VALDOSTA —
Valdosta State junior left fielder Morgan Johnson has been a pivotal piece to the Blazers’ success on the softball field the past three seasons.
In 2012, Johnson was named an All-American as she helped lead VSU to its first-ever softball national championship. Soon after, she was named a Capital One Academic All-American.
On Wednesday, Johnson was honored by the conference she competes in, as she was named to the Gulf South Conference’s Top Ten, which recognizes the top five male and female student-athletes in the conference.
The honor is based on athletic, academic and extracurricular achievement during the 2011-12 academic year.
Johnson is now eligible to be awarded the Commissioner’s Trophy, which will be awarded to one male and one female at a June 25 banquet in Birmingham, Ala.
On the field, Johnson finished the 2012 season with a .427 batting average with 18 doubles, 11 home runs — 2 of which came in the national tournament — and 51 runs batted in.
Johnson also led the team in sacrifice bunts with 25.
Off the field, Johnson totaled a 3.66 grade point average in a Nursing Major, while also finding time to complete community service, most recently volunteering her time at the VSU Softball Camp.
Johnson is one of eight newcomers to the GSC Top Ten. She is joined on the women’s side by North Alabama’s Nikki Brown (soccer), Alabama-Huntsville’s Mary Kelley (softball), Delta State’s Veronica Walker (basketball) and West Florida’s Anna Stoecklein (volleyball).
On the men’s side, Josh Moshier of UAH (men’s cross country) is joined by Delta State’s Micah Davis (football), North Alabama’s Jake Greer (golf), West Florida’s Sean Gunnels (tennis) and West Georgia’s Stuart Drew (baseball).
The Top Ten selections are chosen with the assistance of an advisory committee that consists of athletic directors, senior women’s administrators, sports information directors, faculty athletic representatives and university presidents from randomly selected Gulf South Conference schools.
The committee makes a recommendation to the league’s commissioner, who has the final decision.
Top Sports News
VSU’s Johnson named to GSC Top Ten
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Look out Title Town, another trophy is coming to town.
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Vikings sweep Alcovy
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VSU softball wins record fifth straight GSC championship
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The Blazers (41-10) became the first school in GSC-history to win five straight championships, a half-decade of dominance throughout the double-elimination tournament. -
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With the win, Valdosta State has now won 23 of its last 27 games and will face West Alabama in the winner’s bracket of the GSC tournament today at 1 p.m. The winner will advance to the GSC championship series. - More Top Sports News Headlines
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Gillespie, McPherson pleased with spring practices
