Gunnels, Stoecklein Named to Gulf South Conference Top Ten

June 13, 2012

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The University of West Florida swept the 2011-12 Gulf South Conference men’s and women’s all-sports trophies earlier this year, and the Argonauts had even more to be proud of on Wednesday as Sean Gunnels and Anna Stoecklein were named to the GSC Top Ten. Gunnels from the UWF men’s tennis team and Stoecklein from the women’s volleyball team were two of 10 student-athletes across all sports in the GSC recognized for their athletic, academic and extracurricular achievements.

Each of the student-athletes named to the Top Ten will be eligible to win the GSC Commissioner’s Trophy, an award given to the top male and top female student-athlete in the conference. The commissioner’s trophy will be awarded at the GSC Annual Awards Banquet on Monday, June 25 at the Hilton Birmingham Perimeter Park in Birmingham, Ala. The league will honor UWF for its all-sports trophies that evening as well.

The Top Ten selections are chosen with the assistance of an advisory committee that consists of athletic directors, senior women’s administrators, sports information directors, faculty athletic representatives and presidents from randomly selected GSC schools. The committee makes a recommendation to the league commissioner, who has the final decision.

SEAN GUNNELS, MEN’S TENNIS
Sean Gunnels is model Division II student-athlete. Not only was he a member of the nationally successful UWF men’s tennis team for four years, but he also made an impact on the faculty, staff and student-athletes around him.

Gunnels was a leader not only at UWF, but within the Gulf South Conference, as he chaired the GSC student-athlete advisory committee. His committee work on campus at UWF included work with the Intercollegiate Athletic Advisory Committee, the Vice President of Student Affairs Advisory Board and the Student Fees Committee, and he was also a student representative during the university’s master planning process.

His impact on campus culminated in winning the Kenneth L. Curtis Award, an award recognizing significant contributions, leadership and service to campus life at UWF. The Curtis Award is not just for student-athletes, but for the entire student body at the university.

Gunnels, a native of Mobile, Ala., was a leader for the Argonauts national runner-up team in 2012. The senior saw action in singles and doubles, posting an 8-6 record in singles and 4-3 mark in doubles. He was a perfect 4-0 in singles against GSC opponents, and he saw action in UWF’s round of 16 victory over Nebraska-Kearney, going up 6-2, 3-2 at the No. 6 singles spot before his teammate clinched the team win.

Gunnels graduated with a 3.59 grade point average, earning a degree in Pre-Professional Biology. He was accepted into the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Dental School, where he is planning to attend from 2012-16.

Photo by Chris Nelson

ANNA STOECKLEIN, VOLLEYBALL
Anna Stoecklein leaves the University of West Florida with a degree in Nursing and as one of the top players in Argonaut history. The St. Charles, Mo. native left an indelible mark on the UWF volleyball family with her performances both on and off the court.

The two year-libero led the Argos to two straight Gulf South Conference championships as well as a pair of NCAA South Regional Tournaments, all while maintaining stellar academic marks. Stoecklein graduated with a 3.47 grade point average, all while captaining the UWF defense. She led the defense to a .149 opponents’ hitting percentage, the top mark in the GSC, and individually she was just the third player in program history to earn 1,000 career digs.

Stoecklein raked in a slew of honors during her senior season, including second team All-GSC, honorable mention All-Region, and GSC All-Academic Team and Honor Roll accolades.

Volunteering also made it onto Stoecklein’s schedule, partaking in Habitat for Humanity, the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, the UWF Pack it Pink Match, Girl Scouts All Sports Day, Make-A-Wish and the Special Olympics, just to name a few.

Stoecklein also served as a teaching assistant for Microbiology and worked as the recording secretary for the UWF Chapter of Gamma Phi Beta.

Photo by Bill Stockland