HICKORY, N.C. — Sophomore baseball player Vinny Consolo and sophomore volleyball player Abigail Gordon have been named the Red Hawk Student-Athletes of the Year by the Catawba Valley Community College Athletic Department.
The Student-Athlete of the Year awards are given to the male and female athlete who achieved the highest GPA while taking at least three semesters of coursework and earning their two-year degree.
"The Student-Athlete of the Year honors embody exactly what are purpose is here at Catawba Valley Community College — to achieve academically to open doors at the next level," said Red Hawk Athletic Director Nick Schroeder. "Both Vinny and Abigail have done a tremendous job during their four semesters here at our college, and we are proud to honor their academic achievements with these special awards."
A 6-foot-3 outfielder from Fuquay-Varina, N.C., Consolo finished his academic career at Catawba Valley Community College with a perfect 4.0 GPA — reaching the President's List in each of his four semesters at CVCC.
He was also named a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) First Team All-Academic team member last spring and earned All-Region 10 Academic honors this past fall and spring semesters.
On the field, Consolo finished his athletic career with 20 hits (six doubles, three triples, one home run), 22 runs scored in 34 games played.
Defensively, he also recorded a .976 fielding percentage with 38 put outs and three assists.
Consolo will attend the Cameron School of Business at UNC Wilmington this fall and plans to study Business Administration with a Marketing concentration.
"I'm truly honored to have been named Male Student-Athlete of the Year amongst such talented, driven and hard working guys — not only on the baseball team, but for all our men's sports," Consolo said. "The past two years at Catawba Valley have proven to me that being a student in college is no easy task and even more daunting as an athlete — from the 4 a.m. workouts and pushing yourself to the limit with coach (Chandler) Jenkins 'Sally Up' challenges to grinding every minute after practice to working on calculus until I fell asleep so I didn't have homework after a game the next day. Looking back, I can without a doubt say it was all worth it, and it has definitely allowed me to grow as a person, which is something I'm very grateful for."
Also a four-time President's List honoree with a perfect 4.0 GPA, Gordon is also a 2019 First Team All-Academic team member through the NJCAA and two-time Region 10 All-Academic team member for the fall 2019 and spring 2020 semesters.
Gordon, a 5-1 defensive specialist from King, N.C., accounted for 147 digs and 44 aces in 48 matches played.
She was a part of Red Hawk volleyball teams that went 70-16 during her two seasons, including a perfect 25-0 in Region 10 play and extending the program's unbeaten streak in Region play to 179 matches and in conference play to 143 matches.
The Red Hawks also reached the NJCAA Division II National Tournament both of Gordon's seasons, including winning three matches for the first time in program history in 2019.
"I am so thankful for the opportunity to play volleyball and attend school at Catawba Valley Community College," Gordon said. "I have learned so many lessons during my time here, and I will remember these past two years for the rest of my life. I have grown so much as an individual, but also as a team player. I've learned to be responsible, respectful and intentional with my actions. I have been surrounded by the most incredible coaches, and I just want to say thank you to coach Shannon, coach Mark and coach Shane for leading me down a Godly path and encouraging me to be the best I can be every day.
Because of her positive experience at CVCC, Gordon is continuing her education at Catawba Valley Community College this fall, where she is studying radiography.
"If it wasn't for the flexible and kind mentality of both my coaches and professors, I would not have been as successful," Gordon said. "They have helped me excel in both the court and the classroom. Education and sports have always been at the top of my priorities, and it is so encouraging to see that all my hard work and dedication has paid off. I'm beyond blessed to receive this award, and I will always remember my experience at CVCC."