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Three WTAMU Athletes Named Panhandle Sports Hall Of Fame Athletes Of Year
Jan. 23, 2006
Three West Texas A&M University athletes will be inducted into the Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame, being honored as Athletes of the Year in their respective sports. Women's basketball player Celeste Stevenson, men's soccer player Josh Fender and volleyball player Brittani Bell will be a part of the nine athlete class honored at the PSHOF in an induction ceremony Feb. 12.
Fender, a 6-4 midfielder from Richardson, Texas, capped his career with a hat trick in the final match, a 6-1 rout over border-rival Eastern New Mexico University on Nov. 5, giving him 18 goals for the season and 52 for his career, as he leaves No. 2 on the WTAMU Career scoring list, behind Danny Cazalas' 69 goals from 1991-94. Fender led the SSC in goals, goals per game (0.95), points (42), points per game (2.21) and ranked tied for second in assists with six.
Fender also received first-team SSC accolades for the second season in a row, and was also named the SSC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Fender earned third-team NSCAA/adidas All-American honors last season after leading WTAMU with a career-high 14 goals and four assists for 32 points. Fender was also a first-team All-Midwest Region selection.
He is the third player in WTAMU men's soccer history to earn All-American honors, joining Collin Mabry in 2002 and Davy Arnaud (now playing for Kansas City in Major League Soccer) in 2001.
In October, Stevenson signed a contract to play professionally with Team Holbaek of Denmark.
Stevenson had been playing for the Dallas Angels of the Women's Blue-Chip Basketball League (WBCBL), where she averaged 14 points and five rebounds a game.
Stevenson, a 5-10 senior forward from Abilene, Texas, capped a fantastic four-year career by receiving the Lone Star Conference Female Athlete of the Year, as well as honorable mention WBCA/Kodak All-American accolades. Stevenson is the first Lady Buff player to receive All-American honors since Brandi Green in the 2000-01 season.
The awards are part of Stevenson's long list of accolades, which includes first-team All-South Central Region, Lone Star Conference South Division Player of the Year and first-team All-LSC South accolades. Stevenson was also named to the LSC All-Tournament Team.
Stevenson is a two-time All-Region selection, receiving first-team honors last season. She also is a three-time first-team LSC South selection, after earning LSC South Freshman of the Year and second-team accolades as a freshman. Stevenson also is a three-time LSC All-Tournament Team selection.
Stevenson leaves WTAMU as the Lady Buffs' Career Scoring Leader, tallying 1,988 points.
She is also the WTAMU record holder for both Career FT Made and Career FT Attempted records, (667-906).
Stevenson became just the second player in WTAMU history to eclipse the 800-rebound plateau, snaring 862 career rebounds. Stevenson also ranks fifth on WTAMU's Career Rebounding Average List (7.31 rpg).
Stevenson is fifth for Career FG Made and second for Career FG Attempted (660-of-1,450/.455).
This past season, Stevenson led WTAMU with 16.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, leading the team in scoring in 18 games.
Bell was named the LSC South Defensive Player of the Week three times this season. She posted 30 or more digs five times in her career, including a career-high of 44 this year. In her four years in a Lady Buff uniform, WTAMU was 110-37 (.748), winning two Lone Star Conference Championships and Bell was part of the 2002 Elite Eight and 2003 and 2005 Southwest Regional squads.
The induction ceremony will be Sunday, Feb. 12, at 2 p.m. at Amarillo College's Ordway Auditorium.
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