Leesburg, Fla. – As the world continues to deal with the severity of the pandemic, Lake-Sumter State College athletics was able to get back to about 40 minutes of normalcy on Wednesday… well sort of.
At the end of each year, the Athletics Dept. at LSSC host an annual banquet to congratulate the student-athletes for a job well done not only on the field, but in the classroom. With spring seasons being cut short and student-athletes sent home, the last thing on everyone's minds was the banquet.
Compliance officer, Tammie Drunasky took charge to coordinate a virtual banquet so the athletes and staff could see one another and even if it was for just 40 minutes, feel that since of belonging to something bigger than them.
During the event, three awards were handed out including the male and female Athlete of the Year Awards as well as the Tyler Reichwein Award. Athletic Trainer, Betsy Billings was able to coordinate with coaches and create an emotional video tribute to what in her words will be "forever remembered as the strangest sports years of all-time."
Male Athlete of the Year – Bryant Heston, Baseball
Head Baseball Coach, Rich Billings on Heston. "Bryant Heston has been such a solid leader for us on and off the baseball field. He always sets a great example for his teammates and he has earned the trust and admiration of all of them. He was voted one of our team captains for the 2020 spring season. He threw 32 1/3 innings this year for us. He was 3-0 and held a 2.23 ERA which was best on the team. He also recorded 36 strikeouts. Off the field, Heston was equally as valuable. He was a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He was also the Student Government Representative for the baseball program. He was an elementary school mentor and also participated in numerous other community service projects all while maintaining a 3.3 GPA. He had signed a Letter of Intent to play baseball at Valdosta State in the Fall of 2020 but has instead decided to return for another year at LSSC."
Female Athlete of the Year – Jennifer Bryant, Softball
Jennifer Bryant was a two-year starter at 3B for the Lakehawks collecting 93 hits in 87 games including 16 doubles, two triples and four home runs. Through 32 games in the 2020 season, Bryant hit .404 with an on-base percentage of .470. Bryant's .360 career batting average is fifth all-time for the softball program. Jennifer was an All-Academic performer in the classroom as well with a cumulative 3.9 GPA. She was also one of the first players to jump up and volunteer whenever needed including organizing our community service project to unload trees at a Christmas Tree lot for an owner who was recovering from cancer treatments.
"In five years, Jennifer Bryant ranks up at the top in hardest working individuals I have seen," said Head Softball Coach, Jay Miller. "She turned herself into a top-tier softball player through a lot of sweat and hard work. I will miss her greatly."
Bryant has accepted a softball scholarship and will continue her education at Warner University in the fall.
Tyler Reichwein Award – Hannah Crow, Student-Trainer
The Tyler Reichwein Service, Support and Significant Contributions Award is given to a student that has gone above and beyond for Lake-Sumter State College. This year's recipient was an incredible asset to the athletics department, even though they never took the field.
"From the moment Hannah came along at Lake-Sumter, the college Athletics program has never been the same," said Head of Sports Medicine, Betsy Billings. "Her parents raised her up well, FFA honed in her skills in attention to detail and care, and by the time she arrived at Lake-Sumter, she was ready to fine tune her craft and continue changing the culture one pig joke and laugh at a time. She has never hesitated to dive into learning the art of Athletic Training which encompasses service and humility. To say that Hannah has gone above and beyond for our program is an understatement that each coach and staff member attests to. Hannah spent countless hours at each sport; often traveling, volunteering, and providing exceptional care whenever possible while also excelling academically. She commuted over 30 minutes from home each day and often spent any time away helping to care for her own extended family at home. Her commitment is unapparelled by ANY student athletic trainer I've ever worked with or had the chance to mentor."
Hopefully, in the somewhat near future, the meetings won't be virtual anymore and the fields will be full of student-athletes honing their craft. Until then, enjoy the BANQUET VIDEO and stay safe Lakehawk Nation!