April 29, 2009
UNA STUDENT ATHLETES HONORED AT ATHLETIC
AWARDS BANQUET
KENNY
JOHNSON IS UNA STUDENT-ATHLETE VOLUNTEER
OF THE YEAR
FLORENCE
– University of North Alabama’s men’s
basketball senior Kenny Johnson was
named the school’s Student-Athlete
Volunteer of the Year at the UNA
Athletic Department’s awards banquet
Tuesday evening. The award was
created to recognize the student-athlete
who has shown dedication to serving the
campus community and the Shoals area.
The selection was made by the members of
the UNA Student-Athlete Advisory
Committee.
Johnson, from Plaquemine, La., was
involved with the Reading Lions program
at five different elementary schools,
the American Red Cross Blood Drive, the
Boy's & Girl's Club Fun Day, the
Master's Games, the Florence City
Father/Son Initiative, Wheelchair
Basketball, the American Cancer Society,
the Kids Zone on Spirit Hill, the
Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and
UNA Kid’s Fun Night.
Johnson was a three-year letterman for
the Lions and was named the 2009 GSC
East Division Player of the Year. He was
also first-team All-GSC, first-team
All-South Region and honorable mention
All-American. He also played in the NABC
Division II All-Star Game
Johnson scored 1,135 career points to
ranks as the 16th leading
scorer in UNA’s 76-year basketball
history. He also had 410 career assists
and 283 rebounds. He is graduating on
May 9 with a Bachelor of Business
Administration degree in CIS.
JESSICA
HANSEN RECEIVES LION PRIDE AWARD
FLORENCE
– University of North Alabama senior
volleyball standout Jessica Hansen of
Council Bluffs, Iowa, received the Lion
Pride Award at the UNA Athletic
Department’s awards banquet Tuesday
evening. The award was created by
the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee
to recognize an individual who
exemplifies the individual who goes the
extra mile and gives more than expected.
Hansen has been involved with the UNA
Student-Athlete Advisory Committee,
participated in the Lunch with the Lions
program, coordinated events such as
Chains of Love and Too Much Junk in the
Trunk, raised money for Breast Cancer
Awareness and the Make a Wish
Foundation, participated in Lions
Birthday Party, Reading Lions Program,
the Kids Zone on Spirit Hill, Kid's Fun
Night, and a Volleyball Clinic at
Hibbett School. She was also president
of the Student-Athlete Advisory
Committee for 2008-09.
A four-year letterman at defensive
specialist and libero for the UNA
volleyball team, Hansen owns six school
season and career records. She holds
records for digs in a season (726), digs
per game in a season (5.63) and digs per
game in a career (4.33). She is UNA’s
all-time leader in digs with 2,265 and
added 201 career service aces.
She was a two-time first-team All-GSC
selection and was all-region and
honorable mention All-American as a
senior. She earned seven GSC East
Division Player of the Week awards. She
is graduating from UNA with a Bachelor
of Business Administration degree in
Marketing.
CHATMAN RECEIVES SENIOR ACADEMIC AWARD
FLORENCE
–
University of North Alabama football
standout Derrick Chatman received the
school’s Student-Athlete Senior Academic
Award at the UNA Athletic Department’s
awards banquet Tuesday evening.
The Senior Academic Award recognizes the
top-graduating senior, based on
cumulative grade point average, who
lettered in their final season of
competition.
Chatman had a cumulative 3.77 GPA in
Criminal Justice and was an anchor on
the UNA football team’s defensive line.
A Florence native and four-year
letterman on the UNA football team,
Chatman was named a permanent team
captain and was chosen first-team All-GSC
and first-team All-Super Region 2 in
2008. He was a two-time Academic All-GSC
and ESPN The Magazine Academic
All-District IV selection. He graduated
from UNA in December with a BS degree in
Criminal Justice.
