April 15, 2004

Columbia, SC – Five outstanding University of South Carolina student-athletes were honored Thursday afternoon at the annual USC Awards Day on the Horseshoe. The honorees included: Mike Boynton, Jr. (men’s basketball) and Landon Powell (baseball) – Male Student-Athletes of the Year; Jennifer VanAssen (swimming) – Female Student-Athlete of the Year; Lir Derieg (swimming) – Academic Excellence Award, Male; and Erica Bowie (soccer) – Academic Excellence Award, Female.

Mike Boynton, Jr. (Brooklyn, NY) was team captain for the 2003-04 men’s basketball team that finished 23-11 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Boynton was named to the SEC All-Tournament Team and was the recipient of the SEC Post-Graduate Scholarship for Community Service. Landon Powell (Apex, NC) is a two-time All-America catcher for Carolina’s baseball team and will likely be a high draft pick by the major leagues later this summer.

Jennifer VanAssen (Matawan, NJ) was a valuable member of the Gamecock swimming team and finished second in the 100 meter freestyle at the NCA Championships. Erica Bowie (Dartmouth, Nova Scotia) was a standout on the women’s soccer team and posted a perfect 4.0 grade point average during her college career while majoring in Exercise Science. Lir Derieg was an outstanding performer on the men’s swimming team and compiled a 3.646 GPA while majoring in Management Science.