NORFOLK, Va. – Junior basketball player Kyle O'Quinn and freshman bowler Thea Aspiras were named Norfolk State University Male and Female Athletes of the Year, respectively, at the school's athletic banquet on Monday night.

O'Quinn became NSU's first-ever MEAC Defensive Player of the Year as well as earning All-MEAC first-team honors. He ranked fourth in the nation with 3.4 blocks per game, was fifth in the country with 11.1 rebounds per game, and led the Spartans while ranking fifth in the MEAC with his 16.4 points per game. In addition to his MEAC honors, O'Quinn was named to the NABC All-District 15 first team, the Mid-Major Defensive All-America Team, and the BoxToRow.Com HBCU All-America first team.

O'Quinn also set an all-era school record with his 110 blocked shots, and his 355 total rebounds are the most for any Spartan in the Division I era (since 1997-98).

Aspiras was named the MEAC Bowling Rookie of the Year, a first for NSU. She also became NSU's first-ever All-MEAC first-team bowler, and is NSU's first-ever bowling All-American after she was named to the National Tenpins Coaches Association (NTCA) second team. Aspiras averaged 197.5 pins per game this year, including a high game of 277, in helping the Spartans capture the MEAC Southern Division regular-season title for the second time in three seasons. She was also named tournament MVP at competitions hosted by Kutztown and Bowie State.

Senior football player Ryan Hathaway and sophomore bowler Jessica Overton were named the department's Male and Female Scholar Athletes of the Year for having the highest grade-point averages among their respective genders. Hathaway, an electronic technology major, has a 3.78 GPA and won the award for the second straight year. Overton has a 4.0 GPA and majors in elementary education.

The banquet was emceed by local TV sports anchor Chris Reckling and included a keynote address by former NSU football standout and current middle school principal Marty Conner.

Community/Alumni Awards
Rosa Alexander Scholarship (athlete with min. GPA: 3.0): Keenan Lambert, football
James Douglas Gill Scholarship (athlete with min. GPA: 2.5): Maatra Henderson, volleyball
Mid-Atlantic Coca-Cola Awards: Kyle O'Quinn, men's basketball MVP; Rae Corbo, women's basketball MVP; Corwin Hammond, football (Golden Helmet Award)
Optima Family Care Women's Basketball Defensive Player Award: Whitney Long, women's basketball
Samuel F. Coppage Award (football, top OL): Markeece Preston
Walter M. Kindred Award (football, top DL): Josh Turner
Vince Lombardi Award (football; leadership, character, academics, and ability): Anthony Taylor
Joseph G. Echols Award (baseball player, for academics and achievement): John Rasberry
Barbara B. Wright Award (outstanding women's track athlete): Katie Wright
Jimmy Johnson (outstanding men's track athlete): Keith Nkrumah
Marvin Prince Track Awards (outstanding track athletes): Wanetta Kirby, Darris Shelton

Individual Sports Team Awards
Men's Cross Country
Coaches Award: Amos Kipkosgei
Most Improved: Kameron George
MVP: Vincent Rono
Men's Track and Field
Rookie of the Year: James Taylor
Most Improved: Vincent Brown
MVP: Josef Tessema
Women's Cross Country
MVP: Kellen Rutto
Women's Track and Field
Rookie of the Year: Champagne Bell
Coaches Award: Elaine Rhoades
Co-MVP: Champagne Bell, Shanneka Claiborne
Football
Coaches Award (Offense): William Falakiseni
Coaches Award (Defense): Hasan Craig
Coaches Award (Special Teams): Troy Muenzer
Women's Volleyball
Rookie of the Year: Noelle Eagles
Coaches Award: Nicole Kessner
MVP: Charlotte Armstead
Men's Basketball
Rookie of the Year: Pendarvis Williams
Coaches Award: Rob Hampton
MVP: Kyle O'Quinn
Women's Basketball
Defensive Player of the Year: Whitney Long
Most Improved: Marian Brooks
MVP: Rae Corbo
Women's Bowling
Most Improved: Chelsea Krall
Coaches Award: Tiffany Hunt
MVP: Thea Aspiras
Men's Tennis
Rookie of the Year: Kent Austin
Most Improved: Justin Shuck
MVP: Arsenio Culver
Women's Tennis
Rookie of the Year: Gabriella Jonsson
Most Improved: Rebecca Graff
MVP: Naeemah Brooks
Softball
To be announced at a later date
Baseball
To be announced at a later date