2002 Joe Kearney Award Winners David Carr-FS Stacy Prammanasudh-TU

Fresno State senior football star David Carr and Tulsas senior four-time All-America Stacy Prammanasudh have been named the recipients of the 2001-02 Joe Kearney Awards for the Western Athletic Conference. Named in honor of former WAC commissioner Joe Kearney, the awards are given annually to the top male and female WAC athlete. The WAC Athletics Directors select the male award winner, and the WAC Senior Woman Administrators choose the female honoree.

Carr, a native of Bakersfield, Calif., adds the Kearney Award to a number of accomplishments already received from the 2001 season. He became the first-ever WAC player selected first in the NFL Draft when the Houston Texans took him in April. Carr also won the Johnny Unitas Award for the nations best quarterback along with the Sammy Baugh Award for the nations best passer. He earned the title of National Quarterback Club College Quarterback of the Year and was named The Football News Offensive Player of the Year.

David Carr elevated our program to a height it has never achieved before, Fresno State head coach Pat Hill said. Theres no doubt his ability and leadership skills are second to none. A player with the ability of David Carr doesnt come around very often.

In addition, Carr led the NCAA in touchdowns (48) and passing yards (4,839), and was second in both passing efficiency (166.8) and in total offense (338.6). He earned first-team all-WAC and WAC Player of Year honors by leading the Bulldogs to a season-high No. 8 national ranking, their highest in school history.

The most impressive thing about David Carr is that he is grounded, added Fresno State Athletics Director Scott Johnson. He handled the stress of being a high-profile student-athlete plus being a husband and father. Thats what makes him so special.

Prammanasudh, an Enid, Okla., native, earned her fourth National Golf Coaches Association All-America honor for the 2002 golf season, finishing the season ranked second in the nation. She won her second-straight WAC Championship by eleven strokes over her nearest competitor, leading to her third-straight WAC Player of the Year honor. Her eight top-five finishes in eleven events led the conference. She had four first-place finishes, and was named Golf World Player of the Week for Oct. 24, after her medallist honors at the Stanford Intercollegiate and May 5, after her WAC title.

Stacy Prammanasudh is a coachs dream student-athlete, said Tulsa head coach Melissa McNamara. With a work ethic instilled as a child, the creativity to dream and realize her goals, and the talents of a professional, Stacy is the perfect example of a champion.

Prammanasudh won the NCAA Central Regional and finished 13th at the NCAA Championships. She finished her senior season with a 72.1 stroke average over the 33 rounds played. In becoming only the second athlete at Tulsa to win four-straight first-team All-America honors, she carded 41 top-twenty finishes in 44 tries. Her 10 career tournament victories were the most since Nancy Lopez brought home 11.

Once in every 10 years is a University fortunate enough to enjoy a person like Stacy, added Crista Troester, Senior Womens Administrator at Tulsa. The key word is person. She is an incredible one.

For the men, additional 2000-2001 Kearney Award nominees included Mark Hoxmeier (track and field), Boise State; Ashley Lelie (football), Hawaii; Gerrod Henderson (basketball), Louisiana Tech; Chance Kretschmer (football), Nevada; Vincent Sinisi (baseball), Rice; Gabe Lopez (baseball) San Jose State; Janus Robberts (track and field), SMU; Aaron Egbele (track and field), UTEP; and Greg Harrington (basketball), Tulsa.

Other female nominees included Renate Stoop (tennis), Boise State; Jamie Southern (softball), Fresno State; Kim Willoughby (volleyball/basketball), Hawaii; Ayana Walker (basketball), Louisiana Tech; Jenni Ashcroft (track and field), Nevada; Allison Beckford (track and field) Rice; Neva West (water polo), San Jose State; Flavia Rigamonti (swimming and diving), SMU; and Kaisa Kiintonen (track and field), UTEP.

Previous Kearney Award Winners
Male
2001-02 - David Carr, Fresno State-Football
2000-01 - LaDainian Tomlinson, TCU-Football
1999-00 - Courtney Alexander, Fresno State-Basketball
1998-99 - Andre Miller, Utah-Basketball
1997-98 - Lars Frolander, SMU-Swimming
1996-97 - Keith Van Horn, Utah-Basketball
1995-96 - Keith Van Horn, Utah-Basketball
1994-95 - Stoney Case, New Mexico-Football
1993-94 - Marshall Faulk, San Diego State-Football
1992-93 - Marshall Faulk, San Diego State-Football
1991-92 - Carlton McDonald, Air Force-Football

Female
2001-02 - Stacy Prammanasudh, Tulsa-Golf
2000-01 - Florence Ezeh, SMU-Track and Field
1999-00 - Amanda Scott, Fresno State-Softball
1998-99 - Martina Moravcova, SMU-Swimming
1997-98 - Amanda Scott, Fresno State-Softball
1996-97 - -Martina Moravcova, SMU-Swimming
1995-96 - Nina Lindenberg, Fresno State-Softball
1994-95 - Suzanne Metz, Utah-Gymnastics
1993-94 - Amy Van Dyken, Colorado State-Swimming
1992-93 - Mikki Kane-Barton, Utah Basketball/Volleyball
1991-92 - Anu Kalijurand, Brigham Young