FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU Athletic Department celebrated its stellar 2015-16 campaign Monday night in conjunction with the final day of classes during the annual Senior Send-Off and Awards Ceremony held on campus in the Cohen Center Ballroom.
 
Along with honoring the department's seniors, six different awards were handed out, highlighted by women's basketball player DyTiesha Dunson (Albany, Ga./Westover HS) and women's soccer members Brittany Brown (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Athena HS) and Emma Blackwell (Jenks, Okla./Jenks HS) sharing the prestigious Eagle Scholar-Athlete Award, the highest honor FGCU bestows upon a graduating senior student-athlete. The award recognizes the ability of the winner(s) to combine athletic and academic success (minimum 3.20 GPA) with community service.
 
More information about Dunson, Brown and Blackwell can be found below. Men's golfer Jake Sherwin (Fort Myers, Fla./Evangelical Christian HS) was also recognized as a finalist for the prestigious award.
 
Five other annual awards were presented on the night, beginning with the Eagle Team Spirit Award, which is given to the team which exemplifies Eagle spirit and team support. The 2016 honor went to the women's soccer team, which won its first NCAA Tournament game this fall before losing to the eventual national runner-up Duke in the Second Round. The club consistently can been seen not only supporting other teams during their competitions but helping out on campus and throughout the community.
 
The Stanley "Butch" Perchan Award, previously named the Green and Blue Award, is annually bestowed upon a staff member who personifies the proverbial definition of someone who bleeds Green and Blue. Two years ago, Director of Athletics Ken Kavanagh announced that the award would be renamed the Stanley "Butch" Perchan Award in honor of Senior Associate Athletics Director for External Affairs Emeritus Butch Perchan. Kavanagh and Perchan presented the 2016 honor to women's basketball associate head coach Chelsea Dermyer.
 
Dermyer has been a player or a coach for FGCU since 2005. At the time of her graduation from FGCU in 2007, Dermyer ranked as the program's all-time leader in assists per game at 4.7. She was promoted from assistant coach to her current role before the 2014-15 season, and has helped to guide the Eagles to consecutive 30-win seasons, their first Division-I NCAA Tournament win and a WNIT Final appearance the last two years.
 
Women's tennis player Elizabeth Means (Washington, D.C./Wiregrass Ranch HS) and women's golfer Mei Khuan Yong (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia/S.M.K. Cochrane) were the co-recipients of the Community Service Award, which is presented annually to the student-athlete(s) who best exemplifies FGCU Athletics' dedicated commitment to volunteerism on campus and throughout the Southwest Florida community.
 
The Carl McAloose Spirit Award is given to at least one male and female student-athlete who best exemplify former Director of Athletics Carl McAloose's spirit and love for FGCU Athletics, as well as dedication to their team and teammates. Five recipients – one male and four female – won the award this year: Means, women's basketball player Katie Meador (Salem, Ill./Salem Community HS), women's soccer member Ally Kasun (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield HS), swimmer Lani Cabrera (Bridgetown, Barbados/St. Ursula's Secondary School) and baseball player Tyler Selesky (Estero, Fla./Estero HS).
 
The Most Inspirational Award, which was renamed the Duane Swanson Sr. Inspirational Award at the 2011 ceremony, was presented to University President Dr. Wilson Bradshaw and his wife Jo Anna. Despite their hectic schedules, the Bradshaws are ardent supporters of the Green and Blue and can be seen cheering on the Eagles at home and on the road all year long.
 
EAGLE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE WINNERS
DYTIESHA DUNSON
As a double major in criminal justice and psychology, Dunson carries a 3.65 GPA. This past season, Dunson was named to the A-Sun All-Academic Team for the first time.
 
On the court, Dunson was a captain in 2015-16. Around campus, she has helped support several organizations, most notably Project Help. She has helped promote suicide awareness by providing information to students and creating a video about the topic. In the community, Dunson has partnered with Project Help to spread awareness about sexual violence and assault, assisted in creating a website and sign to help save the manatees for Happehatchee, worked on a video to raise funds for women and children at the Abuse Counseling Treatment Center and helped develop skills of youth campers at FGCU's basketball camps and at the YMCA.
 
The 2016 A-Sun Defensive Player of the Year, Dunson is FGCU's career leader in assists with 454 – one of just two players in program history with more than 400 helpers. Her 132 games played ranks tied for the 4th-most in program history, while she ranks in the top 10 all-time in blocks (6th, 40) steals (7th, 143) and rebounds (9th, 385). During her four-year career, Dunson has been a part of four postseason teams (two NCAA, two WNIT) as the Eagles went 117-24 in that timeframe, including a dominant 63-1 mark in A-Sun contests which helped lead to four-straight regular-season league titles and two tournament championships.
 
HEAD COACH KARL SMESKO ON DUNSON
"Being a double major is very challenging to combine with athletics. I saw firsthand how exhausting excelling at both can be. Although it was far from easy, she found a way to meet all of the expectations put on her."
 
BRITTANY BROWN
Brown carries an exemplary 3.93 GPA as a biology major and plans to attend medical school. Three times she has been named to the President's Academic Achievement List, each of the past three years she has been honored with an A-Sun All-Academic Team recognition and has earned a place on the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team.
 
