ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.- The 2024 ECSPYs (Eckerd College Sports Performance Yearly's) is set for Thursday, May 9, at 7:00 PM.
The annual award show celebrates each of our teams and another year in Eckerd Athletics. Student-Athletes will host the show in Miller Auditorium at 7:00 PM with a preceremony social at 6:30 PM.
Triton fans and family can also watch the ECSPYs in our game portal at SunshineStateConference.tv/Eckerd.
In addition to celebrating our team, Eckerd will induct the 2024 Athletics Hall of Fame Class of Rodney Chatman, Joe Cuda, and Kelly Jackson.
Rodney Chatman was a guard for the men's basketball team from 1991-1995. He helped guide Eckerd to two NCAA Tournament appearances in 1993-94 and 1994-95. He also helped the Tritons to the program's first Sunshine State Conference Tournament Championship in 1994 and Eckerd's first regular-season SSC Championship in 1994-95, where Eckerd produced a 22-10 record. Chatman was a three-time all-conference honoree. He was selected to the honorable mention team in 1992-93 before being named to the second team in his junior year and garnering first-team accolades in his final campaign. He was a two-time selection to the SSC All-Tournament team, taking home MVP honors in 1994 when Eckerd won the tournament championship. Chatman ended his career appearing in 114 games while logging 1,616 points and 521 rebounds.
Joe Cuda was a starting pitcher for the Tritons from 2008-12. He was the 2012 Male James R. Harley Award winner. Cuda produced his best season in 2011 and was tabbed the Sunshine State Conference Pitcher of the Year, the first Triton to do so. That season, he posted a 1.66 ERA. He was also selected to the Daktronics All-South Region First Team and CoSIDA Academic All-District Second Team that season. He also received numerous accolades in the 2012 campaign, including All-SSC Second Team, ABCA/Rawlings Second Team All-South, ABCA/Rawlings All-South Region Gold Glove Team, Daktronics All-South Region Second Team, and a semifinalist for Tino Martinez Division II Player of the Year Award. He was also a Preseason ABCA/Rawlings All-American selection and three-time NCBWA South Region Pitcher of the Week. At the time of graduation, Cuda set the career record for strikeouts with 386 and starts with 51
Kelly Jackson was a two-sport athlete, playing volleyball and softball for the Tritons from 1999 to 2003. Her senior year, she was the female recipient of the James R. Harley Award. She produced a .305 career batting average with 153 hits and 70 RBIs in softball, and 3,930 assists and 137 aces in volleyball. Jackson was a third baseman for the Tritons' softball team, where she was a three-time all-conference selection. She garnered second-team honors in 2001 and 2002 before collecting first-team accolades her senior year. As a setter on the volleyball team, Jackson was selected to the All-SSC Freshman Team in 1999. Jackson is the program record holder in career assists at 3,930 while ranking seventh in hitting percentage (.282) and ninth in aces (137).
Below is a list of awards and honors that will be recognized during the ECSPYs. The show also includes an all sports highlight video.
Friends of Athletics: Each year, the entire Athletics Staff selects an individual who has demonstrated extraordinary service and commitment to the department and to our student-athletes.
Professor of the Year: The athletes are asked to nominate those professors who went above and beyond in their mentoring endeavors.
MVP (one per team): The awards celebrate the student-athletes who have given the most valuable performance in athletic competition.
Triton Award (one per team): The award is given to student-athletes who reach the highest levels of athletic achievement, academic excellence, and leadership. We honor the students who have invested so much of themselves in order to achieve excellence in the classroom and compete at a very high level.
Senior Career Achievements: We recognize our senior athletes who have broken a record, or reached a milestone (e.g., 1,000 career points) during their career.
Holt Weeks Award: In honor of William Holt Weeks, the award is given to a men's tennis player who best represents the character and spirit of Holt Weeks - Leader, Scholar, Athlete, Volunteer
Senior Scholar-Athlete Award: The award is presented to one male and female senior student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA.
William J. Mathews Academic Excellence Award: The award is presented to the team with the highest cumulative GPA over the last year (spring 2023, fall 2023, winter 2024).
Athlete of the Year: The award is presented to the top male and female athletes for their athletic performances over the year.
James R. Harley Award: The award is presented to the male and female senior student-athletes who demonstrate leadership and excellence in the classroom, on the field of competition, and in their community. This is the highest award an Eckerd student-athlete can receive, and it is given in honor of Jim Harley, who served the college as director of athletics for nearly 40 years.
Athletic Directors Honor Roll: The award honors student-athletes with a GPA of 3.0 or higher in the fall term.
