Randolph-Macon Caps 2007-08 Year with
Annual Yellow Jacket Club Champions Dinnner
Paul Johnsen and Lacy Phelps Named R-MC’s Top Scholar Athletes for 2007-08

Lacy Phelps and Paul Johnsen

Ray Hedrick accepts the Hugh Stephens Award

Randolph-Macon College Athletic Department capped its 2007-08 year on Saturday night with its annual Yellow Jacket Club Champions dinner where seniors Lacy Phelps and Paul Johnsen took home the top student-athlete awards, while Yellow Jackets head baseball coach Ray Hedrick was named the staff’s coach of the year.

The Susan Locke deNagy Award is presented to a senior female student-athlete in recognition for her outstanding athletic accomplishments, academic achievements, leadership, and sportsmanship.

A two-sport standout at R-MC, Phelps was selected as this year’s recipient after earning All-ODAC honors in both women’s soccer and women’s lacrosse this season.

Phelps garnered First-Team All-ODAC laurels in women’s lacrosse this season at attack after leading the Yellow Jackets in scoring with a team best 42 points on 28 goals and 14 assists. Phelps also grabbed 31 ground balls and picked up 43 draw controls during the 2008 season.

“I am proud of everything Lacy has accomplished in her time here at Randolph-Macon,” says R-MC Women’s Lacrosse Coach Dan Kanach. “She has taken advantage of everything that our college has to offer and left quite an impact on our women’s lacrosse program. In women’s lacrosse alone, she has been a four year starter, three year All-ODAC, and a two-year captain. Her demanding and intense nature on the field is always balanced by her love for her teammates and for the game itself.”

Phelps is a two-time team captain, three-time ODAC all-conference player and a member of the league’s All-Academic team. During her four years in Ashland, Phelps tallied 86 goals and 38 assists for 124 career points.

On the soccer pitch, Phelps was named Honorable Mention All-ODAC this season after posting 12 goals and seven assists for an R-MC team-best 32 points this season which also ranked fourth in the ODAC. Phelps appeared in 68 career matches for the Yellow Jackets during her four seasons. She accumulated 30 career goals and 19 career assists for 79 career points.

ODAC All-Academic team selection on multiple occasions, Phelps fashions a 3.3 gpa in the classroom, while majoring in business/economics. She is also a member of Phi Mu Sorority and Omicron Delta Epsilon- Economics Honor Society

A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Phelps is the daughter of Roseann and Steve Phelps.

The George P. Compton Award is given to the male student-athlete in recognition for his outstanding athletic accomplishments, academic achievements, leadership, and sportsmanship.

A men’s lacrosse standout, Johnson is this year’s recipient of the award after capping his stellar four-year career in Ashland with a Second-Team All-ODAC selection.

Johnsen was named second-team all-league after a senior season in which he scored an R-MC best 23 goals from his midfield position and dished out five assists for 28 points on the year. Four of Johnsen’s strikes were on man-up opportunities and he grabbed 28 ground balls on the season. Johnsen was also a captain on this year’s R-MC squad finished the season at 7-7 overall and advanced to the ODAC Tournament semifinals for the first time in school history and beat archrival Hampden-Sydney for the first time in 15 seasons.

“Paul is a great kid who comes from a great family,” says R-MC Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach Mike Plantholt. “He’s the last of three brothers to come through our men’s lacrosse program, so he’s had the advantage of watching his brothers succeed here. His accomplishments speak for themselves.”

During his four years, Johnsen scored 75 career goals and added 29 assists for 104 career points. He also scooped up 108 groundballs in his 56 career games played. In 2006, he led the team in scoring with 23 points on a team-best 18 goals and five assists. As a freshman, Johnsen finished second on the club with 29 points on 18 goals and 11 assists.

Off the field, Johnsen sports a 3.61 gpa, while majoring in business/economics. He is a member of the R-MC Phi Beta Kappa, College Republicans, Kappa Alpha Order, Gamma Sigma Alpha and Omicron Delta Epsilon- Economics Honor Society

A native of Laurel, Maryland, Johnsen is the son of Peggy and Pete Johnsen. His brother P.C. was a member of the R-MC men’s lacrosse program from 2003-2006, while is brother Henry was a member of the Jackets from 1998-2000. Their sister, Becky, is currently a sophomore at R-MC and was a member of the women’s lacrosse team in 2007.

Hedrick was named the recipient of the Hugh Stephens Coach of the Year Award after leading the R-MC baseball squad to the school’s first league championships since 1987, winning four straight games in the ODAC Tournament to advance to the NCAA Championship for the first time since 1977 when the school was a member of Division II. Hedrick has resurrected the Jackets program, leading it to 81 wins and three ODAC Tournament appearances over his first four seasons at the helm of the program.  For his efforts, Hedrick was named the 2008 ODAC Coach of the Year.