The North Carolina A&T athletics department held their annual sports awards banquet in the Alumni-Foundation Event Center Monday night honoring the top performers for the 2008-09 season.

Leading the way among the athletes were senior performers Brittanie Taylor-James and Alexandria Spruiel. The athletics department made sure their historic careers were recognized before graduation.

Taylor-James brought home four awards which included: Most Improved Player, Co.-Most Valuable Player (shared with Amber Bland), Top Female Athlete of the Year, and the prestigious 2009 NC A&T Hall of Fame inductee.

This past season, the Lady Aggie basketball player broke the single season scoring record in points with 623, and was named MEAC Player of the Year.Track-and–Field performer Spruiel racked up three awards in her final banquet.

These included senior female athlete of the year, Indoor track MVP, and the prestigious Aggie Club award, which is presented to a deserving athlete from N.C. A&T’s athletics booster club.

Her career consisted of All-American honors in indoor and outdoor track and field, something that has only been done twice during the Fall season, and eight times in the Spring season. She was also ranked as high as fourth in the nation in the 400 meters, posting a time of 52.56.

The top candidate among the male athletes was baseball player C.J. Beatty who carried home his second consecutive Male Athlete of the Year honor. Beatty is currently leading his Aggie baseball team in batting at .394 and second in homeruns with seven.

His freshman teammate Xavier Macklin was named Freshman Athlete of the Year. Macklin’s historic freshman season is still in progress while he leads the conference in home runs (9) and RBI’s (39).

Other student-athlete awards included: Track-and-Field’s Lonnie Phifer (Outstanding Male Performer); Softball’s Ashley Carter (Female Rookie of the Year); Football’s Michael Ferguson (Athletic Director’s Outstanding Performer); Baseball’s James Howard (Top Male Academic Performer); and Track-and-Field’s Christina Gray (Top Female Academic Performer).

The Lady Softball team was also acknowledged with the Athletic Director’s Academic Team Award as the top academic team posting a 3.08 g.p.a. 

• Daniel Henderson