FORT MYERS, Fla. – Former men's basketball guard Brandon Goodwin has been named FGCU's Most Outstanding Male Athlete, and former women's soccer defender Ashley Parks and rising volleyball senior Amanda Carroll shared FGCU's Most Outstanding Female Athlete award for 2017-18.
 
Goodwin is the first men's basketball player to garner the award since Sherwood Brown in 2013, and just the second – along with Brown – to receive the recognition in the Division-I era (since 2007-08).
 
Parks continues women's soccer strong record of success as she joins Tabby Tindell (2017, 2015) as the program's third representative to win – or share – the award in the last four years.
 
Carroll – who also plays beach volleyball in the spring – becomes the first-ever volleyball player to win the award. The complete list of previous award winners is listed at the end of this release.
 
The award honors the best FGCU male and female athlete(s) for the previous year. It has been handed out since 2002-03 – FGCU's first year as an NCAA member (NAIA: 2000-02; Division II: 2002-07) – and the award is presented annually at the Welcome Back Picnic, which this year will take place on Aug. 27.
 
All nominees, who are included at the end of this release, have been selected by department staff members as the best among FGCU's 15 programs, earned all-conference first team honors or better and been named as a league player of the year (or superlative player of the year) in their respective sport in 2017-18.
 
Below is more information about each of the award winners.
 
BRANDON GOODWIN
Goodwin highlighted his redshirt senior season with the following accolades:
 
Associated Press All-American Honorable Mention
ASUN Player of the Year
ASUN First Team (Unanimous)
NABC District 3 First Team
ASUN All-Tournament Team
2x ASUN Player of the Week (Dec. 11; Jan. 22)
 
With the Honorable Mention All-American selection by The AP, Goodwin joined Brown in 2013 as the only FGCU men's basketball players to garner the award. Additionally, he and Brown are the only pair in program history to be named ASUN Player of the Year – which Goodwin did in unanimous fashion this past spring. Additionally, the Norcross High School product became the first player in program history to be named a two-time NABC District 3 First Team selection.
 
The 6-2 Goodwin led FGCU in points (18.6), rebounds (5.5) and assists (4.8) – one of only eight players nationally who paced his team in all three categories. He ranked 2nd in the ASUN in scoring, 3rd in assists, 9th in steals (1.4) and 12th in rebounding – the only player in the ASUN Conference to rank in the top 12 in all four categories.
 
With 632 points in 34 games, the Norcross, Ga., native surpassed his own single-season program record of 629 points established last year in the same amount of contests. He also broke his own single-season D-I program record for free throws made (144; previous: 136 last year).
 
In league games he ranked 4th in scoring (19.6), 4th in steals (1.7), 5th in assists (4.6) and 8th in rebounding (6.1) – once again the only player to rank in the top 10 in all four categories. Goodwin, who had four double-doubles on the year, also ranked 8th in ASUN games in field-goal percentage (.538), and finished the regular season by posting scoring performances of 28, 28 and 27 points. He delivered a then D-I program record 34-point performance in the ASUN Tournament Final.
 
Goodwin On The Award: "It's an honor to be recognized with this award, especially considering how many great athletes FGCU has across so many sports. My time at FGCU was great, and I can't thank my coaches, teammates and staff members for helping me become an ever better player. I'm looking forward to always supporting the program regardless of where I am, and I can't wait to return to campus and watch some games."
 
Head Coach Michael Fly On Goodwin: "I'm excited for Brandon to receive this honor and win this award. He was a great player for us, and he is one of the most competitive and tough guys I've ever coached. He had a huge hand in contributing to all of the successes we've had over the past three years. We wish him nothing but the best as he pursues his professional playing career."
 
ASHLEY PARKS
Parks culminated one of the most decorated careers in FGCU women's soccer program history this past fall with the following honors:
 
ASUN Defensive Player of the Year
ASUN First Team (Unanimous)
ASUN All-Tournament Team
United Soccer Coaches Association Second Team All-Region
CoSIDA All-District IV First Team
 
Parks finished her career by earning the ASUN's Defensive Player of the Year honor, becoming the fifth Eagle to earn the recognition and the first since 2015.
 
A native of St. Louis, Parks anchored the FGCU backline and helped the Eagles post one of the best seasons in program history, holding opponents to 14 goals for a 0.72 goals against average in 2017. The Green and Blue posted 11 shutouts during the year, good for the 2nd-most in program history.
 
The Lafayette High School graduate's offensive impact was felt during the home opener, assisting on the game-winner against Kent State. She later assisted on the Varin Ness game-winner in the ASUN Championship against Lipscomb in double overtime as the Eagles overcame a 2-0 2nd-half deficit to defeat the Bisons on their home field.
 
In a true testament to her training and dedication, Parks missed just 23 minutes of action all season as she finished the year with 1,723 minutes played. Those 23 minutes all came in one contest – against NAIA opponent Webber International – and aside from that she was not subbed out of any of the other 18 matches during the year.
 
Parks On The Award: "I am so honored to receive this award with Amanda Carroll. She is such a talented athlete as well as an inspiration off the court. I am forever thankful for all that FGCU has done for me athletically and academically."
 
Head Coach Jim Blankenship On Parks: "I'm extremely happy for Ashley and what this honor says about her as an athlete and her soccer talents. Obviously she had a tremendous senior season, but Ashley had a banner career throughout her entire time with us. She was a great leader for our program, and FGCU women's soccer will be forever grateful for her contributions."
 
