Gainesville, FL

Santa Fe College held their annual "Players Choice Awards" (PCA) at Hotel Indigo in Gainesville on Monday night. The night consisted of end of year awards and celebrations presented by the Athletic Department, the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), College Officials, as well as the family of former Santa Fe Athletic Director Kenny Drost.

The evening began with a few special awards that were presented to Athletic Department Staff Members. Deigh Scroggie, Administrative Assistant, received the Sunny Day Award. This award recognizes Deigh for her constant Sunny Smiles and positive attitude which contributes to her everyday encounters with Santa Fe students, student-athletes, coaches, and community members.

The second special award of the night was given to our Academic Advisor, Kimberly Oliver. The Starfish Make A Difference Honor was presented to Kim for her constant effort to make a difference with our student-athletes one person at a time. In reference to the story of a little boy throwing starfish one by one back into the water; when approached by an older man who said there is too much to do to make an impact, replied "I made a difference for this one". We want to thank and recognize Kim Oliver for arriving to work with the mindset that each person matters.

The Athletic Department additionally honored Head Baseball Coach Johnny Wiggs on surpassing his 600th win at Santa Fe College with a commemorative plaque. Coach Wiggs will be inducted into the NJCAA Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame this summer in May at the NJCAA College World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado! In addition to his 600 career wins at Santa Fe, Wiggs has surpassed 800 career coaching victories!

The next series of awards were the first ever Student Athlete Advisory Committee Awards, presented by SAAC members. Along with SAAC Members, Athletic Director Chanda Stebbins and Mental Health Liaison Alton Darling nominated and selected this year's recipients.

The SUNSHINE Award was presented to Predrag Panisic, who has made a significant impact in the community, with the college, and to the athletic department through service and volunteering. His selfless contributions have promoted athletics in the community, the social wellbeing of others, and enhanced the college.

The PERSEVERANCE Award was presented to Kelsey Harper, who has demonstrated unwavering determination, resilience, and dedication when faced with any adversities or challenges. Her willingness to overcome challenges and gracefully still take a leadership role with her team attributes to her work ethic and passion.

The final SAAC award was presented to the SAAC Most Valuable Person. The SAAC MVP was presented to Griffin Sorrow. Griffin goes above and beyond as a person, and consistently inspires others with his dedication, teamwork, and excellence to be the best person he can be.

The next segment of the night included Dr. Portia Taylor Academic Awards, given to one recipient for each of the five Santa Fe athletic teams. Dr. Portia Taylor was the former Vice President of Student affairs at Santa Fe College and made constant efforts that stressed the allocation of resources to allow students the opportunity to invest more in their academics during their time at Santa Fe College. This year's awards were presented to student-athletes who have succeeded not only in their respective sports but have also emphasized their academics. The awards were presented by Dr. Portia Taylor herself as well as former Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Curtis Jefferson.

This years recipients are:

Softball - Ariel Obregon

Baseball - Griffin Sorrow

Men's Basketball - Cole Gullikson

Women's Basketball - Aissa Diallo

Volleyball - Maria Contreras

The night concluded with the Kenny Drost Male and Female Leadership Awards, presented by Mrs. Betty Lou Drost (widow) and their two sons (Mr. William Drost and Dr. Daniel Drost). These awards were started to honor the best student-athlete leaders for Mr. Kenny Drost.

Karris Rhine was honored with the Kenny Drost Female Leader of the Year. Karris encourages, leads, and motivates her teammates day in and day out, and is filled with contagious excitement and energy every day. Karris plays a key part keeping her team on the same page, and is a friendly and fun leader with other student-athletes.

Zack Dejesus was honored with the Kenny Drost Male Leader of the Year. Zack is an ultimate team player, and leads with a steady attitude that is unshakeable no matter the situation. As SAAC President, Zack's leadership is unselfish and he is driven by his servant leadership attitude.

Photo Album