JACKSONVILLE – Athletics Director Oval Jaynes presented softball player Nikki Prier and football player Josh Cain the 2009-10 Eagle Owl Awards at the annual Jacksonville State Athletics Senior Banquet in the Gamecock Center on Wednesday night.

The Eagle Owl Award, which was established in 1995, is given to a male and a female senior athlete, who possess several outstanding qualities. To be nominated, the student athlete must be a starter or important reserve during his/her senior season and carry a 2.5 cumulative GPA or higher. The student-athlete must excel in his or her sport, be a positive role model for others and exemplify the well-rounded student-athlete. The nominees are voted on by a selection committee, which is comprised of administration throughout the Jacksonville State campus.

Prier, a senior first baseman from Raleigh, N.C., has had one of the most decorated careers in JSU's softball history. A three-time All-Ohio Valley Conference Player and the 2009 OVC Player of the Year, Prier led the Gamecocks to OVC regular season titles in 2008 and 2009 while also guiding them to the NCAA Regionals in each of those seasons. In 2008, Prier and JSU were runners-up in the Tuscaloosa Regional before winning the 2009 Knoxville Regional and advancing to the school's first Super Regional in any sport.

In the Gamecocks' career record books, the career .331 hitter ranks second in doubles (56), third in RBI (136), fourth in hits (214), fifth in runs scored (139) and fifth in home runs (33). Ranking in the top 10 in 10 single-season categories in the JSU record books, Prier is tied for the school record for home runs in a game with two and is second in RBI per game after driving in six in a game in 2009. In that season, she posted a .379 average with 20 doubles, 12 home runs and 50 RBI to earn First Team All-Region honors in guiding JSU to its first-ever Top 25 ranking. She is an exercise science and wellness major that carries a 3.41 GPA. She is the sixth softball player to win the award and the third in the past four seasons.

Cain, a senior defensive back from Wetumpka, Ala., has been raking in the honors over the past couple of years. He is currently pursuing his master's degree in computer systems and software designs after starting all 11 games for the Gamecocks as a senior in 2009. He finished second on the team with 67 tackles and led a defense that was atop the OVC after allowing just 83 total points in seven league games.

Off the field, Cain is a team huddle leader with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and volunteers with the Habitat for Humanity and Big Brothers/Big Sisters. In addition to earning numerous OVC honors, he was named to the American Football Coaches Association/All-State Good Works Team and was an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America First Team selection in 2009. Earlier this spring, he was honored by the Atlanta Area Council Boy Scouts of America with the Georgia Peach of an Athlete Award and was then one of just two Division I Football Championship Subdivision student-athletes to receive the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award by the FCS Athletic Directors Association. He carried a 3.89 GPA in receiving his undergraduate degree in computer science and currently holds a 4.0 in graduate school. He is the fifth football player to win the Eagle Owl and the third in the past four seasons.

Past Winners
Female Eagle-Owl Winners
1993-94 Jana Simmons (Basketball, Volleyball and Softball)
1994-95 Ann Shelton (Softball)
1995-96, Tracey Wilder (Tennis)
1996-97 Kathy Schuneman (Rifle)
1997-98 Melissa Harden (Basketball)
1998-99 Lucinda Roddy (Rifle)
1999-00 Lisa Baswell (Basketball)
2000-01 Lauren Buck (Softball)
2001-02 Adriana Finelli (Soccer)
2002-03 Sally Pearson (Tennis)
2003-04 Jennifer Brenneman (Volleyball)
2004-05 Kari Baldwin (Rifle)
2005-06 Kisha West (Volleyball)
2006-07 Daniela Pappano (Softball)
2007-08 Abbey Breit (Volleyball)
2008-09 Allie Barker (Softball)

Male Eagle-Owl Winners
1999-00 Joey Hamilton (Football)
2000-01 Brad Smith (Baseball)
2001-02 Jeremy Sullivan (Football)
2002-03 Jose Campra (Golf)
2003-04 C.R. Palmer (Baseball)
2004-05 Matias Anselmo (Golf)
2005-06 James Hall (Rifle)
2006-07 Clay Green (Football)
2007-08 Clay Whittemore (Baseball)
2008-09 Gavin Hallford (Football)