Hudson, Mills Garner 'Athletes of the Year;' Women's Cross Country Earns 'Presidential Scholastic Award' as Top Academic Team
5/1/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
YouTube Video from BIG Bear Event
MACON, Ga. – Kacie Hudson from women's soccer and Brian Mills of men's basketball were named as Mercer University's senior “Athletes of the Year” and the women's cross country earned the “Presidential Scholastic Award” for top team grade points average, highlighting the inaugural BIG Bear Event on Saturday evening. The BIG Bear Event was a combination end-of-the-year awards night and senior recognition, as well as a fundraiser for the Bears' athletics department.
Baseball pitcher Justice French received the school's “Spirit Award,” as well.
Hudson, a Marietta, Ga., native is majoring in business and will graduate in May of 2011. Hudson is a four-time Atlantic Sun Conference All Academic team member and was named to the A-Sun All Tournament Team for her performance in helping lead the Bears to the A-Sun championship (and earning the league's automatic bid to the NCAA championships).
In four years in the Orange & Black, Hudson put herself among the program's elite. She is tied for 10th all time in Mercer history in total points with 43, which is outstanding coming from her defensive position. This season she led the Bears in points (13), goals (6), and game-winners (4). She is a three-time All-A-Sun first team players and has started and played in every game of her career (78 games).
Hudson was also a third team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III selection. She earned her team's “MVP” award, as well as “Golden Boot” award as the Bears' top scorer.
Mills, who for three seasons had labored in a support role behind upper classmen before having a break-out senior year himself, earned his first All-A-Sun post-season award in 2010-11. Mills' banner campaign was punctuated by averages of 16.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, along with 27 double-figure scoring games (out of 33 contests) and 10 games with 20-plus points. Mills had a career-high 34 points versus North Florida on Feb. 18.
Mills, a native of Douglasville, Ga., led the Bears in scoring in 15 games and was the team's top rebounder 14 times. He earned the final A-Sun "Player of the Week" award of the season, as well (the first time he had garnered the award during his MU career). He was named to the 2011 A-Sun All-Tournament Team after leading the Bears' to the semi-finals.
Mills has also twice been recognized on the A-Sun's All-Academic Team prior to this season. He is a mathematics major who will also be graduating this month.
Mercer's women's cross country team was honored with
the “Presidential Scholastic Award” for having the
highest fall term cumulative grade point average among
Mercer's teams. Head coach Ryan Bailey's squad posted a
3.57 g.p.a. as a group in the fall of 2010, earning the prestigious
plaque from MU president William D. Underwood.
The Bears were also recognized as a 2010 NCAA Division I All-Academic team by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
French is not only a leader on the Bears' baseball squad, but a strong supporter of MU's other sports. He is having a career year in 2011 after an off-season battle with a cancerous melanoma. The Suwanee, Ga., native helped the Bears win the 2010 A-Sun title – and make their first-ever NCAA post-season appearance - and has MU in contention once again as the 2011 season winds down. He is a psychology and media studies double major, graduating this month, as well.
Seniors on each of the Bears' intercollegiate teams were honored during video presentations disbursed throughout the evening. The BIG Bear Event also featured silent and live auctions, a reverse raffle with a $10,000 grand prize and fan voting for the design of MU's football helmet when the sport is reinstated in 2013.
