COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) announced their annual All-American Athlete Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year Award recipients. Converse University had 15 athletes named to this year's prestigious list.
Earl Burgess III, Jay Mitchell, Chloe Cleland, Nia Jackson, Zephaniah Cox, Eseose Okoduwa, Sydney Shipp, Kilee Bradeen, Sloane Kinley, Jordan Brown, Alexis Becker, Leopold Morel, Khushi Kharb, Martin Burgos, and Gencie Coan all earned the accolade this season.
This past season Earl Burgess III averaged 21.6 minutes per game for the basketball team, shooting 54.8 percent from the field and 74.3 percent from the free throw line. The senior tallied 178 points, a team best 133 rebounds, 39 assists, 12 steals and four blocks.
Jay Mitchell had a breakout senior season for the men's basketball team in his final year with the Purple and Gold. The senior made 22 starts and averaged 28.6 minutes per game, shooting 40.7 percent from the field, 32.6 percent from three-point range, and 68.2 percent from the free throw line. Mitchell tallied, 316 points, 101 rebounds, 42 assists, 19 steals and seven blocks.
Chloe Cleland and Nia Jackson both helped the acrobatics & tumbling team reach the post season for a sixth consecutive season. The two seniors also helped the Valkyries capture the Conference Carolinas Inversion Pyramid Event Championship this past spring. Cleland was also named a Murphy Osborne award finalist and a Second Team All-Conference selection.
Zephaniah Cox has made a strong impact on the men's track & field team and helped the Valkyries win the Conference Carolinas Indoor Championship. Individually, Cox won the 60 meter indoor championship, and he is currently part of the 4x100 relay team that ranks first nationally in Division II.
Eseose Okoduwa helped the women's track & field team to a runner-up finish at the Conference Carolinas Indoor Championships. Okoduwa currently ranks first in the 100 meter dash in Conference Carolinas (third in the Southeast Region) and fourth in the 200 meter dash in Conference Carolinas. The senior also ran an NCAA provisional mark and school record in the 100 meter dash with a time of 11.70 seconds.
For the third straight season, Converse equestrian rider Sydney Shipp competed in the IHSA Regionals. The senior finished third in the intermediate flat event.
Kilee Bradeen helped the field hockey team to their fifth straight postseason appearance this season. The junior captain, played in 17 games for a total of 734 minutes, recorded one goal, two assists, four points, on 18 total shots and 13 shots on goal.
Sloane Kinley a member of the Converse spirit squad team, helped the Valkyries finish fifth overall in the Conference Carolinas Dance Championships this past spring.
Jordan Brown is a dual-sport athlete for the Valkyries that competes on both the women's basketball and track & field teams. As a member of the track & field team, Brown repeated as the Conference Carolinas High Jump Champion. On the hardwood, Brown started all 30 games this season and was the team's second leading scorer with 272 points.
Alexis Becker helped the women's basketball team make a return trip to the Conference Carolinas tournament. The junior played in 26 games for a total of 19.9 minutes per contest. Becker shot, 33 percent from the floor, 32 percent from three-point range and 80 percent from the free throw line. In total, Becker tallied 160 points, 72 rebounds, 32 assists, 16 steals and one block this season.
Leopold Morel helped the men's tennis team capture the #2 seed in the upcoming Conference Carolinas Men's Tennis Tournament. The senior is 11-5 overall this season and 6-3 in Conference Carolinas action, playing primarily at the No. 6 singles position. In doubles action, Morel is partnered with Marty Letessier, the duo has produced a 9-7 overall record splitting time at the No. 1 and No. 2 doubles courts.
Khushi Kharb helped the women's tennis team make a return trip to the Conference Carolinas Championship this weekend. Kharb is 14-3 overall this season and 7-2 in Conference Carolinas action, playing primarily at the No. 1 singles player. Kharb and doubles partner Lais Martins are currently 9-6 overall this season at the No.1 doubles court.
Martin Burgos helped the men's soccer team to a Northwest Division Championship, the #1 overall seed in the Conference Carolinas Championship and their second ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Gencie Coan excelled on the lacrosse field this past spring. The junior finished second on the team with 59 total points, after she tallied 40 goals and 19 assists this season. Coan also became the career leader in draw controls this past spring at Converse.
About the National Strength & Conditioning Association
Founded in 1978, The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is a nonprofit association dedicated to advancing the strength and conditioning and related sport science professions around the world.
The NSCA exists to empower a community of professionals to maximize their impact through disseminating evidence- based knowledge and its practical application by offering industry-leading certifications, research journals, career development services, networking opportunities, and continuing education. The NSCA community is composed of more than 60,000 members and certified professionals throughout the world who further industry standards as researchers, educators, strength and conditioning coaches, performance and sport scientists, personal trainers, tactical professionals, and other related roles.
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