BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – LSU gymnast Susan Jackson and Alabama football player Mark Ingram have been named the 2009-2010 Roy F. Kramer SEC Female and Male Athletes of the Year by a vote of the league’s athletics directors, Commissioner Mike Slive announced today.
“Mark and Susan are true examples of outstanding student-athletes. They have competed at the highest level of collegiate athletics and through their hard work, dedication and commitment to excellence have been successful in their endeavors,” said SEC Commissioner Mike Slive. “They are fine representatives for their universities and this conference. The SEC is proud to honor them for their accomplishments.”
Senior Susan Jackson became the first LSU gymnast to win the prestigious Honda Sports Award for gymnastics in 2010. She also received the AAI Award as the nation’s most outstanding senior gymnast, also a first in LSU history. This season, she captured the first NCAA All-Around national title in LSU history and also won the NCAA Balance Beam title. She finished her career with three individual national titles and earned four First Team All-America honors in 2010 to finish with 12 All-America honors in her career. She also broke the school record for all-around titles in a season with 11 in 2010.
She was named the 2010 SEC and Central Region Gymnast of the Year, while also achieving the third First Team All-SEC honor in her career. She finished her career as a three-time SEC champion and earned SEC Academic Honor Roll recognition in 2009 and 2010.
“This is a significant award that truly puts her performance and accomplishments in very elite company,” LSU head coach D-D Breaux said. “I am extremely proud for Susan, for LSU and for our gymnastics program.”
Jackson became the second LSU female to win the prestigious award as she joined former women’s basketball legend Seimone Augustus, who won the award in 2006.
“I am honored and humbled to win this award, considering there are so many amazing female athletes in the SEC,” Jackson said. “I could not have accomplished so much without the support of my coaches, teammates and the entire LSU family.”
Sophomore Mark Ingram had a season for the ages in 2009, becoming the first Alabama football player to win the coveted Heisman Trophy on the way to leading the Crimson Tide to an undefeated season and the 2009 SEC and National Championships. He is only the sixth player since 1950 to win the Heisman and lead his team to a national championship in the same season.
A unanimous first-team All-American, Ingram was named the Sporting News National Player of the Year and the AP SEC Offensive Player of the Year. He was also a unanimous first-team All-SEC selection. He finished 2009 with 20 total touchdowns – 17 rushing and three receiving. Ingram played his best against the Tide’s toughest competition with a rushing average of 156.8 yards per game against UA’s six top-25 opponents and 188.8 rushing and receiving yards in those games. He also set Alabama’s single-season rushing record with 1,658 yards.
The other male nominees were: Zack Cox, Arkansas (baseball); Hunter Morris, Auburn (baseball); Tim Tebow, Florida (football); Russell Henley, Georgia (golf); John Wall, Kentucky (basketball); Walter Henning, LSU (track & field); Drew Pomeranz, Ole Miss (baseball); Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State (basketball); Johnny Dutch, South Carolina (track & field); Eric Berry, Tennessee (football); Jedrmaine Beal, Vanderbilt (basketball).
The other female nominees were: Charlotte Morgan, Alabama (softball); Casey Jo Magee, Arkansas (gymnastics); Sheniqua Ferguson, Auburn (track & field); Gemma Spofforth, Florida (swimming); Chelsey Gullickson, Georgia (tennis); Victoria Dunlap, Kentucky (basketball); Kristi Boxx, Ole Miss (tennis); Chelsea Bramlett, Mississippi State (softball); Blakely Mattern, South Carolina (soccer); Phoebe Wright, Tennessee (track & field); Marina Alex, Vanderbilt (golf).
The SEC Athletes of the Year Awards were first presented in 1976 for men and 1984 for women. The award was renamed the Roy F. Kramer Athletes of the Year in 2004 to honor the former commissioner who served the conference from 1990-2002.
Past recipients of the SEC Male and Female Athlete of the Year Awards include:
2009 – Tim Tebow, Florida (football) and Courtney Kupets, Georgia (gymnastics);
2008 – Tim Tebow, Florida (football) and Candace Parker, Tennessee (basketball);
2007 – David Price, Vanderbilt (baseball) and Monica Abbott, Tennessee (softball);
2006 – Xavier Carter, LSU (track & field) and Seimone Augustus, LSU (basketball);
2005 – Ryan Lochte, Florida (swimming) and Kirsty Coventry, Auburn (swimming);
2004 – Alistair Cragg, Arkansas (cross country/track) and Jeana Rice, Alabama (gymnastics);
2003 – Alistair Cragg, Arkansas (cross country/track) and LaToya Thomas, Mississippi State (basketball);
2002 – Walter Davis, LSU (track & field) and Andree’ Pickens, Alabama (gymnastics);
2001 – Matias Boeker, Georgia (tennis) and Amy Yoder Begley, Arkansas (cross country/track);
2000 – Kip Bouknight , South Carolina (baseball) and Kristy Kowal, Georgia (swimming);
1999 – Tim Couch, Kentucky (football) and Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee (basketball);
1998 – Peyton Manning, Tennessee (football) and Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee (basketball);
1997 – Danny Wuerffel, Florida (football) and Trinity Johnson, South Carolina (softball);
1996 – Danny Wuerffel, Florida (football) and Saudia Roundtree, Georgia (basketball);
1995 – Todd Helton, Tennessee (baseball) and Jenny Hansen, Kentucky (gymnastics);
1994 – Corliss Williamson, Arkansas (basketball) and Nicole Haislett, Florida (swimming);
1993 – Jamal Mashburn, Kentucky (basketball) and Nicole Haislett, Florida (swimming);
1992 – Shaquille O’Neal, LSU (basketball) and Vicki Goetze, Georgia (golf);
1991 – Shaquille O’Neal, LSU (basketball) and Daedra Charles, Tennessee (basketball);
1990 – Alec Kessler, Georgia (basketball) and Dee Foster, Alabama (gymnastics);
1989 – Derrick Thomas, Alabama (football) and Bridgette Gordon, Tennessee (basketball);
1988 – Will Perdue, Vanderbilt (basketball) and Dara Torres, Florida (swimming);
1987 – Cornelius Bennett, Alabama (football) and Lillie Leatherwood-King, Alabama (track and field);
1986 – Bo Jackson, Auburn (football) and Jennifer Gillom, Ole Miss (basketball);
1985 – Will Clark, Mississippi State (baseball) and Penney Hauschild, Alabama (gymnastics);
1984 – Terry Hoage, Georgia (football) and Tracy Caulkins, Florida (swimming);
1983 – Herschel Walker, Georgia (football/track and field);
1982 – Buck Belue, Georgia (football/baseball);
1981 – Rowdy Gaines, Auburn (swimming);
1980 – Kyle Macy, Kentucky (basketball);
1979 – Reggie King, Alabama (basketball);
1978 – Jack Givens, Kentucky (basketball);
1977 – Larry Seivers, Tennessee (football);
1976 – Harvey Glance, Auburn (track and field).