Kent State Announces Devine Awards and Honors
5/15/2020 9:47:00 AM | General, Softball, Women's Golf, Wrestling, Men's Track & Field, Women's Track & Field
KENT, OHIO- The Golden Flashes have recognized student athletes that have excelled in athletics, academics, leadership and community service this week in a virtual version of the annual Judith K. Devine Academic Honors.
The Judith K. Devine award is presented to seniors who have exhibited leadership in all facets of a student-athlete's life, including team, department, collegial unit, and community. This year's award went to Vanessa Vodan who competes for both the Kent State softball and track and field teams. Vodan was the 2018 MAC champion in javelin and qualified for the NCAA east prelims. She was named Academic All-MAC in both track and softball and was a distinguished scholar athlete in 2019. Additionally, Vanessa served as a representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee including serving as president for the 2019-2020 season and was part of a service trip to Costa Rica in 2019. Vanessa graduated with a degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology.Â
Pimnipa Panthong was named the 2020 Janet Bachna Award recipient. The Bachna Award recognizes a graduating female student-athlete demonstrating the most exceptional combined qualities of leadership, positive image, athletic ability and academic performance. Pim had a decorated golf career for Kent State. She is a 3x All-American (2017, 2018, 2020) and holds the program record with seven individual tournament victories. Additionally, she is 2x MAC Golfer of the Year (2017, 2018), MAC Freshman of the Year (2017) and is a 3x All-MAC 1st Team (2017-19). She set the MAC record for lowest score in a MAC Championship, 8-under (2018), earned an invite to the Augusta National Women's Amateur (2019, 2020) and had 47 hours of community service. This spring, she graduated with a degree in business management.
The Merle Wagoner Award, recognizes a graduating male student-athlete who has demonstrated the most exceptional combined qualities of leadership, positive image, athletic ability and academic performance, the 2020 recipient is TJ Lawson from track and field. Lawson owns an impressive resume in track and field. He is a four-time All-American Indoor, 1st Team (2018); Outdoor, Honorable Mention (2017, 2018, 2019). He is a 5x NCAA Championships qualifier, a 2019 CoSIDA Academic All-American Third Team, the Great Lakes Region Men's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year (2019). He is a 3x MAC Decathlon Champion (2017-19) and a 2x MAC Heptathalon Champion (2019, 2020). This spring, TJ earned a degree in sports administration and business management.
Additionally, two student-athletes earned the MAC Medal of Excellence: Maria Cegledy of softball and Tim Rooney of wrestling.Â
Cegledy is an exercise science major and earned the 2020 Senior CLASS Award. On the field she is 2x All- MAC 2nd Team (2018. 2019), 3x Academic All-District (2018, 2019, 2020), 2x MAC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete (2018, 2019) and 2x Academic All-MAC (2018, 2019).
Rooney is also an exercise science major. He won the 2020 MAC Championship at 133 pounds and is a 2x NCAA qualifier. He earned the #12 ranking in the 2020 NCAA tournament. He is a 4x Academic All-MAC member and served three seasons as a SAAC representative. Rooney plans on attending Baldwin Wallace for physician's assistant school.Â
The annual Devine Award ceremony is named for Judith K. Devine. Part of her lasting legacy includes an endowment she created to allow the awards to be an annual celebration.
Players Mentioned
