RUSTON – Louisiana Tech softball senior Morgan Turkoly and track and field junior Conner Killian were recipients of the Presidential Awards while the Bulldog football team took home the Team of the Year Award at the 2019 Techspys held Monday night at the Thomas Assembly Center.
 
The year-end "Academy Awards"-style show highlighted all of the academic and athletic accomplishments of the Louisiana Tech student-athletes for the past year (the spring sports of baseball, softball, outdoor track and field, and the spring seasons for tennis and golf all fall under the 2018 season).
 
Turkoly and Killian were honored with the Presidential Award presented by University President Les Guice, which is the highest honor bestowed upon a Tech student-athlete who best epitomizes what it means to be a role model Bulldog and Lady Techster. The duo was recognized for their hard work on the playing fields and in the classroom.
 
The Bulldog football team was named the Team of the Year as LA Tech ended the 2018 season by becoming one of only two programs in the nation (along with Wisconsin) to win five straight bowl games. The Bulldogs defeated the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors 31-14 in the 2018 SoFi Hawaii Bowl. The win over Hawaii gave the Bulldogs eight wins on the season as LA Tech became the only school in Conference USA to win 7-plus games in each of the last five years. LA Tech led C-USA this season with 18 postseason all-conference awards (18), while Jaylon Ferguson earned Defensive Player of the Year honors after breaking the all-time NCAA record for career sacks in the bowl win over Hawaii.
 
The Team GPA Award went to the Bulldog cross country team while the SAAC Award (Community Service) was awarded to the Lady Techster soccer team. The Tenets of Tech Award was given to the student-athletes in each program that best exemplify the 12 guiding principles that exemplify the qualities that Tech students should possess upon graduating from this institution.
 
The Tenets of Tech recipients were:  Ryan Alford (golf), Berkley Calapp (softball), Chris Clayton (baseball), Madeline Davis (volleyball), Tyler Griggers (men's track and field), Kendall Hickman (bowling), Derric Jean (men's basketball), Alexandra Leblanc (soccer), Darryl Lewis (football), Nadja Manjon (tennis), Ethan Reed (football), Taylor Stahly (women's basketball) and Rhea Thompson (women's track and field).
 
In the individual categories, Jaylon Ferguson (football) and Morgan Turkoly and Preslee Gallaway (softball) took home the Male and Female Athlete of the Year. Mason Robinson (baseball) and Kierra Anthony (women's basketball) earned the Male and Female Performance of the Year. Steele Netterville (baseball) and Lara Hendricks (volleyball) were the recipients of the Male and Female Freshmen of the Year. Tanner Huddleston (baseball) and Jazlyn Crowder (softball) won the Male and Female Plays of the Year through a fan vote.
 
Louisiana Tech Sports Medicine graduate assistant Emily Eunice was the recipient of the Act of Valor Award. Eunice was courtside on Nov. 28, 2018, when Bulldog sophomore Exavian Christon went into cardiac arrest during practice. Eunice immediately utilized her training and applied the automated external defibrillator (AED), saving Christon's life.
 
The night also included singing performances by Keiunna Walker (WBB) and Alana Sherman (Tennis). 
 
2019 TECHSPY AWARDS WINNERS
 
MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Jaylon Ferguson (Football) earned four separate All-American honors and C-USA Defensive Player of the Year after leading the nation in sacks with a school and conference record 17.5. Ferguson broke the all-time NCAA record for career sacks with 45.0 and totaled 64 tackles, including 26.0 tackles for loss, while ranking No. 1 in the nation in sacks and sacks per game.
 
FEMALE CO-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Morgan Turkoly (Softball) was named Conference USA Player of the Year as well as first team all-conference, first team all-state and first team all-region after a year that saw her bat .409 with 13 doubles, 26 RBI and 46 runs scored. She posted the third longest reaching base safely streak in the country and a new program record with 43 straight games.
 
Preslee Gallaway (Softball) was named Conference USA Pitcher of the Year as well as first team all-conference and third team all-region after a season that saw her record an 18-8 record with a 2.43 earned run average. She recorded wins over Top 25 foes Texas State and James Madison while striking out 144 batters in 173 innings.
 
