Alcorn Student-Athletes Receive Halbrook Award Recognition

LORMAN, Miss. – Two student-athletes from Alcorn State University were honored as recipients of the 2021-22 Halbrook Award, as announced at the Mississippi Association of College and Universities (MAC) business meeting, held this week in Tupelo, Mississippi. This year's recipients for the Braves were Santiago Rocca (men's tennis) and Mikayla Shaughnessy (women's soccer).
 
The Halbrook Award program recognizes colleges and universities that achieve and maintain high academic standards for student-athletes, thus encouraging high graduation rates. The award was endowed by former Mississippi Representative David Halbrook Sr. and his brothers in honor of their parents.
 
Braves Men's Tennis senior Santiago Rocca, a four-year letterwinner from Buenos Aires, Argentina, is a Business Administration major at Alcorn. Over the summer, the former No. 5 singles player was one of eight (8) Braves Men's Tennis student-athletes recognized by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) as being a scholar student-athlete throughout the 2021-22 academic and athletic term. He held a GPA in excess of 3.5 across the year, and helped the Braves advance to the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) semifinals of the Men's Tennis Championships last spring.
 
On the women's side, senior Mikayla Shaughnessy of Alcorn Soccer was honored. The Las Cruces, New Mexico native has helped the Purple and Gold to a win in goal on the current 2022 season, including Alcorn's nonconference road win (just the second in program history), as the Braves defeated Centenary (La.) by a 3-1 decision on September 21, in Shreveport, Louisiana. She currently holds a 70.3 save percentage on the 2022 campaign, registering a team second-most 26 saves in 75 shots faced overall between the posts.
 
The Halbrook Awards were announced during the annual MAC Conference, which brings together attendees from across the state serving in postsecondary institutions in roles including presidents and chancellors, chief academic officers, chief student affairs officers, chief financial officers, admissions officers, faculty and administrators.
 
Itawamba Community College President Dr. Jay Allen, who served as the 2021-2022 president of the MAC Board of Directors, announced the awards.
 
The David M. Halbrook Certificate for Academic Achievement Among Athletes recognizes the efforts of individual student-athletes who excel in academics, leadership, and service. Each college or university selected a male and female student athlete to receive this recognition.
 
The Halbrook Award for Academic Achievement Among Athletes was established in 1984 through the passage of House Concurrent Resolution No. 88. The awards program is made possible through endowments from former Representative David M. Halbrook of Belzoni and his brothers, John C. and James G. Halbrook of Belzoni and J. A. Halbrook of Beaumont, Texas, in honor of their parents, John C. and Ernestine McCall Halbrook.
 
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