Booneville, Miss. - Student-athletes from each of Northeast Mississippi Community College's six sports programs have received the athletic department's most prestigious recognition for their demeanor on-and-off the field of competition.
Northeast has chosen the recipients for its Tiger Awards, which are given annually to one player from each program that portrays good sportsmanship and quality characteristics on a daily basis throughout the academic year.
Aundrea Adams led the women's basketball team to its first Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) North Division championship since 2007 and the 17th overall in school history.
Adams was a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-Region 23 and MACJC All-State selection after posting a team-high 18 points per game. She finished second on the squad with an average of 8.5 rebounds as well.
The Corinth native reached double figures in all but one contest during her sophomore campaign. She will continue her hoops career at the University of Tennessee at Martin.
"Aundrea is a highly skilled athlete that helped others off the court as well," said Lady Tigers head coach Brenda Mayes. "She provided a listening ear, a ride when needed and help in the classroom for her teammates."
Colt Chrestman had one of the biggest individual turnarounds in the entire state. He improved his batting average by greater than 200 percentage points between his freshman and sophomore seasons at Northeast.
The Starkville Academy graduate earned MACJC All-State laurels with team-highs of a .429 batting average, .455 on-base percentage, 67 hits, 10 stolen bases in 11 attempts and three triples.
He was just as good in the outfield with only four errors in 170 total chances over his two-year period with the Tigers. Chrestman signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI) to extend his career on the diamond at the University of North Alabama.
"Colt kept working and turned himself into an outstanding player," Northeast headman Richy Harrelson said. "It just goes to show you what hard work, dedication and believing in yourself really does for you."
Sophomore Madison Harris is the Tiger Award recipient for the cheerleading squad. She and her teammates appeared at approximately 30 events between football and basketball seasons.
The Tishomingo County High School graduate was part of a 16-member unit that provided support during pep rallies and game days throughout the fall and spring semesters at Northeast.
"She is one of the hardest working athletes I've had the pleasure of coaching," said Northeast head coach Chasity Moore. "I considered her character, student involvement and academics as well as her cheer skills. Her determination and work ethic made her a great asset to our program."
Victoria Jones of Hernando helped the softball program secure its 16th playoff appearance in 18 years of fast-pitch competition during her final campaign on the Booneville campus.
Jones participated in 38 contests this season and finished in a tie for the most sacrifice bunts on the team with six. Her lone multiple hit performance came in a home victory over Mississippi Delta Community College.
She also handled her business in the classroom admirably to become a two-time MACJC Academic All-State honoree. Jones had a 3.43 grade point average (GPA) as a freshman and increased that figure to 3.51 this year.
"Victoria is the definition of a great teammate," Tigers headman Jody Long said. "She is a leader and doesn't mind work. She had a great attitude and gave 100-percent in whatever she was asked to do. She was constantly looking for ways to make a contribution to our program."
Conner McKay was the go-to shooter for the men's basketball team from long distance. He was part of a sophomore class that captured a sensational 40 wins over two seasons in the City of Hospitality.
Baldwyn's McKay had a solid three-point percentage of 36.8, which was second highest for Northeast among its guards. He finished third on the squad in both points per game with 9.6 and assist to turnover ratio at 1.9.
McKay set a new career-high with 23 points during the Tigers' pre-Christmas break triumph over Southern (La.) University at Shreveport inside legendary Bonner Arnold Coliseum.
"I am extremely grateful for Conner," said Northeast head coach Cord Wright. "Conner had an exceptional career both on and off the floor. He was a very good shooter and leader. He was a great teammate and person."
Jake Wilcox proved to be a tremendous asset to Northeast's football team by anchoring its offensive line. He received the starting nod at center in all nine contests during the 2017 campaign.
Wilcox provided protection for the Tigers' skill players to amass 293.9 yards per outing, which included a season-best 433-yard and 49-point effort at Holmes Community College.
The Hernando High School alumnus was part of Northeast's historic 2016 season. The Tigers went 6-3 overall and finished inside the top 10 of the final NJCAA rankings for the first time in program history.
"Jake embodied everything that you want with his heart and discipline," Northeast headman Greg Davis said. "I couldn't be any prouder of a young man because he did everything that we asked him to do. He wanted to help this program move forward."
The Tiger Award is sponsored each year by the Northeast Alumni Association. It has been a staple of the athletic department since the beginning of the institution in the late 1940s.