The year-end GCAC awards mark the end of an era – Crescent City Sports

NEW ORLEANS – As the tide turns from the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference to official HBCU Athletic Conference status, Commissioner Dr. Kiki Baker Barnes announced the competition’s annual year-end awards. The announcement came during the year-end business meeting held at Philander Smith University in Little Rock, Ark.

“This is one of my favorite times of the year when we can recognize the incredible achievements and leadership of our student-athletes and the leadership of our member schools,” said Baker Barnes.

These mark the last annual awards under the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference name. The league will officially become the HBCU Athletic Conference on July 1, 2024.

“We are excited about our name change and what it represents, and I look forward to continuing these awards and accolades as the HBCUAC,” said Baker Barnes.

Talladega College, which returned to the GCAC in 2023, takes home the Thomas Howell Cup, the league’s all-sports award. The Thomas Howell Cup is named after the first commissioner of the GCAC, Dr. Thomas Howell, who served the conference for more than three decades. The Howell Cup is awarded annually to the member institution that accumulates the greatest number of points in competition that year in all sports (men’s and women’s) sponsored by the conference and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Points are earned through the regular season standings for volleyball, basketball and baseball, and the conference championship for cross country and outdoor track and field.

The Tornadoes scored a total of 52 points and captured this year’s Howell Cup. Talladega got off to a strong start, winning the 2023 GCAC Volleyball Regular Season title. The Tornadoes finished the volleyball season with an impressive program-best record of 31-9, becoming one of only three schools in the NAIA with more than 30 wins this year. They then finished fourth in the men’s cross country and second in the women’s cross country. Men’s basketball remained popular throughout the season, finishing second in the GCAC. The Tornadoes went on to finish second in baseball and men’s and women’s outdoor track and field to secure the league’s all-sports honors.

“The Howell Cup is very special because it features our league’s first commissioner, Dr. Thomas Howel, Hon. I have learned a lot from him since I stepped on campus as athletic director, and he continues to provide valuable advice and insight to all of our members,” Baker Barnes explained.

GCAC Distinguished Member Awards were also announced. The awards, presented annually, are voted on by the respective GCAC council members. Points are based on peer-to-peer rankings of each council member and the administrator with the most points receives the honor. All conference winners have been nominated for the NAIA award. The national award recipient will be publicly announced during NAIA National Awards Day in September and will receive a certificate and be recognized at an annual meeting in conjunction with the NAIA National Convention.

The 2024 GCAC Distinguished Member Awardees are as follows:

Athletic Director of the Year
Dr. Karen Carty, University of the Virgin Islands

Faculty Athletics Representative of the Year
Alvin Carter, Tougaloo College

Sports Information Director of the Year
Andrew Glover, Wiley College

Sports coach of the year
Nia Stewart, Dillard University