Southern Miss Players, Teams Honored at 2026 Talon Awards Ceremony

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Every year, Southern Miss' athletic department, along with its administration, hosts an award ceremony to honor its student-athletes.

From qualifying as a regional host in baseball to becoming bowl eligible in football to winning the Sun Belt Conference Tournament in softball, this year was filled with fantastic accolades.

Individual Awards

Lillie Johnson: Female Scholar Athlete of the Year - Redshirt sophomore middle blocker Lillie Johnson was named the Female Scholar Athlete of the Year. Throughout the season, she ranked in the top four on her team in service aces per set (0.32).

Jeramie Posey: Male Scholar Athlete of the Year - Redshirt junior defensive lineman Jeramie Posey was named the Male Scholar Athlete of the Year. Majoring in informational technology, Posey returns to the program for his fourth season with the Golden Eagles.

Kennedi Sanders-Washington: Female "To The Top" Athlete of the Year - Senior runner Kennedi Sanders-Washington was named the Female "To The Top" Athlete of the Year. Sanders enters her second year with the Golden Eagles. Before Southern Miss, Sanders attended LSU where she is on the all-time top 10 4x400-meter relay list.

Colby Allen: Male "To The Top" Athlete of the Year - Senior pitcher Colby Allen was named Male "To The Top" Athlete of the Year. So far, Allen holds a 2.70 ERA through 19 appearances as a key asset out of the bullpen with starts in the roation as well.

Hannah Christian: Female Newcomer of the Year - Sophomore outfielder Hannah Christian was named Female Newcomer of the Year. Last season, Christian carried a .324 batting average in her first season with the Golden Eagles.

https://southernmiss.com/news/2026/2/24/joey-urban-named-sun-belt-baseball-player-of-the-week

Joey Urban: Male Newcomer of the Year - Senior outfielder Joey Urban was named the Male Scholar Athlete of the Year. In his first season with the Golden Eagles, Urban posted a .333 batting average, leading his team to a regional host.

Ryann Thomas: Female Grit Award - Redshirt junior volleyball player Ryann Thomas was named the Female Grit Award. In her second season apart of the program, she appeared in 13 matches with the Golden Eagles.

Filip Sakota: Male Grit Award - Sophomore golfer Filip Sakota was named the Male Grit Award. Last season, Sakota appeared in two events, averaging a score of 75. Recently, the Golden Eagles finished in third place in the Sun Belt Tournament.

Team Awards

Women's Golf: Women's Team Highest Team GPA - This year, women's golf was named the Women's Team Highest Team GPA. Recently, they finished eighth at the Sun Belt Championships with four golfers advancing to match-play.

Baseball: Men's Team Highest Team GPA - This year, baseball was named the Men's Team Highest Team GPA. Right now, the Golden Eagles rank no. 12 by D1Baseball with big wins over premier programs Mississippi State, Oregon State, Ole Miss, Alabama and more.

Baseball: Community Service Award - This year, baseball was named the Community Service Award. On October 23, 2025, Southern Miss baseball held its annual Trick or Treat at the Pete. Fans packed out Pete Taylor Park for an incredible night in Hattiesburg as Halloween approached.

Baseball: Co-Teams of the Year - This year, baseball was named a co-team of the year. Last season, they finished as runners-up in the Sun Belt Conference tournament, boosting their resume and qualifying them as a regional host in Hattiesburg.

Women's Golf: Co-Teams of the Year - This year, women's golf was named a co-team of the year. Last season, they won the Sun Belt Championship, qualifying them for the NCAA Norman Regional.

Other Awards

Dr. Matthew Casey: Athletics Faculty Member of the Year - Associate Professor of History Dr. Matthew Casey was named the Athletics Faculty Member of the Year. Casey has been with the university since 2012.

Todd Makovicka: Golden Eagle Award - Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Performance Todd Makovicka was named the Golden Eagle Award. Makovicka oversees the baseball team along with the olympic sports.

With the semester ending in a few weeks, the Golden Eagles look to bring in more hardware to conclude the '25-'26 school year. Stay tuned to Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI for more coverage.

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