ANDERSON, S.C. – Anderson University women's cross country and track standout Haylee Love and men's track standout Christopher Burton were honored as the Female and Male Athletes of the Year, respectively, at AU Athletics' Senior Awards Banquet Tuesday evening at the G. Ross Anderson Jr. Student Center.
Love, a junior, became the first Trojan cross country runner to qualify for the NCAA National Championships since former All-American Whitney Bishoff earned back-to-back appearances in 2008 and 2009 and again during the 2011 campaign. She is also the first Anderson student-athlete to make an appearance at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships since Bishoff qualified for the 2011 NCAA Championships. Love was one of only two women's competitors from the South Atlantic Conference to compete in the championships.
She earned Second-Team All-South Atlantic Conference honors this season in both cross country and track, while capturing All-Southeast Region accolades in cross country. The Lexington, S.C., native set a school record when she won the mile run at Clemson's Last Chance Meet in mid-February and was named to the AFCU Gold Standard last November.
Burton owns the second-fastest time in the 200 meter dash in the NCAA-Division II ranks this season, while qualifying for next month's NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships and earlier posted a provisional qualifying time in the 100 meter dash. He brought home first place in the 100 meter and 200 meter dash at both the Emory Classic and the Montreat Invitational last month.
A native of Johnston, S.C., Burton earned back-to-back AstroTurf SAC Men's Track Athlete of the Week honors earlier this month and captured First-Team All-Conference honors when he won the 100 meter dash and 200 meter dash at the South Atlantic Conference Championships in record time.
In addition to the male and female Athlete of the Year recognition, several other accolades were handed out during the ceremony.
AU Senior Awards Banquet
ED OXFORD MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Christopher Burton, Men's Track
ED OXFORD FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Haylee Love, Women's Cross Country and Track
MALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Juan Carracedo, Men's Tennis
FEMALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Rebecca Bruning, Women's Tennis
TROJAN CLUB FAN OF THE YEAR
Daniel Massengale
CHI ALPHA SIGMA HONOR SOCIETY
Chris Ayers, Baseball
Rebecca Bruning, Women's Tennis
Juan Carracedo, Men's Tennis
Philip De Graaf, Men's Track & Field/Cross Country
Alaina Gay, Women's Soccer
Grace Gerlock, Women's Track & Field/Cross Country
Abigal Gregory, Women's Tennis
Jessica Harris, Volleyball
Heather Jankowy, Women's Basketball
Ryo Ogawa, Men's Soccer
Emily Perez, Women's Soccer
Bari Robinson, Women's Track & Field/Cross Country
Avery Sneed, Baseball
Maria Swiersz, Women's Track & Field/Cross Country
William Thomas, Baseball
Amber Worthy, Women's Track & Field/Cross Country
