SHREVEPORT, La. - Centenary Director of Athletics and Wellness Dr. Bob Bunnell and the Centenary Athletic Department have announced Gents' basketball standout Travion Kirkendoll as the fourth annual winner of the Donnie Wilhite Most Valuable Athlete Award.
"I truly thank Centenary and the Wilhite family for this great honor," said Kirkendoll. "All credit and glory goes to Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Without the gifts He blessed me with, this honor would not be possible. It means so much to even be chosen for this award, but it means even more to be a part of the Centenary College family with everyone's support. This adds more pressure to this season, but in saying that, I'd like to dedicate this to every student-athlete here at the college."
Kirkendoll had quite the sophomore season, helping the Gents basketball team achieve its best start in more than 40 years and reach the semifinals of the SCAC Tournament. Individual awards for Kirkendoll include being named First Team All-SCAC, Second Team All-Region by D3hoops.com, and Second Team All-Louisiana by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.
Kirkendoll led the conference with 19.6 points and 2.04 steals per game. He also finished fourth in the conference with 7.6 rebounds, finishing 68th and 67th in the country in those categories, respectively.
In conference play, Kirkendoll finished second in rebounding (behind teammate James Sapp) with 8.5 boards per game. In the final contest of the season, he registered a career-high eight assists and added 14 points and nine boards to finish just shy of a triple-double.
Kirkendoll started the season with 16 straight games with double-digit points. He scored 11+ points in 25-of-27 contests, including 20+ in 15 contests. He easily led all guards in the SCAC with six double-doubles, including back to back games with 17 points and 11 boards against Austin College and Dallas in February.
He scored a career-best 28 points in a comeback win against UT Dallas on December 20.
"We are very excited for Travion, and we are all grateful for him to be able to accept this award," said head coach Adam Walsh. "He puts a lot of time into his craft, and I have enjoyed being a small part of his journey. His drive and focus help make everyone around him better. We are excited to see what is in store for the team this season, and we know that he will play a big part in leading our team."
At the conclusion of each academic year, the Donnie Wilhite Most Valuable Athlete Award is given to a male or female student-athlete who possesses several outstanding qualities. The student-athlete must be nominated by his or her head coach and must excel in his or her sport, be a positive role model for others, and exemplify the well-rounded student-athlete. Nominees are voted on by a selection committee comprised of administrators drawn from throughout the Centenary campus. Previous honorees for the award are current senior Gents basketball player James Sapp, former men's basketball standout Jonathan Blount, and former All-American gymnast Meg Crowley.
Centenary Gents and Ladies basketball kicks off the 2016-17 season with a doubleheader exhibition at ULM Friday, November 11, at 11 a.m.
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