By Andrew Glover, Wiley College Sports Information Director
Three Wiley College athletes were honored by the Rice Fame Group as inaugural winners of the Historically Black College and University Makeda Excellence award winners.
Darnee Williams won Women’s Track and Field Athlete of the Year, Reshaun Fridie won Men’s Track and Field Athlete of the Year and Alaeh Pressley won co-Women’s Basketball Player of the Year. Nominations were submitted by athletic representatives from HBCUs across the country and the National Collegiate Athletic Association, National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, National Christian Collegiate Athletic Association and the United States Collegiate Athletic Association.
Wiley College tied for the second-most winners with Howard University. A total of 22 people and one marching band earned recognition.
In her freshman season, Williams qualified for the 2022 NAIA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field National Championship in three events (100-meter dash, 200-meter dash and 4 x 100-meter relay. She finished in the top 15 in the 200-meter dash. At the 2022 Red River Athletic Conference Championship, she earned All-Conference with her finishes in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, shot put and the 4 x 100-meter relay). Williams won RRAC Track Athlete of the Week twice and ran personal bests of 12.11 in the 100-meter dash and 24.66 in the 200-meter dash.
Fridie wrapped up his collegiate career by qualifying for the 2022 NAIA Men’s Outdoor Track and Field National Championship in the triple jump. He jumped a personal best of 14.60 meters earlier in the season. At the 2022 Red River Athletic Conference Championship, he finished runner-up in the triple jump and had All-Conference finishes in the long jump and the 4 x 100-meter relay and 4 x 400-meter relays. Fridie won both RRAC Track Athlete of the Week and RRAC Field Athlete of the Week.
Pressley shared the award with Genovea Johnson of Southern University. In 13 games, she averaged 11.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.4 steals per game – earning Red River Athletic Conference All-Conference Honorable Mention. On February 10, Pressley set the program record with 11 steals against Paul Quinn College. She recorded three double-doubles and seven double-digit scoring games.
Wiley College is gearing up for the 2022-23 season which will be their first in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference.