AMANDA CARROLL
With still one year of eligibility remaining, Carroll is on pace to perhaps become the most successful volleyball player in program history. She wrapped up her junior campaign in 2017 with the following recognitions:
 
ASUN Co-Player of the Year
AVCA First Team All-Region (First In Program History)
ASUN First Team
ASUN All-Tournament Team
2x ASUN Player of the Week (Sept. 18; Oct. 9)
 
As a junior, Carroll recorded 454 kills at a .290 clip while adding 344 digs, 18 assists, 34 service aces, 11 solo blocks and 46 block assists.
 
The Albuquerque, N.M., native tied her own program record for kills per set (4.41) and her aforementioned 454 kills were the 2nd-most in program history to her 485 as a sophomore. She tallied top-5 seasons in program history in points per set (2nd; 5.07), reception percentage (T-3rd; .972) and attack attempts (4th; 1,109).
 
Offensively, the Sandia High School product had 10 or more kills in 27 of 31 matches, including a season-high 27 – along with 18 digs – against Big Ten member Indiana. Including the matchup against the Hoosiers, she tallied 15 double-doubles in kills and digs. She picked up her third career ASUN All-Tournament award by averaging 11 kills and 17 digs. In the ASUN Final against Kennesaw State, she had a match-high 15 kills. Throughout the year, Carroll had five matches with at least 20 kills, two with at least 20 digs, 16 with multiple blocks and 10 with multiple aces.
 
Among all ASUN players, Carroll's kills, kills per set, 522 points and points per set were all 2nd-most. She also finished with the 3rd-most attack attempts and recorded the 5th-highest attack percentage (.290). She finished 2nd in aces and tied for 3rd in aces per set (.33), while ranking 9th in digs and digs per set (3.34).
 
Carroll On The Award: "I am extremely honored to be named Co-Female Athlete of the Year along with Ashley Parks. Sharing this award means so much to me, especially with another athlete as talented as her. Playing volleyball has given me so many opportunities, and I have been so grateful to be on a team that pushes me and inspires me to continue to grow as a player and person."
 
Head Coach Matt Botsford On Carroll: "What Amanda was able to do last year was simply amazing. Coming off the best single season FGCU has seen from a sophomore in the position of outside hitter, she followed it up in her junior year by improving in every facet of the game. She developed into a more efficient attacker, a better passer, a stronger server and a more tenacious defender. Amanda is special in so many ways and does so much for this team; no one statistic can ever do her justice or define her impact. Amanda is a positive force within our culture, unbelievably coachable and most importantly an amazing teammate. I am so proud of this young woman for all she has given to FGCU and our volleyball program, and I am excited that she is being recognized as FGCU Co-Female Athlete of the Year."
 
OTHER 2017-18 NOMINEES
MALE
Shak Adams: Soccer – ASUN First Team
Nicolas Samayoa: Soccer – ASUN Defensive Player of the Year
Richie Garcia: Baseball – ASUN First Team
Alex Brait: Baseball – ASUN First Team
Zach Johnson: Basketball – ASUN First Team
 
FEMALE
Melissa Weck: Soccer – ASUN Goalkeeper of the Year
Rosemarie Julien: Basketball – ASUN First Team
China Dow: Basketball – ASUN First Team
Gracie Redding: Swimming – CCSA Most Outstanding Female Swimmer of the Meet
Tina Kaas Elmgreen: Swimming – FGCU's Only NCAA Championship Representative
Carley Lutzow: Cross Country – ASUN First Team
Racquel Fournet: Softball – ASUN First Team
Riley Randolph: Softball – ASUN First Team
Maja Ornberg: Tennis – ASUN Player of the Year
 
PREVIOUS AWARD WINNERS
2016-17: Albert Ruiz (M. Soccer) & Tabby Tindell (W. Soccer)
2015-16: Jake Noll (Baseball) & Whitney Knight (W. Basketball)
2014-15: Jordi Vives (M. Tennis)/Nick Rivera (Baseball) & Emma Svensson (Swimming)/Tabby Tindell (W. Soccer)/Whitney Knight (W. Basketball)
2013-14: Mike Murray (Baseball)/Jordi Vives (M. Tennis) & Kira Toussaint (Swimming)/Kelly Perzanowski (W. Cross Country)
2012-13: Sherwood Brown (M. Basketball) & Sarah Hansen (W. Basketball)
2011-12: Ricky Knapp (Baseball) & Sarah Hansen (W. Basketball)
2010-11: Adam Glick (M. Soccer) & Shannon Murphy (W. Basketball)/Courtney Platt (Softball)
2009-10: Chris Sale (Baseball) & Chelsea Lyles (W. Basketball)
2008-09: Josh Upchurch (Baseball) & Cheyenne Jenks (Softball)
2007-08: Jason Peacock (Baseball) & Carmen Paez (Softball)
2006-07: Beau Bauer (M. Basketball) & Kate Schrader (W. Basketball)
2005-06: Juan Carlos Osorio (M. Tennis)/Jason Louwsma (Baseball) & Kate Schrader (W. Basketball)
2004-05: Bryan Crislip (M. Basketball)/Richard Stempnowski (M. Tennis) & Kelly Powe (Softball)
2003-04: Leighton Bowie (M. Basketball) & Kelly Powe (Softball)
2002-03: Chris Brown (Baseball) & Trish Fleming (W. Basketball)
 
ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 70 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 11 seasons at the Division-I level. Additionally, in just seven seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had 33 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Seven FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport. In the spring of 2018, FGCU student-athletes posted a department-record 3.35 GPA. In 2016-17, the Green and Blue posted a department-best 6th-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. FGCU also collectively served an all-time high 7,200+ volunteer hours – being recognized as one of two runner-ups for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.