COX- PSA Annual Banquet Award Winners Announced
Alfred Morris, Justin Gatlin, Chelsea Palmer Win Top Awards at COX PSA Annual Awards Banquet New Orleans Saints’ Cameron Jordan, Presenting Speaker on March 7
The Pensacola Sports Association (PSA) will host the COX PSA Annual Awards Banquet on Thursday, March 7 at the Hilton Pensacola Beach Gulf Front at 6:30 p.m. Nearly 30 individuals and teams will be recognized for their performances in their respective sport throughout the 2012 seasons. Doors open at 5:30 for a reception prior to dinner.
Taking home the top awards of the evening will be Justin Gatlin (Olympic Athlete of the Year), Alfred Morris (Professional Athlete of the Year), and Chelsea Palmer (Amateur Athlete of the Year). Additionally, Trent Richardson will receive a Special Recognition Award. All four athletes are scheduled to be in attendance to accept their individual awards.
Being inducted into the PSA Hall of Fame are Kevin Saucier (So-Shay), Charlie Hendley, and Adrian Stills. Suacier, a graduate of Escambia High School, has spent his career playing (pitcher) and scouting talent for Major League Baseball. He also won a World Series with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1980. Hendley was the head golf pro for the Pensacola Country Club for 38 years. Stills, head golf pro at the City of Pensacola’s Osceola Golf Course, is the last black player to earn his PGA Tour Card at Tour Qualifying School and is a new member of the PGA Tour Black Hall of Fame. All three PSA Hall of Fame inductees are scheduled to be in attendance.
A complete list of award winners is below. The only two awards that are unknown to the recipients and will be announced at the banquet are the Sportsman of the Year and Volunteer of the Year.
Hancock Bank is pleased to present this year’s guest speaker, New Orleans Saints starting Defensive End Cameron Jordan. The Minneapolis, Minn. native played his college career at California before being selected in the first round, 24th overall, of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Saints.
Reservations are required. Tickets are available at the Pensacola Sports Association through March 4. Tickets are $50 for Pensacola Sports Association members and $60 for non-members. Corporate tables are also available. Please call the PSA at 850-434-2800 or e-mail lhamrick@pensacolasports.com for more information.
Award Winner List (In No Particular Order)
Justin Gatlin Olympic Athlete of the Year Silver Medal / Bronze Medal in the 2012 Olympics Chelsea Palmer Amateur Athlete of the Year UWF Women’s Soccer – National Player of the Year NSCAA 1st Team Alfred Morris Professional Athlete of the Year Washington Redskins Running Back Kevin Saucier Hall of Fame MLB Player / Scout / World Series Champion Charlie Hendley Hall of Fame Pensacola Country Club Golf Pro for 38 years Adrian Stills Hall of Fame PGA Black Hall of Fame Brandon Sanford Special Olympic Athlete of the Year Weightlifting PSC Girls Basketball Special Achievement State Champions Zach Price Special Achievement West Point Scholar Athlete of the Year Catholic HS Baseball Special Achievement Class 4A State Champions Addison Russell Special Achievement Oakland A’s First Round Draft Pick Blue Wahoos Special Achievement Billy Hamilton – Stolen Base Record, Bruce Baldwin – Executive of the Year, Ball Park of the Year, Organization of the Year Damarius Randall Special Achievement DB Juco All-American at MSA Community College Northview HS Football Special Achievement Class 1A State Champions Trent Richardson Special Achievement Cleveland Browns Running Back, Broke the team single season rushing record held by Jim Brown UWF Womens Soccer Special Achievement NCAA Div. II National Champions, Chelsea Palmer and Sarah Storey – NSCAA First Team, Shelby Bush, Rachel Cutts – Daktronics All-American First Team, Joe Bartlinski – NSCAA Coach of the Year Gulf Coast Texans Special Achievement Women’s Professional Soccer League Champions Tori Bindi Special Achievement Gulf Breeze Swimming – High School All-America Derrick Racine Special Achievement ITA National Coach of the Year – NCAA Div. II Tennis Keith Ducros Special Achievement ITA Singles First Team and Double First Team – UWF Bruno Savi Special Achievement ITA Singles First Team and Double First Team – UWF Darroneshia Lott Special Achievement Southern Plains College – Cross Country National Champions Austin Droogsma Special Achievement Gulf Breeze State 3A Station Champion – Discuss/Shot Put, Gold/Silver in AAU Jr. Olympics Johna Whitaker Special Achievement Pine Forest – Class 3A State Champion 100 Meter Fredrick Jones Special Achievement Pace High – Shot Put State Champion Sam Hazewinkel Special Achievement 2012 Olympic Wrestling Team Chase Campbell Special Achievement Tate High – Class 2A Boys Weightlifting State Champion ? Volunteer of the Year Outstanding volunteer efforts with the PSA ? Sportsman of the Year Individual who contributed to overall sports in the Pensacola area
About the Pensacola Sports Association (PSA) – The PSA is one of the oldest sports associations/commissions in the United States, beginning in 1954. Today the PSA manages or assists in numerous events a year throughout the Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa county areas. Events include a high school all-star series, flag football, 5K-15K runs, marathons, triathlons, bicycle races, collegiate national championships, and annual awards and scholarships banquets to name a few. The PSA is dedicated to building a better community through sports.
