Fayetteville, NC – Fayetteville State Athletics has much to celebrate for the 2022-23 academic year. The Department hosted its annual end-of-year awards ceremony last night at the Metropolitan Room in downtown Fayetteville and celebrated all six CIAA Championship teams and the progress of all programs throughout the year.
 
The department has an overall grade point average of 3.11 with 60% of the student-athletes surpassing the 3.0 mark. Twenty-two student-athletes attained a perfect 4.0 and 45 obtained a 3.5 to 3.99 average.
 
While the track & field program is still in season, senior jumper M'Smrya Seward collected the covenant Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year statue. During the event, she received the Indoor and Outdoor Coach's Award. Seward is a two-time NCAA DII Track & Field All-American after finishing fifth in the long jump at the national championship. She was named the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Indoor Field Athlete of the Year and the CIAA Indoor Championship's Field MVP.
 
Men's Cross Country Hillary Toroitich and Golf's Caden Hodges were named Gatorade's Co-male Athletes of the Year. Hillary also picked up the
 
Toroitich swept the CIAA individual awards, claiming the Men's Cross Country Runner of the Year and winning the championship's individual title as the Broncos won their first-ever men's championship. He was also named a member of the NCAA DII All-Region Team.
 
Hodges swept the CIAA individual golf awards with the Championship's Low Medalist Award, the Golfer of the Year Award, and the Rookie of the Year Award.  
Fayetteville State also presented the Highest GPA Awards for each program along with a Coach's Award and Players' Choice Award.
 
Highest GPA Award
Men's Cross Country - Hillary Toroitich
Women's Cross Country/Track & Field - Anna Buckley, Nia Gibson, Holley Johnson, Tramoni Myles, Breasia Williams
Football - Josiah Boyd
Volleyball - Elana Fuller
Women's Basketball - Daziyahna Wilson
Men's Basketball - Kaleb Coleman
Cheerleading -Jada Worthon
Bowling - Jayda Gignac
Golf - Juan Lopez
Softball - Izzabella Hembree
 
Coach's Award
Women's Cross Country - Nia Gibson
Men's Cross Country - Hillary Toroitich
Football - Brandon Barnes-Brown
Volleyball - Casandra Watson
Women's Basketball - Aniylah Bryant
Men's Basketball - Cress Worthy
Cheerleading - Angel Richardson
Bowling - Paige Rockwell
Golf - Caden Hodges
Softball - DeMya Brown
Women's Indoor Track & Field - M'Smrya Seward
Women's Outdoor Track & Field - M'Smrya Seward
 
Players' Choice Award
Men's Cross Country - Derrick Kipchumba
Women's Cross Country - Repline Cheptoo
Football - Devin Cowan
Volleyball - Jaida Bynum
Women's Basketball - Imani Elliott
Men's Basketball - Khalil Ridges
Cheerleading - Imani Hayes
Bowling - Katrina Lowe
Golf - Caden Hodges
Softball - Angelica Locklear
Women's Indoor Track & Field - Nia Gibson
Women's Outdoor Track & Field - Domanique Knowles