by Matt Cooke
By all accounts, the inaugural WESTPY Awards Banquet was a tremendous success for the University of West Georgia. On the night of May 15, more than 300 UWG supporters gathered at the Campus Center to celebrate and recognize the accomplishments from the 2013-14 athletic year.
The guests arrived between 6 and 6:30 p.m., and it was clear from the start that they understood what this event was about. Fans arrived dressed in their best, with jacket and tie fitting in nicely with the lovely dresses. Each of the ladies who entered were treated to a rose to commemorate the evening, and the athletes came decked out and ready to see who would become Mr. or Miss Wolf, the highest honor any athlete can receive at UWG.
Sam Crenshaw, the sports anchor from the WXIA Atlanta 11Alive News Team, was the host, and he began the awards ceremony with a stirring tribute to the 1982 National Championship team. He spoke fondly of his alma mater and how much of an honor it was to be a local journalist to Phenix City, Alabama in 1982, and how he was able to cover the first football championship for West Georgia.
The first award of the night was for Best Finish, which went to Athletic Director and former football coach Daryl Dickey. It was his football team that provided that finish, as they beat Delta State in the final game of the 2013 season to finish the year at 6-5 and providing a springboard for new head coach Will Hall.
The awards grew from there, as Senior Associate Athletic Director Eddie Duffey presented Outstanding Team of Service to volleyball for their efforts this season. In all, 28 Alphas were handed out on the evening, with the Alpha being the trophy that was presented to each winner. The Alpha is a one-of-a-kind award, created with the help of alum Jim Collins, and will be the standard for the WESTPYs each year.
The final awards of the evening were for Mr. and Miss Wolf, which went to the student-athlete who represented West Georgia in an outstanding way on the field/court, in the classroom and in the community. Cody Skinner, the ace for the UWG pitching staff this year, won the Alpha for Mr. Wolf, and Miss Wolf went to All-American volleyball player Melissa Holt.
As has become customary with events within UWG Athletics, the evening was a great celebration, and will be something to look forward to for years to come.
Matt Cooke is the assistant sports information director and athletic events coordinator.
