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Shay Receives Ron Holmes Award
HOUGHTON, N.Y. – Ryan Shay, from Andover,
N.Y. and a member of the Houghton College men’s basketball team,
was presented with the American Mideast Conference’s (AMC) Ron
Holmes Memorial Award on Saturday, January 30, 2010. Shay is the
first Highlander to receive the award in its 17th year of
existence.
The Ron Holmes Memorial Award is presented each year to an AMC basketball player in honor of the former Mount Vernon Nazarene University standout who was tragically killed in a car accident prior to his senior season in 1991. The award was implemented by the conference coaches to annually recognize a player who exhibits the same outstanding basketball ability, upstanding character and achievements that Holmes displayed. The recipient is selected following his sophomore or junior season.
Shay, a junior six-foot guard, has contributed significantly for the Highlanders in his three seasons with the team. He has played in 65 of 70 games, starting 44 of them. At this point in his collegiate career, Shay has tallied 570 points, 159 rebounds and 98 assists. This season, Shay is averaging a career-best 13.6 points and 4.3 rebounds while shooting 41.2 percent from the field, 30.2 percent from behind the three-point arc and 70.5 percent from the free throw line. Shay was an American Mideast Conference Honorable Mention selection last season after averaging 10.2 points while starting 21 of 26 games.
His skill on the court pales in comparison to the character, community involvement and academic effort he puts forth outside the gym. In the classroom, Shay has earned a 3.64 grade point average as a math major. His efforts landed him on the Dean’s List (3.5 or above) or the Dean’s Honor List (3.75 or above) his first four semesters. In the community, Shay serves on the Campus Activity Board Leadership Team, teaches Children’s Church at Houghton Wesleyan Church, instructs and coaches in a Saturday morning basketball clinic, and works as a game host with the Houghton Athletic Department. He tutors college students and local students in math.
“Ryan is a great example of both an excellent student and a dedicated athlete,” Brad Zarges, Houghton men’s basketball head coach remarked. “He is very disciplined in his studies and seeks out challenges beyond the minimum requirements. In basketball, he has worked tirelessly to improve his physical abilities and develop his skills. As a junior on a team with significant senior contributions, he has established himself as a leader and a captain, mostly as a result of his team-first mentality and work-ethic.”
Mount Vernon Nazarene University’s Women’s Head Basketball Coach Steve Gregory presented Shay with the award. Gregory was a former teammate of Ron Holmes.
