LAKE CHARLES— The McNeese Athletics Department held its 3^rd Annual Rowdy Awards Monday via social media for the second consecutive year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the Cowgirl softball team capturing the Rowdy's Team of the Year award. It's the second time the Cowgirl squad picks up the honor. They also won the inaugural award in 2019.
 
The Rowdys are sponsored by Veron, Bice, Palermo & Wilson, LLC.
 
In total, five individual awards were presented along with four team awards including the highest individual grade point average, highest team GPA, faculty MVP, community service, academic coach of the year, comeback athlete of the year, FCA Award, and breakthrough student-athlete of the year.
 
The softball team also received the Community Service Award while the women's tennis team picked up The Poke Presidential Award. The Cowboy football team walked away with the Poke Pride Award.
 
The Team of the Year award encompasses the true meaning of being a student-athlete; to be diligent in the classroom, to be a top athletic competitor, and to give back to a community that gives so much to the department. The Cowgirl softball team received this award not only for those characteristics listed, but also for the way it represents McNeese at the highest level. The character of the team can be seen through their daily interactions with professors, fans, and other student-athletes. The Cowgirls posted a 3.32 overall team GPA, and the team and coaches accumulated a total of 1,449 hours with every player on the participating in community service efforts. The coaches alone accumulated just over 500 hours of community service.  
 
The Cowgirls also garnered the Community Service Award after accumulating nearly 1,500 hours of community service. The team helped with the clean-up efforts with over 45 houses following Hurricanes Laura and Delta.
 
The award that recognizes an athletic team that has stood out amongst all others in serving the surrounding community. The selection of the award considers the amount of hours a team served, the average amount of hours each athlete worked, and the diversity of members of the community they have assisted. This year was evident how much the Cowgirls served the Lake Charles community following Hurricanes Laura and Delta.
 
The Cowgirl women's tennis team was awarded the Poke Presidential Award that is given to the team that has maintained the highest cumulative GPA. This award recognizes the vast impact that each individual has on one another in the classroom. Success and attainment of this award is only possible when all members hold themselves, and each other, accountable. The Cowgirls produced an overall team 3.79 GPA. 
 
Despite a year like no other in McNeese athletics, the Cowboy football team helped give the community something to cheer about and welcomed McNeese athletics back following two hurricanes. The Poke Pride Award is given to a team that displays the most school spirit within their own sport and outside. The Cowboys represented McNeese in a positive, enthusiastic light and brought energy to their fellow student-athletes with the most attendance at other Cowboy and Cowgirl sporting events.
 
Softball's Alayis Seneca earned the Female Highest Individual GPA award with a 4.0 GPA and football's Gabe Foster picked up the Male Highest Individual GPA award with a 3.62 GPA. Seneca will receive her undergraduate degree and Foster will earn his master's degree later this week.
 
This award goes to both a male and female graduating senior who have maintained the highest cumulative GPA since beginning their full-time studies as student-athletes. Their dedication and perseverance in the classroom are unapparelled. 
 
Football's Isaiah Chambers and softball's Chloe Gomez received the Breakthrough Student-Athlete of the Year award that is given to both a male and female student-athlete who arrived at McNeese as a first-time freshman or transfer student during the current academic year. Upon their arrival, these student-athletes have made a tremendous impact for their teams athletically, academically, and personally. They truly have become a perfect representation of a McNeese Cowboy or Cowgirl.
 
Chambers was named the Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year and finished fourth out of 18 finalists for the 2020-21 Stats Perform FCS Buck Buchanan Award. Gomez has made an immediate impact on the diamond in her first season with the Cowgirls. The starting catcher currently has a .276 batting average with 32 hits, 17 RBI and two home runs.
 
Track and field's Matt Harding was awarded the Comeback Athlete of the Year after winning the Southland Conference gold medal in the 800-meters two days following the passing of his father.
 
This award is given to a student-athlete who has faced significant adversity during their athletic careers. Their resilient comeback to competition was demonstrated through their consistent dedication to rehab, adherence to protocol, and development of positive coping mechanisms. 
 
The Community Impact Student-Athlete of the Year went to Track and field's Grace Mckenzie and baseball's Julian Gonzales.
 
This award recognizes the male and female athlete that led the charge in making a positive change for Southwest Louisiana and beyond. This individual initiates growth opportunities and inspires those around them to be better and to do better. They are creative and consistently work hard for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). 
 
Softball's assistant coach Shellie Landry was named the Academic Coach of the Year after leading the Cowgirls to a 3.32 team GPA that also included this year's female with the highest GPA in Alayis Seneca.
 
This award given to the coach who serves as the academic liaison for their team. To receive this honor, the coach must embody what it means to be a mentor for our student-athletes; providing them with guidance, honest discipline, and encouragement to reach beyond their perceived limitations. 
 
 
The Faculty MVP award was presented to Dr. Wade Rousse, Vice President for Development and Public Affairs.
 
Faculty members are an irreplaceable part of an academic institution. They educate our student-athletes and instill important life skills along the way. The Faculty MVP is for an educator at McNeese
who goes above and beyond what is required of them. Their passion for education and their support of McNeese Athletics is what keeps our student-athletes competing. 
 
The 2021 McNeese Fellowship of Christian Athlete Rowdy's award was presented to football's Trey Vondenstein. Vondenstein demonstrates a consistent commitment to Jesus Christ in each phase of his career…academically, athletically, socially, and spiritually. He lives out the FCA Values of Integrity, Serving, Teamwork, and Excellence as an example to others of what a Christian Competitor is. 
 
2021 ROWDYS AWARD WINNERS


TEAM AWARDS
Rowdy's Team of the Year: Softball

Poke Presidential Award (Highest GPA): Women's Tennis with a 3.79 GPA

Community Service Award: Softball

Poke Pride Award: Football

 
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Highest Individual GPA
Male Recipient: Alayis Seneca with a 4.0 GPA
Female Recipient: Gabe Foster with a 3.62 GPA

Breakthrough Student-Athlete of the Year
Male Recipient: Isaiah Chambers
Female Recipient: Chloe Gomez

Comeback Student-Athlete of the Year
Matt Harding

Community Impact Student-Athlete of the Year: 
Male Recipient: Julian Gonzales
Female Recipient: Grace Mckenzie
 
Academic Coach of the Year: Shellie Landry

Faculty MVP: Dr. Wade Rousse

McNeese FCA Award: Trey Vondenstein