By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It's the highest honor a Tennessee Tech student-athlete can receive. A player who excels on the field, in the classroom and in the community. By the end of their collegiate career, they stand as a shining example of what a Golden Eagle is supposed to be.
On Thursday evening, as part of the annual Golden Wings Awards, Tennessee Tech will announce its 2017-18 winner of the Man of the Year Award.
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be a senior or graduate student who has completed his athletic eligibility during the 2017-18 season. Criteria for selecting the award include both athletic and academic accomplishments, as well as additional areas such as community and campus involvement and public service activities.
The five finalists, in alphabetical order, include:
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Kajon Mack | Senior | Los Angeles, Calif. | Men's Basketball In his two years with the Golden Eagles, Mack made an impact. Most recently, he averaged 12.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game, shooting 41.4 percent from the floor and 77.4 from the free throw line. He helped with the Cookeville Regional Medical Center Charitable Foundation, Carnival Day at Northeast Elementary and the Upward basketball clinic at First Baptist Church. He also received the OVC's Medal of Honor in the 2016-17 season and will earn two master's degrees from the university. |
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Elliott Normand | Senior | Oak Ridge, Tenn. | Football A force in the Golden Eagle defense, Normand recorded 88 tackles, including 33 unassisted with eight for-loss and a sack. Academically, he was named to CoSIDA's Academic All-District team, was selected as a Scholar-Athlete Award recipient by the Middle Tennessee chapter of the National Football Foundation, and was named to the NFF's Hampshire Honor Society. He has had a paper published as his "Polarized Neutrons in Condensed Matter Investigations" was included in Journal of Physics: Conference Series, Volume 711. Normand worked with Northeast Elementary students, volunteered at the TSSAA BlueCross Bowl high school state championship games, was a counselor for the Tennessee Governor's School of Emerging Technologies, volunteered at Rich Froning's Mayhem for Mustard Seed Ranch event and helped with the FIRST Lego League middle school program. |
Trevor Putzig | Senior | Louisville, Ky. | Baseball Putzig has put together tremendous numbers for the Tech baseball team, hitting .355 with 10 home runs and 43 RBI. Last season, he ranked seventh nationally in batting average and sixth in hits. Off the field, he was named to CoSIDA's Academic All-America second team roster. An FAA licensed pilot, Putzig has proven himself as a multi-faceted scholar. He has been involved with the TVA Investments Challenge Program, been a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma Business Honor Society, as well as a member of the Associated Scholars Guild. Putzig has also worked with Tech baseball camps, Fall Fun Fest, tutoring at Cane Creek Elementary and has worked with the HPEO Honors Program's Service Committee. |
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Mason Ramsey | Senior | Livingston, Tenn. | Men's Basketball Ramsey stood tall for the Tech men's basketball team, averaging 10.4 points a game for the Golden Eagles. A team captain for the Tech men, Ramsey earned his bachelor's degree last year and is on track to receive his master's degree in May. He helped work with Northeast Elementary's Carnival Day, the Upward basketball clinic at First Baptist Church, handed out clothing and toys at local churches, as well as provided food for children and ran a basketball camp and drill session in a trip to the Dominican Republic. |
A.J. Wilkerson | Senior | Sparta, Tenn. | Men's Golf Wilkerson has been a great leader for the Tech men's golf team. He has posted a 75.36 scoring average and has a low round of 70 to his credit. In the community, Wilkerson served as a bell ringer for the Cookeville Rescue Mission during its Christmas drive. He also read to children at Northeast Elementary, volunteered with Capshaw Elementary's Cougar Run and was a judge for the Mayhem at Mustard Seed Ranch event. He is a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. He has also worked with the Great Move-In Day and Fall Fun Fest events. |
The Man of the Year Award was established in 1993, and 25 winners have been selected in that span. The previous winners are:
1993 – Ben Holt (Baseball)
1994 – Mike Kinney (Baseball)
1995 – Willie Queen (Football)
1996 – Gerald Bentley (Football)
1997 – Robert Taylor (Football)
1998 – Jeff Norman (Football)
1999 – T.J. Christian (Football)
2000 – Wes Gallagher (Football)
2001 – Larrie Smith (Basketball)
2002 – Grant Swallows (Football)
2003 – Brent Jolly (Basketball)
2004 – Luis Aquerrevere (Tennis)
2005 – Brett Vavra (Football)
2006 – David McMahan (Football)
2007 – Anthony Ash (Football)
2008 – Thomas Nelson (Baseball)
2009 – Bradley Thompson (Football)
2010 – Josh Simer (Golf)
2011 – Kelechi Ordu (Football)
2012 – Corey Watson (Football)
2013 – Tristan Archer (Baseball)
2014 – Dennis Ogbe (Basketball)
2015 – Marty Jones (Football)
2016 – Stephen Bush (Football)
2017 – Daniel Williamson (Cross Country)
