While Bleacher Talk has normally been a debate column between our sports’ editors, but this week it has a different feel, as Dave and Cale each select the Shippensburg University ’14-’15 athletes of the year.

This was a difficult decision because there were a number of team and individual performances that stood out in Red Raider athletics.

Dave is tasked with selecting the best athlete among the male Red Raiders, while Cale will choose the best female athlete. Our sports editors will discuss their athlete’s performance on the field, and what impact it had on their team.

Cale

Deciding on a female athlete of the year was hard, especially considering some of the outstanding performances lady Red Raiders displayed on the field this season. However, I believe that senior thrower Liz Smith stood out amongst the crowd, and is my selection for the female athlete of the year.

Smith participated in both Indoor & Outfield Track & Field this past year, and set various records in both seasons.

In the Indoor season this winter, Smith was an integral part of the PSAC Championship team as she scored many points in competitions for her record throws, such as a 46’ 9” throw that is a school record. She also went on to represent SU at the 2015 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Birmingham, Ala.

Smith continued her dominance during the spring for the Outdoor season as well. She set a new school and personal record, throwing for 46’ 8” and setting a meet-record at the Paul Kaiser Classic with a 45’ 8” throw.

While the regular season is over, Smith has a chance to continue her strong season at the PSAC Outdoor Championships this coming weekend. With a performance that one has become accustomed to from Smith, one could expect that she could add her name to a few more records, as well as helping the track team compete for the championship.

Congratulations to Liz Smith on a fantastic season, and good luck at the PSAC Championships this weekend.

Dave:

Many individuals throughout various Raider men’s sports have demonstrated incredible talent this past year, from basketball to baseball, and football to track & field. Trevor Harman, for example, earns honorable mention after finishing his senior year with the most receptions, 321, and touchdowns, 61, in PSAC play, along with earning the school record in points with 370. LeQuan Chapman is another standout for SU sports; the senior out of Reading, Pennsylvania holds the No. 3 spot on the NCAA Division II performance list in the long jump in outdoor season, and was a national qualifier during indoor track.

For the playoff-qualifying baseball team, Jake Kennedy earns honorable mention as well. His 18 home runs lead the team and ranks him third in PSAC play, and a .357 batting average places him at No. 3 on the Raider squad.

My pick for Raider of the year goes to Dylan Edgar, the star center of the basketball team. During the 2013-14 season the Raider squad went 3-23, and a huge contributor to that unsightly record was the fact that Edgar spent the season recovering from a meniscus injury.

The 6-foot, 10-inch Mechanicsburg product led the team with 15.7 points per game and led the PSAC in rebounds per game with 9.5 and in total rebounds with 257. Edgar proved to be a huge difference maker for the team, as Raider basketball improved its record to 13-14 and even qualified for a postseason berth.

The redshirt-senior closed out his college career as a member of the 1,000-point club, and was named to the 2014-15 All-PSAC East Men’s Basketball First Team.

“He certainly has been fun to coach,” Shippensburg coach Chris Fite said as the season drew to a close. “I think he was the best rebounder in the league this year and he contributes so much on both ends of the court. Myself as a big man I am partial to the guy, so I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with a kid of his caliber.”

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