NASHVILLE - HBCU Sports announced its nominees for the inaugural HBCU Sports Awards, and the Tennessee State athletic department had seven representatives on the list.

The program features 45 categories honoring individual, team, and administrative achievements across the entire HBCU athletics landscape. The winners will be announced in an award show streamed live on YouTube on the HBCU Sports channel on Saturday, July 27, at 2:00 p.m. CT.

Softball Player of the Year:
Onnika Spencer: Sophomore catcher Onnika Spencer secured her second consecutive year on the All-OVC Second Team. The Murfreesboro native led the team in home runs, doubles, and RBIs, showcasing her offensive skillset with 41 hits, including 13 doubles and 6 home runs, resulting in 30 RBIs. She maintained a batting average of .328 with an on-base percentage of .375 and a slugging percentage of .576. Spencer's best game of the season came against Morehead State on March 11, where she picked up three hits and five RBIs. She had 11 multi-hit games and finished with multiple RBIs in six games.  

Defensive Football Player of the Year:
Terrell Allen: Allen posted one of the best individual seasons by a TSU defensive player in recent years as he was awarded the 2023 Buchanan Award, given annually to the national defensive player of the year in Division I FCS college football. The Little Rock native was named to seven different All-American Teams, while also earning Big-South OVC Defensive Player of the Year honors. Allen led the FCS in sacks (14.5), sack yardage (123), tackles for loss (28), and tackle yardage for loss (149) during the regular season. He finished the season with 65 tackles (44 solo, 21 assists), forced five fumbles, and logged 10 QB hurries. He had a four-game span of finishing with 4.0+ TFLs and set a TSU record with 6.5 against Lindenwood, recording 10 tackles and 4.5 sacks in the contest. His 28.0 TFLs is a new TSU single-season record.

Women's Golfer of the Year:
Erin Marcelino: Named to the 2024 All-OVC Team, Marcelino has showcased her talent and consistency throughout the season, competing in seven matches, including four in the fall and three in the spring. She posted a low score of 72 on three separate occasions during the current season. Over the course of 18 rounds, Marcelino amassed a total of 1397 strokes, averaging an impressive 77.6 strokes per round. Her stellar performances resulted in three top-five and four top-ten finishes. Notably, Marcelino secured a first-place finish in the Starks Invitational this spring, posting a two-round score of 145. 

Men's Tennis Player of the Year:
Taj Hibbert: Hibbert was named to the All-Horizon League Second Team for the second straight season after leading the team with a 12-5 record in singles play during the regular season, while posting a 3-1 record in conference play. The sophomore finished tied for the team lead with eight doubles wins. In singles, he was primarily in the No. 3 spot where he posted a 9-4 mark, while also going 2-0 at No. 2 and 1-0 at No. 1.

Nil Moinet: Moinet capped off his senior season with Second Team All-Horizon League Honors after going 10-12 in singles and 7-10 in doubles. This marked his second career postseason award after he was named to the Ohio Valley Conference first team in 2022. Moinet posted a 4-0 record in Horizon League play, with all his wins coming at line five. Nine of his ten wins this season came from spot five. He posted impressive non-conference wins against Chattanooga, Northern Kentucky, New Orleans, Nicholls, and Southern Miss.

Athletic Director of the Year:
Dr. Mikki Allen: Dr. Mikki Allen's fourth year leading TSU athletics saw a culmination of success from athletes taking home major athletic awards, winning seasons, championships, academic achievements, new hires, and more.

The men's tennis team started off the 2023-24 season by winning the HBCU National Championship in the fall and finished the spring slate with a 4-1 record in Horizon League play, marking the program's best finish in conference play. TSU Football secured its first winning season since 2017 after finishing 6-5 in 2023.

In addition, Terrell Allen was the recipient of the 2023 Buck Buchanan Award (FCS National Defensive Football P.O.Y.) and was named the Big South-OVC Defensive Player of the Year, marking the first major conference award for a TSU student-athlete under Dr. Allen.

The 2024 TSU softball team finished third in the OVC, marking the highest finish in the OVC for the Tigers in program history. The Tigers earned back-to-back OVC Tournament bids in 2023 and 2024 after securing the program's third and fourth 20-win seasons. TSU softball posted three tournament wins in that span, collecting two wins in the 2024 OVC Tournament.

The 2023-24 season marked the third consecutive trip to the OVC Tournament for both men's and women's basketball. Head men's basketball coach Brian "Penny" Collins reached 18 wins for the third time in his career during the 23-24 season, becoming the first TSU head men's coach in the DI era to do so.

Allen announced the hiring of former WBNA All-Star Candice Dupree as the 13th head TSU women's basketball coach in May.

During Fall 2023, the department had a record 177 student-athletes earn academic honors, with 39 earning perfect 4.0 GPAs.

Female Lifetime Achievement Award:
Teresa Phillips: Teresa Phillips, who served TSU for 31 years as women's basketball coach, administrator, and Director of Athletics, was the nominee for the Female Lifetime Achievement Award.

Phillips arrived at TSU as the head women's basketball coach in 1989. From 1989-2000, she led the Tigers to their first Ohio Valley Conference regular season and tournament championships, while also leading the Tigers to their first NCAA tournament appearance. She won 144 games in 11 seasons, winning back-to-back OVC titles in 1994 and 1995, and was twice named OVC Coach of the Year.  

After her coaching career concluded, Phillips became the interim Athletic Director at TSU in 2001 and had the tag removed in 2002, becoming the full-time Athletic Director and holding this position until she retired in 2020. When she retired in 2020, she was part of the 15.3% of women athletic directors. A few of her TSU athletics accomplishments include launching the first official TSU athletics website, building an indoor practice facility, securing the NCAA pilot grant, and serving as the men's head basketball coach for one game in 2003.

During her tenure as A.D., TSU won 12 OVC Championships, including five indoor track and field championships, three outdoor track and field championships, two volleyball titles, and one women's basketball championship.