The University of Mississippi Athletics
Johnson, Suliman Named SEC Kramer Award Nominees
6/15/2020 | Cross Country, Track and Field, Women's Golf, Athletics
SEC Athletes of the Year to be Announced June 17
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Ole Miss student-athletes Julia Johnson (women's golf) and Waleed Suliman (men's cross country) have been named nominees for the 2019-20 Roy F. Kramer Athlete of the Year awards, the SEC announced Monday morning.
Each of the SEC's 14 member institutions nominates one male and one female student-athlete for the award. The SEC Athletes of the Year Awards were first presented in 1976 for men and 1984 for women. The award was renamed the Roy F. Kramer Athletes of the Year in 2004 to honor the former Commissioner who served the conference from 1990-2002.
Johnson – a junior native of St. Gabriel, Louisiana – earned First-Team All-SEC for the shortened 2020 season in addition to All-America honors from the WGCA (Second-Team) and Golfweek (Third-Team). She posted a 70.72 stroke average, the lowest in a single-season in program history. Johnson became the second winningest golfer in program history following a historic win at the Battle at the Beach, where she tied the NCAA record for lowest individual round with an 11-under 61. Johnson was also a 2020 Arnold Palmer Cup selection and was a 2020 Augusta National Women's Amateur invitee.
Suliman collected his second career All-American honor in cross country, making him the first Rebel in program history to ever repeat as an All-American during the cross country season. The junior Richmond, Virginia native led the Rebel men with a 20th-place finish at the national meet and helped propel Ole Miss to its second consecutive SEC men's title following a dominant 55-point victory over Alabama at the SEC Championships – the largest margin of victory in the SEC since 2015. Suliman earned First-Team All-SEC for his third-place effort, and was also an NCAA All-South Region runner, helping Ole Miss win its fourth NCAA South Region title in the last six years. Suliman also earned All-America honors in the mile for the shortened NCAA indoor season and helped Ole Miss win its sixth SEC title in the distance medley relay in the last seven years.
The Male and Female Athletes of the Year will be announced on Wednesday, June 17.
2019-20 Women's Roy F. Kramer Athlete of the Year Award Nominees:
Bailey Hemphill, Softball, Alabama
Katie Izzo, Cross Country, Arkansas
Alison Maillard, Swimming & Diving, Auburn
Trinity Thomas, Gymnastics, Florida
Sabrina Vega, Gymnastics, Georgia
Leah Edmond, Volleyball, Kentucky
Tonea Marshall, Track & Field, LSU
Julia Johnson, Golf, Ole Miss
Rickea Jackson, Basketball, Mississippi State
Kylie Deberg, Volleyball, Missouri
Tyasha Harris, Basketball, South Carolina
Erika Brown, Swimming & Diving, Tennessee
Ally Watt, Soccer, Texas A&M
Maria Bulanova, Bowling, Vanderbilt
2019-20 Men's Roy F. Kramer Athlete of the Year Award Nominees:
Zane Waddell, Swimming & Diving, Alabama
Mason Jones, Basketball, Arkansas
Derrick Brown, Football, Auburn
Kieran Smith, Swimming & Diving, Florida
Rodrigo Blankenship, Football, Georgia
Immanuel Quickley, Basketball, Kentucky
Joe Burrow, Football, LSU
Waleed Suliman, Cross Country, Ole Miss
Reggie Perry, Basketball, Mississippi State
Danny Kovac, Swimming & Diving, Missouri
Itay Goldfaden, Swimming & Diving, South Carolina
Carey McLeod, Track & Field, Tennessee
Shaine Casas, Swimming & Diving, Texas A&M
John Augenstein, Golf, Vanderbilt
Each of the SEC's 14 member institutions nominates one male and one female student-athlete for the award. The SEC Athletes of the Year Awards were first presented in 1976 for men and 1984 for women. The award was renamed the Roy F. Kramer Athletes of the Year in 2004 to honor the former Commissioner who served the conference from 1990-2002.
Johnson – a junior native of St. Gabriel, Louisiana – earned First-Team All-SEC for the shortened 2020 season in addition to All-America honors from the WGCA (Second-Team) and Golfweek (Third-Team). She posted a 70.72 stroke average, the lowest in a single-season in program history. Johnson became the second winningest golfer in program history following a historic win at the Battle at the Beach, where she tied the NCAA record for lowest individual round with an 11-under 61. Johnson was also a 2020 Arnold Palmer Cup selection and was a 2020 Augusta National Women's Amateur invitee.
Suliman collected his second career All-American honor in cross country, making him the first Rebel in program history to ever repeat as an All-American during the cross country season. The junior Richmond, Virginia native led the Rebel men with a 20th-place finish at the national meet and helped propel Ole Miss to its second consecutive SEC men's title following a dominant 55-point victory over Alabama at the SEC Championships – the largest margin of victory in the SEC since 2015. Suliman earned First-Team All-SEC for his third-place effort, and was also an NCAA All-South Region runner, helping Ole Miss win its fourth NCAA South Region title in the last six years. Suliman also earned All-America honors in the mile for the shortened NCAA indoor season and helped Ole Miss win its sixth SEC title in the distance medley relay in the last seven years.
The Male and Female Athletes of the Year will be announced on Wednesday, June 17.
2019-20 Women's Roy F. Kramer Athlete of the Year Award Nominees:
Bailey Hemphill, Softball, Alabama
Katie Izzo, Cross Country, Arkansas
Alison Maillard, Swimming & Diving, Auburn
Trinity Thomas, Gymnastics, Florida
Sabrina Vega, Gymnastics, Georgia
Leah Edmond, Volleyball, Kentucky
Tonea Marshall, Track & Field, LSU
Julia Johnson, Golf, Ole Miss
Rickea Jackson, Basketball, Mississippi State
Kylie Deberg, Volleyball, Missouri
Tyasha Harris, Basketball, South Carolina
Erika Brown, Swimming & Diving, Tennessee
Ally Watt, Soccer, Texas A&M
Maria Bulanova, Bowling, Vanderbilt
2019-20 Men's Roy F. Kramer Athlete of the Year Award Nominees:
Zane Waddell, Swimming & Diving, Alabama
Mason Jones, Basketball, Arkansas
Derrick Brown, Football, Auburn
Kieran Smith, Swimming & Diving, Florida
Rodrigo Blankenship, Football, Georgia
Immanuel Quickley, Basketball, Kentucky
Joe Burrow, Football, LSU
Waleed Suliman, Cross Country, Ole Miss
Reggie Perry, Basketball, Mississippi State
Danny Kovac, Swimming & Diving, Missouri
Itay Goldfaden, Swimming & Diving, South Carolina
Carey McLeod, Track & Field, Tennessee
Shaine Casas, Swimming & Diving, Texas A&M
John Augenstein, Golf, Vanderbilt
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