TALLADEGA, Ala., July 18, 2024 – Talladega College is proud to announce several distinguished nominations for the 2024 HBCU Sports Awards, highlighting the outstanding achievements and dedication of our athletes, coaches, and teams over the past year. The nominations honor excellence in a variety of sports and categories, showcasing the talent and hard work within our college community.
The highly anticipated awards show will be streamed live on YouTube on the HBCU Sports channel on Saturday, July 27, at 2 p.m. CT (3 p.m. ET).
Talladega Nominees Include:
Zyaire Prettie-Garrit - Women's Volleyball Player of the Year
Zyaire Prettie-Garrit's 2024 season was a remarkable journey of excellence and leadership, culminating in a series of prestigious accolades that underscored her dominance on the court.
Prettie-Garrit was honored as the GCAC Player of the Year and the GCAC Attacker of the Year, reflecting her offensive prowess and significant impact in every match. Her consistent performance earned her a spot on the GCAC 1st Team All-Conference and the GCAC All-Tournament Team, where she further distinguished herself by being named the GCAC Tournament MVP. On a regional level, Garrit was recognized as an AVCA Southeast Region 1st Team player and received national recognition as a 3rd Team NAIA All-American, along with an AVCA All-American Honorable Mention.
Prettie-Garrit's statistics for the season were impressive: she delivered 412 kills, averaging 3.65 kills per set with a .298 hitting percentage, demonstrating her efficiency and effectiveness as an attacker. She also contributed significantly in other areas with 34 service aces, 233 digs (averaging 2.06 digs per set), 31 block assists, and a total of 37 blocks. Her all-around skill set was crucial in amassing a total of 467 points over the season.
Miguel Oropeza - Baseball Player & Male Student-Athlete of the Year
Miguel Oropeza's 2024 season was nothing short of extraordinary, earning him top honors and solidifying his place as one of the most elite players in collegiate baseball. Oropeza was named the GCAC Player of the Year and the GCAC Most Valuable Player, accolades that were well-deserved given his remarkable performance throughout the season. He also secured a spot on the GCAC 1st Team and was recognized nationally as an NAIA All-American 1st Team player.
Oropeza, who was both the GCAC MVP and Hitter of the Year, led the NAIA during the regular season with a .534 batting average. Demonstrating incredible consistency and resilience, he was the only Tornado to start every game this season, showcasing his durability and commitment. His ability to perform under pressure was evident in his impressive record of over 25 multi-hit games this year.
Throughout the season, Oropeza's stats were nothing short of spectacular: he played in 57 games, hit 10 home runs, drove in 69 runs, scored 80 runs, and stole 26 bases.
Lashaunda Spurgeon - Women's Volleyball Coach of the Year
Lashaunda Spurgeon picked up GCAC Coach of the Year honors in the 2023 season and was also named the AVCA Southeast Region Coach of the Year. She led the Lady Tornadoes to a 31-9 overall record, including a 15-1 ledger in league play. Under her guidance, Spurgeon's team won the GCAC regular-season championship and tournament. She helped the squad win the last 10 regular-season matches to claim the title. During the 10-match winning streak, the team swept nine contests and lost just one set. For the season, the Lady Tornadoes went 11-1 at home. Additionally, TC achieved its first championship in volleyball and set the record for most wins in school history.
Marcos Dominguez - Baseball Coach of the Year
Marcos Dominguez, in his ninth season at the helm of TC Baseball, led the Tornadoes to a 2024 GCAC championship victory, qualifying Talladega for the 2024 NAIA Tournament. TC went on to the semifinals of the NAIA opening round. This was the first time the Tornadoes appeared in the tournament since 2019. Under Dominguez's leadership, Talladega also had a notable run in the Black College World Series, finishing as runners-up and Black College World Series NAIA champions. The team went 17-3 in conference play and 40-18 overall on the season. Additionally, the team went 5-6 against top 15 teams in the nation.
Talladega College takes immense pride in these nominations, which reflect the hard work, dedication, and excellence of our student-athletes and coaching staff. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the nominees and thank them for their contributions to the college's athletic success.
