ITTA BENA, Miss. – Track and field's Laval Davis (Jacksonville, Fla.) and women's soccer Laadi Issaka (Bolga, Ghana) were named Mississippi Valley State Athletes of the Year during the annual student-athlete banquet on Thursday, April 25^th in the R.W. Harrison Complex.

Davis won the men's 200 meters and 400-meter finals at the 2019 SWAC Indoor Track and Field Championships in February. The senior competed in his final indoor championships collected 20 individual points and anchored the 4x400 relay team to a fourth-place finish. Issaka was named the 2018 SWAC Soccer Offensive Player of the Year for the second time in her decorated career after an exceptional season where she scored 20 goals, dished out seven assists and accounted for a nation-leading 47 total points. The senior striker, who shared the honors in 2016, was the nation's active leader in career total points.

Nicholas Alexander (Manchester, Jamaica) of the track and field team and Remeya Ganesh (Toronto, Canada) of the women's soccer team received the President's Award of Academic Excellence which goes to the highest GPA of all men and women. Women's soccer took home the Perpetual Plaque for the highest team GPA and women's basketball won the CHAMPS Cup for the team with the most community service, attendance at other team's athletic events, participation in convocations, etc.

Taylor Selfridge (Los Angeles, Calif.) of the women's volleyball team and Laval Davis of the track and field team was named Female and Male Sportsmanship of the Year winners while track and field's Tyefah Saunders (Kingston, Jamaica) was named Female Newcomer of the Year and Christopher Bailey (Atlanta, Ga.) was named Male Rookie of the Year.

The following team awards were also presented during the banquet.
Soccer
MVP: Laadi Issaka
Rookie: McKenzie McCarthy
Unsung Hero: Karenth Zabala
 
Volleyball
MVP: Taylor Selfridge
Rookie: Ariana Austin
Most Improved: Chardea Berthelot
 
Football Special Teams
MVP: Booker Chambers
Newcomer: JohnDerrick Smith
Unsung Hero: Justin Read
 
Football Offense
MVP: Booker Chambers
Newcomer: Dejerric Bryant
Unsung Hero: Offensive Line
 
Football Defense
MVP: Bryant Jones
Newcomer: Jonathan Jones
Unsung Hero: Tadarius Davis
 
Women's Basketball
MVP: LaKendra Bassett
Rookie: Sydnie Ward
Most Improved: Desiray Mosley
 
Men's Basketball
MVP: Dante Scott
Newcomer: Torico Simmons
Unsung Hero: Emmanuel Ejeh
 
Men's Cross Country
MVP: Timothy Misoy
Rookie: Maurice Johnson
Unsung Hero: Samuel Gardner
 
Women's Cross Country
Rookie: Rakia Ball
Unsung Hero: Iyanna Alexander
 
Men's Indoor Track and Field
MVP: Laval Davis
Rookie of the Year: Christopher Bailey
Unsung Hero: Stanley Rop
 
Women's Indoor Track and Field
MVP: Tyefah Saunders
Newcomer: Tyefah Saunders
Unsung Hero: Tyefah Saunders
 
Men's Outdoor Track and Field
MVP: Laval Davis
Rookie of the Year: Christopher Bailey
Unsung Hero: Stanley Rop
 
Women's Outdoor Track and Field
MVP: Tyefah Saunders
Newcomer: Tiara DeRosa
Most Improved: Ajani Williams
 
Cheerleading
MVP: Taylor Flynn
Newcomer: Hanesia Friend
Unsung Hero: Jermeshea Gatlin
 
Baseball
MVP: Nicholas Johnson
Rookie: Antonio Walker
Most Improved: Aaron Barkley
 
Softball
MVP: Jade Arroyo
Rookie: Jade Arroyo
Most Improved: Alejandra Salazar
 
Men's Tennis
MVP: John Sansing
Newcomer: Jerrel Horner
Most Improved: Rodarius Turner
 
Women's Tennis
MVP: Jailynn May
Rookie: Ambra Stanley
Most Improved: Traci Carter