Campbell's Athanas Kioko Voted 2020-21 Howard Bagwell Male Athlete of the Year
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) – Campbell junior track & field runner Athanas Kioko (Machakos, Kenya) has been voted the Big South Conference Howard Bagwell Male Athlete of the Year for the 2020-21 season by the league’s Athletics Directors, Senior Woman Administrators and Sports Information Directors, it was announced today by the conference office. The candidates for the annual award consist of the Players of the Year from each sport.
Kioko is the fourth consecutive Campbell student-athlete to win the Howard Bagwell Male Athlete of the Year Award. He earned 87 points and 12 first-place votes, ahead of Winthrop basketball guard Chandler Vaudrin (75 points, seven first-place votes). Campbell baseball infielder Zach Neto (two first-place votes) was third in the voting with 64 points, followed by USC Upstate baseball pitcher Jordan Marks with 54 points (four first-place votes). High Point soccer forward MD Myers rounded out the top five with 45 points (one first-place vote).
Kioko capped his 2021 season with a third-place finish in the 5,000m at the NCAA Championships in June -- the best individual finish in program history. His performance in the National Meet established the 4th-fastest 5,000m time in NCAA history, according to the USTFCCCA's unofficial list of times, as the First-Team All-American ran a school- and Big South-record time of 13:13.47 in the race. He took the lead momentarily but was ultimately overtaken in a three-way battle for the lead on the final lap. Prior to his performance in Eugene, Kioko was the Most Valuable Athlete of the Big South Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Championship, as he won three gold medals while becoming just the third individual to win the 1,500m, 5,000m and 10,000m in the same meet. His time of 13:54.07 in the 5,000m was a Championship Meet record. Kioko had the best 5,000m in the East Region during the regular-season with a then-school record of 13:28.41 at the Flames Invitational. In addition to his record-breaking time in the 5,000m, Kioko had the league’s top times this season in the 1,500m (record 3:38.52 at the North Florida Invite) and 10,000m (29:20.30 at the Big South Championships). During the indoor campaign, Kioko ran a 4:02.84 mile at the Camel City Invitational, which is No. 3 all-time in Big South history, as well as a Big South season-best 8:05.48 in the 3,000m at the Carolina Challenge.
In March 2000, the Big South Conference Executive Committee voted to create an annual Male and Female Student-Athlete of the Year award, and named the male award in honor of former Charleston Southern Athletic Director Howard Bagwell, who was one of the founders of the Big South Conference and an inaugural inductee into the league’s Hall of Fame. The Athlete of the Year awards have been presented annually since 1999-00, with the exception of the 2019-20 due to the season being incomplete and eventually canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The annual honorees are listed below.
HOWARD BAGWELL MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
2020-21 - Athanas Kioko Campbell (track & field)
2018-19 - Chris Clemons, Campbell (basketball)
2017-18 - Amon Kemboi, Campbell (cross country/track & field)
2016-17 - Amon Terer, Campbell (cross country/track & field)
2015-16 - Andrew Beckwith, Coastal Carolina (baseball)
2014-15 - Quinn Backus, Coastal Carolina (football)
2013-14 - Lorenzo Taliaferro, Coastal Carolina (football)
2012-13 - Miguel Maysonet, Stony Brook (football)
2011-12 - Ashton Bennett, Coastal Carolina (soccer)
2010-11 - Sam Chelanga, Liberty (cross country/track & field)
2009-10 - Sam Chelanga, Liberty (cross country/track & field)
2008-09 - Sam Chelanga, Liberty (cross country/track & field)
2007-08 - Josh McDougal, Liberty (cross country/track & field)
2006-07 - Josh McDougal, Liberty (cross country/track & field)
2005-06 - Josh McDougal, Liberty (cross country/track & field)
2004-05 - Mike Costanzo, Coastal Carolina (baseball)
2003-04 - Joseph Ngwenya, Coastal Carolina (soccer)
2002-03 - Joseph Ngwenya, Coastal Carolina (soccer)
2001-02 - Justin Owens, Coastal Carolina (baseball)
2000-01 - Jason Colson, Winthrop (baseball)
1999-00 - Keith Butler, Liberty (baseball)