Fayetteville State University celebrated a standout showing at the 3rd Annual HBCU Sports Awards, streamed live on the HBCU Sports YouTube channel on Saturday, July 25, as junior golfer Landon Cabingas and Director of Athletics Anthony T. Bennett earned two of the event's top honors.

Cabingas was named HBCU Men's Golfer of the Year, while Bennett received HBCU Athletic Director of the Year, highlighting a banner year for Fayetteville State Athletics and further cementing the Broncos' position among the nation's premier HBCU athletic programs.

A junior from New Bern, North Carolina, Cabingas was instrumental in leading Fayetteville State to its 28th CIAA Men's Golf Championship. He emerged as one of the conference's most consistent competitors throughout the season and finished as the CIAA Championship runner-up with a three-round score of 1-under-par 215, earning CIAA All-Tournament Team honors. Cabingas delivered one of the championship's best performances with a 3-under-par 69 in the second round and remained in contention for medalist honors throughout the tournament. His final-round effort featured two eagles and several clutch birdies, helping the Broncos pull away down the stretch and reclaim the conference crown.

Throughout the 2025-26 season, Cabingas recorded multiple top-three finishes and served as a cornerstone of a Broncos team that advanced to the NCAA Division II East/Atlantic Regional. Prior to joining Fayetteville State, he established an impressive collegiate résumé at Sandhills Community College, where he won two national championships and earned two All-America selections. His championship pedigree, consistency and poise under pressure made him one of the top golfers in HBCU competition this season.

Bennett's recognition as HBCU Athletic Director of the Year comes after overseeing one of the most successful periods in Fayetteville State Athletics history. Since being named Director of Athletics in 2015, he has guided the Broncos to 35 CIAA championships while establishing the department as a perennial contender across multiple sports, with numerous teams also earning CIAA runner-up finishes and competing for conference titles year after year.

During the 2025-26 academic year alone, Fayetteville State captured seven CIAA championships, produced four CIAA Players of the Year, four CIAA Coaches of the Year, and multiple national award finalists while continuing to elevate the department's competitive and academic profile. The Broncos claimed conference championships in men's basketball, men's golf, men's and women's cross country, women's volleyball, women's indoor track and field, and women's bowling, with several programs advancing to regional and national postseason competition.

Bennett's leadership has been recognized throughout the conference and beyond. In addition to being named HBCU Athletic Director of the Year, he previously earned CIAA Athletic Director of the Year honors in 2022, 2023, and 2026. In 2023, Bennett was selected to serve a three-year term on the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame Board of Directors, further reflecting the respect he has earned as a leader within collegiate athletics across the state.

Bennett has also championed excellence in academics, compliance, and student-athlete development. Under his leadership this past academic year, Fayetteville State earned the Loretta Taylor Women's All-Sports Award for the fifth consecutive year, produced the CIAA Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and saw Associate Athletics Director Deron Norwood recognized as CIAA Compliance Director of the Year. Collectively, those achievements demonstrate Bennett's commitment to building a department that excels in every area while positioning Fayetteville State as one of the premier athletic programs in HBCU sports.

The national recognition of Cabingas and Bennett underscores the continued growth and dominance of Fayetteville State Athletics as the Broncos build on a tradition of excellence both on and off the field of competition.