April 23, 2008


Three University of North Alabama student-athletes have been selected to share the UNA Athlete of the Year awards for 2007-08, with junior men's basketball player Kenny Johnson of Plaquemine, LA, named UNA Male Athlete of the Year and senior volleyball standout Danielle Palasak of Garden City, MI, and junior women's basketball standout Amber Rutherford of Hatton, AL, sharing the Female Athlete of the Year award.

The UNA Athlete of the Year awards were created in 1991 and the winner is chosen annually by athletic department personnel. Selections for 2007-08 were particularly difficult with seven UNA teams advancing to NCAA post-season play.

"These student-athletes embody our vision of graduating champions," said UNA Athletic Director Mark Linder. "Kenny, Danielle, and Amber, all excel in the classroom and on the court. They are engaged citizens on campus and in the Shoals community. We are very fortunate to have such quality individuals representing our university and our department."

Johnson helped lead the North Alabama basketball team to a 27-9 record that included an NCAA Division II South Region championship and a berth in the Division II Elite Eight Tournament. An All-South Region Tournament pick and a Gulf South Conference Player of the Week recipient, Johnson ranked among the Division II national leaders in assists (195) and assists per game (5.4 avg.). He started all 36 games for UNA this season and averaged 13.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. He made 41 three-pointers in 2008 and also led the team with 61 steals.
Johnson is a two-time Academic All-Gulf South Conference selection with a 3.46 cumulative grade point average in Computer Information Systems. Johnson is the first UNA men's basketball player to be honored as the school's athlete of the year since Paul Bradley in 2001-02.

During the 2007 volleyball season, Palasak was selected honorable mention All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association after leading the team and the Gulf South Conference East Division in kills per game with a 4.52 average. For her career at UNA she was a two-time first-team All-GSC selection and four-time conference player of the week honoree.
Palasak was also a first-team All-South Central Region pick in 2007, giving the Lions 39 overall selections since 1996. She finished the season with 579 kills, 345 digs and a team-high 30 double-doubles.

Her career numbers include 1,333 kills, 818 digs and 133 service aces. During her senior year, she recorded a career-high 30 kills against Rollins, and leaves UNA with the record for most aces in a match with 12 against Albany State during the 2006 season.

Rutherford led Division II in free throw percentage for the second straight year, earning a second National Statistical Championship. She shot 93.6 percent from the free throw line in 2007-08 and her career average is on pace to break all existing school, conference and national records.
A two-time GSC Player of the Week pick in 2008, Rutherford was named first-team All-GSC for the second straight year. She averaged 15.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game for the Lions this season, while shooting 53.7 percent from the floor.