CLEVELAND, Miss. -- The 54th Green and White Awards hosted by Delta State University Athletics on Tuesday, April 26th, 2022, saw Kailyn Lofton (Softball) and Jake Barlow (Baseball) take home the Charles S. Kerg Senior Student-Athlete of the Year awards.
Overall, 65 student-athletes and teams were honored during the event that was held at Walter Sillers Coliseum.
"Congratulations to our Kerg Senior Athlete of the Year Award winners, Kailyn Lofton and Jake Barlow. They have provided leadership and performance on the field and in the classroom. We are fortunate to have many deserving award recipients that were honored at our annual Green and White Athletic Awards presentation. Thank you to all our student-athletes who have represented our university throughout the year in all our sports."
The Charles S. Kerg Senior Student-Athlete of the Year Award was established in 1968 by former Director of Athletics and Head Football Coach Horace McCool to honor the all-around student-athletes who excelled on the field, in the classroom, and within the campus and community.
Lofton has been a five-year member of the Lady Statesmen softball team (2018-2022) and has a 3.80 GPA in nutrition and dietetics with a minor in coaching. In 2022, Lofton has started in all 45 games to date for the Lady Statesmen, hitting .313 with eight doubles, four triples, 31 RBI, and 20 runs scored. The Cleveland, Miss., native has a .278 career batting average with 80 RBI, 86 runs scored, 11 home runs, two triples, and her 38 doubles are the eighth-best in school history.
Off the field, Lofton has thrived in the classroom and the Cleveland Community, making the Dean's or the President's list every semester at DSU. She is a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success and the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and has also served as Treasurer of the Student Dietetics Association.
In the community, Lofton has volunteered time with the Sunny Seniors Alzheimer's Respite Program, Belle Academy Community Garden, and served time at the Cleveland Farmer's Market Educational Booth providing vegetable benefit information. She has also volunteered time for Relay for Life, Trunk or Treat, Kid's Cooking Classes, and youth softball lessons.
Barlow is working on wrapping up a big five-year career (2018-2022), ranking third all-time with 44 home runs, ninth with 168 RBI, and 292 total bases to date. In 172 games, 165 starts, Barlow owns a .316 career batting average with 155 runs scored and a .616 slugging percentage.
His career honors include being selected 2019 and 2020 First-Team All-Gulf South Conference Baseball (2019 and 2021), D2CCA First-Team All-American (2021), ABCA, and NCBWA Second-Team All-American (2021) NCBWA, D2CCA, ABCA First-Team All-South Region (, 2019 and 2021).
The Jonesville, La., product is hitting .331 with 12 doubles, one triple, 12 home runs, and 42 runs scored this season. He ranks third in the GSC in home runs, and fourth in doubles and slugging percentage (.714).
Barlow graduated with a Bachelor's degree in environmental science with a wildlife management concentration with a .3.69 GPA. He is currently seeking a second undergraduate degree in health, physical education, and recreation with a coaching minor and has a 3.34 GPA.
Off the field, Barlow was selected to the 2021 GSC All-Academic Baseball team and has been a member of the GSC Spring Academic Honor Roll four times. He has been a four-year volunteer for the SAAC Trunk or Treat raised funds for the Make-A-Wish foundation, and provided lawn care for the Women's Resource Center. Other community involvement includes the D2 Partnership for the Salvation Army and collecting non-perishable food items for families at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Each year, the AD's Academic Hall of Fame inducts the top male and female student-athlete with the highest GPA while recognizing the top men's and women's programs as well. Drew Swatzell (Football) and Lucia Chacon Habis (Lady Statesmen Soccer) took home the top awards in that category this year.
Swatzell carries a 4.0 GPA and has earned 109 credit hours in biology (major) and exercise science (minor), while Chacon Habis, a graphic design major with a marketing minor, has completed 130 hours with a 4.0 GPA. Men's tennis (3.45 GPA) and women's soccer (3.65 GPA) and women's swimming and diving (3.56 GPA) earned the team awards.
Additionally, Delta State's women's teams complied a 3.30 GPA while the men's teams posted an overall 3.16 GPA. The overall team average was 3.23.
A complete list of award recipients is below:
INDIVIDUAL SPORT AWARDS AND WINNERS
