Fresno State Athletics
Mankins, Southern Named Fresno State Athletes of the Year
6/20/2005 12:00:00 AM | General
June 20, 2005
FRESNO, Calif. - Seniors Logan Mankins of the football team and Jamie Southern of the softball team have been named the 2004-05 Fresno State Athletes of the Year in a vote of Fresno-area media members.
"Logan and Jamie were certainly the cream of a deep crop of outstanding student-athletes from this past year," said Interim Athletics Director Paul Oliaro. "Their performances and the success they led their teams to make them very deserving recipients. With both being seniors, they depart as wonderful ambassadors for Fresno State Athletics."
Mankins had a senior campaign that ranks as one of the finest ever for an offensive lineman at Fresno State. The left tackle earned first-team All-WAC and second-team All-America honors after helping the Bulldogs average 40.2 points per game, the fifth-highest number in the nation. With Mankins leading the offensive line, Fresno State totaled 228 rushing yards per game, including a school-record 503 in a 70-14 win over Hawaii on Nov. 12.
The Bulldogs ended the 2004 season with a 9-3 record and ranked 22nd nationally, the first time since 1993 the team finished the year in the polls.
The Catheys Valley, Calif., native was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft by the two-time defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots in April, making him the only WAC player to be taken in the first round. Mankins was also the first offensive lineman in Fresno State history to be selected team MVP. He did not allow a sack the entire season and totaled a school-record 90 "pancake" blocks.
"Offensive linemen rarely receive the attention, glory or credit for a team's success. However, there is no doubt that Fresno State's outstanding season would not have been as fruitful had Logan not performed as well as he did," said Interim Athletics Director Paul Oliaro. "He came here as a walk-on, worked hard and leaves as one of the best players ever in Bulldog football history."
Mankins is just the second football player since 1995 to earn Athlete of the Year honors, the other being David Carr in 2001-02. He is also the first offensive lineman to win the award.
Southern became a two-time Athlete of the Year honoree - she also was selected in 2002 - after capping a brilliant career with a first-team All-American senior season. She went 28-5 on the year and owned a 0.46 ERA, the second-lowest in the nation, with 282 strikeouts over 213 innings. Southern was named WAC Pitcher of the Year for a fourth season, making her the first player in conference history to earn the award that many times. She was a first-team All-WAC honoree and a four-time finalist for the USA Softball National Player of the Year award.
Behind Southern, Fresno State finished the year 43-12, won the Western Athletic Conference title and hosted an NCAA Regional for a 19th time in history.
The Clovis native was the No. 1 pick of the Ladies Professional Fastpitch Association and the No. 5 pick by National Pro Fastpitch. She was featured in the "Faces in the Crowd" section of the May 16, 2005, edition of Sports Illustrated and leaves Fresno State owning six WAC career pitching records and 11 school marks, including being the league and school leader in career wins.
"There has not been a more dominating softball player in the WAC over the last four years," Oliaro said. "Her Fresno State and league records will stand for a long time. Not only did she dominate the WAC, but her statistics and national honors were equally impressive. Her character, leadership, citizenship and class put Jamie in a league of her own."
Southern continues the trend of Bulldog softball players winning the Female Athlete of the Year Award. Of the 25 women who have been named Athlete of the Year, 18 have been softball players.
