20 steals and 15 blocked shots, and McPherson shot 80.8 percent at the foul line (143-of-177), 47.5 percent from the floor (220-of-463) and 38.8 percent beyond the arc (59-of-152). This past winter, McPherson was also selected as the Lehigh Valley Small College Women's Basketball Pete Nevins Player of the Year while earning a spot on the LVSCB Team of the Year.
"It just means so much because I know those other athletes like Meg Brockett, just to be in the same sentence as them, means a lot," McPherson said. "I'm grateful that I've been able to play at Moravian."
Negron, who was a four-year starter on the football gridiron, was selected to the 2016 Centennial All-Conference First Team after three years on the Second Team. He registered his third 1,000-yard season this past fall, just the second running back in Moravian history with three 1,000 yards seasons, as he gained 1,020 yards on 208 carries to go with eight touchdowns, and Negron also caught 26 passes for 174 yards and another score. Negron completed his career with school records of 4,355 rushing yards, 855 rushing attempts, 39 rushing touchdowns, 5,136 all-purpose yards, 43 total touchdowns and 258 points while playing in all 41 games of his career.
"This is truly an amazing honor to get this award," stated Negron. To leave Moravian with everything that we've been through as a team to now, and just knowing that I have the support of my teammates, coaches and the campus as a whole, is amazing and an honor. I am truly thankful for this award."
Hughes had an outstanding senior year on the cross country course. She broke the 22-minute mark twice this past season including a career-best 21:48 at the Oberlin College Inter-Regional Rumble in Ohio on October 15, and she went on to compete at the 2016 NCAA Division III National Championships. Hughes ran 21:51 to finish second in the Landmark Conference race to earn a spot on the Landmark All-Conference First Team. Hughes had a time of 22:03 in the Paul Short Run and owns three of the top 20 fastest times in school history with all three run this fall. Hughes earned All-Mideast Region honors with an 11th place finish in 22:01, and she was also honored on the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Team. Hughes, who did not compete on the track this year due to an injury, has been named to the Landmark Conference Academic Honor Roll seven times in her career. She has a 3.89 grade-point average and is majoring in law and society at Moravian.
"It means so much. I had no idea I would be getting this award and it means a lot to be recognized for my academic success and athletic success while at Moravian," commented Hughes.
Snyder-Scipio is majoring in nursing at Moravian, and he has a 3.64 GPA and he was one of 156 semifinalists for the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame for the 2016 William V. Campbell Trophy, presented by Fidelity Investments. Snyder-Scipio was named to the Centennial Conference Fall Academic Honor Roll in 2014, 2015 and 2016, and he was also selected to the Centennial All-Conference Second Team in 2015 as well as the Centennial All-Academic Team in 2015 for earning All-Conference and Academic Honor Roll accolades. Snyder-Scipio served as a team captain for the Greyhounds this past fall for a second straight season. He set the school record for receptions with 159 in 37 career games, and Snyder-Scipio is third in school history with 16 career touchdown catches and fourth in career receiving yards with 1,803. Snyder-Scipio also participated in a mission trip to Honduras. (visit http://moraviansports.com/sports/fball/2015-16/releases/20160504u6za1h to read more about it.)
"It is very humbling. Just looking around the crowd and think about all of the other male athletes that were more than deserving of this award and I am humbled to have been selected," Snyder-Scipio said. "There are just so many people to thank, my coaches, my teammates, my family, my friends and colleagues. There are just a lot of people that should have their name on this award. It is a great honor."
Falla is an adjunct professor of Philosophy at Moravian. He is a tremendous follower of all of the Greyhounds' athletic teams and attends many home events throughout the year. Falla is also a fixture in Johnston Hall and Timothy Breidegam Fieldhouse speaking with coaches and student-athletes.
The number nine story in the Top 10 Stories of 2016-17 will be released on Friday, July 28.