Samantha Pankey Named To NSCA All-America Team
April 22, 2005 | Women's Basketball
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- East Carolina senior Samantha Pankey (Dilwyn, Va.) was recently honored with the annual All-America Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year award ? recognizing her dedication to strength training and athletic conditioning by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
This year, the NSCA awarded 251 collegiate athletes from over 100 schools with this esteemed award.
"Samantha is a great competitor that loves to train," said Assistant Strength Coach Beverly D. Wheel, III. "She refuses to be second best in any level of lifting and conditioning. She holds the school record for squat for women's basketball."
"These athletes are committed, dedicated, and are role models to fellow athletes of all ages," added NSCA's Executive Director Robert Jursnick. "They are shining examples of how their achievements have been enhanced, not by drugs, but through proper strength training and athletic conditioning. They are to be applauded for their integrity and hard work."
Pankey played in 104 career games with 67 starts for the Pirates, while averaging 3.4 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists a game, and has a career free throw percentage of .791 (113-143).
During her senior campaign, Pankey recorded career-highs in points (18) against Southern Miss, free throws made (10) against Louisville and tied a career-high with seven assists against Tulane. She finished the season with the fourth best single-season free throw percentage .792 (42-53) and ranked second on the team in assists with 86. Pankey helped the Pirates (10-18, 6-8) to their third consecutive Conference USA Tournament appearance in March of 2005.
Off the court Pankey, a double major in English and communications, is a three-time Conference USA Commissioner Honor Roll and Academic Medal recipient, three-time PCS Phosphate All-Academic Team selection, two-time District III Academic All-America and a ECU Athletic Director's Chancellor's List recipient every semester since the fall of 2001, while compiling an overall GPA of 4.0, which ranks first in her class.
The NSCA All-America Athlete of the Year Award program is in its 22nd year, and is made possible by a grant from Power Systems, Inc., a Knoxville, Tennessee fitness product leader. Nominations for this award come from the University and Colleges strength and conditioning departments.
