Outstanding season pays dividends for JCSU Shermaine Williams

New York, NY – Johnson C. Smith University senior women's track and field student-athlete Shermaine Williams has earned a $1,000 donation towards the women's athletic fund for her nomination as the Collegiate Women Sports Awards 2010-11 Division II Athlete of the Year. The American Honda Motor Company will make the donation, which is scheduled to arrive in the fall of 2011.

Williams has been stellar in her senior year during the indoor and outdoor season. She recently won the 100m Hurdles national title (12.95) at the 2011 NCAA DII Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Her time tied a meet record, which she set in 2009. Williams ran the anchor leg of the 4x100m relay team that placed second (44.79) at the national outdoor championships. With the help of Williams' points, JCSU finished 4th in the nation at the outdoor championships (highest finish in school history).

At the CIAA Indoor Championships, Williams won the title in the 60m Hurdles, 60m Dash, and 200m Dash. She earned CIAA Indoor MVP. Williams placed 5th in the 200m and 3rd in the 60m H at the 2011 NCAA DII Indoor Championships (All-American honors). At the CIAA Outdoor Championships, Williams earned Outdoor MVP after capturing the 100m H and 4x100m relay crowns.

Williams was named 2010-11 Pettis Norman Student-Athlete of the Year and the Coca-Cola Academic Award winner this season at the JCSU Annual Athletics Awards Ceremony. She was also one of five Golden Bull women named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track& Field Team. Instrumental component in the JCSU Women's Outdoor Track & Field team winning their 1st CIAA Championship in school history.

Williams has served as a counselor for the NCAA DII Track & Field Outdoor Championships Youth Clinic. She also stopped by the Charlotte Flight's (local youth track club) meet to speak to children (ages 6-14) on the importance of education and preparation in order to be successful. The JCSU Women's Track & Field Team appeared at the meet after winning the CIAA Outdoor Track Championships.

“Your student-athlete was judged the very best in her sport over all her peers in her division,” said Collegiate Women Sports Awards spokesperson Tora Grossman. “This speaks highly of your program and your administration and The Collegiate Women Sports Awards congratulate Johnson C. Smith University and honor Shermaine for that selection.”

Shermaine Williams, NCAA Division II National Champion
JCSU Lady Bulls

Now in its 35th year, The Collegiate Women Sports Awards program annually recognizes the accomplishments of female athletes in NCAA-member colleges with a variety of prestigious awards.

American Honda Motor Co., Inc., sponsor of the program, celebrates each nominee by donating $5,000 to each Honda Sports Award recipient school and $1,000 to each nominee school. The Collegiate Women Sports Awards program is governed by a Board of Directors and Executive Committee. The Board of Directors includes individuals from NCAA institutions, members of the media, organizational representatives and a former Cup recipient.

After nation-wide balloting among NCAA Division II member schools, another athlete was voted the athlete of the year. All nominees appear now and for the future on the Collegiate Women Sports Awards website www.collegiatewomensportsawards.com. The winner will be announced later this week on that site. The winner of the Division II Athlete of the Year will be presented her award at a press conference June 27 in New York.

By Lamont Hinson, Sports Information Director
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