On campus, Brown has performed more than 130 hours of service, from assisting as a camp instructor to helping freshmen move into their dorms to working FGCU's largest fundraising gala Night at the Nest. In the community, she has volunteered with the Special Olympics, Habitat for Humanity, the Harry Chapin Food Bank, Spring Bling and with the Koreshan State Park/River Cleanup. Additionally, she tutored and mentored students at an after-school program as part of her Humanities and Social Issues Course.
 
A two-time A-Sun Goalkeeper of the Year, Brown backstopped each of FGCU's four consecutive league regular-season titles. She is the A-Sun's career leader in shutouts with 37, and her 0.67 career goals against average is the 2nd-best in conference history. In addition to shutouts and GAA, Brown is the program's career record holder for wins (54) and saves (263), and holds single-season program records in save percentage (.867, 2012), saves (85, 2012) and wins (17, 2014).
 
HEAD COACH JIM BLAKENSHIP ON BROWN
"Biology is a very challenging major to combine with athletics. I saw first-hand how exhausting excelling at both can be, and Brittany never ceased to amaze me. Although it was far from easy, she found a way to meet all of the expectations put on her from both programs, and also be a role model for those around her."
 
EMMA BLACKWELL
Blackwell holds a 3.84 GPA as an elementary education major. She was named to the A-Sun All-Academic Team this past fall, and been on the Athletic Director's Honor Roll every year at FGCU, in addition to being on the President's List and multiple-time Dean's List recipient.
 
On campus, Blackwell served as the President of the Eagles Council in 2014 and has been the women's soccer team's representative on the council since her freshman year. She has volunteered at the FGCU Food Forest, served as a judge for the Kiwanis Science Fair and participated in Harry Chapin Food Bank Walk-a-Thons, in addition to several other volunteer activities. In the community, she has assisted Habitat for Humanity, tutored students, taught soccer lessons and cooked dinners for families at the Ronald McDonald House. Blackwell has also volunteered at many local organizations to help clean up and beautify Southwest Florida.
 
On the pitch, Blackwell is a two-time A-Sun Defensive Player of the Year, three-time A-Sun First Team member and has received league awards all four years as she was named to the All-Freshman Team. Additionally, she has been tabbed to the NSCAA All-Southeast Region Team for two-consecutive years. She helped backstop FGCU to four-straight A-Sun regular-season championships, being named to the All-Tournament Team every year.
 
HEAD COACH JIM BLAKENSHIP ON BLACKWELL
"Emma is a model candidate. Her dedication to her team, the community and her studies has carried over to the people that are in her life. Emma has gone above and beyond expectations laid before her and is someone who I could always count on."
 
Nominees for the 2015-16 Most Outstanding Female and Male Athlete Awards were also unveiled Monday night. The winners of this award will be announced at the "Welcome Back Picnic" in August, due to some sports still waiting on postseason awards. All nominees have either earned All-Conference First Team honors or better in their respective sport or, for a few spring sports that have not yet awarded these honors, are individuals whom are believed to be under strong considerations for such accolades.
 
2015-16 MOST OUTSTANDING FEMALE & MALE ATHLETE AWARD NOMINEES
MEN'S BASKETBALL: Marc-Eddy Norelia
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: DyTiesha Dunson, Whitney Knight, Kaneisha Atwater
MEN'S SOCCER: Rodrigo Saravia, Aaron Guillen, Nathan Ingham, Albert Ruiz
WOMEN'S SOCCER: Tabby Tindell, Emma Blackwell, Nikki Hudson, Ally Kasun
SWIMMING & DIVING: Elise Haan, Katie Armitage, Fanny Teijonsalo, Katie Latham, Lani Cabrera, Evita Leter, Christina Kaas Elmgreen
MEN'S TENNIS: Javier Fernandez, Andres Alfonzo
WOMEN'S TENNIS: Julia Ascua, Breana Stampfli
VOLLEYBALL: Amanda Carroll
MEN'S GOLF: Austin Schultz
WOMEN'S GOLF: Mei Khuan Yong
BASEBALL: Jake Noll, Matt Reardon
SOFTBALL: Riley Randolph, Racquel Fournet, Louie Ross
 
2015-16 FGCU ATHLETICS AWARD WINNERS
Eagle Scholar-Athlete Award: DyTiesha Dunson (Women's Basketball), Brittany Brown (Women's Soccer), Emma Blackwell (Women's Soccer)
Duane Swanson Sr. Inspiration Award: Dr. Wilson & Mrs. Jo Anna Bradshaw (University President & Wife)
Carl McAloose Spirit Award: Katie Meador (Women's Basketball), Ally Kasun (Women's Soccer), Lani Cabrera (Swimming & Diving), Tyler Selesky (Baseball), Elizabeth Means (Women's Tennis)
Stanley "Butch" Perchan Award: Chelsea Dermyer (Women's Basketball Associate Head Coach)
Community Service Award: Elizabeth Means (Women's Tennis), Mei Khuan Yong (Women's Golf)
Eagle Spirit Team Award: Women's Soccer
 
ABOUT FGCU
In its 9th year as a Division-I member, FGCU has won a combined 52 conference regular season and tournament titles as a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference and Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association. In just its 5th year of D-I postseason eligibility, FGCU has made 23 total NCAA Championship appearances, and seven programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sports. In 2014-15, FGCU finished 9th in the Division I-AAA Learfield Sports Director Cup final standings, ahead of several prominent Big East, Missouri Valley and Atlantic 10 Conference members.
 
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#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visitwww.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.