Kentucky basketball player Anthony Davis and Alabama golfer Brooke Pancake, who is from Chattanooga, have been named the 2011-2012 Roy F. Kramer SEC Male and Female Athletes of the Year by a vote of the league's athletics directors, Commissioner Mike Slive announced today.
"Anthony and Brooke are true examples of outstanding student-athletes. They have competed at the highest level of collegiate athletics and through their hard work, dedication and commitment to excellence have been successful in their endeavors,” said Commissioner Slive.
“They are outstanding representatives of their universities and this conference. The SEC is proud to honor them for their accomplishments and wish them the best in their future endeavors.”
Anthony Davis helped lead Kentucky to its eighth national championship in men’s basketball and was named the 2012 Final Four Most Outstanding Player for his efforts.
The 2012 Honda Award winner and U.S. Open qualifier, Brooke Pancake secured Alabama’s first NCAA Women’s Golf Championship in May with a four-foot putt on the final hole to clinch a one-stroke win over Southern Cal.
The 2012 NCAA individual runner-up is a three-time All-American, and is Alabama’s first two-time first team All-American. A four-year All-SEC selection, she led UA to its first SEC women’s golf title in 2010. She finished her career with a 73.08 scoring average, the second best in UA history.
In June, she led Team USA in the 2012 Curtis Cup with the most individual points in the United States’ match vs. Great Britain and Ireland. The 2012 Capital One Academic All-American of the Year is also a two-time first team Academic All-American.
She won the 2011 Edith Cummings Munson Award (highest GPA among first-team All-Americans) as well as the 2010 NCAA Elite 88 Award (highest GPA among golfers at the NCAA Championships).
The other male nominees were: Trent Richardson, Alabama (football); Joe Adams, Arkansas (football); Kyle Owens, Auburn (swimming & diving); Tony McQuay, Florida (track & field); Martin Grodzki, Georgia (swimming & diving); Morris Claiborne, LSU (football); Alex Yarbrough, Ole Miss (baseball); Chris Stratton, Mississippi State (baseball); Melvin Ingram, South Carolina (football); Ryan Helms, Tennessee (swimming & diving); John Jenkins, Vanderbilt (basketball).
The other female nominees were: Jaime Pisani, Arkansas (gymnastics); Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace, Auburn (swimming); Elizabeth Beisel, Florida (softball); Kat Ding, Georgia (gymnastics); A’dia Mathies, Kentucky (basketball); Kimberlyn Duncan, LSU (track & field); Kristi Boxx, Ole Miss (tennis); Jody-Ann Muir, Mississippi State (track & field); Kayla Grimsley, South Carolina (soccer); Kelsey Robinson, Tennessee (volleyball); Marina Alex, Vanderbilt (golf).
The SEC Athletes of the Year Awards were first presented in 1976 for men and 1984 for women. The award was renamed the Roy F. Kramer Athletes of the Year in 2004 to honor the former commissioner who served the conference from 1990-2002.
Past recipients of the SEC Athlete of the Year Award include: 2011 - John-Patrick Smith, Tennessee (tennis) and Kayla Hoffman, Alabama (gymnastics); 2010 - Mark Ingram, Alabama (football) and Susan Jackson, LSU (gymnastics); 2009 - Tim Tebow, Florida (football) and Courtney Kupets, Georgia (gymnastics); 2008 - Tim Tebow, Florida (football) and Candace Parker, Tennessee (basketball); 2007 - David Price, Vanderbilt (baseball) and Monica Abbott, Tennessee (softball); 2006 - Xavier Carter, LSU (track & field) and Seimone Augustus, LSU (basketball); 2005 - Ryan Lochte, Florida (swimming) and Kirsty Coventry, Auburn (swimming); 2004 - Alistair Cragg, Arkansas (cross country/track) and Jeana Rice, Alabama (gymnastics); 2003 - Alistair Cragg, Arkansas (cross country/track) and LaToya Thomas, Mississippi State (basketball); 2002 - Walter Davis, LSU (track & field) and Andree’ Pickens, Alabama (gymnastics); 2001 - Matias Boeker, Georgia (tennis) and Amy Yoder Begley, Arkansas (cross country/track); 2000 - Kip Bouknight , South Carolina (baseball) and Kristy Kowal, Georgia (swimming); 1999 - Tim Couch, Kentucky (football) and Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee (basketball); 1998 - Peyton Manning, Tennessee (football) and Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee (basketball); 1997 - Danny Wuerffel, Florida (football) and Trinity Johnson, South Carolina (softball); 1996 - Danny Wuerffel, Florida (football) and Saudia Roundtree, Georgia (basketball); 1995 - Todd Helton, Tennessee (baseball) and Jenny Hansen, Kentucky (gymnastics); 1994 - Corliss Williamson, Arkansas (basketball) and Nicole Haislett, Florida (swimming); 1993 - Jamal Mashburn, Kentucky (basketball) and Nicole Haislett, Florida (swimming); 1992 - Shaquille O'Neal, LSU (basketball) and Vicki Goetze, Georgia (golf); 1991 - Shaquille O'Neal, LSU (basketball) and Daedra Charles, Tennessee (basketball); 1990 - Alec Kessler, Georgia (basketball) and Dee Foster, Alabama (gymnastics); 1989 - Derrick Thomas, Alabama (football) and Bridgette Gordon, Tennessee (basketball); 1988 - Will Perdue, Vanderbilt (basketball) and Dara Torres, Florida (swimming); 1987 - Cornelius Bennett, Alabama (football) and Lillie Leatherwood-King, Alabama (track and field); 1986 - Bo Jackson, Auburn (football) and Jennifer Gillom, Ole Miss (basketball); 1985 - Will Clark, Mississippi State (baseball) and Penney Hauschild, Alabama (gymnastics); 1984 - Terry Hoage, Georgia (football) and Tracy Caulkins, Florida (swimming); 1983 - Herschel Walker, Georgia (football/track and field); 1982 - Buck Belue, Georgia (football/baseball); 1981 - Rowdy Gaines, Auburn (swimming); 1980 - Kyle Macy, Kentucky (basketball); 1979 - Reggie King, Alabama (basketball); 1978 - Jack Givens, Kentucky (basketball); 1977 - Larry Seivers, Tennessee (football); and 1976 - Harvey Glance, Auburn (track and field).