MALE PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR: Mason Robinson (Baseball) hit for the cycle and drove in six runs in the Bulldogs' 15-2 road drubbing of UL-Lafayette. The Georgia native started the scoring with a two-run home run, followed by a two-RBI triple and an RBI single. Robinson strolled to the plate in the ninth inning and laced an RBI double to deep left center, capping off the historic evening.
 
FEMALE PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR: Kierra Anthony (WBB) broke the Lady Techters and Conference USA single game scoring record with 50 points in a 100-88 overtime win over Houston. Anthony scored 44 of her 50 points after halftime and helped the Lady Techsters overcome a 16-point third quarter deficit. She scored 14 points in the 5-minute overtime period.
 
MALE FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Steele Netterville (Baseball) was named to the C-USA All-Freshman team after a rookie campaign that saw him hit .324 with six home runs and 26 RBI in 40 games played. Netterville led the team with a .590 slugging percentage and in conference play hit .397 with 18 RBI, while slugging .746.
 
FEMALE FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Lara Hendricks (Volleyball) ranked second on the team with 237 kills and 2.49 kills per set in her freshman campaign. The outside hitter saw action in 95 sets and also chipped in 117 digs. Hendricks ranked third on the Lady Techsters with 256.5 total points.
 
MALE PLAY OF THE YEAR (Fan Vote): Tanner Huddleston (Baseball) launched a three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning against 9th-ranked Texas A&M leading the Bulldogs to a 4-2 win over the previously-undefeated Aggies at the Frisco College Baseball Classic in Frisco, Texas.
 
FEMALE PLAY OF THE YEAR (Fan Vote): Jazlyn Crowder (Softball) earned a spot on the NCAA's Top 10 Plays of the Week with her electrifying defensive play against Top 10 ranked Texas A&M in College Station. With Tech trailing A&M 1-0 in the sixth inning, Crowder robbed the Aggies of extra bases with her full extension catch in left centerfield.
 
ACT of VALOR AWARD: Emily Eunice (Sports Medicine) -- Louisiana Tech Sports Medicine graduate assistant Emily Eunice was the recipient of the Act of Valor Award. Eunice was courtside on Nov. 28, 2018, when Bulldog sophomore Exavian Christon went into cardiac arrest during practice. Eunice immediately utilized her training and applied the automated external defibrillator (AED), saving Christon's life.
 
SAAC AWARD (Community Service): Soccer
 
GPA AWARD: Men's Cross Country
 
PRESIDENTIAL AWARD (MALE): Conner Killian (track and field) – C-USA Spirit of Service Award (Fall 2018) … 2-time C-USA All-Academic Team … 2-time C-USA Academic Medalist … 2-time C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll.
 
PRESIDENTIAL AWARD (FEMALE): Morgan Turkoly (softball) –  2018 C-USA Player of the Year … 3-time all-conference … 3-time all-state … 3-time all-region … 2-time C-USA All-Academic Team … 3-time C-USA Academic Medalist … 3-time C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll … 2018 C-USA Spring Spirit of Service Award Winner … 2019 USA Softball Top 50 National Player of the Year Candidate … 2019 Senior CLASS Award Top 10 finalist.
 
TEAM OF THE YEAR: Football – It was a memorable season for Louisiana Tech's football team in more ways than one. The Bulldogs ended the 2018 season by becoming one of only two programs in the nation (along with Wisconsin) to win five straight bowl games after the Bulldogs defeated the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors 31-14 in the 2018 SoFi Hawaii Bowl. The win over Hawaii gave the Bulldogs eight wins on the season as LA Tech became the only school in Conference USA to win 7-plus games in each of the last five years. LA Tech led C-USA this season with 18 postseason all-conference awards (18), while Jaylon Ferguson earned Defensive Player of the Year honors after breaking the all-time NCAA record for career sacks in the bowl win over Hawaii.
 
TENETS OF TECH AWARD RECIPIENTS: Taylor Stahly (women's basketball), Alexandra Leblanc (soccer), Chris Clayton (baseball), Berkley Calapp (softball), Nadja Manjon (tennis), Ryan Alford (golf), Madeline Davis (volleyball), Kendall Hickman (bowling), Derric Jean (men's basketball), Tyler Griggers (men's track and field), Rhea Thompson (women's track and field), Ethan Reed (football), Darryl Lewis (football)